Sienna Spiro's Show-Day Routine: Winged Liner, Borrowed Beauty Marks, and a Long Road Out of Acne
Vogue
In this Vogue "Beauty Secrets" episode, English singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro walks through their everyday skincare routine and the makeup look they wear for shows. Spiro says upfront that they are not a makeup artist. They do their own makeup before performances, and that fact runs through the whole session. Between steps, Spiro talks about years of cystic acne, learning to read ingredient lists instead of copying TikTok, the 1960s singers behind their eyeliner, the making of their album, and a few mistakes that ended up in the final look.
Starting the Routine and the Acne Years
The routine begins with a sip of water and then a cleanse with the Bioeffect facial cleanser. Spiro double cleanses but admits to cutting a corner: "I'm a bit lazy sometimes," so the second cleanser goes on before the first is washed off.
That leads straight into why skincare matters to them. Spiro says they began taking care of their skin at around 14 or 15 because of severe cystic acne, with red patches and painful breakouts under the skin. They describe not wanting to leave the house. Walking down the street, they noticed only other people's skin and felt everyone was looking at them. Looking back, Spiro sums it up with a line to their younger self: "no one's looking at you, babe."
Serums, a Childhood Rehearsal, and a Grandmother's Travel Case
Next comes a product Spiro calls Civ, a biome-balancing serum. They say it "smells disgusting" but works well. Two to three drops, patted into the skin, is enough.
Spiro then says, "I've been practicing for this my whole life." As a child they stood in front the mirror doing their makeup and pretending to film their own Vogue Beauty Secrets video. They reenact it with the same opening line used at the start of this episode.
A mandelic clearing serum follows, two pumps. On camera Spiro gives the brand as something close to "Zo Pever," and they call it "really, really good." As a kid, Spiro says, they copied their mother's products, but their mother is "a creature of habit" who sticks to the same things, and Spiro has since moved on. Their whole routine now travels in a clip-together case that one of their grandmothers makes.
Spiro adds a glow complex they identify as Dior's and have used for a couple of weeks, saying they've enjoyed it. Then comes Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream. Spiro loves "the way this makes me feel" and briefly breaks into song on the phrase.
From TikTok Recommendations to Reading Labels
Spiro says they used to look up on TikTok what to use, and now doesn't think that's the right approach. The pattern, as they describe it, was seeing that a product worked for someone else, trying it, breaking out, and feeling insecure. Now they look at what's actually in a product and consider their own skin type. "I'm learning, and that is all that matters," they say.
They also only use cruelty-free products that aren't tested on animals, especially for makeup. Spiro says there are "really amazing brands" in that category and suggests looking for the bunny symbol.
The last skincare step is a body lotion recently bought from Space NK, the Naturium Bio-Lipid Restoring Body Lotion. Spiro says they and their mother have both been loving it. Their mother came to watch them sing at the Rosendal Garden Party in Stockholm, they shared a room, and the bottle Spiro bought a couple of weeks earlier is now half gone. Spiro likes that it has no scent. They've heard that's a good thing, though they hedge with "I think."
Why Doing Their Own Makeup Matters
Spiro starts makeup with the eyes, because that's the part that "stresses me out the most." They repeat that they aren't a makeup artist, but say doing their own makeup before shows is an important part of the day. It's time for themselves, and they find it calming.
The Winged Liner: Technique and Mistakes
The eyeliner is Charlotte Tilbury's Feline Flick in Panther. Spiro explains that their liner used to be very thick. That wasn't a deliberate style. They were "so bad at it" that they kept building the line bigger and bigger to fix it. They later thinned it out and say they miss the thicker version.
After drawing the basic shape, Spiro traces over it with a Chanel liner so the line is "locked in," survives "sweat and tears," and looks very dark. When something goes wrong, they reach for the Bioeffect Micellar Cleansing Water but worry they're making it worse. They settle on "Good enough. Moving on." They mention being jealous of how easily Ariana Grande did her liner in her own Beauty Secrets video.
One side then comes out too thick. Spiro reconsiders, decides it looks good, and wonders whether to match the other side to it, saying "mistakes can be beautiful." They finish by tightlining with the Chanel liner, noting they probably should have done that first.
Where the Look Comes From
Spiro says the look was inspired by 1960s jazz singers: the Ronettes, Aretha, Nina, and especially Etta James. They loved the eye makeup of that era. While figuring out how they wanted to look, they tried it, loved it, and have kept it ever since.
Mascara, a Pimple, and Lashes
Before mascara, Spiro shows a close-up of a pimple that "wasn't invited." Mascara is a "very key step."
Then the lashes, which Spiro says people often ask about. They buy Fairy Lashes on Amazon in sizes 18 and 16, placing one on the outer corner and one in the middle. They apply Duo lash glue and choose the 18, the biggest, "cuz I love drama." Spiro says the spiky lashes make the eyes look bigger.
Base and Brushes
For base, Spiro uses Hourglass Veil Skin Tint with Hourglass brushes. Until about a week before filming, they had been using the same sponge for about three years. They were told that's disgusting and have switched to vegan Hourglass brushes.
Making the Album and "Mono no Aware"
While applying base, Spiro talks about the album. They started writing it about two years ago. They knew there would be a project called Visitor but weren't sure it would be an album, because they had a fixed idea of how albums are supposed to be made, and this one didn't fit it. The songs came together sporadically. Spiro says it was how people received the songs that gave them the confidence to make it an album.
Their favorite track is the closer, "Mono no Aware." They explain it as a Japanese phrase meaning everything beautiful is temporary, so we should love more because it won't last. Spiro says the whole album is about their fear of impermanence. Finding the phrase helped them see things in a new light.
Being Watched, and the People They Trust
Spiro covers the spots with Hourglass concealer and a small brush. They say that being watched makes them feel pressure to act like they know more than they do, "and I don't."
They name the people they trust. Their manager, Miriam, has worked with them since they were 16. Spiro says they started doing eyeliner partly because of her, since she does great eyeliner. They call Miriam a strong woman they admire and say she gives amazing advice. Their older sister, Talia, also taught them a lot.
Since their career took off, several people have reached out, including Spiro's idol, whom they decline to name. They met for a cup of tea, which Spiro calls the best of their life. Spiro says they love her and that it is "probably the most valuable piece of advice I'll ever get." They don't say what the advice was.
Bronzer and Eyebrow Mistakes
Next is Dior Forever Skin Bronze. Spiro starts to say they were never a big makeup fan, then admits they had "awful makeup stages." Their example is filling in their eyebrows with sparkly dark brown eyeshadow. They can't explain why, and say the result looked awful.
They add a Gucci bronzer, praising packaging that "looks like treasure." For brows they use Benefit's Precisely My Brow pencil, which they've used faithfully since giving up the eyeshadow.
Planning for Tour
Spiro says they are excited about touring and describes an ideal day off: get off the bus, put headphones on, walk, maybe get coffee, find a vintage shop, call everyone they know, go shopping, listen to their album, and enjoy time alone. They find vintage shops by searching TikTok, for example "best vintage shops in Tennessee," then clarify that this is what they would do if they went to Tennessee.
Twiggy and The Devil Wears Prada 2
Spiro runs a blonde eyebrow pencil along the eye and applies a Make Up For Ever product. They credit Twiggy as an influence, saying they love the way her eyes look and love '60s makeup in general.
They then talk about appearing in The Devil Wears Prada 2, calling it "a very crazy moment." When first asked, they weren't sure about it. Spiro makes very sad music, and the film is a bubbly, fun fashion movie. What they connected with was a theme about magazines no longer being printed and everything going digital. Spiro links this to the idea of being called materialistic, saying they would "way rather be materialistic than be fake and use AI and you know not be real." They describe the experience as crazy and say seeing themselves in the film was "kind of upsetting," without elaborating.
Music While Getting Ready
Spiro always has a playlist on while doing makeup and treats that time as the moment to listen to albums in full. They say singing with Chris Stapleton would be a dream. They add that people might be surprised they listen to Scarface, and name a song they call "Hand of the Dead Bodies" as one they love.
Lips and No Blush
For lips, Spiro uses a Make Up For Ever product and overlines to create a pouty effect. They follow with a Charlotte Tilbury lip and cheek tint balm.
Spiro says they have "beef with blush." In their first ever video, someone applied blush and told them they had never used a film camera. The shot started on the side of their face, showed a pink circle, and zoomed out. Spiro says they looked like Peppa Pig. They say they haven't used blush since, apart from this tint, which they say blends in.
Powder and Beauty Marks
Laura Mercier loose powder, which Spiro has used since they could afford it, sets everything. They say it's essential for shows because it locks the makeup in so it doesn't budge.
Spiro then explains the faux beauty marks. They admire Olivia Rodrigo's three beauty marks and wish they had them. But the marks they've drawn come from two pimples in that spot. Spiro liked how the pimples looked and didn't want to lose them, so after they healed, Spiro kept drawing the marks back on.
Finishing Touch: Their Mother's Perfume
Spiro doesn't use a setting spray. Instead, they finish with Chloé Nomade, the perfume their mother wears. It reminds them of her and smells good. With that, Spiro says the look is finished and they're ready for a show.
Hey Vogue, it's Sienna Spiro, and I'm going to show you my everyday skin care routine and my everyday show makeup look. First thing I do is I have a sip of water.
And then I go in with my cleanser. This is the Bioeffect facial cleanser. Lather out. And just rub it into my skin. I do a double cleanse. I'm a bit lazy sometimes, so I put the double cleanser on before I wash the other cleanser off.
I really struggled with acne, so I started taking care of my skin around I'd say like 14, 15, and I had this like awful like cystic acne everywhere, and I had these like red patches, and it was under my skin. It was so painful. I didn't want to leave the house. I felt like when I'd walk down the street all I would notice on other people was their skin. I felt like everyone was looking at me and like no one's looking at you, babe.
This is wonderful any time of the day. Next, this is Civ. It's like a biome balancing serum, and it actually smells disgusting. It's really good. You need like two to three drops. Pat it into your skin. Ooh. Guys.
Anyway, I've been practicing for this my whole life. I used to stand in front of my mirror and do my makeup routine and pretend I was doing my Vogue beauty secret. "Hey Vogue, it's Sienna, and I'm going to show you how to get my perfect routine."
Next, Zo Pever Mandelic Clearing Serum. This is really, really good. I do like two pumps of this.
I always used to copy my mom's products, but like my mom is a creature of habit, and she'll always like stick to the same stuff. So, I used to use her on myself, and I've evolved since then. But, one of my grandmas actually makes these really cool like travel things. And then clip them together and it turned into this and you can just put all your products in and my whole routine is in it, so.
I've actually been using this for the past couple of weeks and it's been really good. It's the Dior by AB Super Charged Glow Complex. And I have to say I've been enjoying it.
Next, Tatcha the Dewy Skin Cream. This is lovely. I love the way this makes me feel. The way it makes me feel.
I used to like look up on like TikTok what to use, but I really don't think that's like the right thing to do because I actually like look into the products now and like see what I'm putting on because usually I'd be like, "Oh, that works for them." And then use that and then it wouldn't work for mine and then I'd break out and be really insecure. And so I think like looking at what's in the products and like seeing like what your skin type is, like learning, I'm learning, and that is all that matters.
Something that's very important for me, especially in makeup, is all the products I use don't test on animals, cruelty-free. There are some really amazing brands that don't test on animals. You can just look it up and it's great if you see the bunny.
I just got this from Space NK, Naturium Bio-Lipid Restoring Body Lotion. Me and my mom are loving this recently. She came to watch me sing at Rosendal Garden Party in Stockholm and we were sharing a room and she stole half of this as you can see. I bought this a couple of weeks ago. Pretty much fresh. But this is really nice and it has no scent and apparently that's a really good thing that has no scent. It means it's good for you. I think.
Makeup time. So, the first thing I start with is usually my eyes cuz that's the thing that stresses me out the most. I just need to preface I'm not a makeup artist. I do my own makeup for shows. I love that time for myself. I feel like that's really a really important moment for me in the day is like doing my own makeup. I actually find it quite calming.
So, I'm going to do my eyeliner. I'm using the Feline Flick in Panther from Charlotte Tilbury.
I used to do my eyeliner really thick and the reason was I was so bad at it and I just kept like building and building and building it and making it bigger and bigger and bigger. And then I like lessened it and I really miss it.
After I do like the basic shape with that, I go in with this Chanel liner and go over it. I go over it because it just needs to be locked in, last through sweat and tears, and just be like super dark.
This is the very important thing and this is a very important thing. Bioeffect Micellar Cleansing Water. It's hard. I feel like I might be making it worse. Do you know what? Good enough. Moving on.
Ariana's beauty secret literally makes me so jealous the way she can just go.
Oh, and we made it too thick. You see, sometimes... Do you know what? That actually looks quite good. Should I match the other side to that? Sometimes you up and mistakes can be beautiful.
I'm just going to tightline. I should have done this first really, but I'm going to tightline with this Chanel liner.
I guess when I started doing this look I was like very inspired by all the like '60s jazz singers like the Ronettes, Aretha, Nina, Etta James especially. I loved eye makeup. I guess when I was like finding how I wanted to look I tried it and I really loved it and I kind of just kept doing it to this day.
Next, we're doing some mascara. I'm giving like a little close-up of this pimple. Wasn't invited. You weren't invited to my face. You weren't invited. Not today. Ooh. So, little bit of mascara. Very key step to this routine.
These, a lot of people actually ask me about this. Yeah. Some people want to know what I'm using. You can go on Amazon, you look up Fairy Lashes, and I use 18 and 16, and I do one on the outer and one in the middle. Duo Lash Glue on like on this part of the lash. I get an 18, the biggest one, cuz I love drama. Put the glue on. Grab it like by there, and I just put it on the edge of my eye. Okay, there we go. They make your eyes look big, because they're like super spiky.
Okay, fab. I'm going to use the Hourglass Veil Skin Tint, and I've got my Hourglass brushes. Up until about last week, I was using the same sponge that I've used for about 3 years, and apparently that's disgusting. So, I stopped that. And now I've got these vegan Hourglass brushes. And I'm just going to rub on my skin.
I started writing this about 2 years ago. I knew it was going to be a project called Visitor. I just wasn't sure it was going to be an album. I guess I just like had this idea in my head about how an album should be made. This wasn't that. This was made like sporadically, and I think it was the way people like received the songs that kind of gave me the confidence to make it an album. And also, this is something I was thinking about for ages.
My favorite song from the album is a song called Mono no Aware. And it's the last song on the album. It's a Japanese phrase that means everything beautiful is temporary, and we should love more because it won't last. And when I found that, that was just really something I really connected to cuz this whole album is about this fear of impermanence I had. And finding this phrase just really helped me like see everything in like a new way and in a new light.
Hourglass again. It is the concealer. I take this. Take my little brush. And cover these spots up, girl. I think when you're being watched, I feel like I'm being watched. I'm trying to act like I know more than I do. And I don't.
I really trust my manager, Miriam. We've been working together since I was 16. I actually started doing eyeliner also because of her cuz she does great eyeliner. She's a very strong woman and someone I really admire and that really inspires me. I always feel like she's got amazing advice. And also, my older sister. My older sister, Talia, taught me a lot.
Since I've done this, a couple of people have reached out to me, and my idol reached out to me. I won't say who it is, but we had a cup of tea, and it was best cup of tea I've ever had in my life. And I love her very much, and that is probably the most valuable piece of advice I'll ever get. So, I'm very very grateful to have had that.
Next, I'm going in with the Dior Forever Skin Bronze. This is great.
I wasn't like a huge like makeup fiend. Why am I lying? I had awful makeup stages. Do you know what I used to do? I used to get sparkly dark brown eyeshadow and use that to fill my eyebrows in. Sparkly dark brown eyeshadow. Why? I couldn't tell you. But I did. And they looked awful.
Gucci bronzer. I love the packaging of this makeup. It looks like treasure. Treasure. That is what you are. You're my golden star.
Yep. I'm using the Precisely My Brow pencil from Benefit. This I've been religious to ever since I stopped using that eyeshadow. I've been using this.
I am so excited for tour. I can't even tell you. I'll tell you my routine. I get off the bus, headphones on, walk, coffee, maybe, find a vintage shop, call everyone I know on my phone, go shopping, listen to my album, enjoy my time alone, go and find some clothes. I look them up on TikTok, actually. I go, "Best vintage shops in Tennessee." Then that's it. But that's what I would do if I did go to Tennessee.
Next, I take any blonde eyebrow pencil and just do this. This Makeup Forever. I love '60s makeup. And this I feel like was really inspired by Twiggy. I love the way her eyes look.
Devil Wears Prada, too. That was a very crazy moment. When they asked me to do it, I was actually like really quite not sure what I was going to do, to be honest. I guess like I make very sad music and it's a very like bubbly, fun, like fashion film. And when I saw it, I really connected with one of the themes in it, which was the like the magazine started kind of stop getting printed, everything became digital. I guess I just really wanted that and I think it was like a comeback to the calling someone materialistic. I'd way rather be materialistic than be fake and use AI and you know not be real. So that was a really crazy experience and seeing it like in the film was kind of upsetting.
I'll always have a playlist on when I'm doing my makeup. That is like the time to listen to albums in their entirety. Chris Stapleton is like such a... He's like honestly I would love to sing with him, that would be a dream. And rather I love like maybe like Scarface, I think people would be surprised I listen to. Like Hand of the Dead Body, love that song.
Where I would wear my Makeup Forever and I would like my lips but I make sure to like overline them here, it kind of makes it like a pouting when you look.
Charlotte Tilbury lip blush balm tint balm.
I have beef with blush. On my first ever video a lady put blush on me and she went... you've never used a film camera before. I look like Peppa Pig. The shot started on the side of my face, it was a pink circle and it zoomed out and it was like awful. I haven't used blush until this. This is good. This like blends in but after that no blush for me.
Laura Mercier loose powder, been using this since I could buy it. This is wonderful. I love this. This is so important for shows because fortunately it kind of locked everything in and like doesn't budge.
Do you know what? Olivia Rodrigo has these three beauty marks that I just think are so beautiful and I wish I had them, but the reason I put these on, I've drawn these beauty marks on because I had two pimples here. And I loved the way they looked. And I didn't want them to go, so I drew them back on.
I don't really have a setting spray. I use this. This is the perfume my mom uses. This is the Chloé Nomade perfume and it really reminds me of my mom and it smells so good.
That is my finished look and I'm ready for a show now. Bye love. Thank you so much for watching. Bye.
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