I Asked Georgia May Jagger What's Inside Her Makeup Bag—Here's What She Said
Georgia May Jagger is into beauty in a big way. "My parents were a little bit strict with me not being allowed to wear mascara or anything until I turned maybe 13, so as soon as I was allowed to wear makeup then I was fully in," laughs Jagger. It makes perfect sense, then, that the British model is the face of the new Hourglass Refillable Curator Eyeshadow Palette—a sustainable, customisable palette that allows consumers to pick from 40 beautiful powder eye shadows to create a unique-to-you compact.
"I just love the concept," explains Jagger. "I think it’s amazing because I was able to curate it myself. I love playing with makeup and I think it's really important to be able to pick out colours that work for you."
But with direct access to some of the biggest names in beauty and having worked alongside the most talented makeup artists in the world, I'm always interested to learn how much autonomy models have over their own beauty looks and what tips and tricks they've picked up along the way. Luckily, Jagger was more than happy to spill the beans.
"I’ve always been really scared to do eye shadow," laughs Jagger. "I'd always pick a more sheer glitter rather than something that had a lot of pigment because it kind of terrified me, but working with makeup artists like Val Garland, Charlotte Tilbury and Pat McGrath and seeing the more daring looks that they would do for shows. … I'd be writing things down and taking photos of the products and then I'd go out afterwards and it would be so fun to try something out. I've definitely learnt a lot about how I want to experiment."
And this creative streak is nothing new. From the youngest age, Jagger was drawn to colour. "My earliest makeup memory is probably just watching my mum get ready to go out and doing red lipstick and wanting to play," Jagger recalls. "She had this drawer of all different lipsticks. … She used to have all the Chanel ones that were in those gold tubes and I remember just wanting to play with them all."
A quick scroll through Jagger's Instagram reveals the true extent of her penchant for playfulness. Between head-turning hair colours (bubblegum pink, mermaid green and lavender to name just a handful), glitter eye shadows and pillar-box red lips with delightfully blurred edges, Jagger clearly embraces the joy in makeup. "I used to do emerald green eyeliner, just on the inside of my eyes as a teenager," reflects Jagger. "It's obviously changed a lot since then [laughing], but I still like to have a lot of fun with and play with colours."
So where does Jagger get her makeup inspiration from these days? "Because we're still not really going out much, I’ll look on Instagram and magazines and at my friends to see what they’re trying," says Jagger. "Me and Suki [Waterhouse] always share things that we’ve bought, and my sister and my mum—so I’ll go to them for inspiration. I love anyone that’s more experimental too, like Hunter Schafer I’m obsessed with for makeup looks."
With lockdown restrictions continuing to relax here in the UK, I'm interested to know how Jagger anticipates her approach to makeup shifting this summer. "I love applying a balm or a gloss on top of a colour to make it shiny," she explains. "For a more summery look I’ve always loved a glossy eye, and I think that if you apply a colour—like a red—and then you just pat on a gloss it just gives you that really sheer, cool look. And I’m always trying to do a cut crease but, you know, it’s a challenge [laughs]."
Sticking with eye shadow, I was keen to know which shades Jagger gravitated towards for her own Hourglass palette. "I picked a day look which is kind of a sunset-red, brick day look. My eyes are green so it was kind of a nice way to make a day look more noticeable," Jagger explains. "I definitely sway away from just doing a beige shadow or something like that. I like something that's a bit more eye-catching, even if it’s for daytime. The colours are Bee, Foe and Pow and it's a combination between a really nice matte red that looks good on its own and then shades that have a bit more of a metallic, shimmer look."
"And then the nighttime look is kind of a smoky, glittery, purple smoky eye with highlighter in the inner and outer corners," says Jagger. "Those colours are Ash, Fog and Fox and it’s my take on a classic smoky eye but a bit different. This one is kind of like an aubergine with a bit of sparkle, but I also love doing a green one."
What then does a woman who loves playing with new makeup products and testing new colours actually reach for on a daily basis from her makeup bag? "Concealer," Jagger replies emphatically. "I don't know if it's getting older [laughing] but in the morning I like to have a bit of coverage for sure."
Keep scrolling for the rest of Georgia May Jagger's makeup bag essentials…
"Even if I’m not going for a full face of makeup, I love using concealer around my nose, covering up any spots I might have and then under my eyes is always my go-to thing."
"I have a big pet peeve about my eyebrows—it’s the only thing that I’m very specific about. I really don’t like it when the hairs all point down so I brush them into place. This is a great brush as it’s not too big for the brow area and the spiraled side tames hairs fast."
"Right now, I’ve got on the Hourglass Lip Oil in Nocturnal, and I love any kind of sheer lip product like that. I’ll even experiment and put that in other places on my face to add gloss. I’ve always done things like that."
"I love using a sugar lip polish to prep my lips and remove any dead skin before applying red lipstick. I love this one because it tastes and smells like dessert. You can also make your own by mixing brown sugar in your lip balm."
"I love this pencil because it looks great on its own and makes your natural lip colour look just a bit bolder. It’s also amazing for putting under a lipstick to make it last longer."
"For evening, I love to do a red lip. It has to be a bright, bright red, and Confession is amazing, as it has a slim tube so it's really easy to apply."
"I’ve been obsessed with this balm for years. It smells amazing and has a slightly minty taste. I have to keep lip balm on me at all times—I never leave the house without it, especially in the winter in NYC or London."
"I love having bright red nails. This dark red colour is so beautiful and this polish is 73% plant-based."
You can build your own Hourglass Curator Palette online now or at the Be The Artist Eye Bar at Selfridges until Thursday, 22nd July.
Up next, five colourful makeup looks I can't wait to re-create this summer.
Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor, copywriter and regular contributor to Who What Wear UK. She also writes for titles including Marie Claire Refinery 29 and Cosmopolitan, and previously worked at Who What Wear UK as Beauty Editor. With experience in both editorial and content management, she also works with beauty brands and small businesses on brand messaging and content strategy. As a busy mum of two, she is passionate about finding efficacious beauty products that can disguise all signs of tiredness with minimal effort.