Alicia Keys Is Finally Launching Makeup

The wonderful thing about makeup is you can wear it however the eff you want. Wanna go full-glam with bronzy lids, chiseled contouring, and lashes to rival those of Snuffleupagus? Do it. Are you more of a Euphoria (or, really, just editorial/runway) kinda person? Grab that lash glue and some rhinestones, I wanna see what you come up with. Maybe your version of a makeup look is a bit of concealer in the right places, some mascara, buffed-out black or brown liner, and a lip gloss. That’s cool, too. 

Whatever makeup aesthetic you choose, Keys Soulcare is hoping you choose something from its newest range to execute it. The brand, which initially launched in late 2020, has grown far beyond its initial three-piece offerings (a candle, a face roller, and a moisturizer). Now, you’ll find cleansers, toners, an assortment of balms, face masks, and even the Best of Beauty-winning Sacred Body Oil.

For the past few years, brand founder and international music superstar Alicia Keys has been candid about her personal decision to stop wearing makeup. It wasn’t a forever decision — you can find Keys today sporting a winged liner or a bit of blush — but she has maintained a relatively minimalist approach to makeup since then, one that she’s bringing to her own brand with its “Make You” collection, Keys Soulcare’s take on a color cosmetics range.

The color-skin-care hybrid offering includes the Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum ($26), the Natural Flush Complexion Brush ($18), the Soft Stay Brow Gel ($15), the Comforting Tinted Lip Balm ($18), and the Sheer Flush Cheek Tint ($22). “It’s about what you want to look like. You get to choose,” Keys tells Allure over a Zoom session in the latter days of April. The color products are mostly sheer, specifically the Lip Balm (which comes in six colors) and Cheek Tint (which includes eight options), but you can build them up to get a bit more oomph. 

Keys Soulcare Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum

By the time I sat down for this conversation, I’d already tried the cream blush in Undeniable, a deep wine color that I actually thought went on pretty pigmented at first, though it was easy to sheer out. I tossed the color in my makeup bag for my most recent vacation, and I couldn’t stop using it. I prefer a natural-looking flush and that’s what it gave me, plus the addition of sunflower seed oil in the formula really helped it meld into my skin.  According to cosmetic chemist Ginger King, sunflower seed oil is teeming with super-moisturizing vitamin E, plus “it’s also noncomedogenic, so it won’t clog pores.”

I like to use this with my fingers: I scoop out a bit with the tip of my nail, then make little tiny dots on my cheek and cheekbones with the stuff. Then, I sheer it out with the pads of my fingers. If you prefer to use a tool, you can reach for the Complexion Brush, which has cruelty-free bristles and a handle made from wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.