Natalia Dyer on Sensitive Skin Care, Lightweight Monochromatic Makeup, and the Power of Fragrance

“I have always had pretty finicky, sensitive skin—I broke out a lot as a teenager,” says Natalia Dyer. The Stranger Things star has since curated a regimen of products that won’t stress her skin, like a colloidal oatmeal-infused cleanser by NYDG and La Roche-Posay’s coveted moisturizer. To relieve facial and jaw tension, she glides a gua sha across her face or performs a gentle massage. “When my jaw relaxes, I think everything relaxes,” she says.

When she’s off duty, the 27-year-old keeps her makeup light. The star sees red carpet and glam as fun ways to experiment, but ultimately feels most comfortable when she hasn’t undergone some drastic makeup transformation. “I feel best when I look like myself, you know, like an enhanced version!” 

Dyer uses La Mer’s rich cream as primer before blending Tarte’s Maracuja oil with foundation for a sheer tint—a tip she picked up on set. “Being on the show is what turned me onto like a fuller brow—that ’80s brow,” she says, perfecting hers with a trio of stylers by Anastasia Beverly Hills and Benefit Cosmetics. Next is lashes, amplified by an eyelash curler and a coat of Covergirl mascara which Dyer has used since high school. And finally, for her monochromatic look, she relies on Olio E Osso’s rosy multitasking balm tapped across her cheeks and nose, then swiped along her lips. 

Compelled by the memory-evoking powers of fragrance, Dyer notes she has collected a large assortment over the years. “Every time you go back to smell [a scent] from a period, you’re automatically brought back to a time that’s so visceral,” she says. “It’s just something that helps you sort of step into this character—though that did backfire quite a bit on Stranger Things.” Dyer had used a vintage ’80s fragrance in the hopes of channeling the era her character was in, but it proved to be “atrocious”—too strong and powdery. Today, she opts for a few drops of Uma’s Pure Energy Wellness Oil, applied to her wrists and neck. And with some dry shampoo maneuvered through her bangs, she’s on her way.

NYDG Skincare Colloidal Oatmeal Cleanser

Alastin Restorative Skin Complex

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer

Isdin Eryfotona Actinica® Ultralight Emulsion SPF 50+

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer Triangular Brow Pencil

$23

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS

Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Gel

Anastasia Beverly Hills Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel

$22

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS

Covergirl Professional Remarkable Mascara

Colorescience Mineral Corrector Palette SPF 20

Uma Oils Pure Energy Wellness Oil

R+Co Death Valley Dry Shampoo

Filmed at Ludlow, NYC