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- Celeste Barber Is the Beauty Influencer We Never Knew We Needed
Celeste Barber Is the Beauty Influencer We Never Knew We Needed
Instagram @mcobeauty
You might have noticed a new addition to Celeste Barber’s Instagram content. In between her fun parody pictures and videos, Barber has dipped her toe into beauty, recently uploading a makeup tutorial, which she says “you didn’t know you needed or wanted”. Well, we most definitely wanted and needed this content in our lives.
This is all because Barber is the new face of MCoBeauty — ModelCo’s more affordable sister makeup range. While you might know Barber as an actor, comedian and writer, she also has some serious beauty influencer chops thanks to her longtime love of makeup.
“I’ve always loved makeup,” Barber told POPSUGAR Australia. “But, it’s interesting as you get older, you learn that that whole less is more thing. And now I have awesome step-daughters who are 19 and 21. So they’re right into makeup tutorials and all the full beat. But it’s interesting to watch it kind of evolve and I’m loving being in that world with it.”
For Barber, it’s less about covering her face and more about using products that make her feel good. As to what those products are? She’s all about tubular mascara and a simple lip balm with a few face jewels thrown in for good measure. POPSUGAR Australia was lucky enough to sit down with Barber to chat about all things makeup, thin eyebrows and her Challenge Accepted Instagram posts.
POPSUGAR: Hi, Celeste! Did you ever think you’d be an ambassador for a makeup brand?
Celeste Barber: I kind of always had it in my head. When you’re dancing around your bedroom to Janet Jackson, and you’re like, ‘Ah, I might be the face of that’. That sort of stuff, but not ever really when I’m older. I didn’t think it would ever be a thing, but I’m really enjoying it.
PS: Why did you feel a natural alignment to MCoBeauty?
CB: Well, the fact that they’re Australian is very important to me and also cruelty-free and vegan is great. I’m not vegan, but I think it’s quite an important thing for a lot of people. I like the accessibility. I’m all about accessibility, not just fancy, lovely things being available to fancy, lovely people. I just think everyone should be allowed to feel like that.
And this has that for their price point. And also it’s sold at Woolies. That is the best because you know, a lot of people that in my world, a lot of my audience and everything really would love to be able to go and stand in line for makeup at Sephora, but they can’t. But so that’s why MCoBeauty is great because it’s as good as the fancy stuff. But you can get it at Woolies while you’re getting nappies or dog food or whatever.
PS: How has your relationship with makeup changed over the years?
CB: I’ve always loved makeup. My mum used to wear — well, still does wear makeup — and she has the most beautiful blue eyes and has always been really good at doing her makeup. And I danced as a kid, so that was all about, I can’t remember if it was pink and blue, or pink and purple eyeshadow. And I loved it.
I always loved makeup, but it’s interesting as you get older, you learn that that whole less is more thing. And now I have awesome step-daughters who are 19 and 21. So they’re right into makeup tutorials and all the full beat. But it’s interesting to watch it kind of evolve and I’m loving being in that world with it.
PS: When do you feel most like yourself, most beautiful?
CB: When I’m at home. I feel it’s two separate answers for me. I feel most like myself and relaxed and calm when I’m at home with my husband and my kids in our apartment. And I feel quite beautiful in those situations as well, but I got to tell you, I’m going to be completely honest here.
Getting on a photoshoot with my Brad (Mullins) and Fil (Filomena Natoli), and the music and that, I feel like an absolute f*cking rockstar when I do that. I love that feeling. I’m very lucky. My life has it all. I’m very, very lucky that I can have both those worlds.
PS: When it comes to your Challenge Accepted posts, how do you prepare for those? What role does makeup play?
CB: Well, it’s interesting because sometimes I will whack a face on to do a photo. It’s not common that I do that because I like to just kind of see the photo and I’ll do it as I am, which is kind of part of the point of it. So not much preparation goes into it.
There’s more preparation in buying the stuff that I need to wear. Or if it’s a video, I want to edit it together really well, for timing, for comedy and all that. But the actual shoot of it, doesn’t take very long. But yeah, sometimes I put a face on actually, but not that often.
PS: When you’re doing these posts, do you plan them out in advance or are you more reactive to what is going on in pop culture at the time?
CB: A bit of both. I mean I get sent so many. So many. It’s madness how many I get. So sometimes I’ll do those if I just know it’s going to be hilarious and it’s not a big deal, I know I’ll do it. Especially like physical comedy. I know that.
But if I get inundated with the one post, if I get it sent to me what feels like a billion times, I go, yeah, that makes sense. But in saying that as well, some really popular photos… Remember that one years ago where Kim Kardashian flipped the champagne cork and it landed on her bum? No idea how many times I got sent that, but I didn’t do it because everyone kind of did it. And I thought I’m not really commenting on much there. It’s just, that looks like a tricky photo. So it’s a bit of a mix really.
PS: What’s one throwback or weird makeup trend that you would like to see come back into fashion?
CB: When I was younger, I used to put a little bit of glitter stuff on my cheekbones. So it’s kind of the new face jewels that MCoBeauty ($10) do that I love. I’d also really like thin eyebrows to come back because big fat eyebrows are a lot of work.
PS: They really are way more maintenance!
CB: It’s real, and it’s a status thing. It’s crazy. So really thin eyebrows would be great, thank you very much because I’ll fit right into them. My eyebrows are the victim of the nineties.
PS: Tell us, what are your favourite MCoBeauty products?
CB: The tubular mascara ($24) that doesn’t give you panda eyes. It’s so good. I love it. And it extends, so it does what you want in a mascara — I’m wearing it right now. You can get it off with only warm water. It’s so fantastic. I absolutely love it.
I also like the Mega Balm ($12). They’ve got a great balm that they do, which is 12 bucks. You put in every handbag. My husband uses it. My kids use it, it’s really good.
