INTERVIEW: Alexis Oakley Talks Beauty Tips and Trends Ahead of New York Fashion Week

NYFW outfits? Check. Hairstyles? Check. Makeup looks? Not quite yet, so we enlisted the help of celebrity makeup artist Alexis Oakley for some last-minute tips and tricks to ensure we’re runway-ready. 

The content creator, who has over 600,000 followers on TikTok, has garnered her following by sharing extremely helpful how-tos and giving her viewers a glimpse of her star-studded roster: Demi Lovato, Tana Mongeau, Alix Earle, Brittany Mahomes, and Tate McRae – just to name a few.

Now she’s embarking on a new venture, creating and hosting her new series Who’s in My Glam Chair. The new mini-social media series is set to follow Oakley as she glams some of our favorites with a set of rapid-fire style questions. 

She stopped by Glitter Magazine ahead of New York Fashion Week to help us make sure we look and feel our best ahead of the fashion frenzy. Check out our full conversation below.

BRITTANY: Alexis, welcome to Glitter. Thank you so much for chatting with us today. 

ALEXIS: Thank you for having me. I’m so excited for this. 

BRITTANY: You were recently in New York for a fun 24-hour trip. So, are there any plans to come back for Fashion Week to see some shows, or glam some clients? 

ALEXIS: Yes. I’m coming back for fashion week; I’m really pumped for it. This year is going to be the first year that I’m attending shows and going to events as well as doing clients. Normally, I’m solely focused on clients, but I think this will be a really fun year. 

BRITTANY: Like we were saying off camera, it’s a fun balance. You’re going to work, but then you also get to attend parties and see these shows. It really is like a nice best-of-both-worlds situation. 

ALEXIS: Yeah. Definitely. I have some fun collabs lined up too that I’m really, really excited for.

BRITTANY: We cannot wait to see. So anybody who has followed you on TikTok knows your journey. They know you’ve been in this business for a minute. Right? And now you’re glamming a bunch of our faves: Alex Earl, Avril Lavigne, and Tate McRae. So, you have expertise in the beauty industry. As we go into fashion week, we’ll talk about designs and trends in clothing. Let’s use your expertise here to talk about trends in beauty. At the moment, what are some of your favorite beauty trends? 

ALEXIS: I love the overblushing. I feel like everyone’s talking about blush blindness right now. Yes, I do absolutely agree that sometimes it can be taken a little bit too far, but I love blush so, so, so much, which is so funny because when I first started makeup, I despised it. I never wore blush. I never put it on my clients. I was solely a bronzer girl, and now I’m all about the pink tones. I love, like, a cool baby tone, pink blush, kind of like my little hoodie situation, but I think we’re gonna be seeing a lot of blushing situations. I think that because we’re kind of starting to get into fall, I feel like people are really excited for fall makeup right now. So, I feel like we’ll see lots of bronze smokey eyes as well, which I love.

BRITTANY: I have to say, I think Sabrina Carpenter for me is what solidified the overblushing. I’ve always loved the blush. I’ve always been a blush girl. As we’re heading into fall, there’s nothing I love more than that Blair Waldorf rosy cheek in the fall. So, when people talk about blush blindness, I’m like, “No, that’s not a real thing.” With that, we all have our favorite trends, but we also have some least favorites. So, tell me, what are some that you’re not too fond of?

ALEXIS: I feel like I’m a little over the faux freckles. I know a lot of girlies love that, and I think it’s cute, but it’s not really for me. Sometimes I’ll do it on my clients. When I do it to other people, I don’t mind it. But when I do it on myself, I hate it so much. I think it makes my makeup look so bad because I’m more of a full-glam girl. So, I think if you’re doing the faux freckles, it has to be more of a lighter soft makeup, and that’s just not my vibe, unfortunately. I’m kind of over that. I feel like for the most part, though, makeup is in a really good place right now. There’s no trend in particular that I’m like, “Oh, for the love of God. Like, let’s move on from this.” I feel like a few years ago, obviously, the brows and the matte lips and things like that, we look back and we’re like, “Why did we do that?” But looking at all of the beauty trends right now that we’re getting from TikTok, I truly think that this is the best beauty has ever been. 

BRITTANY: I think that’s so funny because I actually started learning how to do my own makeup in 2016 back when I was in high school. So imagine you’re just getting, like, your first sets of makeup, and you’re like, “Wow. I have to full-glam myself.” I look back at my pictures now and there was some eyebrow blindness going on there. Oh my gosh.

ALEXIS: I was the queen of that. Are you kidding? I look back at pictures, I posted a photo recently, and someone commented, “This does not even look like the same person. I don’t understand how this is you,” because the makeup was just so extreme. I went to school with a full beat every single day to where, like, you couldn’t see a single pore on my face. My eyebrows were, like, half the size of my forehead. It was such intense makeup, and I would wake up so early to do that every day for school, false lashes and all. 

BRITTANY: We were getting up at like 5 and 6 o’clock in the morning to sit in English class.I love the commitment, but looking back, I’m like, “Yeah. Maybe maybe let’s not.”

ALEXIS: No. It’s crazy. But I do think beauty is in a really good place right now, which honestly makes me happy to see. I feel like you can learn so much from TikTok right now, and I think so many people have such amazing expertise that are sharing all of that online. And the girls are so lucky. Like, literally, I see photos of high school girls, and I’m like, “There’s no way you’re in high school. You’re so good at your makeup.” 

BRITTANY: Where’s the awkward phase for them?

ALEXIS: It doesn’t exist. 

BRITTANY: You say that beauty’s in a really good place right now. Let’s talk about predictions for the future. What do you think we have on the horizon? 

ALEXIS: I feel like winged-liner is going to make a comeback. I feel like everyone was kind of over it for a minute, and I have always been a winged-liner girl through and through. I feel like that’s kind of one of the things that I’ve become known for in my makeup style as well. It’s just a super snatch face, eyes, cheekbones, everything, and I feel like placement is such a thing that I just think is so, so, so important, and I love that side of makeup for sure. I think that wing liner is going to make a comeback. I also think smokey eyes since we’re coming into fall. I feel like since we’re out of this clean girl era, smokey eyes and grungy makeup are going to come back a little bit.

BRITTANY: It’s like we’re going from Blair Waldorf to Jenny Humphrey.

ALEXIS: I kind of live for that. 

BRITTANY: One thing about fashion week is that every year, it’s almost like, I call it, a new cohort of people coming into fashion week; this will be their first time. I run into girls who’re good at a soft beat but aren’t used to doing a full beat on themselves. We can’t always have a makeup artist as stellar as you come with us. So, what are some first-time application tips for those struggling a bit? 

ALEXIS: One thing that I get comments about all the time is “Why is my makeup not staying on my face? Or, “Why is it separating?” As crazy as it sounds, you’re not applying enough makeup. I feel like so many girls, I’ll watch their videos after they comment. I’m like, okay, “Let’s help a sister out. Like, what are they doing? How can I, like, help them correct their routine?” You really have to layer and apply a lot more makeup than you would think. At first, you kind of look at yourself in the mirror, like, “Woah. This is a lot,” but it photographs so well in pictures. I think it’s important to use cream products but also powders. One thing that I think is so important for longevity in makeup is a cream bronzer, powder bronzer, cream blush, and powder blush. You really want to layer every single step of the makeup because that’s what’s going to make it last all day long and give an air-brushed effect. 

BRITTANY: What about for more of the oily-skinned girls who are scared of cream products? What are your thoughts on that? 

ALEXIS: Use a good primer, and your makeup will look great. Primer and a lot of powder at the end of it. I still would suggest using those cream products because it’s really gonna help to just lock in the makeup and make it stay all day and give you that definition as well. 

BRITTANY: I think the one thing about Fashion Week is it’s a marathon. You’re leaving for your 11 AM show thinking, “Okay. My makeup looks amazing.” You go to your 3 PM show, and it’s time to touch up here and there. You go to your 8 PM show, and I’m like, “Where’s the rest of my makeup?” I know another big thing for you is skin prep. So let’s do some application techniques that will also help carry you through the night.

ALEXIS: For skin prep, less is more. I preach about skin prep all the time, and it’s so important. I always say you can have the best makeup products in the entire world, but if you’re not prepping your skin properly, it won’t last long. But one of the things that I’ve discovered throughout my journey is that the more skincare I apply, the more the makeup starts to pill, at least most of the time. If I’m applying a toner, moisturizer, eye cream, serum, or glow drops, this, that, I feel like the makeup pills and doesn’t sit on top of it very long. So, I like to keep it simple but use high-quality products. I love starting with an eye cream or an eye mask. If I have extra time, I’ll apply eye patches under the eyes because I always start with the eyes first when I’m doing makeup just for that fallout. We’ll do an eye patch, then a really, really hydrating eye cream. I typically use the Shiseido Benefiance eye cream. That has been a go-to in my kit for probably 6 years now. It’s one of my favorites. I love a hydrating moisturizer, like Bobbi Brown Repair Cream or Tatcha moisturizers are really amazing. If I have an oily skin client, I’ll use the water cream, and then more of just like a normal to dry. Dewy cream is amazing. If it’s daytime, a sunscreen, and that’s it. I keep skincare super simple, but hydrating and high-quality products.

BRITTANY: That’s such a good lesson. A little less on the skincare, but more on the actual makeup to get that full glam look that’s going to last you all day.

ALEXIS: Definitely. If you apply too much moisturizer, this is something that I actually learned through trial and error on a client that was a very high, high-profile client. So, it was very unfortunate for me at the time, but I thought that I really needed to do the most with the skincare and give her the most hydrated glass skin ever. The makeup slipped off her face within hours, and I was mortified. 

BRITTANY: As we go into the week and start prepping, what are some go-to items that you may keep or that you may recommend that people keep in their bags to help touch up their makeup and help keep that longevity? 

ALEXIS: Obviously, powder. I feel like powder is a gift from God for makeup touch-ups. That’s usually the first thing that I need to do on myself. Powder, lip liner, concealer, and maybe a lipstick too. But, honestly, if you don’t have room in your bag, choose a lip liner over lipstick; make it work. Those are definitely the most important things. If I’m doing a smokey eye, I usually like to bring a black liner with me because when you’re doing makeup in the waterline, naturally, your eyes water. So, of course, that’s gonna fade away after a few hours. That’s something that I always like to touch up just because I hate the look of blank space in the lower lash line. So, I think that’s something to keep in mind, but I feel like those are usually my go-to’s. And then if you’re having a really, really long day, I definitely suggest, like, a hydrating mist to your face throughout the day and give, like, a nice little refresh. 

BRITTANY: Those are all duly noted. I’m going to go back and watch this when I pack my bag. 

ALEXIS: Also, this is, like, a fun little trick that I always like to do, and this is what I do for my clients. But, on Amazon, you can get these tiny, clear containers. They’re super small, and you can get disposable applicators for lipstick and things like that. I always take my loose powder, dump out a little bit in there, and then I take my lipstick, scrape out a little bit, and put one in there too. So it’s so tiny. It barely takes up any space in your bag, and you don’t really have to worry about it. Whereas, if you’re bringing the whole powder, it takes up a lot of room. And I know sometimes we don’t have that for fashion week. 

BRITTANY: Thankfully, we’re not in the trend of, like, these teeny tiny purses anymore. But, you shared your glam bag with us. Let’s talk quickly as we wrap up about your glam chair. You have a new series that I saw that I am so excited to watch, Who’s in My Glam Chair? So, while we’re talking all about Fashion Week – if you had to choose a designer to sit in your glam chair, who would you choose? 

ALEXIS: Oh my god. That’s so hard. I would love to have Donatella Versace just because I’m obsessed with her glam. She’s so iconic for wearing a smokey eye every single day. Are you kidding? I live for it. Also, Sherry Hill would be so iconic just because I was so obsessed with her dresses growing up. Like, you were a cool girl if you wore a Sherry Hill dress to prom. I can literally picture the 3 dresses that I was trying on that day in the prom dress store. Like, it was so iconic. Always a little glitz, a little glam.

BRITTANY: We love that. Alexis, thank you again for chatting with us at Glitter. We’re so excited to see Who’s in My Glam Chair and to see if we bump into you at New York Fashion Week.

ALEXIS: Thank you so much. 

Be on the lookout for the video of our conversation, coming soon.