Avani Gregg’s Official Guide to Everyday Makeup

Social media star and makeup artist Avani Gregg shows off her everyday beauty skills.

Avani Gregg’s Official Guide to Everyday Makeup

Though Avani Gregg may have gotten her social media start carrying off high-drama looks designed for a literal clown, her everyday routine is far more subtle—and equally well-executed. “My mom was the one that taught me how to do my makeup,” says Gregg, who cleanses her face and spritzes on a veil of Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner to begin her routine. “She did this really cute basic little eyeshadow thing that I would do every single day. It was like artwork on my face. So, when I started social media, I actually was doing crazy makeup—like crazy special effects makeup, clown makeup, anything but normal, everyday, regular makeup—and that’s when people started really following me.” When Gregg's star began to rise, her mother stepped in again, encouraging the budding makeup artist to care for her skin in addition to cultivating her craft. A dabbing of dry oil—with the eye area eschewed to avoid creases in foundation—is followed by a blend of SPF and Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream, an additional coat of moisturizer, and an under-eye pressing of Vitamin C serum for brightening. “Because I’ve had long nails for so long, I actually feel like when I don’t have long nails, I can’t do anything right,” says Gregg, who uses the pads of her manicured fingers to apply her favored primer from Patrick Starrr. A perfected mix of foundation shades goes on with a brush for an extra-even finish. Concealer, contour, and an expert bit of blending come next, delivering dimension to the look's beginnings.

“The first day that that clown video of mine blew up, I was out at a mall with my friends. A group of girls came up to me and my friends, and I was just assuming that like, my friend knew them or something, like they were friends of them, but no,” says Gregg, citing the moment as the point where her life began to change. “They actually drove over an hour to come and see me at the mall because they saw that I posted it on my story.” Gregg's popularity is sensical: Her trademark clown creations typically take up to six hours to conceptualize and create. “I have been blessed with some friends that have also been on social media, and we all go through the exact same thing, we all make mistakes, and we all just get to be able to talk about it and get through it together," says Gregg, dusting Patrick Ta blush under eyes, above and below the brow, and across her nose. “I feel like it really, really, really helps on mental health.” An eyeshadow-crafted cat-eye—so chosen for easy blending and quick fixes—is followed by powder highlighter from Dior and a coat of Pat McGrath Labs Fetisheyes Mascara, pulled outward for an additional lift. Nude liner and lipstick from Dior and a mist of mattifying setting spray are all Gregg need to complete the anytime aesthetic. From evil clown to more simple styling, Gregg is proof that practice and passion make “perfect” even better—and a lot more fun.