The influencer and DIBS beauty founder chats blush, Olivia Rodrigo, and self-care for Glamour's Big Beauty Questions.
Courtney Shields Is Literally Making Your Next Desert-Island Beauty Product
Courtney Shields’s followers rely on her for a lot. They visit the influencer’s Instagram and blog for inspiration, for a sense of community, or just for a laugh. And, of course, when they want to know where to buy the best bike shorts on the internet or tips on incredibly glowy makeup, they turn to her.
Which is why it makes perfect sense that she's crossing an influencer rite of passage and launching her own brand, DIBS—an acronym for Desert Island Beauty Status—on September 15. Shields has always been obsessed with beauty, and while she's collaborated with other brands in the past, this is her first time entering the game alone.
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“I was always really into beauty growing up,” she tells Glamour. “My whole life I had these really vivid memories of watching my mom do her makeup, and I would sit up on her vanity counter and watch her do all these little things. I was always really fascinated by it. That continued to manifest the older I got. I would do people's makeup on the school bus. I remember I saved my first $50, got this little tower of eye shadows, and I would carry those everywhere with me. I met someone last year and she was like, ‘Oh, you used to do my makeup on the school bus.’”
While Shields is obsessed with products, her love of beauty is a little deeper, and she wanted the line to reflect that. “[When I was] growing up in Texas, all of my friends were very blonde, very fair with blue eyes,” she says. “I'm Lebanese and looked super different than everyone else. I think for a long time I succumbed to this want to look like everybody else because I didn't know how to embrace my own features or enhance my own features or really accept certain things about myself. DIBS was born from that. I want to help people feel beautiful and embrace their features. What makes them them rather than following trends. It's this chasing-our-tail thing, when really we could just be enhancing our own features and feeling good about it.”
The line consists of two products: the Desert Island Duo, a dual-ended blush and bronzer stick, and the Status Stick, a multiuse shimmer stick. Shields wanted to create a collection of essentials—or desert-island status—that are easy to use on the go. “I wanted to condense people's makeup bags and make products that are convenient and easy,” she says. “You can throw this on the go. I'm a mom, so I can throw this in my bag. You got your blush and your bronzer in one, but it's also fun. Sometimes there's this thing about beauty that's too functional where it loses its fun. It becomes a little boring.”
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We caught up with Shields about the new launch, her favorite album of the moment, and her must-do self-care. Read on for her answers to Glamour's Big Beauty Questions.
Glamour: What’s a beauty trend you’re obsessed with right now?
Courtney Shields: Blush for sure. Obviously we started formulating the line a while back, like a year ago. So I was super happy [to see blush having a moment now]. We don't really chase trends like that—rather, we want to enhance features—and I feel like cream blush is something that looks good on everyone. Every skin tone, every skin type, every age because it doesn't settle into fine lines. It really makes anyone look more youthful. Who doesn't want that?
Is there a beauty rule you swear by?
Taking your makeup off before you go to bed. That is the number one thing. It's almost like an antibeauty rule, but I think that's key because if you wake up the next day and still have all that in your face, no matter what you put on, it's not going to look good. You got to stay strong, even if you're tired, and always take that makeup off.
And what about a beauty rule that you think is B.S.?
I think what's B.S. is this need to look like someone else. There's always someone that sets this beauty standard, or like a group of people that set a beauty standard. For me it's more about finding out what flatters you and feeling like the best version of yourself, rather than trying to look like someone else.
I also think you don't need a hundred products. You can use products that are super versatile; you can use products a bunch of different ways. The beauty industry has also always told us, “This is bronzer; it's for your face.” I always disagreed with that. For me it's like, I want to take the bronzer and use it as an eye shadow, or to contour around my lips, or whatever it may be. You can have fun with products. Just because someone says, “This is a blush,” doesn't mean you can't use it on your eyes or lips or wherever else you might want to.
You’re stranded on a desert island and can bring only three products with you. What are they and why?
So DIBS is actually short for Desert Island Beauty Status, and the idea came from this concept that we all try a million products. You've tried everything under the sun, but when it really comes down to it, if you were going to a desert island, what would you actually bring with you? We would love to be the products that you put in that bag.
So I'm going to cheat a little—but not really—on this one. Definitely the Desert Island Duo because I put two products in one. Technically this counts as one spot in my makeup bag, but I get the bronzer and the blush, which is the intended goal. It's very versatile. And then, obviously, the Status Stick. You can put it all over for the glowy face and body. And then I would probably say either the Tula glowy SPF, or a really good chapstick because my lips always get chapped.
DIBS Beauty Desert Island Duo
$32DIBS Beauty
DIBS Status Stick
$32DIBS Beauty
Tula Protect + Glow Daily Sunscreen Gel Broad Spectrum SPF 30
$36Tula
What’s your go-to getting-ready music?
I really like Olivia Rodrigo. I'm very into her album right now; it's so good. But if I'm in more of, like, a chill getting-ready mode, then I'll go for oldies like the Eagles or a little Aretha or something like that. If I'm having a glass of wine and getting ready, we're going to go for like a Counting Crows moment. It depends on the vibe.
What’s your favorite way to take a moment for yourself?
My morning walks. Back in the beginning of COVID and quarantine, I found this really beautiful secluded trail by my house. It's three miles, and I like to go every morning if I can. I do have a daughter, so I can't go every morning, depending on her schedule. But I try and go like, five, times a week. I walk three miles, and it's been good not only for my body but for my mental health in so many ways. I take a couple of deep breaths, I walk down by the lake, and I get ready for the day.
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What’s your power perfume?
I'll give you a two-part answer. I love Gucci Flora if I'm feeling more feminine. If I'm feeling more of an actual power perfume, I really like amber oil. It's super affordable. You can order it online or get it at Whole Foods. I love that it smells different on everyone, and I feel like it's sexy and powerful.
Gucci Flora by Gucci Eau de Parfum
$102Gucci
Nemat Amber Fragrance Oil
$19UltaScrew, marry, kill: lipstick, mascara, highlighter?
Speaking of sexy, we're going to screw the highlighter because I feel like you got to. We are going to marry the mascara because I can't live without a good lash, and we're going to kill the lipsticks. We'll have better solutions.
What’s the last Instagram or TikTok rabbit hole you got stuck in?
I always get stuck in the food videos; it's weirdly satisfying. But also contouring with a blush—have you seen those? Those are really fascinating to me because I feel like they draw it on and you're like, ooh, I don't know! And then they blend it out and it actually looks good. I want to try it.
What’s your favorite emoji and why?
Depends who I'm talking to and what I'm talking about. But I like the silly one with the tongue out (🤪), I like the upside-down smiley (🙃), and I recently found out apparently all of the hearts have intended different meanings, which I didn't realize. I think I've been doing that wrong. I realized it's like pink is friendship and love is red. I think I've been sending people the wrong hearts, but duly noted.
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You have $20 and you’re let loose in the drugstore. What are you buying?
This is like my dream as a child. I would probably get something salty, so Cheez-Its or something, and then something tangy and sweet, maybe like Haribo gummies. And then probably a mascara. I feel like drugstore does mascaras really well. If I still had anything in the budget, depending on what drugstore I was at or which city I was in, Moleskins. They're like a Band-Aid, but it comes in a pad. You cut it and make it whatever size you want. You put it on the back of your heel. And then when you're wearing a heel it doesn't rub on you at all. It's been a game changer. One of my best friends told me about them, like, six months ago. Anytime I'm wearing something strappy, I get a Moleskin.
If you could change one thing about beauty perceptions in Hollywood or on social media, what would you want to change?
I would say, going back to the whole theme of why I started this brand and what inspired me, is breaking up with the idea of having to look like someone else or chasing a trend or chasing an ideal body type. Learn who you are, what works for you, what makes you feel the most confident, and how you can really play up that instead of always trying to be something else. If you want to change something about yourself, if you have brown hair and you want to be blonde, by all means go for it. It's fine to experiment, but that's the point. It should just be about what you want to do, not what someone tells you you need to look like or how you need to feel good.
Who are the women inspiring you the most right now?
This is, I'm sure, a cheesy answer, but my mom has always been such a big inspiration to me. I've seen her go through a lot over the years. My dad passed away three years ago from cancer, and she was…she's been so incredibly graceful and kind, and she's never wavered in her kindness and outlook on life. She's always aged really beautifully and gracefully and not felt the need to look like anyone else or be anyone else. I always have admired this strong but silent confidence that she has.
And then I would honestly say my community and the women and people that follow and message me every day. I have also gone through a lot in the past several years. A lot of ups and downs, and they've all been there and been so supportive and so kind and so encouraging and sharing their stories back. That has been really inspiring for me too because I'm listening to them, learning from them, and even taking those things in and applying them in a beauty brand that I think people in my community are going to be really excited about.
Bella Cacciatore is the beauty writer at Glamour. Follow her on Instagram.
This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Condé Nast
