Amelie Zilber Can’t Live Without These Fresh-Faced Beauty Essentials

The 19-year-old influencer, activist, and model reveals her must-have makeup and skin-care products.

Amelie Zilber Can’t Live Without These Fresh-Faced Beauty Essentials

Amelie Zilber is not your everyday influencer. Yes, she has a combined 8+ million followers on Instagram and TikTok, where you can spend hours admiring her personal style, but the 19-year-old’s social strategy is much more than that. One particular post—which looks like an ad for sculpted cheekbones and soap brows—is actually a message urging her followers to be more open about their mental health. In another she’s posing in an oversized sweatshirt on a street corner to promote a video about criminal justice reform. 

In other words, it’s all part of Amelie Zilber’s plan. 

“My whole platform is about becoming educated and informed about the world around you,” Zilber tells me from her parents’ home in Los Angeles. “I encourage my followers to use their voice for activism, for standing up, getting loud, and fighting for whatever cause makes their heart beat.” 

It’s why the Georgetown University freshman and UNICEF Young Ambassador wanted to partner with Jouer Cosmetics, the cruelty-free and vegan-friendly makeup line, for a limited-edition multiuse blush and a highlighting balm. The blush—in bright rose—is named Be Loud, and the highlighting balm is named Be Strong.

Jouer x Amelie Blush & Bloom Cheek + Lip Duo

“The product is to further spread that knowledge that you can be loud and be strong and fight for what you believe in,” Zilber says. The multiuse stick also works on all different skin tones. “That was important to me when creating the color,” she says. “The glow is so natural-looking, and then the blush adds a little flush of color, so it’s the perfect wake-me-up without putting on a whole face of makeup.” 

And with her busy schedule, Zilber—who is studying Middle Eastern foreign policy—knows a thing or two about making the best use of her time. For Glamour’s latest edition of Big Beauty Questions, she fills us in on how she manages her anxiety, the best beauty advice from her mom, and the fragrance that brings her happiness. 

Glamour: You have so much going on, so how do you take a moment for yourself?

Amelie Zilber: That is such an important question because I struggle really deeply with anxiety. Over the past few weeks that has become a lot more prevalent in my life. I’ve noticed that reading and journaling really helps. Reading just feeds my soul and nourishes my mind. And journaling takes me out of the moment and lets me understand what I’m going through.

Is there a book you’ve found a lot of comfort in?

I just read Glennon Doyle’s Untamed. It really got me to dive into my emotions and helped me understand myself, my perspective, and how I think and process things. I also just started Brené Brown’s books, who I feel is very similar to Glennon.

“Untamed” by Glennon Doyle, hardcover

What’s the best beauty advice your mom has given you?

My mom’s been telling me to wear sunscreen every single day since I was a kid. I was really reluctant to for a long time until I realized just how important sunscreen is. I love EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF40 because it’s super lightweight and tinted.

EltaMD UV Daily Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 40

Since you are so interested in studying the world, is there a city or a country that gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?

I’m obsessed with Paris. I’m French and I grew up speaking French, so there’s so much love and appreciation for French culture and the way the French go about fashion and beauty. It’s really natural and glamorous and luxurious. But it’s also important to look at all the cultures around the world and appreciate all the ways they celebrate beauty. 

Let’s say you can only use three makeup or skin-care products the rest of your life. What are they?

Sunscreen definitely, because I have grown up knowing that I will age 20 times faster if I don’t wear it every single day. [Laughs.] Then blush, because it’s the only way that I look alive. Seriously. I would go obviously with the Jouer blush that I’m coming out with because I’m obsessed. And then my Jouer Bare Rose long-wear cream lip liner, which has completely changed the game for me. I don’t even have to wear lipstick on top of it because it’s the exact color of my lips, so I just overline and fill in. I also use a lip oil  from Jouer just because it’s super natural and doesn’t wear off. 

Jouer Bare Rose Lip Kit

Jouer Hydrating Lip Oil

What is your favorite perfume?

I just tried the Daisy Marc Jacobs Spring perfume. And not only is the bottle perfect and so adorable and I keep it, like, right in the front of my room because it is so cute, but also it’s natural and fresh and free, and I love it.

Daisy Marc Jacobs Spring Eau de Toilette

Your hair is gorgeous. What products do you swear by?

I appreciate you saying that because I struggle so much with dry ends and splitting hairs. I love the Ouai leave-in conditioner. It’s made such a difference in my hair. Same with the L’Oréal Elvive Wonder Water, which is like an eight-second water that you put on your hair in the shower after you’ve done your shampoo and conditioner. You massage your hair for eight seconds and then rinse it off. I’ve been doing that for the past couple of weeks and I’ve seriously noticed such a difference.

Ouai Leave-In Conditioning Spray

L’Oréal Elvive 8 Second Water Wonder

What hair tools are you obsessed with?

I do not curl or straighten my hair, to be honest with you, because quite frankly, I do not know how. However, I do have a hair tool that I love, and it’s for all my flat-hair, non-volume-haired ladies. It’s the Voloom and it’s basically a heated device that gives you volume. I’ve been using that since I was in eighth grade.

Voloom Ceramic Hair Volumizing Tool

Tell us your favorite emoji.

It’s the little kissy face with the squinty eyes, but without the heart. It’s so cute.

What is the last Instagram rabbit hole that you went down? 

I was looking at all these new spring shoes. I’m obsessed with kitten heels that are in pastel colors. I went down a tunnel of pastel kitten heels at three in the morning last night. I even purchased a pair, from By Far.

If you could change one thing about beauty perceptions either on social media or in Hollywood, what would that be?

This notion that there’s a singular standard of beauty. With every passing day I realize more and more that true and honest beauty really does come from within. There’s no one-size-fits-all to beauty. A beautiful soul and a determined mind is really what makes you stand out and shine in your own fabulous way. 

Who are the women that inspire you the most right now?

My mom, for sure, because she is such a hard worker and the number one champion in my life. She inspires me every day, as well as all of my friends and family. They’re championing me to be loud, be strong, and fight for what I believe in.

Jessica Radloff is the Glamour West Coast editor. You can follow her on Instagram at @jessicaradloff14.

This story originally appeared on: Glamour - Author:Jessica Radloff