Beauty BJ style

Our friends over at Elle got the inside scoop when it comes to Betsey Johnson's beauty routine - all from her NY nail spot to her love for Stila.
Where do you get your nails done? They’re fabulous!
I go to Beauty and the Best uptown for the acrylics. And then for the show I asked my receptionist, Tina—who has bows [painted] on her fingers—where she got them done. So the girls from this little beauty salon in the East Village popped up and put the little flowers on my nails. And I wanted both hands different—it’s my recipe. It’s that kind of thing. If you love it, wear it—if you love it, eat it. That’s what I think; I like that kind of simplicity.

What about your makeup? Stila is doing the makeup for your show—are you a big fan?
I just get makeup from wherever I can. From Maybelline to Chanel—you know, all over the place. And my pencils are worn down, I’m tanner than my last makeup—so I asked the Stila girl to do my makeup. Then she sent me exactly what she used that day—because I didn’t have the right foundation color, etc. And you know, their products are amazing—now I’m just going to stick with Stila.

My makeup hasn’t really changed since the 1960s! Except for the ‘70s when I went with no makeup for awhile… And the ‘80s was a little more extreme. But since then it’s been about the same.

But I don’t feel comfortable without my makeup on. I’ve got to have my lipstick! I just don’t feel like the same person and I don’t like the way I look without makeup. Every once in awhile, I’ll try something new—but then I don’t leave the house. But I mean, it’s like you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and you can’t lead a horse to water. But I do love Stila—and I love the artwork and the packaging. I mean, I almost died when I opened that eye palette and it began to talk! It’s amazing. I’ve got enough products for the next five years from them!

Interview by Emily Herbert of Elle
image via Imaxtree