Happy Birthday, Katy Perry! We Talk Makeup, Buttholes and More With the Singer

As you know,Katy Perry wore a bold look to the 2016 Met Gala. Her black lips are courtesy of her line with CoverGirl, Katy Kat. Complete with 11 shades of lipstick (out now!) and two mascaras out this past summer, this is a line you seriously don’t want to miss out on because you can experiment all you want—with shades like Perry Panther, which is the black she had on at the Met Gala, and a blue mascara—and not burn a hole in your wallet.

We got a chance to sit down with Perry for the launch of her collection to talk beauty, puberty and more.

Why musicians have it easier than actors 
“I mean no offence when I [say this], but I just kind of always tell it like it is; people can just paint it however they want; I don’t care. I feel like in music and in art we can do a lot more experimenting than in the film and TV world.

People who go out on the carpet that are in the film and TV world, they are more of a canvas, and in our world we’re individuals; we want to continue to imprint the idea that we are artistic individuals, and they want to be mouldable and shapeable because they are playing parts.”

Spaghetti straps and puberty
“I started experimenting with makeup really early on, like at 13. I thought I was like a pinup girl because I saw this book from Gil Elvgren about pinup girls, and I didn’t have any money so I would look through stores and find pencil skirts and little cardigans with pearls on them and that would be my look, because I couldn’t afford Bebe. I could never wear spaghetti straps—I wasn’t allowed. Also my boobs were way too big so my mother didn’t like it.”

Redefining CoverGirl, one product at a time
“CoverGirl is a very classic line. I grew up wearing it. The first time I started to experiment, it’s the mascara that I went to. And it’s a household name but I wanted to push their ideas of what they think classic beauty is, which is why I incorporated Perry Panther which is black and Cosmo Kitty which is a powdery purple, and also the blue mascara. I love the blue mascara, and I don’t think that there is any other blue mascara in the market that I know of, or a black lipstick, for [these prices]. Usually these blue mascaras run about $25-$35 or somewhere in that range. I feel like it’s such a great way for people to finally be able to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to give that a chance,’ because it’s not going to be too costly, but it’s still a really good product.’

On happiness
“Anything in baby animal form definitely makes me happy. And a really nice bath with Epsom salts, and I never know it until I get in and them I’m like, “Oh yes, this!” Chanel always really makes me happy; riding my bike, because it’s the best way to see a city. And then just like, really good music where it speaks to me and I thought I was the only person going through this thing and then we start to speak the same language that’s going on in my head. That kind of music really makes me happy.”

“You look like you have a butthole on your face” 
“Eating and making out and all those things considered, I think I prefer matte. I remember when I was 13 or 14 I got a lip gloss, and [it spilled] all over my purse. [And with gloss], your hair is permanently on your face. So I think after that I was like, ‘No, I’m just going to forever use lip liners as lipstick,’ because they would stay longer and I don’t like it to transfer or travel.

But then again, sometimes you get those matte products that you put on and you look like you went to both weekends of Coachella and you haven’t drank a bottle of water the whole time. Basically you look like you have a butthole on your face, so I wanted it to be demi-matte. If you don’t have time to reapply your lipstick once all day, you need to like re-prioritize.”

Fashion and beauty regrets  
“I mean, I did what I did and I can’t take it back. And I’ve done a lot of it. But, I’m a playful person. I love colour. I rarely wear a lot of black. I think what I’m really interested in now is making sure things fit. I used to kind of just blindly [throw things on].

I’m really good with shopping, I never try anything on. I just pick and point. From all those years of doing thrift stores and vintage stores, you just have to really train your eye. If something doesn’t fit and I’m going to hit a red carpet, I do multiple fittings now with tailors, which is really boring and excessive. But just making sure that it fits perfectly and like half my boob isn’t hanging out or my butt or something—if I don’t want it to, you know what I’m saying? So that’s kind of what I’ve changed in my life. But, I still love to present myself in a kind of less serious manner and I play with different looks. It depends where we’re going, if we’re going somewhere I always cater to that place. I’m that annoying girl.”

Female empowerment
“I think it’s really fun to highlight all of the inside that you have that you’ve been working on: the strength, the love, the self-care. That is really important to me. There are girls that wear no makeup that are extremely beautiful because of the way that they hold themselves, the confidence that they have, their outlook on life, the equality that breathes out of them.

I never discriminate against a person who wears a lot of makeup either. I love a lot of makeup; I love to play. Either or, it’s what’s shining from inside of you, which takes a little bit of work because we are always being sold something, and advertised to, and this is going to make it all great or change your skin or blah blah blah. I mean sure, yeah great, if you think less of yourself that’s never going to help. Combined with other products you’re still going to give off that energy that’s hard.”

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