Charli XCX sleeps in her make-up: beauty tips from the YSL ambassador
Synopsis
Charli XCX's beauty routine breaks every skincare rule — she sleeps in her make-up and insists it looks better the morning after. The newly minted YSL Beauty ambassador also hairsprays her brows and champions multi-use products, making a case for intentional imperfection as a style statement.
Key Takeaways
Charli XCX , 33 , says she regularly sleeps in her make-up, preferring the smudged look the next morning.
She told Coveteur.com that leftover make-up 'creates really nice lines and shadows the next day'.
The singer uses hairspray on her eyebrows to keep them in place, a tip she shared with W magazine .
She advocates for multi-use products — such as a blush doubling as eyeshadow — for on-the-go beauty.
Charli XCX was recently named an ambassador for YSL Beauty and describes her make-up as always 'intentional'.
Charli XCX, the 33-year-old British singer and newly appointed ambassador for YSL Beauty, has a night-time skincare routine that defies convention — she simply skips it. The pop star has openly admitted to sleeping in her make-up, arguing the look actually improves overnight.
The Logic Behind the Smudge
In an interview with Coveteur.com, Charli explained her fondness for a lived-in aesthetic. 'I just like the things that come to me naturally. I've always just loved a black eye. Sometimes I sleep in it and I wake up and I still have the black eye,' she said.
She elaborated further: 'I actually feel like it looks better the next day. If you've been out partying and then you come home and you take it off but you leave a little bit on — I feel like it always creates really nice lines and shadows the next day.' Beauty experts, it should be noted, generally caution against sleeping in make-up due to potential skin and eye irritation, though Charli's comments reflect a deliberate stylistic choice rather than a skincare recommendation.
Multi-Use Products and On-the-Go Glam
Beyond her overnight eye look, Charli advocates for versatile, multi-purpose beauty products. 'A lip on the go is the best kind of a lip. Also products that you can use multiple ways — a blush you can use as eyeshadow or lip you can use as blush,' she told Coveteur.com.
The singer also revealed an unconventional brow-setting trick. In a separate interview with W magazine, as reported by Female First UK, she shared: 'Sometimes I'll hairspray my brows, which I think is a really good one. It's probably not very good for you, but they really stay.'
Intentional Make-Up, Even When Minimal
Speaking to Vogue, Charli — who was recently named a YSL Beauty ambassador — described her make-up philosophy as always 'intentional', even when she is barely wearing any. She cited the looks featured in her music video for new track Rock Music as emblematic of her favourite style.
She also admitted a gap in her beauty repertoire: 'I guess I still don't know how to curl my eyelashes with an eyelash curler, so hopefully one day I'll learn how to do that.' The candid admission adds to a persona that has long blurred the line between high-fashion and effortless cool. With her YSL Beauty partnership now in place, her unconventional tips are likely to reach an even wider audience.
Point of View
Which means the 'sleep in your make-up' aesthetic could gain mainstream traction despite dermatological advice to the contrary. What mainstream coverage misses is that this is a carefully curated image of effortlessness — nothing about Charli XCX's public persona is accidental, including the admission that she cannot use an eyelash curler.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Charli XCX really sleep in her make-up?
Yes, Charli XCX has confirmed she sleeps in her make-up, saying she prefers how it looks the following morning. She told Coveteur.com that leftover make-up creates 'really nice lines and shadows the next day'.
What brand is Charli XCX an ambassador for?
Charli XCX was recently named an ambassador for YSL Beauty. She discussed her beauty philosophy in interviews with Vogue, W magazine, and Coveteur.com around the time of the announcement.
What are Charli XCX's top beauty tips?
Charli XCX recommends multi-use products — such as using blush as eyeshadow — and hairspraying eyebrows to keep them in place. She also prefers sleeping in her make-up for a smudged, next-day look she describes as intentional.
Is sleeping in make-up safe?
Beauty experts generally advise against sleeping in make-up, as it can clog pores and irritate the eyes. Charli XCX acknowledged the hairspray brow trick is 'probably not very good for you', suggesting her tips reflect personal style choices rather than skincare recommendations.
What is Charli XCX's Rock Music video?
Rock Music is a new track by Charli XCX. She cited the make-up looks in its music video as examples of her favourite style — intentional even when minimal — in an interview with Vogue.
