Emira D’Spain Uses This Magic Elixir Before Every Makeup Application

To say model and TikTok superstar Emira D’Spain’s schedule is packed is a major, major understatement. Between modeling for Victoria’s Secret as the first Black transgender model to pose for the lingerie giant; working with legacy brands like NARS, Kate Spade, Clinique and Stoney Clover Lane ; and sharing bits and pieces of her rose-tinted life with her 1.2 million followers, D’Spain is the definition of booked and busy.

D’Spain gained a following thanks to her hilarious, unfiltered "Get Ready with Me" videos, where she preps for everything from a night out looking for daddies to a charity gala. Makeup and skincare are obviously a huge part of D’Spain’s glam brand, but to her, beauty is deeper than a new shade of lipstick or her favorite Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream—it’s key to her self-expression.

“To me, beauty means reflecting your inside-ness on the outside, if that makes sense,” she explained to Byrdie over Zoom. “Finding the ways in which to convey how you’re feeling on the inside, on the outside.” 

Below, D’Spain shares the products that changed her skin texture, the ingredient she has to watch out for, and the skincare step she never, ever skips.

About Her Skin

I have very dry skin, and because I wear a lot of makeup, hydration is so important. I really try to focus on everything that hydrates my skin. I’m really big into acid treatments. The Ordinary’s AHA 30% and BHA 2% Exfoliating Peel is my favorite, it’s literally changed my skin. I have rosacea, but I don’t think there’s that much I can really do to treat it, skincare-wise, because rosacea is basically broken capillaries under the skin, so I don’t think there’s much you can do without doing lasers—which I have tried. It’s nature’s blush, as we call it.

I basically have no texture on my skin anymore, I used to have really bad texture on my forehead, specifically. The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toning Solution and the peel, those two really helped. 

I have very sensitive skin. If something is rose scented, I’ll break out. Vitamin Cs are so strong, I had a really bad reaction to a vitamin C. I have to be careful about which vitamin C serums I use. I had full hives all over my face. It was a learning experience! 

How She Got Into Skincare

I used to have really bad cystic acne. During the pandemic, I was like, “I’m trapped at home, I can order stuff online, I might as well try a bunch of stuff and if it doesn’t work out or I get a reaction, it doesn’t matter since no one’s going to see it.” I started trying new things and after some time I was really researching ingredients of things, learning what products go well together, what not to mix, what to mix, the layering of things. It helped me better understand my skin and what makes it work better. 

Her Morning Versus Her Nighttime Routines

My morning is more focused on prep for makeup or general glow throughout the day, versus my nighttime is really focused on hydration and treatment. I start with First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser, I use that at night too. I use the Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops from Glow Recipe, it gives me such a good glow. [I use] the Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream, the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado, and then sunscreen of course. I’ve been loving First Aid Beauty sunscreen, but my die-hard go-to is Live Tinted. 

For my nighttime routine, I triple cleanse. I wear so much makeup, the longer that I wear makeup, I find it reaches places it definitely shouldn’t, like behind my ears. I cleanse with Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm, then the First Aid Beauty Cleanser. I put micellar water on a cotton round and use that on my eyes, my hairline and my ears. That really changed the game for me.

I use this new Lancôme one I’ve just started using but I’m obsessed with it. It’s the Rénergie H.C.F. Triple Serum, it’s got three serums in one. It’s so good. I’ll use La Mer Concentrate which is pricey, but she really does give my skin a glow. I’ll alternate out either the Ordinary Glycolic Acid, tretinoin, the AHA/BHA from the Ordinary but never those three together. [And then I use] Tatcha Dewy Cream and Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.

It’s a good reset. In the morning, it feels like a fresh start, clean slate, you can take on the day. At night, it’s like a full “taking the armor off.” You’re getting into your comfies, it’s a good end of the day recap.

The Skincare Step She Never Skips

Eye cream, 100% eye cream. I think that my under eyes get the driest the fastest. Sometimes I’ll put eye cream on after my morning skincare routine… I go to put makeup on and my under eyes need more moisture. 

How Her Routine Changes With the Seasons

During the winter, I definitely use a lot more moisturizer and I find myself, in the summer, switching to [lighter formulas.] But for the most part my routine stays the same.

The One Product That's Made the Biggest Difference in Her Routine

Definitely AHAs and BHAs. My cystic acne was treated really well with that and it helped my texture, pore size and clarity.

The Best Skincare Advice She's Ever Gotten

Get a Spironolactone prescription. The best thing in the world! I just stopped and I’m interested to see how my skin is going to react. 

Her Most-Used Skincare Product

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, I use that right before makeup every single time, it’s in all of my videos. 

The Product She's Used the Longest

The Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream… I’ve been using that since it came out!

The Most Recent Product She Tried and Loved

The Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum. Love, love, love that. I’m so sensitive to vitamin C so it’s a good brightening serum. I just reintroduced it into my routine.

Her Go-to Acne Hack

If you have a pimple, I have the best hack. It’s a two-step series, but when you do it, you have to be careful that the skin is really clean, no moisturizer. On night one, use the Murad Deep Relief Acne Treatment. Do a little dab on the pimple. Night two, put an Avarelle Pimple Patch over it. They’re the best acne patches. By day three, it’ll be completely gone.