BIA Is Coming For Everything That’s Hers

To say BIA is busy is an understatement. The Massachusetts-bred rapper just kicked off her first U.S. tour to promote her latest EP, Really Her, launched her brand Beauty for Certain, and kicked off the FIFA Women’s World Cup with her track, “Bring It On.” And, after going overseas to cities like London (her favorite), she’s eager to embark on another international tour. But, between the chaos of traveling and performing, what does she do to *actually* relax?

“My makeup artist is laughing at me right now, because she’ll come to my house on an ‘off’ day and I’ll be in the same exact place from like three days before,” BIA says. “Honestly, I just sit down and breathe. Everything moves so fast. So, when I get a moment, ‘I'm like, all right, cool.’ Then I plan out the next six months and just don't stop.”

As BIA has evolved, so has her perspective on beauty. “What beauty used to mean to me, it no longer really means,” she reflects. “Now, it feels more spiritual than physical. To me, that [inner beauty] translates much farther than whatever look you are trying to achieve or what glam you have on.”

In between performances, Elite Daily caught up with the Latin Grammy-award-winning artist on a stop in New Orleans to chat about her love for SPF, her signature beauty look, and the best/worst parts about being on tour.

Elite Daily: How did you cultivate such a strong sense of confidence, especially coming from a place like Boston, which isn’t super diverse?

BIA: Oh my gosh, that's such a great question. I think that that was a struggle for me in my younger years, especially middle school. No one in my classes looked like me, so I had to always feel like I had to get that validation from myself. Even at a young age. I would just do things that would make me feel beautiful or make me feel good. And I think I'm a Leo too, so I'm a little bit outgoing!

ED: Who was someone who served as a beauty inspiration back then?

BIA: Aaliyah. She was the first person, or the first artist rather, that when I saw her, I was like ‘Oh, I get this. This is me. This is how I want to be.’ She spoke to me not only aesthetically, but I loved what she stood for too.

ED: Launching a brand is no small feat. Tell us about the process of creating Beauty for Certain.

BIA: I always wanted a beauty line because I’m really big on products and formulas. First, I had to find the right partner and team to do it with. Once that was locked in, I was like ‘Listen, this is what I want it to look like. I want this to be the vibe.’ We really sat down together and vetted out everything from packaging to formulas to everything you can think of for at least three to six months. We started small, testing different products, and launched with a matte lip, then deluxe lip, which is a little bit softer. It was definitely some trial and error, but I love it and constantly am thinking of ways to make it better.

ED: The names and colors are super fun. Can you talk more about that?

BIA: So, most of the matte lip colors have numbers to make it super easy. But for the glosses, that’s where the names were. If you're like a bronze girl, you'd get the bronze lip. If you're like a diamond girl, you want a little glitter in your lip. You’re definitely a coral girl, if you want a nice, juicy lip. But if you're like me, you're like a cabo rojo girl — think, a little razzle-dazzle with a little clear. It's a little bit of something for everyone.

ED: It’s hard to pick favorites, but what’s your must-have Beauty for Certain pick?

BIA: I'm really caught between two. Can I give you two? The first one is the lip deluxe in number 17, warm sienna. I swear by this lip, I cannot leave my house. I cannot do anything without this lip. I wear it every single day. If you're looking at my Instagram, that's the lip I'm wearing. Then, I put my favorite gloss, cabo rojo, over that if I want to shine. Ugh, that gloss is so soft. It is the best smell. It's not sticky, so it doesn't stick to your hair. It's just so good. I'm so proud of those two products.

ED: OK, so there are so many celebrity beauty lines. Were you nervous to throw your hat in the ring?

BIA: I'm a big believer in following my passions. I love music. I love glam. I love beauty. I love design. Those are things that I've just naturally immersed myself in. So, with the beauty line, it just kind of fell into my lap and I'm so passionate about it. And my fans, they know I'm not going to stand behind anything unless I wholeheartedly do it, or I've done the research and done the work behind it.

ED: What is a BIA signature look?

BIA: I love a real, real, real snatched eye. Snatched brow. I love to snatch me up a cute little cheek moment. I love blush. You can always expect a good blush from me. I love a nice black liner, almost every day have a liner on. I don't really ever leave without a liner. I am always going to have a graphic liner almost nine times out of 10.

ED: Tell us your best brow hack?

BIA: I have a slight arch in my brow, but I cancel it out. You can't really see my arch once my brows get drawn on. I like a nice straight brow. So if you just angle her up a little bit and take out that arch, it's going to make your eyes look a little pulled back.

ED: Taking care of your skin while on tour is no joke. What’s your routine?

BIA: My glam girls know that when I have days off or days that I don't have to be in glam, I will not be in glam. So today's my day off. I have to do a little bit of content, so I'll probably be back in glam shortly, but when I'm off tour, I might take a whole week and just not glam at all, just so that I can give my skin a good break.

ED: Tell me more about some products you are loving?

BIA: Inglot Black Gel Liner #77 — you use a brush and you swipe it on. I can't live without that. I love that a lot. I love CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. That's just a really great cleanser to me. I just always recommend it to people. Bioderma Micellar Water — I feel like micellar water is really, really good for your skin. I don't know. Maybe it's just me, but I love it. I’m also using SkinBetter Alto Advance Repair and Defense Serum, but I’m a retinol girl too. Oh, and Elta MD Skincare SPF because the girls that know, know. I can't live without that stuff.

ED: Last question — best and worst part about being on tour?

BIA: The best part about being on tour for me is actually meeting the fans. This is my first headline tour, so I've never got to really see who my fans are. The worst part is the food. [Unfortunately] we don't have a chef on this bus. Hopefully on the next tour, we have a chef. This bus, they take me to the gas station, they try to feed me potato wedges, it's crazy! [Laughs] I miss cooking. I'm really good at lamb chops, but my signature dish is probably coconut curry chicken. People love my coconut curry chicken. They go crazy for it!

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.