TikTok Star Meredith Duxbury Uses This Drugstore Mascara for a Natural Lash Lift

I do microcurrent as well and love it! How do you keep your skin in such great shape when you’re always trying new skincare and makeup products? My skin is sensitive, and some stuff doesn’t always agree with it—a tough part of the job. Do you have any advice for that?

It can definitely get overwhelming with all the different skincare products that are out there because you see it on TikTok, and you want to review all the different ones! My main advice would be to pay attention to what your skin needs and be aware of what condition your skin is in. For example, if you have super-dry skin and you have eczema patches on your face or dry patches, you don’t want to be using something that’s drying and made for acne. If you have acne, you don’t want to be using something that’s super oily and will clog your pores. I’d say just pay attention to the ingredients that are in the products you’re using and what the product is actually used for. That’ll keep your skin in good shape because you’re not using products that are going to strip your skin of its natural oils and stuff like that. Skincare and makeup also go hand in hand. You really need to take care of your skin for your makeup to look good and for your base to look good.

So true. I’m always looking for both skincare and makeup products that are also going to give me a glowy base. Do you have any key products that you use that help you achieve a natural glow?

I have so many! Like I said before, the Charlotte Tilbury wands are so good. They come off as super, super pigmented, and sometimes, you might think, “Oh my God, what did I just do? I put too much product on,” but they blend like magic. They’re so buttery and so dewy. Those are amazing. They’re also super easy to use, even for beginners. I just discovered another new one: the Makeup by Mario Ethereal Eyes Palette ($48). I used it yesterday actually. I’ve been seeing it all over TikTok. There are a few really shimmery shades in there, and it literally makes your eyes look like they’re like wet and glowing. It is so good. I really recommend that palette.

Let’s talk about your new Kiss Lashes holiday collaboration! How did this come together, and what do you love specifically about Kiss lashes?

Kiss came to me about a year ago and said they absolutely loved my TikTok and the full-glam looks [I create]. They wanted to come out with a holiday campaign, and I loved that idea. I’ve used Kiss my entire life. I’m obsessed with their lashes—they’re like the only lashes I use. I basically picked my favorite existing lashes of theirs, and we did a little twist on them. I renamed the lashes, and I just love Kiss. They’re such a great brand to work with. There are lashes within the collection that are natural but still full glam, and there are ones that are holiday full glam and almost give disco vibes. It was so fun to be involved in the development of the packaging, and it was such a great experience too because I want to have my own makeup brand one day, and it will be so great just having this experience in the development of everything.

That was another question I wanted to ask you! What would a Meredith Duxbury makeup line consist of?

I would love to have my own makeup brand. It’s definitely something that is a huge goal of mine. I think a Meredith makeup brand would be a mix of natural products and full glam because I feel like I’m such a mixture of both. One day, I’ll just be going to run errands and want to throw on some quick, easy products. Then on another day, I’ll want to do a huge, full-glam TikTok look. I want something that’s easy for everyone [to use]. Whether you’re a full-glam kind of girl or a more natural kind of girl, I want products that everybody can love and use. It’s definitely something that I want to put more time into and think more about, but that’s kind of the general idea. I just want something that’s super inclusive and everybody can get their hands on.

Are there any new up-and-coming makeup brands that you’re really excited about at the moment?

Yes! Nimya is one that I absolutely love. It’s NikkieTutorials’s new makeup brand, and I think she started with just skincare products, but she just released her first eye shadow palette. The colors of the brand name are just so cool with the orange and the blue. It’s so her, and it’s super inspiring to see a creator like her grow and just become so big and have this amazing makeup brand. I’m just so proud of her, and it’s so inspiring to see. Saie Beauty is another one. I’ve been loving the Starglow Gel ($28). It’s so good. That’s another recommendation you have to try! I’ve just seen them grow so much within the last year, especially on TikTok. TikTok is just insane how it can help sell out products in seconds. I found the Saie Starglow Gel on TikTok, too, so that brand has definitely skyrocketed over the last year. 

Are there any makeup launches from the past year that have really stood out to you?

Yeah, I think clean beauty is a huge thing, and in 2022, it’s something that I think a lot of makeup brands are focusing on and realizing that it’s a priority for people. I think Kosas is really good with that. They came out with a foundation this year called the Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation ($42), and it’s for acne-prone skin. I don’t have acne-prone skin, but I love it because it just has ingredients in it that are really good for your skin. I think their growth this year has been amazing, and they market themselves so well. I think the packaging and just everything about the brand is so cool—it really stood out to me this year. Then obviously, Kiss Lashes stood out to me because I think it was great that they wanted to do their first influencer launch, and I’m so grateful that I was able to be the first influencer to collaborate with them.

And what would you say are a few career highlights for you this year? 

I met Charlotte Tilbury, which was so inspiring. I look up to her so much, and Sophia Tilbury doing my makeup [was definitely a highlight]. Meeting Alicia Keys and meeting Halsey and doing my makeup with her at her house and just all the other amazing people that I’ve met. I’ve also had so many opportunities to work with such amazing brands like the Morphe Making You Blush collection campaign, which was so exciting. Kiss Lashes as well, like we talked about, and having a billboard in Times Square was so crazy to me. My whole family came, and we stood there and watched, and I was like, “This is so insane that I’m on a billboard in Times Square!” I just remember little me wanting to live in New York City so bad, and here I am having a billboard in Times Square. I’ve also met so many amazing friends and creators along the way this year too. It’s been such a successful year, and I’m so happy.

I’m excited to see what 2023 holds for you! I know you have some really cool collaborations coming down the pipeline. My last question is, What makeup looks can we look forward to for the rest of 25 Days of Christmas on your TikTok?

I’m so excited. I absolutely love Christmas. It’s one of my favorite holidays, and I love wintertime in general. It’s so fun and cozy. I really want to do a “boyfriend does my Christmas makeup” video because he’s so involved and loves this whole TikTok thing and is so supportive of my career. I also really love SFX makeup. It’s something that I did a lot of during Halloween, so I think I want to do a Grinch makeup look with SFX. Then I want to create a Cindy Lou look, and I work with a great hairstylist. His name is Erickson, and I think I want to have him come and do the whole Cindy Lou hairdo, and I’m gonna do the makeup. Then I’ll probably just do some easy holiday glam looks. I think that’s something that a lot of people want to see this time of year because I think it can be overwhelming. There are so many Christmas parties and events, and people might run out of ideas. Beginners might also be thinking they need some tips and tricks on how to do some more elevated holiday party glam looks, so that’s something I’m going to focus on. But I have papers and papers of ideas, so there will definitely be some many amazing Christmas videos!

I’m so excited to see what else is in store for the rest of the month and obviously for 2023! I’ll be following along, so I’ll get to see all of it. 

Yeah, it’s going to be so fun. Thank you so much for this opportunity. It was so fun to talk about all of this with you!