If you've ever seen comedian Nicole Byer at work — maybe through an episode of her intrepid podcast Why Won't You Date Me?, one of her weekly performances at Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles, or even her laugh-out-loud funny tweets — you know she isn’t afraid to get real personal, real quick. That's exactly the kind of straight talk she gave us when we chatted about "professional" hair, makeup diversity, the silliness of the term bikini body, and yes, how she stays glam.
In 2017, you wrote an essay for Lenny Letter about the fact that many makeup artists don't understand dark skin. What inspired that?
Originally, I planned to write about body positivity, but that topic had been covered a lot. I wanted the piece to be about something personal that other people of color would relate to. I had to learn to do my own makeup because makeup artists would show up without my foundation colors, and I would end up looking ridiculous.
Nowadays, brands are expanding foundation ranges to 40 shades or more. That’s progress, right?
Yes, but I remember when they didn't have all those shades. I wear Fenty because the brand was so inclusive right from the beginning. It almost brought tears to my eyes because a company finally understood that black women have needs, too — and a lot of money to spend.
Makeup diversity is about more than just foundation. What else do you want to see in a product line?
Bold pigments are a big thing because a lot of eyeshadows don't show up on my skin. And if you have a nude lipstick collection, you'd better have a color for a black woman. I get disappointed when nude lip palettes are four shades for white people.
What would the body-positivity piece have been about?
Probably a tongue-in-cheek essay about how everybody is bikini-ready. We've all got a body, so why not put a bikini on it? I used to wear a cardigan all summer because I was afraid people would see my fat arms, and then I thought, Wait a minute. They can still see my arms are fat even if there’s fabric on them.
Do you wear your hair natural?
I wear it natural and out in the summer. I relaxed my hair until I was about 22. My sister went natural first, and family members would tell her, "You don't look professional; you're not going to get a job." Professional is such a weird word to refer to something that grows out of your head.
Any favorite beauty rituals?
I like spraying on lots of perfume. Anytime I've met a famous person who has a real presence — someone who's, like, everything — they smelled really good. Beyoncé, for example, smells like heaven, flowers, and happiness.
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