Sabrina Carpenter Owes Her Signature Glow to Aquaphor

Sabrina Carpenter’s signature makeup look is just as iconic as her hit songs—and we can’t get either out of our heads. Her Marilyn Monroe-inspired aesthetic consists of luminous skin, loads of bright pink blush, defined eyes, and pouty lips. So when I had the opportunity to chat with the singer’s makeup artist, Carolina Gonzalez, I couldn’t wait to ask her exactly which products she uses to get this look, which she calls “baby angel with a touch of romance” glam. I was shocked when Gonzalez revealed that the key product—her “secret weapon”—for creating the star’s soft-focused, almost filtered-looking skin is a $10 drugstore staple that most of us already have in our bathrooms!

How to Use Aquaphor as Highlighter

Although Gonzalez has a bunch of luxe makeup items in her kit, she says that one of her most utilized products is none other than Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick. While we all know it is an amazing chapped lip treatment (the GOAT, in my humble opinion), the celebrity makeup artist says she also loves using it as a makeup primer because “it helps to fill in the pores and create a smooth canvas,” she explains. But she doesn’t stop there. She actually uses it on top of Carpenter’s cheekbones in place of highlighter.

“While some traditional highlighters look shimmery or glittery, the Aquaphor balm imparts a gorgeous, sophisticated sheen that catches the light,” she explains. “It just looks moisturized and healthy.” But don’t go swiping on your squeeze tube just yet. The balm stick is the key as it’s a more solid formula. Gonzalez rubs a little bit of the balm on the backs of her hands, then uses a sponge or her fingertips to tap it onto her cheekbones. This way, the makeup stays in tact and “doesn’t move around,” yet when Carpenter turns her head, it catches the light, and because it’s clear, it adds a soft-focused glow to whatever color is on her skin.

Other New Beauty Uses for Aquaphor

She also likes to add Aquaphor over her clients’ eyelids to introduce some shine. When it comes to her own routine, Gonzalez uses the balm on her hairline to tame flyaways, further proving that the drugstore staple is a jack-of-all-trades.

When it comes to getting Carpenter ready for the red carpet, Gonzalez keeps it in the family by using another Aquaphor product: the Healing Ointment Body Spray. “I spray it along her collarbone and down the center of her legs for a healthy, moisturized glow,” Gonzalez says. So the next time your skin is looking parched, remember you’re only a drugstore run away from smooth, Sabrina Carpenter-like skin.

Bonus Blush Hacks

After I learned how to get Carpenter’s glow à la Aquaphor, I couldn’t let Gonzalez go without asking about her best blush tricks. While we’ve all been taught to apply the color onto the apples of our cheeks, Gonzalez says the secret is to put it on a few other places to bring the whole look together. After she brushes the color along her clients’ cheekbones, Gonzalez also lightly puts it on the nose, right below the center of the eyebrows, above both eyebrows, and even on the Cupid’s bow (that little nook above your top lip). “The key is to apply it with a light hand and build as you go, and put it where the sun would naturally hit your face,” she explains.