After more than a year of staying put, model and social media star Olivia Ponton is nervous about traveling again, but not for the reason you might think. “My girlfriend [Kaila Novak] has a surprise trip for me, and I don't know where we're going or for how long,” the 18-year-old tells Glamour. “I would not be surprised if we end up in the most random, smallest city in the world. All she said was when are leaving and that I should pack swimsuits. So I'm a little nervous—nervous but excited!”
One thing she does know is, wherever she winds up, she'll be well-stocked in the makeup department. Ponton is the face of Benefit's upcoming summer campaign with Ulta, which is a brand she's wanted to work with for years. “I kept talking about them on social media,” she says, “and as my follower count was going up, they recognized me and were like, ‘Oh, you really like our brand!’ So needless to say, I absolutely love working with the team.”
One of the products Ponton can't wait to unveil is the brand's Gimme Brow+ Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel, which has tiny microfibers that adhere to hairs, thus creating fullness, and comes in a variety of colors. “I've used it pretty religiously because I always want to make sure my eyebrows are lifted and tinted,” Ponton says. “I can get away with any of their colors, but I usually stick to the taupe or light brown shades.”
So what else does Ponton carry whenever she's on the go? For Glamour's latest edition of Big Beauty Questions, she reveals all that and more.
Glamour: What beauty trend are you obsessed with right now?
Olivia Ponton: Laminating my eyebrows so they are super fluffy. I've been doing that for the past year. I go to a professional in Los Angeles to make sure I take care of them with special oils and serums that they provide for me. And then, on the day-to-day basis, I use Benefit's 24 Hour Brow Setter and Patrick Ta's brow shaping wax. I put a little setting spray in that and then brush up my eyebrows just to make them a little bit more extra. Then I fill them in with the Benefit products.
Is there a beauty trend you just can’t quite get on board with?
Strip lashes. I feel like that's been a trend for a very long time, but I just can never achieve a look that I personally love on myself with full-on strip lashes. I feel like it's a little much.
What is the best beauty advice your mom ever gave you?
She taught me from a young age that less is more.
What makeup and/or skin-care products are you obsessed with right now?
In addition to Benefit's brow products and Hoola bronzer, which I'm obsessed with, I love Charlotte Tilbury highlighter. She has this cream-based one that comes in a little tube that you can squirt out and it goes right on your skin. It's amazing. I also love Nars blush in Orgasm. And I can't pass up a great eye cream, so I use Benefit's eye serum. Whenever I get really bad eye bags, I put that on, and it honestly does such a good job.
Fill in the blank: I love my hair when...
I use my three-barrel curler on my short hair because it makes it look very beachy and wavy.
What part of the world gives you the greatest beauty inspiration?
Europe, because women there make really big statements with their makeup. And then Hawaii, because the vibe is beach glowy. If I can't get to the beach, I love using a texturizing spray to make my hair all wavy and crazy. I like Ouai's Ocean Wave Texture Spray and R+Co's texturizing spray. I used that one today in fact. It's absolutely amazing.
What colors are loving on your nails right now?
I've been loving a sage green color. I don't know why I've been so obsessed with it, but I just moved into my new apartment in New York and my whole theme is green. I just had the sickest nails on that were green marble with gold flakes. But besides that, I really like white and nude for work.
What is your getting-ready music?
Avril Lavigne's music always boosts my confidence. I really love “What the Hell” and “Girlfriend.” Those are two songs I can jam to all the time.
What’s your go-to perfume and why?
Victoria's Secret Tease. I used it a lot in high school and then I just started using it again. They really captured a sexiness with that perfume. Whenever I smell it, I'm like, Yes! [Laughs.]
What is your favorite emoji?
My favorite emoji is an emoji that just came out. I'm not sure if everyone has it on their phone, but it's the red heart and it has fire flames in the background. [Editor's note: It's next to all the different colored hearts, under the symbols category.]
Let’s say you’ve got $20 and free roam of the drugstore. What do you buy?
Water, because I'm trying to stay hydrated this summer. Press-on nails because, with work and whatnot, you normally aren't allowed to have the craziest nails, but I love getting a good thing of press-on nails because it's fun to experiment with different patterns. And then I can't live without Aquaphor because it is great to use if you get a sunburn. If I'm peeling or super dry, I put a bunch of that on. And it also makes my lips supersoft.
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