“I wanted to create products that would reach every girl,” says pop artist and rapper Brooke Candy of her new 15-piece makeup collection with M.A.C Cosmetics, her second with the brand in less than a year. “I’m bold and intense and dramatic with the way I put myself together, but I know not every woman is like that. I don’t want to leave anyone out; I love all women.” We caught up with the singer in Berlin to discuss her creative process, numerous tattoos and makeup skills.

Tell me what the process of creating this collection was like for you, because I heard you had a lot of creative control.
Oh my god, total creative control. The great thing about M.A.C is they’re just so nurturing to the artist. I think they really understand the specific perspective of the artist. They care, and they have good taste. They really let me run free. They let me take the reigns and kind of just do what I wanted. I was involved in everything from picking the exact hues of the colours, to naming the product, to designing the packaging, to conceptualizing the shoot – all of it. And for me, it’s so important. Creating art is how my soul breathes, so if I can’t do that, I can’t do it. So it’s been really surreal.

Let’s talk about some of the shade names. Who’s Pamela?
Pamela is Pam Anderson. I’m obsessed with ‘90s Pam Anderson. Like, Pam Anderson and Tommy Lee, that aesthetic to me is so dramatic. I think right now we’re in a time where we’re nostalgic for that. It was just really fun. She’s the epitome of a fun, playful, sexy woman. Yin and Yang, that’s pretty self-explanatory. That’s the idea of duality: light and dark. We need both to exist; we need to understand one to understand the other. DooWop – the pink [shade], is The Shangri-Las, the ‘50s, Jayne Mansfield.

You’re pretty experimental with your beauty look. When do you feel the most like yourself?
I always feel like myself, really. I just think it’s fun to transform. I don’t see any barriers. I’ve actually never felt comfortable just being one thing. I don’t feel comfortable being put in a box or having any kind of label. And for me the easiest way to combat that is to just be everything. Be everyone.

Are you good about taking your makeup off before bed?
Oh, yeah! Because I have really intense skin. My skin’s really sensitive and I have acne. I’m so crazy about it.

Do you do any special treatments? Yeah, I actually work with this amazing facialist, and kind of beauty shaman. Her name is Amy Rae, she’s in L.A. and she introduced me to this blue light, and oxygenating facials. I drink a lot of alkalized drinks, green-food drinks. I only use organic products on my skin. And [I have a] humidifier. I mean my skin isn’t conventionally perfect, but it’s so much better than it was, and it’s because I really take care of it.

Can you walk me through some of your favourite tattoos?
Yeah I just got this 33 [on my hand]. That’s my favourite number. I’ve also got some hearts. I’m obsessed with hearts right now. I don’t know where it’s coming from or where I’m channelling it from, but I’m obsessed with that. I have this guillotine on my arm, because I have an obsession with death. I have a little heart on my face, a little skull and cross bones on my face. 

Do you have a favourite tattoo artist?
My best friend. His name is Sean – he goes by @seanfromtexas. He’s located in L.A., he’s actually a genius. He’s an artist, and he just uses flesh as his canvas. We’ve been collaborating for years now.

What was your first one?
The first tattoo I ever got was these buttons on my arm.

What’s your best makeup skill?
I’m pretty good at contouring. Like a drag contour.

What makes a good contour? Go heavy on it?
No, no. Go slow.

Like, do it in layers?
Yeah, layers.

Do you use cream or powder?
Powder.

Cool.

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