BEAUTY

Shawn Mendes’s Skincare Routine Is Shockingly Minimal

This is not skincare.


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LEVI MANDEL

It must be said: Shawn Mendes has great skin. Very good. We know it; his fans know it. It’s almost as good as his Calvin Klein campaign. So it’s only natural that in a fan Q&A, Shawn Mendes should be asked how he maintains his great skin, as was the case earlier this week. And it turns out, when asked, Mendes will eagerly hold forth on his skincare routine. It’s just that…well, it probably is one of those don’t-try-this-at-home kinds of things.

Before you get too mad, never fear: Mendes did not simply say that he drinks a lot of water, à la every model ever. Nor did he hawk products that retail for three or four figures that require application under the full moon, nor anything Gwyneth Paltrow might approve of and/or include in a Goop newsletter. In fact, Gwynnie would probably positively faint if she were to hear about how Shawn Mendes takes care of his skin.

To say Mendes’s skincare routine is minimalist would be generous at best. “My skincare routine,” he began enticingly, in response to the fan’s question, “I’m not lying when I tell you guys I just don’t wash my face.” (He does, however, do a face mask “every five days or so.”)

So why, exactly, does Mendes not treat his face to a little R&R once in a while? Apparently, because he’s so damn happy all the time. “I think skin is very based off of how you’re feeling,” he said. “You could rub dirt on your face but if you’re happy, you won’t break out. If you’re unhappy or sad or stressed, that’s when you break out the most. Just do everything that will make you happy.” (W magazine does not recommend rubbing dirt on your face; that does not sound like a good exfoliant. Shawn Mendes might be able to get away with rubbing dirt on his face, but that’s probably just genetics.) Also, he meditates “a lot.”

You know what they say—if it works, don’t mess with it.

Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2018: Go Backstage With Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and More Models

Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Bella Hadid, getting her hair and makeup done, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Gigi Hadid, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Kendall Jenner, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Alanna Arrington, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Devon Windsor, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Kendall Jenner, backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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Backstage at the 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in New York City, on November 8, 2018. Photograph by Ambra Vernuccio for W magazine.

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