How Beyoncé’s Dance Captain Stays #Flawless On The Road

She spills her beauty secrets plus what she's learned from Queen Bey.
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James Anthony

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Watch almost any Beyoncé performance, and you’ll see Ashley Everett by her side. The fiery red head is the superstar’s dance captain, and has been a fixture on Team Bey since she was 17, slaying in everything from the iconic “Single Ladies” video to the epic “Formation” Super Bowl performance (and equally amazing video) — she was even hand-picked by Beyoncé to star in the video for “Heaven,”.

Ashley has danced on some of the biggest stages in the world (we’re talking Grammys) and performed alongside other major artists, including Jennifer Lopez and Nicki Minaj. But, as if being a world-traveling dance leader isn’t enough, Ashley is constantly taking on new challenges and adding new accomplishments to her resume. She just finished her third season playing a Devil Girl on VH1’s dance drama, Hit The Floor, and tells Teen Vogue exclusively that she recorded voiceover for a new children’s app, Reba to the Rescue, featuring learning stories and music from Grammy award-winning talents (Ashley recorded a story that promotes love and awareness about the body).

It’s all exciting, no doubt, but the constant activity can certainly take a toll on any person’s beauty routine, much less someone who is always in the spotlight, on camera, and holding her own next to, arguably, our generation’s biggest star. We chatted with Ashley to find out not only what it’s like to work alongside Beyoncé, but also just how she keeps herself looking #flawless in the process.

James Anthony

She’s got a mentor for the ages in Beyoncé.
“She’s the best of the best. She is, I feel, [the] Michael Jackson of our time, and it’s just such a blessing to be with her for so long and [to be] learning from her. I think the most amazing [part] of working with her is just learning from her. I learn something new every day; every time we work on a new project. She has so much knowledge and is so wise with this industry; I’ve learned so much — everyone learns so much from her.”

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And that extends to beauty, too.
“We learn a lot of makeup tips [from] her, [and] hair of course — you know she’s the hair queen!”

She has an unconventional strategy for keeping her lashes in line.
“I know this might sound a little crazy, but sometimes for the fake eyelashes, instead of regular eyelash [glue]…sometimes we’ll use that hair weave glue because it just holds better, and when you’re sweating and the sweat is dripping on your eyelashes, eyelashes [attached with regular glue] will lift in the corners and have you looking cross-eyed. We’ll use the dark hair weave glue [like] if you’re gonna glue on a track — just pop that on to the eyelash and put it on. [But] don’t put it on too close to your real eyelashes, because it’s a little harder to take off.”

She’s a loyal MAC fan.
“I use a lot of MAC. I think [it] holds really well, and their foundation is heavy enough for stage and to maintain through sweat and even water or rain or something. So I use MAC foundation [and] also their lipsticks.”

She sticks to matte lipsticks to avoid anything sticking to her.
“I love a good matte lipstick, because when I’m dancing and my hair is down, I don’t like it to get stuck on my lips, so matte is key.”

And she’s all about the classic red.
“I love [the MAC color] Ruby Woo. I think [it] looks great on everyone and it's the perfect go-to red, cause you know everybody wears red lipstick. It’s probably one of my [favorites]. And it’s super matte, so it doesn't go anywhere once you put it on, it's there. You can literally probably swim in the ocean with that on and it wouldn't go anywhere.”

She’s a fan of cornrows for easy hair care.
“I have naturally thick, curly hair and you have to keep it conditioned [using] deep conditioners, especially after heat and curling irons and things like that that we have to use, but I’m so exhausted half the time I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I don’t even feel like doing my hair.’ For…the past week I’ve had my hair in those long cornrows; I did four cornrows with hair extensions that made it really long, and that’s a great way to put my hair away and I can condition it before they braid it, and then I don’t have to do too much with it...I can sleep in a little bit longer because I [don’t] have to get up and do my hair — just roll out of bed [and it’s] already done.”

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She doesn’t go on tour without an arsenal of hair moisturizing products. “I absolutely have to have my conditioner and a deep conditioner… I just started using Mixed Chicks; they have a deep conditioner and I really like it. I have to have my Moroccanoil…I have an Intense Curl Cream that I put in when my hair [is] wet after the shower. I also need a gel for my hair to style it when it’s wet and curly so it stays that way [when it dries]. I use Ouidad — it’s a lighter gel that doesn’t get crunchy, and heavy, and hard.

She’s enlightened to the benefits of coconut oil.
“Coconut oil is really great just to keep [my hair] hydrated and moisturized at any part of the day.”

Her number one strategy for keeping her skin fresh and healthy is always removing her makeup.
“I’m one of those people who stands by washing your makeup off every night. I don’t know how some people do not do that. Some people can get away with it and their skin still looks great, but I religiously wash my makeup off every night. If I have a moment where I wake up and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I passed out so hard I forgot to take my makeup off,’ I’m so annoyed.”

She swears by a simple skincare routine and drugstore products.
“I’m a minimalist when it comes to skincare products. I’m not a crazy person who tries all these different toners, and spritzes, and sprays, and scrubs. I think the simple things help my skin. For washing my face…I actually use Johnson‘s baby bar soap to clean off all the makeup, and then I use St. Ive’s Scrub to really get in the pores. And then I put on a moisturizer. I use a tinted moisturizer by Jergens, because my face is naturally lighter than the rest of my body.”

If she’s not performing, she prefers to go au natural.
“When I don’t have to wear makeup, I try not to. Especially [with] dancing and sweating — sweating and makeup is not the best [combination], so I try and keep that to the shows if I can.”

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When she does wear makeup off duty, she sticks to basics.
“I use a Kevyn Aucoin concealer and I…really love bareMinerals powder. It’s just a general powder that you can rub all over your face, so I don’t have to put on a full foundation. I’ll also sometimes use a tinted moisturizer — I have one from MAC that is good and light for…daywear or a simple night face. I think the things I have to have [are] a cheek, an eyebrow, and mascara.”

She’s known for her vibrant red hair, but she’s an admitted novice at caring for it.
“Oh my gosh, it is tough — I’m still trying to figure it out! I actually don’t use the color-treated hair products. I don’t shampoo my hair with the red hair stuff…because I think my hair texture needs more help than the color, so I focus on that. But I’m still always trying to figure out new things, so if anybody has any suggestions on the color-treated hair, I'm always open. I usually just color it and then I do my regular hair thing.

But she’s not planning to change it up anytime soon.
“I’m not ready to leave red yet. I feel like it’s kind of my look and my thing, and I like red hair on me, so I don’t plan on changing it yet.”

She considers Beyoncé the “hair queen” and a major beauty icon, but she also admires another major pop star.
“I think Jennifer Lopez is a wonderful icon. She is always gorgeous and doesn’t age a day in her life, I swear. She always looks beautiful.”

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