Madison Beer on social media woes, being her own glam squad and how TikTok is ruining music

Some may remember Madison Beer from her viral Youtube videos from way back in 2012, others for that famous tweet by non-other than Justin Bieber co-signing her talent soon after, but Madison has built a brand of her own as a singer-songwriter.

For Madison, the journey to superstardom hasn’t been easy – she’s been met with criticism and judgment (much of it based on her looks) along the way, but nonetheless, she has remained determined to create a brand for herself based on her talent alone. As she sits down with me, mere moments before stepping on stage to headline at the O2 Empire in Shepperd’s Bush, London, it’s a full house and there are long queues leading toward the merch desk filled with hoodies, graphic Ts mimicking those Noughties stan collage posters.

In contrast to the vibrancy in the front of house, backstage, the atmosphere is calm and relaxing, Madison is wearing sweats and a tank top prepping herself mentally for her last London show of the year. “Don’t worry, I do my own makeup pretty fast,” she reassured me around 20 minutes into our conversation as she sees me worrying about the time she has left to get her glam done. Her tranquil demeanor was admirable, considering she was going to be stepping in front of a crowd of around 2000 people soon after our little kiki was over.

This was the first time since before the pandemic that Madison, who is a self-confessed honorary Londoner is back in English soil and also the first time she is able to perform in front of fans again. “I used to spend so much time here, so COVID definitely was weird for me, especially not being in London for so long. I honestly used to come to London very, very frequently. So for me to not be here for like two-plus years was very saddening and hard for me.”

As Madison prepares for the release of her second album and launches her newest single, she sits down in her backstage glam room with me to talk about inner work, her thoughts on TikTok music “I don't really care if I'm never like the biggest thing on the planet, I'd rather stay true to my artistry in my integrity and the things that I like.” she says, and what her full-beat actually looks like.

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Here is Madison Beer in her own words…

Pick me apart why don’t you…

“I've sort of been picked apart since I was super young. I got discovered when I was 12. So I've had my appearance commented on for a majority of my life, which wasn't easy. It's never gotten easy. It still isn't easy. I think that it definitely messed me up a lot especially when I was younger because in the years that I was supposed to be playing with makeup and figuring things out, people were making fun of me and saying that I looked ugly or weird or whatever. I feel like I was never really given like a full chance to just experiment with what kind of makeup I liked or what style I was into. I was always bullied for anything that I tried. People were telling me things I didn't see before… So that made me kind of crawl into a shell a bit.” 

Busy doing the inner work

“For anyone struggling with self image I think it all starts with you and with your relationship with yourself. It's a lot deeper than our appearances and what we wear and what we do. A lot of us have a lot of healing to do I think. You'll be surprised when you do inner work on your soul and your heart, how that manifests itself into how you present yourself, how you act and how you function in reality. It definitely affected me a lot and I was realising that I maybe was partially confused and conflicted because I wasn't happy with who I was internally.”

Social media versus reality is a scam

“There's this huge emphasis right now on how people try to disprove others. There, all those social media versus reality things and whatnot. I think that it's actually counterintuitive to do things like that because it should be self-explanatory. Instagram / social media is like when you go into a job and you give someone your best resume. You're not going to write on your [CV] your bad moments, or the times you got turned away. You're gonna write your accomplishments and your achievements, and the times you looked the best and presented the best. You shouldn’t be villainised for that.”

I use bronzer as a highlighter

“I do my own makeup for the show. So I can give you a full product breakdown if you want one genuinely! So I start with the NARS Cosmetics Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard and in Ginger and I just apply it under my eyes. Then, using a flat brush, I go in with the Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate bronzer which I really like. Then I set my face with the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder. Then I go in with a Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter Duo in Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule, let me confirm, oh yep, that's the one. Wow! Look at me go! And then I spritz some setting spray on a brush and dab it over my makeup. Oh and I almost forgot. I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze and that’s all I do with my eyebrows. I don't fill them in or anything because I can never make them look good when I do that. But after the spray, then I go in with more cream stuff. So I do my blush, and I of course use the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher that is always sold out everywhere, but I also really like the NARS liquid blush. For highlighter, I take a beauty blender and use the bottom part of the Tom Ford bronzer duo. It's not really a highlighter, it's more like wetness, but honestly, it just gives your skin that extra dewy glow. Then for my eyes, I use my Morphe x Madison Beer Palette, that's genuinely not a plug, it's the best palette, I use it every single day. I put a little bit of this shade on the inner eye corner.”

Believe it or not, these lashes are real…

“When it comes to the eyeshadow, I do try to keep it really neutral. I actually haven't been using a lot of shadow lately. It's more just the light shimmery shades. And then I use a bit of a shadow color for my wing liner and any really good mascara. I have quite long lashes, but the mascara really accentuates it. Funnily enough, my dad has really long eyelashes too, so I must get it from him.”

I love the person that I am now, but teen-me needed a real pep talk

“I think just getting older, obviously inherently helps a lot, but I had to do a lot of inner work, to be able to stop intrusive thoughts. I understand that I was letting people's opinions affect me, which is human and normal and that's totally fine. I don't feel any shame for letting people affect me as a child, and even now people’s opinions still do. Growing up, it was definitely harder, because I didn't know who I was. I was still trying to figure out, who is Madison Beer as a human being first and foremost, and I didn't know the answer to that. So when people were already hating on everything I was before, I couldn’t even give myself the chance to decide if it was right or wrong. That was really tough and confusing.”

We all try…

“People spend a lot of time critising each other. I think people need to just leave each other alone. Let each other be. Everyone's trying. We're all trying to fit in. We're all trying to be liked. No one is immune to it. Everyone is trying their best. I think people need to just have more empathy for one another, leave each other alone and live their own lives.”

My off-duty looks rely on…

“My off-duty look relies on simplicity. Mostly the skincare part. I really like Tata Harper's products. There's really nice cleanser from Tata’s at Sephora. I use that and then I just use Bio Oil on my face. That's really be all I do. But when I do wanna like give myself the full routine I really like the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Rapid Flash Brightening Serum for under my eyes. I also like the Osea Sea Minerals Mist. No big secrets to donut skin over here, just a really good moisturiser and an even better highlighter.” 

I’m really proud of my new music…

“I think that the new music is very true to me and true to the music that I listen to in my everyday life. It sounds a lot like the things that I get influenced by. So I'm really excited to have an album and music out there that's I would actually listen to. I'm not saying my album now isn't but I guess I’m growing and I'm changing. The whole album in general has been a very emotional, awesome experience for me because I really just tried to let go of all the pressures that I put on myself.”

Tiktok is ruining music

‘I guess also TikTok has really ruined a lot of music where it's like labels and stuff are like, ‘we want a TikTok hit’. That's so stupid. It literally goes away in two minutes and it's honestly insulting. Music is my art, it's my passion. It's what has literally kept me alive my entire life. Now you're telling me I have to make a f*cking song that's gonna be sniped for 15 seconds for kids to dance, to? Like f*ck off. It's like that scene, I forget what movie it is, where this guy gets assigned to be a police officer and then they have him working the parking meters on his first day, but he's like, all I wanted my whole life was to be an officer and yet I'm literally putting coins in readers. You know what I mean? You literally dream to be an artist and then you are f*cking writing TikTok songs. That's not gonna happen ever with me and I don't really care if I'm never like the biggest thing on the planet, I'd rather stay true to my artistry in my integrity and the things that I like. So don't expect any TikTok hits coming from Madison Beer. If it happens organically. Great, but if not, oh well.”

My secret to donut skin is…

“Highlighter… I literally drown myself in highlighter here, [points to high cheekbone area] and then I put it in the dip of the nose and and then at the tip too with my finger. I also don't use a lot of powder. I like to not set too much of my makeup, keeping it dewy-matte.”

As fearless as they come… Maddy B, can we be your friend?

For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona