Beauty Detail
Mia Calabrese Always Smells Good
The Summer House star opens up about her go-to beauty staples and the fragrance she never leaves home without.
In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite celebrities and talent for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing. Ahead, Mia Calabrese talks about her makeup essentials, her curl-defining MVP, and the skin care product she hides from her friends.
Amid all the relationship drama on Summer House Season 10, Mia Calabrese managed to become one of the show's brightest spots. At the Las Culturistas Culture Awards, which aired June 17, she even took home the trophy for Best Vibe, Hands Down — beating out none other than Stanley Tucci (when he's in Italy). "I was like, 'Really, me?'" she tells me over Zoom. "I was so grateful."
The title feels especially fitting once the conversation turns to beauty. Calabrese talks about makeup the way some people talk about their favorite hobby: with genuine excitement, a million tangents, and zero shame about the fact that her products are constantly scattered throughout her apartment (“I’m a diva who has distractions,” she jokes). "My perfect situation is when I have all the time in the world to romanticize doing my makeup and my skin care," she says. "It's an expression of self-care."
This philosophy carries through every part of her routine. She’s meticulous about her brows, diligent about sunscreen — “What is this new propaganda of girls not using SPF?” she asks — and makes sure she literally always smells good.
"You can call me beautiful, call me funny, but if you tell me I smell good, that is the best compliment I can receive," Calabrese says. "I always, always have a mini fragrance in my purse, and gum and mints. Your breath needs to smell good. My natural aromas don't smell like Kilian, OK?"
While she tends to steer clear of fleeting TikTok trends in favor of a more timeless look, she's always eager to steal a pro makeup artist's tricks.
"I'm a fast learner," she says. "I told my makeup artist, 'Girl, lead me to water. I'll drink it. Just tell me what to do.'" Her favorite tip: applying liquid products one layer at a time, using an accordion fan to dry each one before moving on to the next. "It has made all the difference," she says. "You must try it."
Here, Calabrese reveals her holy grail beauty staples, including the drugstore mascara she swears by.
Her Go-To Cleanser
“I love the Mantle Cleansing Balm by U Beauty. It’s gentle enough for the morning, and I also like to use it in the evening because it really takes everything off. It’s a nice first step of my cleansing routine because it really removes makeup and dirt, but it feels really gentle when I’m doing it.”
Her Lip Savior
“I don’t think this is actually for your lips. Let’s read the directions: ‘It works wonders to moisturize and protect anytime, any way you choose.’ OK, it says nothing about lips, but I love to put it on my lips.”
Her Curly Hair Hero
“This is incredible. It moisturizes my hair and makes my curls feel really soft. I’ll also use the Olaplex Bonding Oil whether I’m wearing my hair curly or straight, and it makes it really shiny.”
Her Must-Have Neck Cream
“I just started using this neck cream from U Beauty. It is so, so good. I hide it, because it’s not cheap. I feel like it almost blurs the lines of my neck.”
Her Makeup-Setting Essential
“I swear by this. First, I use the Charlotte Tilbury setting spray, then I lock it in with this one. Your makeup won’t move. I saw my makeup artist doing it, so I started doing it, which sounds very Mean Girls.”
Her Fave Lip Liner
“I love an overlined lip. The lip liner that I’m obsessed with and that lasts the longest is this one by Make Up For Ever. Even after eating and drinking, it will stay on my lips for a while.”
Her MVP Mascara
“This mascara is nice because it’s not super expensive. I don’t believe in spending $35 for mascara. I really like this one.”
Her Blush Combo
“I recently went to a master class with Painted by Esther [Ngozi Edeme], which was amazing. There were maybe 30 or 40 people there, but I was like, ‘Girl, come over here and make sure I’m doing this correctly.’ What I learned from her is you take two shades — I use this stick in Vibration and one that’s a little darker — and put them on your hands, take a powder puff, and tap it into your skin. Game-changer.”
Her Most-Complimented Fragrance
“I typically lean towards a musky, oaky, sexy smell rather than a sweeter, floral scent. Every single time I wear this perfume oil, people ask what I’m wearing. It lasts a really long time, too.”
