The Sweat Tour may be over, but Troye Sivan is still giving us something to “Talk talk” about.
Just days after wrapping up a sold-out, headline-making trek across North America with Charli XCX, the Australian pop star and LGBTQ+ idol set his chaps and diamond crotch piece aside and headed to New York City for another career milestone: celebrating his first beauty campaign for Rabanne. It’s a pairing that, for Sivan, feels exceptionally on brand. “I’ve always felt very sexy in Rabanne clothes,” he says. “And now I’ve fallen in love with the beauty products, too.”
Sivan certainly understands sexy. He’s famous for showing a lot of skin—and glowy skin, at that—in each and every half-dressed, thirst-trap grid post. He’s also famous for showing off some unforgettable makeup looks, from channeling David Bowie on camera to sporting glittery eyeshadow at the 2018 Met Gala. And with the launch of Rabanne’s Fresh Touch Foundation, Sivan is encouraging his massive following (39 million and counting) to express themselves through makeup, too.
“I think makeup is really closely tied to identity for a lot of people, and for those reasons, it was something that I was definitely afraid of as a kid,” he says. “Now that I’m feeling so liberated in my personal life, it’s nice to be free to explore it. But for anyone who might be a couple of years earlier in their [coming out] process than I am, I hope that it just shows them to do what makes them feel good. That's really the only thing you can do.”
It took Sivan a while to become comfortable using makeup as a tool of creative expression in his work. “The first time I wore really bold makeup was in the ‘Bloom’ music video [in 2018],” he says. “That was a very formative experience for me and just a really liberating day.” But Sivan’s cherry red lips, contoured cheeks, and dramatic face paint were but stepping stones in his beauty evolution.
In October 2023, Sivan dressed in full drag for his “One of Your Girls” music video. His fans ate it up, but the extensive glam process took its toll. “It took about three and a half hours [to get ready],” he says. “It was a long time. And then I was surprised by how uncomfortable it was; I was corseted and wearing, like, seven pairs of tights. I remember feeling like I had been embalmed. The relief of undoing the corset at the end of the day was really, really nice.”
Whether we’ll see Sivan in full drag again is anyone’s guess, but he’s been inspired by women his whole life. “My mom was a model when she was younger, and we have this photo book at home of all of her work,” he says. “Those were probably some of my earliest memories of advertising, just seeing my mom in campaigns.” Today, he has another source of beauty inspo: Charli XCX. “She and her glam team are so incredible,” he says. “Obviously I saw them every day, and it was never the same look twice. Just gorgeous.”
Backstage on the Sweat Tour, the pair bonded plenty. “I would go into her dressing room when she was getting glammed up and we would just chat, which was really nice,” says Sivan. “It became part of the pre-show ritual for us to just get into the zone together.” Night after night, Sivan turned up the heat with his provocative costumes; needless to say, he lived up to the name of the tour. “I was definitely sweaty, but I take pride in the fact that I don't think I ever smelled bad,” he says.
Scent has long been a big part of Sivan’s world. In 2023, he and his brother launched the fragrance company Tsu Lange Yor, the name of which means “to long years” in Yiddish. (Sivan was raised in an Orthodox Jewish home and has said that his great-grandmother spoke the language.). “When I first started coming to L.A., I would stay at my manager's house and he would burn Diptyque candles,” says Sivan. “I was like, ‘Oh, wow, this is on another level.’ Fragrance can really change the way that you experience any space, and I think that it’s such a beautiful way to express yourself. That’s why Tsu Lange Yor is one of the most important and fulfilling things that I do.”
Beyond fragrance, Sivan sticks to a few core beauty products. “As far as makeup goes, it's definitely the Rabanne Fresh Touch Foundation,” he says. “It’s buildable in a really nice way, so if you want a light look, you can just use less.” He’s also developed a newfound appreciation for hair-care staples. “I think an underrated hair situation is your shampoo and conditioner,” he says. “Since I was on the road for a long time, I always brought my own shampoo and conditioner with me. I didn't want to be reliant on the ones in a hotel, and I feel like it kept my hair healthy. It really starts you off well for a good hair day, too.”
Although he admits to having gone through some “really awkward hair phases” (including a regrettable box-dye job last New Year’s), Sivan embraces the public nature of his beauty highs and lows. “It’s all self-expression, so it’s just like, well, what am I trying to say?” he says. “Whether I’m going to a show or a photo shoot or a dinner, it’s a little bit of a choose-your-own-adventure. But I feel like I appreciate makeup so much now as a way to just put a little pep in my step. It's less about the aesthetic of it and more about how it makes me feel.”
As he continues to proudly express his identity through makeup, Sivan is certainly feeling himself. “I just know that I love to explore and play,” he says. “And I think that everyone should feel empowered to do that.”
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