Warpaint’s Rock Star Beauty: At-Home Hair Dye, Lipstick as Eyeliner, and the Best Mascara of All Time

Yesterday at two-thirty in the afternoon, the members of L.A.-based indie group Warpaint were sipping iced coffee in the sun on an uncharacteristically balmy October day in New York City—a welcome respite from their yearlong tour to promote their self-titled sophomore album. If it sounds a little late in the day to be caffeinating, it’s not: Their work day often starts around 10:00 p.m., as it did on Tuesday night, when Theresa Wayman, Jenny Lee Lindberg, Emily Kokal, and Stella Mozgawa took the stage to perform their signature brand of spectral rock to a sold-out crowd at Webster Hall. There, the band’s shoe-gaze-y jams and hypnotic vocals were just as compelling as their rock star hair. Much like the music, their chromatic dye jobs and second-day textured strands walked the line between pretty and punk, while their onstage cat eyeliner had settled into a slept-in smolder. In the interest of mastering authentic she’s-in-the-band beauty, we sat down with the foursome to talk about everything from the perfect onstage mascara to the benefits of custom-dyeing your hair at home, and the best mascara ever made.

You’re going to be on the road until December. I’d imagine it’s difficult to pack your entire beauty regimen. If we were to open your suitcase right now, what would we find?

JENNY: I follow a pretty strict skin care regimen morning and night with my face. So I pack face wash and sunblock from my facialist, Trina Runea, and a vitamin-C serum from Natura Bissé.

THERESA: I bring Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye Concentrate because it’s so thick it feels like it’s going to soak in and actually do something. And then having nice face wash, toner, and lotion on the road is really important, too. I use Acure Organics products mostly, which is available at Whole Foods, that’s really good—it feels very light and very natural. Heritage Store Rosewater is the best toner.

EMILY: Yes! I want it right now! My skin gets dried out, so to keep hydrated, I spray a lot of face toners.

What about for your hair? Do you bring your own shampoo and conditioner with you or do you just use what’s in the hotel?

STELLA: The goal is to get as compact as possible, so you’re not lugging around three giant suitcases full of clothes and products. Bringing your own shampoo and conditioner is tough, but I think we all use Batiste dry shampoo—it’s cheap, classic. And Lucas Papaw is the most important thing. I put that everywhere.

What else do you bring for makeup?

STELLA: Mascara is my every day go-to if I’m going to be out in the world—it just helps. In the day I like Rimmel London. It’s really good and simple. Onstage, I go for more intense eyes, because as the drummer, I’m all the way in the back. I have a Chanel mascara that’s really thick—so I like that for a show. But I don’t try to look too glamorous because you can’t see my face—my hair covers everything.

THERESA: Josie Maran’s mascara is the best mascara that I’ve ever used. It has argan oil in it, and it actually feels like you’re healing your eyelashes when you’re putting it on.

What about eyeliner? I noticed a lot of cat eyes on stage.

THERESA: I like cat eyes on stage. It’s kind of all I know how to do. Otherwise, I wear brown eyeliner on my bottom waterline. I think it makes the brown of my eyes pop out—and it works for Stella too.

JENNY: There’s this really amazing Neutrogena Color Stick in Raisin that I wear right underneath my eyes that’s really good for smudging. It’s kind of red, so it’s subtle and not subtle at the same time. It’s actually a lip liner so I use it on my mouth, too. That’s how I learned to wear makeup. I wasn’t allowed to wear it in high school, but I had one Estée Lauder lipstick that I would use for blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, and lipstick. I also like the look of red lipstick like Rimmel London Moisture Renew in Diva Red on the lips with a bare face.

Your hair has stage presence—especially the way the bleach looks under the lights. Emily, when did you start dyeing your hair?

EMILY: I was at a photo shoot and just took advantage of a good, free colorist. [Laughs] I thought we were just going to lift my color a bit—I’m naturally a brunette—but I didn’t realize he was going to bleach it! That was a misunderstanding. It ended up being fine because I had pink hair, which was cool. But then it rinsed out really fast. That’s when Jen and I dyed it a light, icy blue. That faded out too, and I’ve been growing the roots out for a long time to try to be really organic about it. I might cut it off into a bob, too. I just recently chopped off over five inches with my kitchen scissors!

Is that something you do a lot? Dye your own hair?

EMILY: Jen does her own hair.

THERESA: She’s really good at it! She can color-match extensions to her hair.

JENNY: I used to have it done professionally, but it always looked too perfect. I would like it best when it faded out and turned different colors, so I just figured out how to do that myself. To keep my hair pink like this when I’m on tour, I dye it every five days with a mix of Manic Panic Cotton Candy Pink and Pretty Flamingo, blended with conditioner. Then I comb it through with my hands.

What’s your beauty indulgence when you finally get home?

EMILY: Beverly Hot Springs for a steam. I’ve been going there for twelve years. It’s a natural hot spring.

JENNY: I always love getting massages, acupuncture, and facials as well.

STELLA: For me it’s running every single day for my mental health. Running changes everything.

THERESA: I lay on my couch for like two days straight. [Laughs] And sleep. And then I come out looking great! Sleep is the best thing you can do for your face and your body.

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