Rachel Roy Dishes On Her Effortless Beauty Expertise (And New Makeup Line!)

We've loved Rachel Roy as a designer since the start, but as she begins to foray into makeup, we're even more in awe. Check our exclusive interview for smoky eye tips and all the dish on how Rachel picked her color palette!

Have you always liked makeup? "Totally! Well what I'm doing on Jen [the model], I did on my brother. He was my first victim! I would style him, but to me, the styling wasn't complete unless it was a head to toe look. I grew up not being able to afford the things I saw in movies or magazines, and a way to get the 'look' is through makeup."

"Friends of mine that have never worn a smoky eye, see it done haphazardly and messy on me, and I get requests from them, which I love because I also see how it really can transform. I'm not one to hide my wrinkles, but this is amazing for crows feet. The smoky eye is the answer to everything!"

When did you start wearing smoky eyes on yourself? "Always! I've always worn them from the time I was allowed to wear makeup. I did it more precisely then. As you grow, you just learn, and things become more effortless, easier, and cooler. I had a mom that just let me be, which in many ways is very very nice, and in many ways is kind of like, 'why'd you let me do this?!'"

How'd you choose the colors in the palette? "I wanted something for day and night so thankfully there was a palette that was big enough for both. I tried them on some of my staff, all the women I work with. I wanted something that wasn't the typical nighttime smoky eye, and for me, purples and navys typically work with everything. For day, I knew that I wanted browns and ambers."

Do you want to branch out into more makeup products? "I honestly love it. I love that you can transform yourself with clothing, but I love that you can do it very quickly with makeup. For me, a bright lip is as uplifting as a bright dress is. When I do a bright lip though, I won't do a smoky eye. But I will do a lot of mascara!"

Do you do your own makeup before red carpet all the time?

"All the time, yes. For T.V., I'll use someone to do foundation because I can never gauge how much should be used under lights and in the studio. Also, I'm not good at putting eyelashes on! But, if I work with makeup artists, it can be offensive if I keep changing what they're doing!"

What are your beauty must haves? "Mascara. If all I can do is an eyelash, it makes me feel younger and more awake. One of my favorites is Estée Lauder, the one that has the battery in it. [Turbo Lash] I love a By Terry blush that smells like roses — it's amazing, and looks great on every skin color."

What's the secret to your amazing brows? "Thank you! I get them threaded, which is also an Indian tradition. It's super-cheap, but even if it was expensive, I'd do it because it's the best. No one has been able to get it as right as this woman that threads for me."