Beauty
Ciara Miller On Being The Latest Covergirl & “Glowing & Bronzing” For Love Island
“My mom always says I came out of the womb wearing lipstick and high heels.”
Few women are having a busier summer than Ciara Miller. When she’s not booking brand deals and storming the Internet with her honest takes, she’s hopping on flights to Fiji for appearances on Love Island USA and prepping for her moment on Dancing With the Stars. We don’t need to rehash how Miller became the unanimous hero of Summer House this year, and now that the reunion (and its extra follow-up episode) have come to a close, Miller is headed into her summer free of men — and full of new opportunities. One of those firsts she can cross off her list? Becoming a Covergirl.
As we’ve seen summer after summer, Miller knows how to make her face and body glow with ease, so becoming the face of Covergirl’s newest TruBlend Sun & Sculpt Bronzing Glow Serum was a no-brainer. When we caught up on the phone, it was clear: “It really speaks to the part of makeup that I love, which is glowing and bronzing.” Her signature dewy summer face (and shoulders!) are on display in the campaign photo, which shows how one product can truly have legs (pun intended) from head to toe.
Miller joins the long list of Covergirls before her, including the America’s Next Top Model winners she grew up watching. Right before hopping on a plane to Fiji, Miller dialed in with NYLON to talk about her drink of the summer, shooting her first Covergirl campaign, and her no-fuss makeup routine.
How did the Covergirl experience come about, and how was your time on set?
Since I was young, I’ve wanted to be a Covergirl, the iconic, easy, breezy, beautiful. It was surreal on set, but it was such a great shoot. It’s an iconic name in American beauty, and of course I want to be a part of it. As I’m going into this next chapter, this was such an organic partnership between Love Island and Dancing With the Stars, and to have Covergirl a part of this next chapter is so special and important to me.
Do you have any early memories of using Covergirl products, or any first experiences with beauty growing up?
My mom always says I came out of the womb wearing lipstick and high heels. From a young age, I was always in her makeup bag. Between her makeup bag and my grandmother’s makeup bag, I always wanted makeup. They had to reel me in. I grew up watching America’s Next Top Model and seeing the prize of being the face of CoverGirl. You dream about it, but you’re like, “Will I ever reach that point one day?” I’ve always been a makeup girl. CoverGirl was some of the first makeup I bought when I was allowed to wear makeup. It’s so nostalgic, but still so current. The new TruBlend Sun & Sculpt Bronzing Glow Serum is the perfect product for me to promote. It really speaks to the part of makeup that I love, which is glowing and bronzing. It’s perfect for me to take to Fiji, and it’ll be perfect for me throughout the summer.
How difficult is it to find products that actually contour and give you dimension for deeper skin tones?
It’s not always a challenge, but I do want to find things that are complimentary that don’t look ashier on deeper skin tones. [Covergirl] has gotten the shade range right for the TruBlend Sun & Sculpt. It gives you that dewy glow you need on all the right points. Whether or not a product is made for your face, I’m always like, “I’m going to put it on my legs. I’m going to put it on my collarbones. I’m going to put it on my arms.” It’s such a great product that you can put everywhere, which is always my secret hack. CoverGirl is really thoughtful in how they have developed this product, and it is a great product for girls with deeper skin tones like me.
I love hearing that you use it everywhere. Especially for Love Island, you need to be covered from head to toe.
You need to be glowing at all points in Fiji, and I will be. I'll be sculpted and bronzed. Every point, every angle I can get.
Besides using this all over the body, what else goes into getting the signature glow?
Definitely sunscreen. I shout sunscreen from the rooftop because it’s the only anti-aging product actually on the market. Let’s not even start with sun damage. It’s obviously a product you use year round, but when the UV index is high, you need to be wearing sunscreen when the sun is out at all times. Wear sunscreen and don’t forget your neck, don’t forget your chest. That’s really my skin prep. Of course, I love a vitamin C serum, which helps with hyperpigmentation and gives the brightness you need as well.
Is there another makeup hack that gets you out the door in 30 seconds?
I feel like I’m on set so much that I’m like, what is something that...
You’re like, the professionals have been doing it.
No, literally. When I’m by myself, I do a little one, two on my cheekbones: a little glow, a little highlight, and then I can get out the door. The TruBlend Skin Enhance is this blush balm, and I have fought blushes for the past six years. My makeup artist has had to slowly introduce blushes into my makeup routine, but now I love a blush. I never thought I would get to that day, but I do love an apricot color on my cheeks when I’m doing very minimal makeup.
I always fill in my brow, put a little something on the cheek, and then I can just be out the door. Honestly, I don’t even do foundation sometimes. A little highlight, a little bronzing glow serum. That’s a simple makeup routine where I can be out the door, and I don’t need to sit and look at myself in the mirror for an hour.
Is there anything you’ve tried that immediately was like “This is not for me”?
I always go back and forth between wanting to get individual lash extensions, but the thought of having to sit there and get them… They look beautiful, but the thought of having to sit there, then they’re falling out, and then you have to go back. I don’t want another thing. I love to be a little frugal. That’s another expense to pay for as a girl. But I do love lashes, and every couple months, I’m on Instagram trying to find people who do really great lashes, then I talk myself out of it quickly.
It’s a lot of time in the chair. I feel like at a certain point, I would start ripping them off.
I would pull them off in my sleep. It’s also sitting in the chair. I have to talk myself into going to get my nails done because I know I’m going to be there for at least three hours. I don’t think I can do it with more than just my nails.
What is your drink order this summer, and where in the city are you ordering said drink?
Oh, my God. I love a Hugo Spritz. It is everything to me. The minute I have an ounce of free time, I’m like, “Let’s sip a Hugo Spritz in the sun.” Yesterday, I was at Jeffrey’s Grocery. They do a great Hugo Spritz in the West Village. Barbuto does a great Hugo Spritz as well.
We’re staying on the west side, I love it.
I know, like what is up with me? But also, I’m going to give you a little bit of Lower East Side: Bar Belly does an amazing Hugo Spritz as well. Eel Bar doesn’t have a Hugo Spritz, but they have a great wine selection if you want a crisp white. I always let them pick whatever drink I get because I’m just like, “Make it crispy and cool and make it a white.”
