What do you do after conquering YouTube? Since Emma Chamberlain’s rise to internet superstardom, the 19-year-old is still making viral videos for her 10 million subscribers but added more gigs onto her already impressive resume. Her own coffee company? Check. A fashion partnership with Louis Vuitton? Check.
Chamberlain’s latest role finds her in the beauty space as Global Ambassador and Creative Director of clean skincare brand Bad Habit. “I’ve never had a role like [Creative Director] in a brand,” she tells ELLE.com. “Obviously, when it comes to formula and stuff like that, I leave that to the professionals. But when it comes to the fun stuff like photoshoots and campaigns and branding and messaging and PR, I get to give my two cents and they are always so open to what I have to say.”
Bad Habit’s latest launch, the Eyes Open Caffeine and Peptide Cream, uses its key ingredients to eliminate puffiness and dark circles—contrary to the TikTok beauty trend that has teens drawing on under-eye circles. “One of my friends sent it to me and was like, Emma, it’s your time to shine, baby!” Chamberlain says with a laugh. “I actually have grown to love my dark circles this year. I think style is getting a little bit more grungy, a little bit more natural. I feel like my under eyes make me look like a Tim Burton character and I’m not mad about it.”
But Chamberlain insists it’s a balance. “You don’t want to look sick, right? I can appreciate them, but still, we need to take care of them at the same time,” she adds. “I think defying any beauty standard and going off and appreciating it, I love that. I’m always open to that.”
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Ahead, Chamberlain talks Bad Habit, plus her acne journey, what she loves about Gen Z, and why nipple cream is the fix for dry lips.
How did you become the Global Ambassador of Bad Habit?
Bad Habit actually sent me their products before the brand came out. I tried them all and I fell in love with the products blindly. And I’m lucky enough to be working with them on a more intimate level as Global Brand Ambassador and Creative Director. Bad Habit is pretty much the honest and real skincare brand that cares about making you feel good, helping you relax, and not being so obsessed with the idea of perfection and more accepting of imperfections.
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The newest launch is the Eyes Open Caffeine and Peptide Cream. Do you have any tips for application?
I think as long as you’re not too rough with it. The skin on your under-eye is super fragile. Gently patting is the way to go. You don’t want to be harsh around your eyes. Also, enjoy it because my under eyes get so dry! One of my favorite parts of my skincare routine is treating my eye skin. That sounds random, but it genuinely is so important. I also have crazy under-eye bags and dark circles, so anything that can brighten that up a little bit, I’m in.
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One of the key ingredients is caffeine. How much coffee do you drink in a day?
Oh, it depends. Sometimes just one and I’m doing great and I drink herbal tea for the rest of the day and it’s amazing. But recently, I’ve been having probably two to three cups of coffee a day; that could be cold brew, that could be lattes, whatever, but around two to three. But I try not to overdo it because it makes me really anxious. We’re working on it.
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Would you ever consider making your own tea?
Oh yeah, for sure. It’s funny because I’ve not always been a tea person, but I have a lot of tummy problems and I’ve found, TMI completely, that warm herbal tea with lemon in it just makes my tummy feel good. I’m not opposed to the idea of creating tea at some point, but coffee is my number one bae of choice.
Has your beauty routine changed during quarantine?
At the beginning of the quarantine, I was on Accutane. And so I was not really allowed to use any products. My skin was super dry and my face was puffy and it was just a mess. But after I finished with Accutane and my skin kind of evened out, I really got to lean into skincare.
Only use products that [your dermatologist] is okay with because your skin is so fragile and dry. Once the two months are over [post-Accutane], start slowly re-introducing products to your skin. And if your lips are chapped, use nipple cream! That is the only thing that didn’t make my lips dry out and would actually stick on my lips for a long period of time. So that’s my product recommendation.
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You’ve been very outspoken about your acne journey. Why was that important for you to share?
When I first started my channel, I had acne and I didn’t really care. I think it was partially because I went to an all-girls school and I just let my guard down. And so that was my approach to YouTube. Yes, I was totally insecure about my acne, but for some reason, it didn’t strike me that I needed to hide it on the internet because I was like, well, nobody’s really watching this anyway. But then people started connecting with me even more because I was showing that side. And I realized how useful that is and how helpful and comforting that is for other people my age.
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What do you love about your generation, Gen Z?
There are so many things I love, but there are so many things I feel bad for us for. It’s not our fault, but being constantly glued to your phone is awful. It’s so terrible for your brain and it has totally messed with my mental health more than I can even explain. And so I feel really bad that we are growing up with this being the norm, and this is not something that necessarily makes life that much better.
But even through negativity, there’s so much positivity and support and so many great communities. And I’m proud of my generation for using the internet to learn more, to make friends, to start businesses, and to do things that they’re passionate about. And also everybody’s so open-minded and super accepting, I’ve found, in our generation.
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What’s the one thing that you’re looking forward to once quarantine is over?
I’m really excited to see music live. I am a big Coachella gal. I’ve always loved Coachella. I mean, it’s absolutely terrible. Really, if we break it down, it’s awful. It’s not even fun. You’re in pain the whole time, but I romanticize it in my brain all year long, just for it to come around and for me to complain the whole time that I’m there. But yeah, there’s nothing I’d rather do that weekend.
The Eyes Open Caffeine and Peptide Cream is available 2/28 on ulta.com.
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