BEAUTY & LIFESTYLE PROFILE

With Ash Costello [singer New Years Day]

April 20, 2019 by Liselotte `Lilo' Hegt - More about our team

American singer Ash Costello is about to release a killer new album, called `Unbreakable’, with her band New Years Day [street date April 26th, 2019]. The first single ,,Skeletons’’ already surpassed 1 million hits worldwide streams and it looks like the new album might surpass the success of the last CD `Malevolence’, that hit #45 on the Billboard 200, featuring the two radio hits ,,Defame Me’’ and ,,Kill Or Be Killed’’. Not only is Ash a great singer and songwriter, she also has a striking look, which is dominated by half red and half black coloured hair and is she a role model for many girls in the alternative scene. HeadBangers LifeStyle got in touch with this lady dark rock to get more insight in her beauty, fashion and lifestyle routine.

BEAUTY
Is a good appearance important to you?
,,Yes actually. It is a lot cooler to say it is not, but it is. The music, the fashion, the imagery and the visuals, it is all part of the art and the world that you are trying to create as an artist for people to be a part of.’’

How much of a make-up junkie are you?
,,I am not [giggles]. Honestly, I am really horrible at make-up. I have been kind of using the same make-up for years. I kind of know the trends and popular brands and I kind of know what I am doing when it comes to make-up. I just know what I like but I am just not just that into make-up.’’

What do you use?
,,I am a creature of habit so I like stuff that works for me. My favourite make-up is from the brand Urban Decay. I have been using their products since high school and I just like them a lot and I think it’s a great brand. I just love their Naked Eyeshadow Palette. Actually my make-up behaviour hasn’t changed that much over the years because I stick to what works for me. That’s how I am with everything in life. I am not getting really adventures after something I know that I like a lot. Gosh I don’t even really spend that much money on make-up, because most of the stuff I got is sent to me.’’

Is there a make-up item you can’t live without?
,,My eyebrow pencil and it is also from Urban Decay. I can’t live without because I shaved off half of my eyebrows years ago and they don’t grow back.’’

Do you have a certain beauty routine?
,,I am a huge advocate of using make-up wipes because when you are a touring band you don’t have the luxury of having the energy and the space to properly wash your face on the road. I just have a routine now of lotion and make-up remover wipes that works for me.’’

How do you deal with a facial hangover after a tour?
,,You know, a facial hangover is a real thing and I get myself a professional facial every time. I actually got a full body scrub two times before, to scrub off the dirt and to get all the dirt out of my pores.’’

How do you deal with a bad hair day?
,,I don’t really have them [laughing]. I have a routine that kind of saves me from bad hair days. When I go to bed I braid my hair always and then I wear a headband that will keep the top hairs of my head down. I have my favourite volumizing dry shampoo and shiner spray to make it stay. So I don’t really have to do a lot of maintenance of my hair on the road. I just wake up, take out the braid and spray it and it is pretty much ready to go. It’s easy and a real life safer on the road.’’

How do you feel about today’s make-up world, having all these influencers, beauty gurus on YouTube?
,,I am kind of a person that likes information. For instance, if I want to go out to eat I like to read restaurant reviews and read what their best dishes are. And I think it is really cool that now we can do that with make-up. If you want a review of a make-up item just go on YouTube and you know all about it. That’s actually really cool. But there are so many people reviewing so many types of products out there. I think this whole beauty guru thing has gotten out of control, actually. There is only one make-up artist who I really like and follow on YouTube and that’s Jeffree Star.’’

FASHION
Do you see yourself as an influencer?
,,Yes I do. I don’t mean to be but I think I was actually an influencer before it was even a term. I have just been in the band for so long. Long before even YouTube was really prominent and really used. And I’ve been in the band before there was Instagram and kids were dressing like me or asked me what I used or companies that I worked with. So kind of accidental I was like one of the first influencers.’’

What message do you want to give your followers?
,,Just be themselves. I know it sounds as a super cliché. But in your teens, I even remember those times in my life, you want to dress a certain way. I look a certain way and it is kind of scary at first you know, but just be yourself.’

When it comes to fashion, what do we mainly find in your wardrobe?
,,[Laughing], black, it’s all black and black jeans would be my staple, I have lots of black jeans. I collect shoes and bags, I like designer bags and shoes, so I have a big collection of that and they are all black. But you know what? I actually hate shopping so I buy everything online. I don’t like going to a mall and try things, instead I do a bunch of websites. The ones I like are Killstar, Dollskill, Fashion Nova and those three are where I mainly buy my clothes. There is actually a store in The Netherlands I always go and shop at and it’s called Coolcat. What, are they closing down? Oh no!’’

Who has been your style icon or role model?
,,Even if she is not goth, she is actually very colourful, my style icon is Gwen Stefani of No Doubt.’’

You had your own clothing line Bat Royalty. Do you have still an ambition in that direction?
,,I want to release again with that, but I have been so busy with my new album `Unbreakable’. I have put my heart and soul and 24 hours a day of my life into this album and then our touring business has been nonstop. So I kind of have to either clone myself or find some extra time to do it. It takes a lot of work and a new clothing line is like putting out a new album. It takes that much creative energy.’’

LIFESTYLE
What are your favourite apps when you are on the road?
,,Just Instagram. I am always on it, that’s my favourite one.’’

Are you the sports girl or the lazy bum Netflix type?
,,I travel so much, so when I do have down time I lay on the couch with Netflix [laughing]. I like to binge watch `Queer Eye For The Straight Guy’, `Vikings’ and `Friends’.

What do you contribute to a cleaner and healthier planet?
,,My husband and I do recycle at our house. And we take it very seriously. We also have a very clean diet and we don’t eat processed and chemical injected food, but that is actually more to keep us healthy and not so much the planet [laughs]. When you are on tour and travelling so much, it is so very hard to keep healthy. For example when we were in Paris nothing would be open after the show. I think I had McDonalds 5 days in a row and nothing else.’’

How does your perfect day off looks like when you are home?
,,Taking a walk in the park and then ending the day on the couch watching Netflix is probably my perfect day [laughing].’

What kind of a neighbour are you?
,,A loud one. Yeah I am a loud neighbour but I am not the kind that tries to avoid you at all. When I see you I am like: “Hey what’s up, have a good day”. Sometimes the neighbours try to pretend they don’t see you walking pass them and they don’t say anything. I am not that.’’

How is life on the road with New Years Day?
,,We work really hard most of the time but we actually also have a lot of fun together. We also try to do a lot of sightseeing when we can. We are all best friends and I know it is cheesy to say but it’s true.’’

What do you want to give the fans through your music and lyrics?
,,I just want them to feel good about being themselves. All the music that I have ever listened to did that for me. The first time seeing Chemical Romance I thought: I belong to this. And I just want to do that for other people.’’

How do you feel about the new album `Unbreakable’ yourself?
,,I definitely haven’t been more proud on something than on this album. I really feel that I got to do exactly that I wanted on this one. But it is also definitely the most poppy metal album or metal pop album we did in our career. We never used my face on an album cover before, but then again we now all agree that this album is very me and we need to showcase that. We gave it a lot of thought but it feels really good.’’

What do you want to say to your fans?
,,I always say the same thing: Thank you very, very much because without the fans all of this would be pointless.’’
—
Ash Costello on Facebook here
New Years Day on Facebook here
New Years Day Website here