On Beauty, With - Yara Shahidi
For Yara Shahidi, beauty is less about rules and routines but more about clarity, care, and the freedom to simply be herself.
Yara Shahidi has grown up in the spotlight, navigating both Hollywood and beauty culture with a rare mix of curiosity and intention. In this candid conversation with The Black Beauty Club, she shares how her approach to beauty has shifted—from experimenting with every ointment under the sun to learning the power of restraint, from stressing over body hair to embracing what makes her unique. For Yara, beauty isn’t about perfection; it’s about tending to her health, listening to her community, and finding clarity in who she is, inside and out.
Yara Shahidi by Jacques Morel
TBBC: What is feeding your beauty or wellness practice right now?
Yara Shahidi: I’m such a skin experimenter, and sometimes I don’t let my body go through the process it needs. The greatest hack has been having my mom hide all my topical ointments. It’s saved me from those moments when I’d try to get rid of a bump overnight, only to end up with both the bump and a chemical burn.
TBBC: What is a beauty rule you’ve broken that felt like a reclamation?
YS: For me, it has been around body hair. Being half Black and half Iranian, I’ve embraced my unibrow and arm hair. I used to stress about it. Now I just let myself be fluid: sometimes I let it grow, sometimes I don’t. I go with how I feel in the moment.
TBBC: What ritual or practice always brings you home to yourself?
YS: “Don’t touch your face.” I hear it in my nana’s voice. It sounds so simple, but it reminds me of the women who love me. Beyond that, focusing on my health holistically has been grounding. This has been the first year I’ve taken what’s happening inside my body as seriously as what’s happening on the outside.
Yara Shahidi by Jacques Morel
TBBC: What shifted that perspective for you?
YS: I’ve had eczema, pigment changes, rashes, things that could ruin my whole day. At some point, I realized it wasn’t enjoyable to spend so much time worrying. Now I try to accept what shows up without letting it control me.
TBBC: Where in the world has beauty surprised you the most?
YS: Home. My family created such a different space from the world at large. We had fun traditions like a “brownest baby competition” in the summer. My aunts and grandparents were my beauty reference points, and they looked like me. Because of that, I think I’ve had a more peaceful beauty journey.
TBBC: Whose beauty permitted you to love your own?
YS: Outside of my family, Solange. Everything she does feels so her. Seeing that authenticity encouraged me not to copy her, but to ask: what’s my version of being so me?
Yara Shahidi by Jacques Morel
TBBC: What’s on your counter—or in your carry-on—right now?
YS: Gaultier Divine by Jean Paul Gaultier is my go-to—I don’t go anywhere without it. And Vaseline? My family lives on the minis; we each have about ten. Add castor oil to the list. My brothers joke I work for “Big Castor” because I recommend it for everything: inflammation, skin, hair growth, lashes, edges.
TBBC: What does beauty mean to you beyond the mirror?
YS: Beauty is about clarity, coming to terms with exactly who I am, even as that clarity ebbs and flows. This past year, I’ve noticed how my social experiences shifted once I felt more sure of myself. I no longer feel like I have to compensate with appearance. If my skin flares, I still show up.
TBBC: Who in media is expanding the visual language of Black beauty in authentic ways?
YS: Renell Medrano, her work is so unapologetically Bronx and an ode to the people she loves. Edward Enninful has also been a huge inspiration; everything he touches makes space for us. And Pat McGrath, it is not just her artistry, but the friendship and support she offers. These are people who leverage their influence to open doors, and that’s really special.
That’s On Beauty, With… Yara Shahidi.