Johnny Weir: K-Beauty’s Most Stylish Fan on Pyeongchang, Beauty & Egg Whites
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ANNA PARK
Mar 14, 2018
Figure skating champion and style icon Johnny Weir instantly upped the fabulous factor of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, providing sharp on-air commentary for NBC with even sharper outfits and bedazzled accessories. But the biggest surprise? His K-beauty finds that have us all scrambling to get our hands on them.
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In February, during the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, fans around the globe were glued to their screens. Would Nathan Chen pull off the five quads that won him the U.S. Championships? What caused that wardrobe malfunction that dashed charismatic ice dancers Guillaume Cizeron and Gabriella Papadakis’s hopes for gold? And — perhaps most spellbinding — what on earth would NBC Olympic analyst Johnny Weir wear today?
Because even if you know nothing about figure skating or even sports in general, you can probably guess that a crystal-encrusted shooting star brooch in the pompadour is not your typical uniform of a sports commentator. But that’s exactly what two-time Olympian and three-time U.S. figure skating champion Johnny Weir donned while hosting the Closing Ceremony with his on-air partner (and partner in crime) Tara Lipinski. Arguably, this look was one of his more “mainstream” in a repertoire that included a no shortage of gold brocade, black tulle, white ruffles, and bejeweled necklaces, brooches, and, yes, even a body harness — and that was while he was officially commentating on air for NBC.
But it wasn’t just his on-point commentary (“I’m a commentator, not a “complimentator,’” he tweeted in response to critics of his super-honest on-air analysis) and his dazzling sartorial “treasures” (as he calls his clothes — indeed, to merely call them “outfits” seems almost sacrilegious) that caught our attention. To our surprise, Johnny Weir is also a fan of Korean beauty, which we discovered when he tweeted this video about the new Innisfree Derma Toning Serum Hyaluronic Acid to his 385K followers:
Well, if you’re just waking up, check out my InstaStory (@johnnygweir) for an oddly accented journey through my favorite skin and beauty finds here in South Korea...Example below. pic.twitter.com/ltBGt2ICBH
— Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) February 18, 2018
He also shared with Elle.com his love for a wide range of K-beauty products, including Laneige White Dew Intensive Eye Mask, It’s Skin Eggshell Cleanser, Innisfree Bija Trouble Spot Treatment, and The Saem Snail masks.
“I was very interested in Korean skincare before I went [to Pyeongchang] as they’ve become a global powerhouse in the beauty world,” says Johnny. Though he says he had very limited free time during his stay there, he did bring home some skincare finds, in addition to the Innisfree Derma Toning Serum Hyaluronic Acid. “My favorite items I brought home were Pro-Lab Aqua Hyaluronic Acid face masks, 23 Years Hyaltox Petit Masks, It’s Skin Prestige Crème Corps D’escargot, Innisfree Anti-Aging Mask Smile Line, and Innisfree Tangerine Vita C Mist.
“I used to tour a lot in South Korea with [Olympic gold medal figure skater] Kim Yuna, so I have visited the country many times,” he adds. “This trip was special, of course, because of the Olympic Games, and I have lived my life for the Olympics and what they mean to me.”
(Check out just how special with this hilarious blooper reel from the Winter Olympics:)
Here, we talk to Johnny about Korea, his beauty routine, and the surprising (but so-Johnny Weir) things he would take to a desert island.
Q. I was obsessed with your outfits during the Pyeongchang Olympics, almost more than the figure skating! If you had to choose, what is a favorite outfit or look that you’ve worn recently and why?
Johnny: Thank you! All of my clothes are my treasures, and they all mean something unique and very special to me. I’ve spent a lifetime collecting each piece so I display them the same way I would display a Picasso. My favorite look, if I have to choose, from the Olympics was my white outfit for the Closing Ceremony. White is my favorite color, and I wanted to end the Olympics on an angelic note.
Q. Did you get a chance to explore Seoul or Pyeongchang and interact with the locals?
Johnny: Seoul is one of my favorite cities in the world. It is vibrant yet traditional, and the people are so welcoming.
It was my first time visiting Gangneung and Pyeongchang, and I was impressed by their beauty. The coast and the mountains were spectacular. In Gangneung, where I spent most of my time, I was so touched by how many people remembered me from my skating days in Korea and how proud they were to be a part of my Olympic journey this time. Even walking around the town, people would come to shake my hand, and I was so touched that my skating could have made such an impression even many years after my last performances there.
Q. Can you describe your first beauty memory?
Johnny: My first beauty memory was admiring my mother’s process of getting ready to go out for Friday night dates with my father. My parents both worked so hard to support our family, and I could always feel their energy when the workweek was over and they could go for a well-deserved dinner or party. I always enjoyed watching her pick out her lipstick color!
Q. What was your first intro to skincare?
Johnny: I first started taking care of my skin around age 10 when I got my first pimple. I remember being horrified and so angry that I vowed never to get one again. Of course, it is impossible to avoid them sometimes, but I have taken care to wash and moisturize every day and night since then and also learned to stay out of the sun.
Q. Can you tell us your everyday skincare and makeup routine, step-by-step?
Johnny: My routine is quite simple, day and night. I wash my face using Dermalogica special cleansing gel. Afterward I layer my products in a particular way. I first apply a dropper of hyaluronic acid to my whole face. Second layer is Clé de Peau protective fortifying emulsion for day and Intensive Fortifying Emulsion for night. Next I apply my eye cream, which is La Prairie Ice Crystal eye cream. After that, I do a light coating of Clé de Peau La Creme, taking special care of seasonal dry areas. The last step during the day is a layer of Clé de Peau sunscreen and at night Shu Uemura mint depsea water spray.
For my body, I use L’Occitane with shea butter and It’s Skin Prestige Crème Corps D’escargot.
My concealer of choice is Clé de Peau in Ivory, my foundation of choice is Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk in #5, mascara is Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll, and powder is MAC Prep and Prime compact translucent powder.
Q. I imagine that you do your beauty routine on an amazing vanity with a giant Hollywood-style mirror. Can you describe the area where you primp?
Johnny: I have awesome lighting in my bathroom and keep everything on beautiful antique gold and mirrored trays. I like to get ready in an almost clinical space so I can see every imperfection or line.
Q. Do you have any unique beauty tips that work well for you?
Johnny: To de-puff pimples I use either warm green tea bags or ice. I also am a big fan of using egg whites for any blackhead issues on my nose. I spread them on, let them dry and wash away the dirt.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ-G1AAAh1C/?taken-by=johnnygweir
Q. Biggest beauty mistake?
Johnny: I think the biggest mistake I’ve made is letting people at shops diagnose my skin. We are all smart enough to know if we have oily, combination, or dry skin. When you listen to people just trying to sell you something in the moment you can make mistakes and waste money.
Q. Biggest self-care indulgence?
Johnny: I use a lot of Clé de Peau, which can be quite expensive, but I use one tub of La Crème a year, so to me, making one big investment over 100 small investments is better. I also get a lot of massages to help my body prepare for and recover from skating practices.
Q. If you could take one beauty item, one fashion item, and one other item to a desert island, what would they be and why?
Johnny: Sunscreen would be my beauty item, a silk kimono in white as my fashion item, and my puppy Tëma as my companion. He is a Japanese chin and is the ruler of my life.
For more glimpses into Johnny’s fantastic life, follow him on Instagram here and Twitter here.
Did you love watching Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski at the Winter Olympics as much as I did? And are you gonna get any of his K-beauty picks (because the Innisfree Derma Toning Serum is so in my cart right this minute!)? Let me know in the comments!
Author:
ANNA PARK
She may have started her career as a lawyer, but Anna found her true calling long before that, while poring over the beauty editorials and skincare how-to’s in teen magazines. Sure, the ladies at the Estée Lauder counter may have scoffed at her when she asked for an eye cream at the age of 16, but hey, she was just ahead of her time. Today, Anna is a beauty editor, obsessing over skincare ingredients and the Oxford comma. Follow her travels on Instagram at @annanymity.
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