Valeria Yamin, Dancer, The Rockettes

“I began dancing once I was two and a half, and once I was 12, I keep in mind watching The Rockettes in the course of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and deciding I needed to be one among them. It’s now my fourth season as a Rockette. We rehearse six hours a day for six days every week. It’s fairly intense coaching, nevertheless it’s actually an unbelievable job and honor. I imply, I get to be part of a basic New York staple.

We are able to do as much as 4 reveals a day—every is 90 minutes with 9 dances and 9 costume modifications—which suggests generally I’ve to put on make-up for over 10 hours. Prepping my pores and skin is important. It begins at house, the place I cleanse with Youth To The Folks’s cleanser. It’s a refreshing solution to begin the day. Then I prefer to ice roll to get up my face, adopted by spritzing a dose of hydration with Clearstem’s Skinspray. Whereas my face continues to be moist from the Skinspray, I pat on Cosrx’s snail essence. Then I end prepping with Jergens’ Pure Glow moisturizer and Dealer Joe’s SPF 40. Oh, and I prep my lips for the long-lasting Rockettes purple lip with Vaseline.

After my final present, I exploit my Take The Day Off The Day make-up remover to wipe off my lipstick. I by no means go to mattress with an oz of make-up, so as soon as I get house, I exploit Farmacy’s Inexperienced Clear balm. It’s type of unbelievable the way it melts very set make-up with out drying out my pores and skin. Then I wash my face once more with the Youth To The Folks cleanser. If I’ve extra eye make-up or lash glue, I exploit Q-Ideas with coconut oil to get it off. Then I pat on the Good Molecules discoloration serum and Clarins Double Serum. And I like Laneige’s Water Sleeping Masks or Youth To The Folks’s Dream Masks as an evening cream as a result of I need to really feel actually hydrated once I’m going to sleep, particularly after wiping off all of that stage make-up. After which the final step is a tiny little bit of castor oil on my brows and lashes.

As soon as every week, I exploit The Bizarre’s Salicylic Acid 2% Masque—I’ve used it since I used to be in highschool. The night time earlier than my break day, I like to make use of a gua sha with face oil to reset my face after a protracted week. And since we don’t get to see the solar rather a lot being in Radio Metropolis Corridor the entire time, I self tan my physique with b.tan’s B.tan’s Ceaselessly + Ever mousse and my face with Isle of Paradise’s drops in Medium each three days. I imply, I’ve to. I’m a Florida lady—I would like a glow or I look sickly. Oh, and I hold Hero Cosmetics’ Mighty Patches round for pimples. Clear & Clear’s Persa-Gel is nice, too.

Each Rockette has a novel means of doing their make-up and hair. I needed to experiment rather a lot throughout my first 12 months as a result of apart from carrying a purple lip and false lashes, you get free rein. I begin with the Moist N Wild primer serum. It leaves my pores and skin so dewy, which is good as a result of I exploit a number of pressed powders and I don’t need my pores and skin to look too matte. Then I dab somewhat little bit of the Hero Cosmetics Rescue Balm on small spots—it’s inexperienced so it neutralizes the redness below my basis—earlier than moving into with Tarte’s Form Tape concealer in 29N and the Haus Labs Triclone basis in 200. I carry it all the way down to my neck, too. It actually covers rather a lot with out being cakey. Somebody as soon as informed me that the upper you place your contour, the higher, so I put the Hollywood Contour Wand from Charlotte Tilbury somewhat bit above the place I need to create shadows. I set it with Profit’s Hoola bronzer, and I like to make use of my One/Measurement setting powder to intensify the lighter sides beneath my cheekbones, simply above my jawline, and my nostril, too.

Then I transfer on to my eyes. I prime them with Tatcha’s Silk Canvas primer balm, and I alternate between Morphe’s Champagne Glow [Editor’s note: discontinued] eyeshadow palette and MAC’s Join in Color palette, which has two actually stunning gold shades that I like to make use of for particular occasions. I really use an index card to create the form of my eye. I hold seeing individuals use tape, however I don’t need to put tape on my face each single time I’m doing my make-up.

I do my eyeliner with Glossier’s Professional Tip—it’s the one liquid liner I can really use to do a winged eye. Different pens don’t have such an outlined tip, which provides you a lot management. I additionally love Glossier’s Lash Slick mascara—I exploit Black throughout performances however Brown on the each day. It doesn’t get clumpy, and I really like how simply it goes off on the finish of the night time. Then it’s time for my falsies. I like to chop my Ardell Wispies earlier than placing them on, and I apply them with Duo’s lash glue. I like to complete my eyes with Maybelline’s Outline-A-Line eyeliner on my waterline as a result of I don’t like liquid liner there. It’s additionally somewhat nostalgic as a result of my mother used it on me earlier than competitions once I was youthful.

At this level, I mud Too Confronted’s Chocolate Soleil throughout my face and neck to additional set every part and add heat. Then I save my brows for final. I get them threaded each two weeks at Good Brows in Hell’s Kitchen—it’s solely $10! If I must fill any areas, I exploit MAC’s forehead styler [Editor’s note: discontinued], and I set them with Got2b’s Glued brows and edges gel, which cements them down all day. We put on a wig and a hat that go proper over our brows throughout some dances, and even then, they don’t budge.

In fact I can’t overlook the long-lasting Rockette purple lip. My favourite purple ever is the Haus Labs Atomic Shake lip lacquer in Ruby Shine however the model discontinued it—we’ve got to speak to Woman Gaga. One swipe leaves such a stupendous shine that doesn’t switch all day. Now that I’m on my final bottle, I solely use it for particular events. The remainder of the time, I put on Sephora’s 10HR lip stain with their Lip Liner To Go in Deep Ruby [Editor’s note: discontinued]. It additionally stays on very well.

Total, I can’t stay with out One/Measurement’s On ‘Til Daybreak spray. One spritz and I’m locked and loaded for showtime. Whereas it’s drying, I mud on my highlighter. That’s a trick somebody taught me. I like to combine Fenty’s How Many Carats?! Diamond Bomb with City Decay’s Bare Illuminated shimmering powder [Editor’s note: discontinued]—it has some pink hues in it that match my blush combo, which is MAC’s Pink Swoon and Fleur Energy.

Each dancer has to have their hair achieved within the signature Rockette French twist. This helps hold our hats and wigs in the identical place. So, whereas I’m doing my make-up, I’ve my hair in a pre-twist to prep it. That is particularly vital when I’ve clear hair, which I discover tough to work with. I begin off by spraying water on it and including Tresemmé’s Freeze Maintain to provide it texture to assist maintain the form of the twist. After I’m prepared, I take it down, moist it once more, add in Eco styling gel, and twist it. Twists can take ladies as much as half-hour. Typically we’ve got ‘twist suits’—that’s what we name them—as a result of our hair doesn’t need to go up. [Laughs] It definitely took me some time to determine it out.

To maintain it wholesome, I exploit Carol’s Daughter Black Vanilla shampoo and conditioner. The girl who did my hair for senior promenade informed me to strive them. She was like, ‘I promise they’ll change your life.’ I haven’t appeared again since. As soon as every week although, I combine in Head & Shoulders’ scalp scrub to do away with any product build-up on my scalp. Thank God It’s Pure has an amazing Miracle masks that I exploit as soon as every week, too.

I do my very own nails in the course of the season. I prefer to hold them quick, which helps with all of our quick costume modifications—one among our costume modifications is simply 78 seconds. I put on Essie’s gel polish in Bubbles Solely, a burgundy. Then I do a coat of Essie’s gel prime coat and treatment it with a gel lamp. Having my nails achieved makes me really feel put collectively. Crimson nails, purple lips, lengthy lashes, and increase: I’m a Radio Metropolis Rockette!

I put on a brand new scent each season. Throughout my first, I wore Tub & Physique Works’ Into The Evening Diamond Shimmer Mist. It’s very cutesy, very humorous. I needed to step it up my second 12 months, so I obtained Nomade from Chloé. I felt actually assured coming again as a second-year Rockette, and this fragrance smells like confidence. Throughout my third 12 months, I wore Giorgio Armani’s My Approach. I haven’t fairly nailed down a scent this 12 months, however I’m eyeing Burberry’s Her—we’ll see. My on a regular basis scent is Glossier You. I hold a travel-sized one in my backpack always. I’ve worn it since 2020, and it jogs my memory of that transitional period once I was auditioning to develop into a Rockette for the primary time.”

—As informed to Daise Bedolla

Photographed by Alexandra Genova in New York on November 25, 2024