Alicia Keys Talks About ‘Toxic Energy And Stress’ As She Reflects On Decision To Get Rid Of Make-Up

Alicia Keys was keen to be able to “express herself” without wearing makeup. The 42-year-old singer quit wearing makeup for public appearances and on album covers several years ago and explained that it was all borne out of “toxic energy” early on in her career.

“I was just dealing with a lot of toxic energy and stress and things that I didn’t really know how to handle or what to do about it or how to regulate. I think that the biggest thing that I really learned is having that relationship with yourself,” she told InStyle.

“So you know how to regulate these emotions or these stress factors. It’s really one step to finding not only your peace but then your own inner beauty because it’s coming from that space. I went through my own experience of really feeling rebellious about what people were telling me, what the world, society was telling me, what I was supposed to look like because I fell into that, I subscribed to it.”

“When I had my rebellious moment, which obviously the world witnessed with me, I was just getting to know myself. You know what I mean? It’s not about makeup or no makeup. It’s not about mascara or no mascara. It’s not about lipstick or no lipstick. That’s not what it’s about. What it’s about is, how do you want to express yourself, and what space do you want to claim for yourself. And what boundaries do you want for yourself?”

Meanwhile, the “New York” songstress – who also fronts the KeysSoulcare wellness line – went on to add that she wants to be “comfortable” with taking a step back from her career and claimed that women have a “harder time” taking time for themselves.

She said, “I want to be comfortable with the non-work, the non-movement. I want to just keep pushing myself to be comfortable [so] that I’m just as productive and progressive by not moving as much. I think particularly women have a little bit of a harder time just saying, ‘I can be important to me without feeling uber guilty about it.”

[via]