Joy Sunday is ready to share her vision of beauty with the world

Fear not: Joy Sunday is well aware Wednesday fans want season two of the hit Netflix show, like, yesterday.

“I know—we’re all waiting,” says Sunday, who plays siren-slash–It girl Bianca Barclay on the series. But one thing we can already predict is that the character’s looks will draw inspiration from the actor’s real-life fashion sense. “Honestly, a lot of Bianca’s style comes from my personal style,” confirms Sunday, in an exclusive interview with Bazaar.

But, she adds, playing Bianca “encouraged me to be even more playful in real life, just because I saw how much her costume and her looks also expressed what she was feeling.” The role encouraged Sunday “to be more of a character in my everyday personal style,” she says. And seriously, she can’t wait for more episodes, either: “I am very, very excited to go back for season two and make some more things.”

Even without Wednesday filming yet, the newly appointed Lancôme global ambassador’s dance card is full. She describes joining the French beauty and fragrance house’s incredible lineup of ambassadors—who include Amanda Seyfried, Zendaya, and Emma Chamberlain—as “iconic.”

“I have huge shoes to fill, and I am really, really honoured to be in the league,” Sunday says of her new role, adding that she “can’t wait to continue to share this vision of beauty with the world.”

So what is her vision of beauty? Though Sunday admits to loving “a really glammed-up look,” her everyday vibe is much more pared-down. “I love the Idôle eyeliner. And then I’ll do a nice feathered dark lip liner and some Juicy Tubes.”

Although Sunday’s routine may be practically pro-worthy now, she says her love of beauty didn’t start until she was older. “I didn’t grow up with a lot of make-up in my life,” the actor says. Her first reference point for make-up was her mother, who worked nights and had a “very simple” routine. “I remember an almost ruby lipstick that she used to wear, and this perfume—the lipstick and the perfume kind of goes together in my mind,” Sunday says. “I remember how it was pretty much all my mother needed to look ready for work. And so maybe that’s where my idea of simplicity comes from.”

Further inspiration came from the screen. “I always really loved the Nollywood stars—the Nigerian Hollywood stars that I grew up watching,” she says, recalling the “high-Y2K” looks worn by performers like Genevieve Nnaji. “I’m really happy that was a foundation for my idea of beauty in a lot of ways, because obviously they all look like me—I’m Nigerian myself—and it filled me with a lot of pride.”

As her relationship to beauty has evolved, Sunday has also added wellness to the fold, even running a marathon in Berlin last November. “Thankfully, that is behind me. I will never be doing that again,” she says, laughing. However, she adds, “I do love to stay active. I think it’s because of Wednesday, which kind of helped me recognise this latent athleticism that I had.”

Doing so much travelling, Sunday has picked up some hacks. For instance, rather than testing out mini products when she goes from place to place, she decants her usual products into travel-size bottles, “because I freak out at the idea that I don’t have my arsenal with me.” She is also a fan of masks to revitalise her skin: “When I get off a flight and I know I have something big the next day, I’ll use the Génefique mask before I go to sleep and make sure that my face is just really, really moisturised, because you know it gets dry up there.”

As for what other Lancôme products make the cut? She’s a “huge fan” of the Clarifique Double Treatment Essence. “I always need something in between when I cleanse my face, and then when I put serum on, and I feel like it just really adds so much glow to the whole thing,” she says. “And so then I’ll use Génefique Serum and Absolue Soft Cream.”

For make-up, Sunday says, her look has been leaning more natural for daytime. “I’ll pretty much stick to my Juicy Tubes, and I’ll combine the Idôle eyeliner with mascara and call it a day.”

Feature Image Credits: DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS // GETTY IMAGES

This article originally appeared on harpersbazaar.com in April 2024.

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