Carly Pearce Has a Life-Changing Beauty Secret Weapon That’s Available at Any Drugstore

As it has for most people in the world, the past year has brought a lot of change for country singer Carly Pearce. In September 2019, her close friend and frequent collaborator Michael James Ryan Busbee died of brain cancer. (“I will forever feel a hole in my heart for him, but am so grateful that he got to be such a pivotal part of my story,” she wrote for Good Morning America recently.) Then, after spending months of the pandemic splitting her time between Nashville and her parent’s home in Alabama, Pearce and husband Michael Ray filed for divorce.

But there’s been positive change too. For one, a very cute puppy named June has been added to her family. And Pearce has found new and exciting ways to challenge herself creatively. It’s been paying off—the singer is nominated for four CMA Awards, the ceremony of which airs on November 11. 

This week she debuted a highly entertaining music video for her song “Next Girl.” In it Pearce stars alongside her best friend Sarah Ames as they encounter a series of cringe-worthy men and bad pickup lines. “I wanted to test my acting skills, more than I have any past videos,” she tells me over the phone. “I’m playing in a slew of different roles at a bar, going through scenarios girls encounter sometimes. The other girl in the video is my real-life best friend, so [it was fun] to bring in a few elements of what we deal with when we go out.” 

Watch the video for yourself, below:

So what else is Pearce excited about these days? Quite a bit! Find out her beauty secret weapon, the last thing she bought, and more in our latest installment of Your Fave’s Faves.

The last thing I bought

My CMA Awards dress! I’m very excited because I’m nominated four times this year. I can’t reveal too much about the dress, but I am doing a bold color. I’m styling myself, along with my mom, because everything’s so weird right now anyway and I wanted to push myself, colorwise, to go out of my comfort zone. I definitely am somebody who likes neutrals and things like that, so I wanted to do something different.

The comfiest bra I own

I don’t really put on real bras anymore—does anyone?—so I just wear a lot of bralettes. But Calvin Klein makes the softest sports bra, if anybody ever wanted to know that. It’s your typical T-shirt sports bra, but it’s awesome. I wear it more for comfort and travel and everyday—it’s a little too nonsupportive for a workout. But it’s so soft!

The last book I read

Lysa TerKeurst has this book called It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, and it changed my perspective on life. I’ve had a lot of struggles this year, and the book’s about understanding that when we go through things—it doesn’t have to be necessarily bad—it’s just prepping us for something better to come and evolve over time. It changed my thought process on hard things in life.

The shoes I love most

I have a pretty intense boot collection. I mean, I have glitter boots, I have Western boots, I have printed boots, cheetah boots, snakeskin boots.… That’s my favorite thing. Country music fans know me for my shoes. I especially love Jeffrey Campbell boots—they have all different styles that I can wear onstage but also every day. If the shoe looks good, I’m gonna buy it. 

The beauty secrets I swear by

My grandmother and mom were both in the beauty business, and they loved L’Oréal voluminous mascara. I have tried all kinds of mascara, but that, to this day, is my favorite. I was probably in high school when I first wore it, and now I still wear it onstage.

Also, a lot of people ask me how I do my hair. Sounds silly, but a teasing comb completely changed the course of my life. I use it to get full hair—it makes it look thicker than it is.

A life-changing update

I converted a bedroom into a closet, and it was pretty life-changing to have all that room. It looks like you’re walking into a department store. I have all my show clothes and an island with my shoes on it. When you travel as much as I do, you have everyday clothes and workout stuff and show clothes and evening gowns, and it’s hard to be able to see it all. I dress up more now!

Anna Moeslein is the senior entertainment editor at Glamour.