New York City Ballet principal dancer Unity Phelan says she's still waiting for her "I've made it" moment—but thanks to a recent string of career-making turns at Lincoln Center, the luminous star is on a meteoric rise. This month, Phelan, who was plucked out of Nutcracker rehearsal by former artistic director Peter Martins before swiftly ascending the company ranks, brings uncommon beauty and expressiveness to Balanchine classics and new works by Alexei Ratmansky.
Offstage, Phelan's days are a whirlwind of daily ballet classes and rigorous rehearsals. And yet, she is perpetually radiant and fresh faced on a recent Monday morning. "Because I'm sweating all day and dancing all day, I try to keep it as light and natural as possible," she says of the beauty ritual behind her unflappable glow. Today, it's a few pumps of Skin Activator serum to hydrate and calm her complexion before makeup, followed by a touch of Vital Stick Foundation "only where I need it, around the chin, nose, and under my eyes."
During a recent company tour in Spain, Phelan packed her Lit Up Highlight and Face Trace Contour sticks into her travel bag. They're a foolproof way, she says, to "elevate the cheekbones" both on and off stage. For date night with husband Cameron Dieck, a former dancer who she met at the ballet and married in a bucolic outdoor ceremony in upstate New York last year, she loves a good pop of color. "I always like a little rosiness on my cheeks and lips," she says of tapping on Baby Cheeks Blush for an ethereal rosy flush or swiping on Squeaky Clean Lip Balm in a sheer shade of fuchsia.
Today, we tag along with Phelan for a day of dancing and touch ups at Lincoln Center. From the first cuddle with her pup, Pippin, to the last balancé, here's how she wakes up with Westman.
