Troye Sivan has just finished the Sweat Tour, where he flew from state to state and performed until past 10 P.M. most nights with Charli XCX, but you’d never be able to tell. Sivan’s skin is so good that you’d think he’s spent his whole life getting 10 uninterrupted hours of sleep a night and swaddling his skin in serums and creams in his spare time. But the secret to Sivan’s glorious, glowing skin is actually makeup—specifically Rabanne’s Fresh Touch Foundation, a skin care-infused, buildable formula that Sivan wore throughout his run on tour.
“I’m always really, really proud to work in the makeup space,” says Sivan, who’s also a Rabanne ambassador. “As a kid growing up, I was really afraid of anything that was too feminine. That’s something that I had to really unlearn. Now it’s not even a thought that crosses my mind anymore. How silly was that?”
Just three days after the Sweat Tour concluded, ELLE sat down with Sivan in a sun-dappled, plush room at the Nine Orchard Hotel in New York’s Lower East Side (so I had a spectacular view of his incredible skin). He wore a striped collared shirt in the same cornflower blue shade as his eyes, acid wash jeans, and chunky silver shoes. Below, he shares his reflections on the tour, how he surprised Charlie XCX onstage, his makeup routine, and his favorite home decor tips.
What was it like to finish up the Sweat Tour? Now that it’s over, have you reflected on it?
Honestly, [it was] a career highlight for me. I was kind of aware of it while it was happening. I was like, wow, this is a really special time in my life, and a very special experience. It’s something that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. Our last show was in Seattle, and my first-ever show was there too, at this place called Neumos. The capacity was like 500 people or something. I remember not being able to look up at the crowd, because I was too nervous. And then the other night, [we played] a sold-out arena. With Charli and with the dancers and everything, it was a really momentous day for me personally.
I love that you got to do the last “Apple” dance.
Yes. I fucked it up, even though I’ve done that dance so many times. It was nerves. I was more nervous to do the “Apple” dance than I was to do [Madison Square Garden]. It was a really scary experience.
I thought you did a good job! How did it come together? Was that planned?
The dancers and I thought of [the idea] when we were on the bus. We were like, “We should surprise Charli and do it.” Charli didn’t know. It was like a quick change backstage. We all had Brat tees, and then we surprised her, because she stands and watches the screen every night, and that’s how she can see who’s doing the “Apple” dance. We knew that she was going to see that it was us. It made her cry. It was cute.
It was a very special moment. Could you define what “brat” means to you?
Whoa, yeah. It sounds so crazy to say, but it’s honestly a state of mind and a way of thinking about the world and your place in it. Over time, it’s become really clear to everyone what is brat and what isn’t. That is such a testament to Charli’s vision and how clearly she saw this project. She talks about how before she wrote a single song, she wrote a manifesto. She had the album title. [It was a] really clear idea to her. Something can only take hold in the way that that album has if it’s coming from a really clear place.
It was a really cool cultural moment, for sure. You’re about to start your own tour in Australia. How are you feeling about it?
It’s like a homecoming for me. I haven’t played in Australia since 2019, so it’s been a really long time, and a lot has changed. It’s weird for me. When I go back to Australia, I much prefer it to be really low-key. I just don’t really work that much, and I’m just there as a friend and a brother and a son. For me to come back and get to show Australia what I’ve been doing over here, all this time, is exciting. It’s kind of scary.
There’s definitely a sense [that] it’s a little bit embarrassing. It’s fair enough if you’re doing something crazy on stage in a place where you don’t know anyone, that’s fine. But in Australia, it’s going to be with people who I grew up with. I’m like, you do not need to see me doing all of that. You can feel free to look away at any point.
It is always weird when you see people who have grown up with you. Pivoting to Rabanne, what do you like about the foundation?
I really, really like that it feels good for my skin. On tour, I was wearing makeup a lot and doing it myself. Having something that felt lightweight and healthy, while still making me look less tired, was really nice.
Your skin looks great. What is your daily makeup routine?
The tour changed it. I do think I’m kind of getting a little bit dependent on makeup. Day to day, I used to not really wear any makeup at all. Or [I’d keep it] very, very minimal. I would wear makeup if I was going to be on camera or doing events. But now, I’m just like, oh, I can look this fresh all the time. It is buildable, the foundation, [so] you can decide how heavy or light you want to go. If I’m going out to dinner or something like that, I’ll just keep it really, really light and just try and freshen myself up a bit. If I’m going on stage, maybe it’s a little heavier, so that it holds up under the light.
I also wanted to touch on your home brand, Tsu Lange Yor. Do you have any tips on how to make a house feel like a home?
Obviously, scent is really, really important. I have really strong memories of going to my friends’ houses growing up and remembering what they smelt like, if it was their mom’s cooking, a candle that they were burning, or whatever they used to clean the countertops. You can really build a sense of coziness with scent, if you give it some thought. For example, when I’m mopping the floor, I put eucalyptus oil in the water, so that the house smells really, really clean. I also love cooking, because I think there’s nothing better than walking into someone’s house and it smelling like a candle and food.
You want [your home] to be beautiful, of course, but I think part of what makes it beautiful is the way that you live in it, and the way that you live with it. Taking the time to be ritualistic about things is really important to me. Actually considering how you live in a space is important.
Is there a specific home scent that you find yourself gravitating towards?
My house smells like Tsu Lange Yor’s signature scent, which is TLY 5755. It was our first scent that we developed. It’s just very warm. It’s got vanilla in it, but then it’s also got Tasmanian mountain pepper. It’s a little bit peppery, and it feels really, really cozy. At the same time, though, it still works on a hot day. If you’ve got the windows open and there’s a breeze, I think it’s just kind of an evergreen [scent] all year round. [It’s a] beautiful home smell.
Do you have a signature personal fragrance that you wear?
Not really, actually, because I see scent as a wardrobe. It sort of depends on the weather, what I’m wearing, and what I’m doing.
Are you on PerfumeTok?
I am sometimes. I actually don’t have TikTok on my phone at the moment. So I’m intermittently on PerfumeTok.
I’m surprised, I feel like you’re pretty active on TikTok.
I got a new phone and I kept TikTok on my old one. I treat it more like watching TV, where if I’m at home, and I’ve got nothing to do, and I’ve got some time, as a little treat, I’ll watch TikTok. I really love it. I love staying up to date, and I think people are really funny there. I love making TikToks, but I don’t think I need to [make them] in the five-minute break that I have between things.
That’s a healthy way to look at it—I could be better about that myself. Before we say goodbye, I’m wondering if you have any upcoming projects that you can tease.
Honestly, no. What a relief. I’m really enjoying winding things down a little bit, and I’m really, really excited about writing again. I can’t wait to get into the studio. It’s kind of nice, the way that an album cycle is exactly that—cyclical. Right as I’m approaching the end of the tour, I’ve been flooded with inspiration that’s been building up, and I’m really excited to hole up in the studio somewhere and start making some stuff.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
