Night Moves: Adut Akech on Afrobeats, Cocktailing Fragrances, and Glamming With Her Sisters

 

The model and Valentino Beauty ambassador makes getting ready a whole mood.

Night Moves explores going out through the lens of beauty. Here, discover how your favorite stars get ready to paint the town red, including what music they’re playing to set the mood, the essentials decorating their vanity, and which must-have products are taking up precious real estate in their evening bag. In the latest installment, InStyle spoke to model and Valentino Beauty ambassador Adut Akech.

Describe your perfect night out.

It’s definitely a night out with my sisters. I have the most fun when we go out together in our cutest, shortest dresses. We have full-on makeup going on and we’re very big on

smelling good. As long as we’re together, we can go out anywhere. Even if it’s not that fun wherever we’re at, we’re going to make it fun.

If you could get ready for a night with any famous person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Rihanna! Doesn’t it just seem like getting ready with her would be such a fun process? She is so carefree and does whatever she wants; that’s what I love the most. Her makeup, her hair, her styling, she’s going to do what she wants to do, and that’s super inspiring in a way. It just motivates you to be you and do what you want to do. And then there’s the music, there’s dancing, there’s laughter…

Describe your process for choosing a look for the night.

First, it depends on where we’re going. And then, I work based on the mood that I’m in. So, if it’s a fancy event and I’m not really in the mood to get super dressed up, I’ll pick something I can dress up with my accessories or makeup. Sometimes, if you do makeup first, you’re just standing there in front of your closet and you have to try ten different outfits. But you get there in the end! Then you slap on your favorite scent, and that’s it!

What are your top three getting-ready tracks?

There’s always Afrobeats playing in the background when my sisters and I are getting ready. Right now, we are listening to a mixture of Afrobeats and Amapiano. So there’s “Amapiano” by Asake and “Essence” by Tems and Wizkid, which gets you in the mood. And then maybe one of Burna Boy’s new songs like “City Boys.” I would recommend everybody listen to some Afrobeats before leaving the house! It just puts you in this mood where you’re going to dance all night long.

Do you have any pre-going-out beauty rituals?

If my hair is braided, I use a hair mousse from Nairobi or Cantu to freshen it up, then top it up with a hair oil and some edge control. If I have a wig, my sisters do my wig for me. My sisters are amazing; it’s like having personal makeup artists and hairstylists.

And then I’m very big on skincare, and I love Korean skincare for soothing and hydration. I use a rice toner and a snail mucin–TikTok made me do it! One of the serums I use is from Dr. Jart; it’s a calming, soothing serum. Then, I use Cetaphil face cream, Caudalie face mist, and Glow Recipe’s Niacinamide Drops!

What’s your pre-going-out makeup routine?

It’s all about the Valentino lipsticks, whether it’s the liquid matte or satin ones. I love the Liquirosso pinks and the Rosso lipstick, one of the satins, like 205A Red Vice. If it's one of those nights and I don't have time, or I don't want to go too crazy, I don't use foundation, but I will use a bit of concealer, slap on some blush, do some mascara, do my eyebrows, and throw on a dark lip pencil with some gloss. You can’t go wrong with a glossy lip. If you have a glossy lip, you're good!

What fragrance do you mist on before you run out the door?

So, I like to mix my fragrances. I love the original Born in Roma, and then I will either mix it with some Coral Fantasy or Yellow Dream. I spray it on my wrist, both sides of my neck, my décolletage, and then my outfit.

Born in Roma makes me feel pretty when I wear it. It's girly. I don't know if the pink has something to do with it, but it's just a really nice scent that puts you in this really good mood. You smell fruity; you smell flowery. It's just a very, very pretty, very pretty scent. Whenever I wear it, I always get a compliment.

 

Credit: Instyle