Live Tinted Founder Deepica Mutyala's Must-Have Products
Deepica Mutyala's Must Haves: From a Brightening Eye Cream to a Lady Dior Bag
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Deepica Mutyala started her beauty-industry journey on the corporate side at Birchbox. When her red lipstick colour-correcting hack video went viral, she dove into content creation and influencing. And eventually she became a beauty-brand founder and entrepreneur with the launch of Live Tinted. "I feel like I was meant to do this, and everything I've done in my life and career was to build up to this moment," she tells POPSUGAR in a recent interview. Live Tinted is all about creating the in-between and often underrepresented shades, and it's important for Mutyala to involve her followers and community in the process while seeking expertise from makeup artists and those who specialise in working on different skin tones.
While chatting with POPSUGAR, Mutyala teased an upcoming concealer, which she describes as "[their] biggest launch of the year," and revealed details about Live Tinted's next launch, the Hueliner Longwearing Pencil Liner. The new pencil liner launches on Feb. 16 for $20 on Live Tinted's site. The bold, pigmented liner easily glides on the lid and waterline and has a waterproof and transfer-proof wear. Following the success of the Huestick shade Legacy, she realised the importance of creating a quality eyeliner that pays homage to kajal. Mutyala points out that while Legacy is great for a smoky look or as a shadow stick, Hueliner is formulated for precision and long-lasting wear. "I hope when people put it on, they think of their culture and where they came from," she says.
"As long as there's a reason for its existence, there's room for us all."
Although Mutyala is passionate about entrepreneurship, she reminds us that it's not all glitz and glam as social media might portray. "I don't want to sugarcoat the journey," she explains. "You really need to love it and really have a why behind why you're creating your brand, because it's what's going to get you through the journey of the hard times." For Mutyala, identifying that "why" is what she believes makes a brand stand out. "Whether you are a celebrity brand or a girl just starting the company, the brands that resonate with me the most are the ones that have a purpose, a meaning, and a founder who really started it with the right intention," she says. "I think as long as there's a reason for its existence, there's room for us all."
When she's not working on Live Tinted, Mutyala makes it a priority to put herself first and have fun, whether it's travelling or dating for the first time in her life. "I feel like as a woman, an entrepreneur, I've kind of lost myself in this business, and it's just been about work the last decade of my life," she says. In the name of fun, the beauty founder gave us the inside scoop on her current go-tos and product obsessions. From a brightening eye cream to a luxurious Lady Dior Bag, check out Mutyala's must-have items ahead.
Deepica Mutyala's Affordable Must Have: Calm App's The Daily Jay
Mutyala incorporates wellness and mindfulness wherever she can, even if it's just for seven minutes. That's where the Calm App's The Daily Jay ($70 annually) comes in. It breaks down to $6 a month, or you can pay a one-time fee of $400 and get lifetime access. "Before you go into a crazy day where it becomes about everything else, I get those seven minutes for me," she shares. "I think everyone should start their day being reflective, meditative, and giving a moment to themselves."
Mutyala recently resonated with Shetty's talk on the power of gift-giving. "What he taught me was that it's not about the monetary aspect of it; it's about the fact that you're showing that you're listening to your friend or partner, or colleague in your life," she says. As a content creator and an entrepreneur, she's used to being the talker, but Shetty's words inspired her to want to be a better listener.
Pro Tip: As Mutyala tells us, meditation isn't just about being in a state of stillness; it can be a state of mind. "When I wake up and I'm making my bed or brushing my teeth, I do the seven minutes with [Shetty] and just listen to it because he teaches some sort of life lesson every single day," she says.
Deepica Mutyala's Investment Must Have: Dior Small Lady Dior Bag
Mutyala wears her Dior Small Lady Dior Bag in Black Ultraglossy Patent Cannage Calfskin ($5,500) every day without fail, especially since a designer bag isn't something she splurges on often. "This was a gift from me to me," she says. She typically uses the crossbody strap for casual or daytime looks and the top handles for dinner or nighttime.
"To the airport, I'll wear just like a grey-on-grey sweatsuit, sneakers, and my Lady Dior," she says. The bag is small enough to take anywhere, but sizable to fit all your essentials. Mutyala carries her card holder, AirPods, Huegloss, car keys, and a Henry Rose roll-on fragrance in hers.
Pro Tip: Investing in a designer bag can be costly, so Mutyala recommends going for a classic that you can get a lot of use out of and even pass down to the next generation. "My girlfriend told me that she literally has her mom's Lady Dior, and it's my first time having a Dior bag too, so I wanted to pick something timeless," she says.
Deepica Mutyala's Morning Routine Must Have: Live Tinted Superhue Brightening Eye Cream
After applying a hydrating toner mist and moisturiser, Mutyala uses her brand's new Live Tinted Superhue Brightening Eye Cream ($28). Then she goes in with the editor-favourite Hueguard sunscreen. As someone who deals with dark circles, Mutyala says she "didn't want to put out some BS claim that ours would forever change your life in dark circles." "Everyone who actually knows beauty products knows that that's not the case with eye creams."
From the packageing to the formulation, Mutyala wanted to create a functional product that provides both instant and long-term effects. She specifically wanted the tip applicator to replicate the effects of a Kansa wand from Ayurvedic practices. "The copper-gold tip applicator can be used to actually massage into your skin, and the cooling sensation really helps with the deep puffing under the eyes and lymphatic drainage," she says.
Pro Tip: Mutyala suggests pairing this with Live Tinted's Rays Copper Eye Mask ($22) for a "perfect duo." You can also store this eye cream in the refrigerator or a beauty fridge for an extra cooling sensation.
Deepica Mutyala's Sleep Must Have: Olly Sleep Gummy
"Sometimes my brain is racing, and I need a little help to fall asleep if I'm being really honest," Mutyala says. The Olly Sleep Gummy ($11, originally $15) helps her feel rested. "As an entrepreneur, it's really hard to disconnect from your brain, and so it just helps my mind kind of relax," she says.
In addition to taking these sleep gummies, she uses a white noise app, where she can pick from a variety of relaxing sounds, like pink and brown noises. (Yes, white noise can apparently come in different colours.) "I've been using brown noise lately, and it just kind of cancels out any noise that's in your head, anything external," she says.
Pro Tip: Since Mutyala travels a lot, she recommends taking these on planes and for combatting jet lag.
Deepica Mutyala's Must Have Pair of Sneakers: APL Streamline
APL sneakers are known for being comfortable and functional without compromising on style, and Mutyala's go-to pair from the brand is the APL Streamline in Pristine / White ($320). "I like how they're very lightweight, flexible, and how fresh and clean they look," she says, adding that they're easy to break in. She wears them with both dresses and sweats. As an avid traveller, if she's not sporting these sneakers as a part of her airport look, she says they're simple to pack in her bags.
Pro Tip: These sneakers have a slightly smaller fit, so we suggest going a half size up.
