For those who “knew” Alix Earle, when she was just on the cusp of stardom in 2022 — “knew” meaning watched her TikTok “get ready with me” videos filmed from her vanity desk in college — white eyeliner was synonymous with her persona, a finishing step in her makeup routine she’d rarely skip. Now, however, the multihyphenate creator with over 12.9 million followers online avoids the stark eyeliner, opting for a little, light brown wing instead. But she assures her white eyeliner era hasn’t been put to bed just yet; it’s evolving.

“I’ve been seeing some pop stars like Sabrina [Carpenter] doing a super light, tight line in their eyes. I know it’s more so like show makeup, and it does look a little crazy when I’m not performing a sold out show and just going to the bar with this white streak under my eye, but I do love the look,” Earle exclusively told WWD over a video call. “I think maybe now it’d be more so of a nude liner [for me]. But I do love that look still, and I think it worked for me. It was fun. I think that’s something that’ll always be with me.”

These days, Earle, 24, is favoring a natural visage — heavy on the freckles, light on the shadow. Such was the beauty aesthetic in her photo shoot with Drink Poppi this past June in celebration of her customized Raspberry Rose cans, which launched on Aug. 5.

Shot in Cannes, France, the shoot was inspired by the early 1990s. Earle was caught posing in a red polka dot top, bloomer shorts, white button-ups, high-waisted bikini bottoms, ascots and plaid pants à la Princess Diana and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Her hair was tied in a towel, pushed back in a headband and waved behind sunglasses, while her makeup was mostly the same: bronzer in her lids, mascara on her lashes and blush on her cheeks.

“The mood board for our shoot was vintage 1980s and ’90s type of glam. They were modeled after pictures that I had actually saved on my Pinterest forever of the South of France, by the beach with big hair,” Earle said. “I think it’s kind of hard to capture those pictures if you’re not in a setting like the South of France. So, we really wanted that vintage, clean feel, leaning into a fun, vibrant summer. Chic, elevated vibrant is what we were kind of going for with it.”

Earle’s move to pare down the products on her face came from a newfound desire to embrace her skin, acne and all. Since the start of her social media journey, she’s been candid about her struggles with acne-prone skin, which has led her to go on and off acutane for years.

“I think I used to cover my skin a lot because it was something I was very insecure about. I think going a little bit lighter is just something that’s made me feel confident and good, and I was very excited that Poppi also wanted to go that route,” she said. “Anything that I’m ever encouraging others to go for, it’s more so for the sense of finding their own confidence in their skin, rather than forcing a trend on them or doing something because I’m doing it.”

Earle’s own posts on social media ultimately had the same effect on her, but it wasn’t until she started storytelling in her makeup videos that she realized authenticity was more impactful than being a chameleon to the trends.

“I think when I made the videos more me and more interactive, and hopefully gave people something either entertaining or something to learn from, is when I think I really started to see success in them. Integrating different things and experiences that we all go through, like acne, was a super big thing for me, and recommending products that were able to cover my skin and make me feel good, and hopefully make others feel good and confident as well, was a big part, too,” Earle said.

Earle isn’t just an avid drinker of Poppi or the run-of-the-mill influencer for the gut-healthy, prebiotic soda brand founded by husband-and-wife duo Stephen and Allison Ellsworth; she’s an investor. She announced her stake in the company back in 2024 and subsequently starred in its Super Bowl advertisement this past February with her friends. A month later, PepsiCo revealed that it would acquire Poppi for $1.95 billion, $300 million of which was anticipated cash benefits, bringing the net purchase to $1.65 billion, according to the companies’ joint press release.

“When I created Poppi in our kitchen, it was fueled by a desire to create a better-for-you soda,” Allison Ellsworth told WWD at the time. “We never imagined how many people we could reach through hard work, determination and a clear mission to create a functional soda that stands the test of time.…We can’t wait to begin this next chapter with PepsiCo to bring our soda to more people.”