Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink on the Power of Makeup, Quarantine Hobbies + More

I’m a person who likes to plan and think ahead. I normally like to know what I’m doing months or years in advance, but COVID taught me to take things day by day.”

Sadie Sink began her career as a child actor — though you’d never know it. Elegant and refined, and with the poise of a Hollywood veteran with decades of experience under their belt, the now-18-year-old actress is best-known for her role as Max in the Netflix hit (an understatement, to say the least), Stranger Things. But she began her career on Broadway, as the lead in the 2013 revival of Annie. From there she went on to appear opposite Helen Mirren in the Tony-nominated play The Audience in 2017 before joining the cast of Stranger Things.

Today, the actress adds a new title to her CV: luxury makeup brand spokesperson. We sat down with Sink over Zoom to chat about her new role as the face of Givenchy Beauty’s Le Rouge Deep Velvet lipsticks, her newfound appreciation for makeup experimentation, what she’s been up to during quarantine, and what it’s been liking growing up in the age of social media.

On adopting a more experimental approach to makeup

“As I’ve gotten older I’ve become more comfortable experimenting with different makeup trends and doing bolder looks. Makeup was something that had to grow on me; I never really had an interest in it at a really young age. It wasn’t until I started having to wear makeup for press events that I started getting into it. Makeup was something I was intimidated by at first but as I was getting ready for more and more red carpets, doing more press events and photo shoots, I learned a lot more about the beauty world and fell in love with the artistry of it. Fashion has always been a way for me to express myself but we’re now entering into this new era where makeup and beauty are another way people can really express themselves. I’m really excited to dip my toes into it even more in the future.”

On the role of beauty in the age of social media

“I have a lot of friends who watch YouTube makeup tutorials and at one point I watched some, too, and tried to follow along and failed horribly. It’s really interesting to see how social media and the beauty world are merging and you have so many sources of inspiration on [platforms like] YouTube and Instagram. I don’t personally use social media a lot, so I like to get inspiration from people I meet in the real world. But it’s really incredible how far along the beauty world has come in terms of its relationship with social media and all the resources that are available to people.”

On newly acquired quarantine hobbies

“I started journaling everyday during quarantine and I’ve continued that now that I’m back at work. I’m a person who likes to plan and think ahead. I normally like to know what I’m doing months or years in advance, but COVID taught me to take things day by day, and taught me that nothing is certain, so it was a good lesson to learn.”

On her dream travel destination post-COVID

“There are so many on my list. I don’t think I’d go back to a city I’ve already been to. I’ve always wanted to go to Amsterdam. Or maybe Greece. I’ve been watching a lot of Mamma Mia.”