Lifestyle Beauty & Style Celebrity Skincare Marsai Martin Shares the Beauty Products and Rituals She Can't Live Without (Exclusive) The star, who is a Clinique brand partner and first-ever partner producer, shared the secrets of her current beauty routine with PEOPLE during CultureCon New York By Michelle Lee Michelle Lee Editorial Assistant, Style & Beauty, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 23, 2023 10:00AM EDT Marsai Martin at CultureCon NY 2023. Photo: Mark Clennon Marsai Martin has left her imprint on a number of impressive gigs, from her breakout roles in Black-ish and Little, to her partnership with Clinique, which cast the star as both a brand ambassador and its first-ever partner producer in May. Earlier this month, Martin, 19, made her mark on her first CultureCon, an annual, bi-coastal networking event hosted at Duggal Greenhouse in New York's Brooklyn Navy Yard on Oct. 7. “I am just so grateful to be able to connect and see the amazing peers,” she told PEOPLE exclusively of making her debut at the event, which unites creatives, entrepreneurs, influencers and more. After taking the CultureCon stage for an inspiring conversation, Martin caught up with PEOPLE backstage about collaborating with Clinique, fostering self-love and the beauty products she always has in tow. Marsai Martin attends CultureCon NY 2023 on October 7, 2023. Arturo Holmes/Getty PEOPLE: You've been working with Clinique for a few months now. What's been your favorite part of the partnership? Martin: My favorite part of being with Clinique is definitely the communication, being able to bounce ideas off of each other, break boundaries as much as we can. Working with them not just as talent but as a producing partner is very different. I want to make sure that everyone's voices are being heard. It's exciting through and through. PEOPLE: You and the brand collaborated on a video series showing off your many sides. Is there another side of you that the world may not know about yet, but you really want to share through this partnership? Martin: Oh, my goodness, there's a lot of sides. When it comes to partnering with Clinique in this way, I think expanding my producing side outside of film and TV. I love music, I love fashion, I love everything, so I will definitely dip my toes in a few things in the future. At the end of the day, I'm just having fun and trying to be the best partner that I can be. Marsai Martin at CultureCon NY 2023. Mark Clennon PEOPLE: How do beauty and culture play intertwine in your life? Martin: They merge all the time. When we talk about beauty, we talk about being a trendsetter and doing things that are out of the ordinary and unique — that is all culture is. It's being able to provide community, but also, like I said, [being able to] bounce ideas off of each other and being there for each other. Culture is in everything. It's in beauty, it's food, it's in fashion, so we take it everywhere we go and we don't even realize it most of the time. PEOPLE: What are the standout products in your routine these days? Martin: It mainly involves the Moisture Surge moisturizer. We also got our blush in there, our High Impact Hi-Fi mascara, any type of bronzer and a good lip product. Then, I'm out. My routine is very quick, 20 minutes or so. I have to make it simple so I can go places. PEOPLE: If and when you have the chance, what are your beauty indulgences? Martin: Beauty sleep, girl. Sleeping — and eating — are the two best things. But also a good facial. I want to make sure my skin is as good as it can be. and you have a reset in a sense. Marsai Martin Hopes to Inspire Others Through 'Surreal' Clinique Partnership: 'There's No Limit' (Exclusive) PEOPLE: You were also in New York in September for Fashion Week. What's your tip for tapping into your most confident self when you're wearing styles outside of your comfort zone? Martin: Probably playing some good music, throwing on a good vibe, and just getting yourself ready for the world mentally. It's very easy to look like you're having a good time, but when it comes within yourself, that's where the confidence and the beauty really exudes. I try to put myself in the best mood. I don't worry about other things at the moment. I like to focus on whatever I am moving towards and being able to connect with myself first, whether it's through journaling or talking to somebody that I love. It can be the little details that just make your day. PEOPLE: How would you say your style has evolved thus far? Martin: I mean, shoot. It's evolved in a lot of ways, mainly because I'm 19. So I have grown, of course. I'm not wearing the same things that I wore three years ago. With fashion, lot of it is being able to work with people that get my fashion sense and my vision. With hair, it's being able to experiment with my crown and appreciating its texture and knowing how to maintain it. I've also learned how to be confident and how important it is to use my voice in impactful ways. That's been a really big thing. PEOPLE: Do you have any beauty resolutions that you want to achieve by next year? Martin: There's a lot of them. I've been testing out different things — but I never want to do too much. I like to wear wigs for fun. I got a honey blonde [hair color] right now. Last year, I did a [shade of] ginger. The burgundy hair I did was for like 24 hours. It changes all the time. You just never know with me. My interests are constantly evolving. Marsai Martin on Her Love for Trying Out New Hair Trends: 'It's the Leo in Me' Marsai Martin takes the stage at CultureCon NY 2023 on October 7, 2023. Arturo Holmes/Getty PEOPLE: Looking back now, what would you tell your younger self when it comes to beauty and confidence? Martin: I would tell her to be patient and follow the journey. You're going to meet amazing people along the way that are going to ride with you and stand with you always, and it'll help you throughout your beauty journey. PEOPLE: Do you think she would've ever expected to be the face of a brand as big as Clinique? Martin: I think she would've expected it because my younger self was so confident and curious. She probably didn't know it was Clinique, but she knew she was going to be the face of something as soon as she learned how to put some makeup on.