Omar Apollo on His Skincare Routine, Curl Secrets, and Best Breakup Advice

For musicians on the road, keeping up with a regimented routine can be challenging. But the right solution can be game-changing. And no one knows this better than R&B singer Omar Apollo, who developed a new affinity for skincare when a Goyard toiletry bag entered the picture. (We can't help but stan a luxe king!)

"When I'm walking around with Goyard, I feel like, 'Okay, yeah, I got to do my skincare routine,'" Apollo tells InStyle over Zoom with a laugh. "It's like, 'Okay, they're all in here. Everything is in here.' That's what worked for me; it's my personal thing. On the bus, everyone knows I got my little nice bag and Goyard everything."

Another way in which skin care has become top of mind for the Grammy-nominated singer? He's the new brand voice for California-based skincare brand Youth To The People — a partnership that came about organically after Apollo mentioned that he's used the brand's Superfood Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser for years. When Youth To The People caught wind of it, they reached out. And the rest is history.

"That's my vibe; [it] just felt right," he says. "I would only want to do brand ambassador things if they felt true to my spirit and true to my routine, and true to my existence. It felt effortless. The team is great. Everyone is super nice, probably the best I've worked with."

Apollo, who has immaculate skin and a cloud of silky ringlets, keeps his grooming routine pretty simple. In terms of tending to his hair, he's learned a lot from his mom, who is a hairstylist. He amps up the shine and definition of his curls with hair oil and texture spray. His mom was also a central figure in his passion for skincare. Growing up in their Mexican household in Indiana, he says his mom taught him to use coconut oil on his face and body to stay moisturized. "She would just make sure I was always moisturized and ready to go," he says. "It's always just been built into my brain to take care of my skin."

These days, he relies on Youth to the People's aforementioned cleanser, serum, the newly re-launched Superfood Air-Whip Moisture Cream, and sunscreen in the morning for his robust yet minimal skincare routine. (Though he does say he enjoys getting a facial once in a while).

It's proving to be a great year for Apollo. This partnership comes on the heels of touring with SZA, being nominated for Grammy's Best New Artist, and receiving viral fame as TikTok became obsessed with his single "Evergreen."

As for what's next, Apollo muses about a life of building lamps in his '30s, but for now, he's committed to writing for future albums. Currently, he's on a TikTok cleanse and getting inspired by poets of the past.

"Poetry really helps with stream of consciousness [and] how you're really feeling, how you want to write, and what you want to write about," he says. "I like Philip Larkin, Vaughn, Allen Ginsberg (I just read Howl), and Slyvia Plath. [Her poems] are dark, but I like her."

For those that have "Evergreen" on repeat and/or are getting over a heartbreak, the singer has one piece of advice: give it time.

"When somebody is in your subconscious, it's hard to release them," he says. "The only thing that's going to help you is time. Talk to your friends and hang out more. Maybe just sulk in sadness for whatever hours [and] cry at night or cry yourself to sleep — whatever it is. Just feel everything. Remember it for what it was and what it meant to you. Don't hold onto anything that's going to make you resent somebody. You don't want to live your life with that in your heart."

And if that doesn't work, there's also a plan B. "It also helps when someone else comes into your life," he says half-jokingly. "That's nice."