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| Sparks posed proudly with her new fragrance. |
The starlet showed up to a loft up on the 25th floor of New York’s Bryant Park Hotel, donning a hot pink, one-shoulder satin dress and strappy black stiletto heels. Over breakfast with guests, she touched upon a range of topics, from her favorite beauty buys and her obsessive hygienic tendencies, to living in New York City and performing on Broadway.
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| 'Because of You' is a smooth, sweet and floral scent. |
‘Because of You’ opens on notes of clementine, white imperial currant and orange blossom, while the base notes are vanilla bean, sheer musks, Baltic amber and blond woods. Also featured in the perfume are traces of nectarine, sharry baby orchid, and coral charm peony.
Sparks said she named the scent in honor of her fans. She also hopes to launch a new unisex fragrance and cologne.
As for her most beloved beauty picks, Sparks listed Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, MAC Lip Glass Lip Gelée, and Ouidad hair products among her current favorites.
And what mascara did she wear? Sparks opts for false lashes instead.
“I love them,” she said. “I think these are Red Cherry, but usually I just go to CVS or Walgreen’s and buy the $3 lashes they have there.”
After a few more minutes of shoptalk, she switched gears to chat about her musical In the Heights.
“I kind of didn’t really think about doing a show eight times a week,” she sighed. “I just thought, ‘No problem! It’s fine.’ But it is kicking my butt. It’s definitely insane but it’s been so much fun.”
Despite being so used to the spotlight, Sparks said that when it came to seeing herself on TV, she shied away at every opportunity.
“I freak out. I have such a hard time watching myself,” she said. “It comes on and I’m just like, ‘Why am I making that face?’ I still have a hard time, even with music videos and stuff.”
Growing up in Arizona, the songstress never thought she would live in New York City.
“I’m from Arizona so I’m used to wide open spaces, mountains, deserts, and then I came here and it was just like overload. So it’s definitely been different,” she said. “I’m still learning about trains and subways and all that.”
On her time spent on American Idol, she reminisces, “It literally changed my life,” she said. “It took me by the heels and emptied out all my pockets and everything I knew. I don’t know that I would be where I am right now without it. I just don’t know that I would be on this level yet.”
When asked if she still kept in touch with anyone from the show, Sparks said she still hung out with several producers and contestants, including Melinda Doolittle, Chris Richardson, Sanjaya Malakar, Blake Lewis, and Phil Stacey.
‘Because of You’ will be priced at $9.50 during the first month of its launch at Dots and will cost up to $14.95 at Target in November.
