L’Oréal Lifestyle: How Witney Carson Danced Her Way to Fame

With over one million Instagram followers, Witney Carson has translated her career as a dancer into so much more. Nowadays, she’s a bona fide beauty and fashion influencer as well. She’s also a member of the 2019 L’Oréal League—L’Oréal Paris’ influencer ambassador program. Even if you aren’t one of Witney’s Instagram followers, there's a solid chance you're familiar with her anyway, assuming you catch the occasional hour of weeknight TV, that is. You’ve likely seen her dancing up a storm and partnering with your favorite celebrities on TV shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing with the Stars. As a professional dancer, blogger, wife, foodie, and workout fanatic, we’d argue she can do just about anything. Basically, she’s the kind of person with advice to share on everything from career success to the most happening brunch spots. Below, we get Witney to spill on those topics and more!

ON GETTING WHERE SHE IS TODAY…

Witney’s come a long way since her first TV appearance on So You Think You Can Dance. Her story—as you may have guessed—started with dancing as a child. Speaking on the evolution of her career, she says, “I've worked my whole life to be a professional dancer—since I was three years old. My life consisted of dance practice, competing, and performing. I lived and breathed dance.” Witney put her hard work and talent to use, sharing that when she graduated high school, she set out to audition for SYTYCD in Salt Lake City. What happened next? “I made it on the show as one of the final six competitors left, and from there my career started. I got a call from Dancing with the Stars and the rest is history.”

ON CAREER ADVICE…

Witney knows that good things don’t come easy, and that hard work truly does pay off. For those who wish to follow in her footsteps, she has some words of advice: Stay on the path you were destined to be on, work hard, and don't give up on what you want!

Regardless of the path you choose, Witney encourages, “Never give up. I know that's a super cliché answer, but there were so many moments that I wanted to give up and choose a different path. I knew it wasn't going to be easy and it sure as heck wasn't! In all honesty, hard work pays off. Dedication pays off.”

ON A TYPICAL WORKDAY…

Want to put yourself in Witney’s shoes? While there’s no typical day for Witney, she follows a pretty busy schedule when DWTS is in season. “When I’m on the season, a typical day would start with a morning workout and, depending on the day of the week, choreographing. From there, I go to rehearsals for five to six hours, make dinner, and spend time with the hubs. I also answer emails and plan my weekly blogs and Instagram posts,” Witney spills.

Phew! While her days can be quite eventful, she always tries to wind down before bed. “Usually I’ll end the night with a snuggle sesh while watching a movie with the husband and puppy,” says Witney.

ON INSPIRATION…

There’s no question that being a dancer has played a role in Witney’s passion and love for beauty. She says, “Growing up dancing, I loved getting glammed for the stage and everything that came with it. The lights, the cameras, makeup, skin, hair, costumes, etc. It became a passion of mine very quickly and it just stuck with me. There's something so special about putting on mascara or a red lip that can transform how you feel and dance.”

With dance as her first love, beauty, hair, and fashion didn’t fall far behind. When looking for inspiration for her weekly blogs, Witney turns to her family and husband. “They are the most important things in my life and they give me inspiration every day,” she shares.

ON BEAUTY ADVICE…

As a dancer, Witney has worked with quite a few makeup artists over the years and worn some pretty stunning makeup looks on-stage, but the biggest lesson she's learned about beauty during her dancing career might surprise you. It doesn't have anything to do with glitter or the more dramatic makeup you might associate with performing. Rather, it's all about practicing the idea of “less is more.” Speaking on the expert advice she’s picked up over the years, she says, “Throughout my dancing career, makeup artists were always giving me advice. I've had so many tell me less is more and it's so true! You don't need a lot of makeup to make your face beautiful.” The trick, Witney says, is learning how to do makeup that looks natural and accentuates your best features. 

Speaking of accentuating your best features, Witney’s learned a few tips to complement her own features. Witney shares, “If you have small eyes that are shaped like mine, it's super important to always shape your eyeshadow up as well as your eyeliner. Cat eyes work really well to open up the eye—I also love to put nude liner on my waterline!”

ON BEAUTY TRENDS—GOOD AND THE BAD…

Speaking of cat eyes, they happen to be one of Witney’s favorite beauty trends! “I love a simple cat eye paired with a red lip—so classy and quick to do!” One trend she’s not on board with? Baking! “I never got the ‘bake’ thing. You could say I'm over it,” Witney shares.

ON HER L’ORÉAL PARIS MUST-HAVES…

Looking for new product recommendations? Why not take a few (affordable) recommendations from Witney herself? Her favorites include the L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara and the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Up to 24HR Fresh Wear Foundation, Lightweight. Speaking on this combo, she says, “Waterproof mascara is very important for sweat, as well as sweat-resistant, longwear foundation because of how active my dancing is.” A few of her other must-haves are the L’Oréal Paris Rouge Signature, Lasting Matte Liquid Lipstick in I Represent and the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Precious Oil Satin Hairspray. Time for a quick beauty product run!

ON SKIN CARE…

Washing up after working out is a must, which is why a solid skin care routine is essential for athletes. For dancers, like Witney, skin care is extra important. The reason is, dancers often are working out while wearing a full face of makeup. Witney reveals the routine that helps her keep her skin in shape, saying, “I immediately clean my face with an oil makeup remover, cleanse, use an enzyme peel, and finish with vitamin C oil and moisturizer.”

Dancing and performing aren’t the only staples in Witney’s life that impact her complexion and dictate her skin care routine, her busy travel schedule certainly plays a role, too. She splits her time between Utah and Los Angeles, two places with different climates, each requiring different skin care steps. Witney shares, “The climate change is hard for sure! Utah is so dry, so I usually have to moisturize a little more than usual. Traveling is so hard on your skin so I have to be very diligent in cleansing and washing my face!”

ON SELF-CARE…

Much like us, Witney is a big believer in self-care. She practices self-care by trying to meditate “at least once a day,” as well as through stretching, cooldowns after workouts, and foam rolling to take care of her muscles.

ON FASHION TRENDS AND INSPIRATION…

From the costumes she wears on stage to the outfits you see in her Instagram posts and blogs, Witney has become known for her sense of style. While many people turn to Witney’s social media accounts for fashion inspo, she turns to Pinterest and Instagram for her own! One trend she’s loving? Wearing one color in different tones. So chic!

ON A TYPICAL WEEKEND…

With such a busy schedule, it’s important to find time to wind down. How does Witney do it? “Usually on weekends I try to relax from the week. I spend time with family and friends and usually look for amazing restaurants to eat out. My husband and I love food and movies. We’re constantly looking for new and upcoming restaurants to try,” she shares. “In the summer, we’ll usually be out on the lake, surfing, hiking—honestly anything outside.”

When weekends involve eating out, Witney has a go-to restaurant. “My favorite brunch spot is Toast on 3rd. They have so many healthy options as well as not-so-healthy. They have the best French toast and chai lattes ever! I always order The Favorite omelet and make my husband order the French toast so I can have some,” she says.

ON DATE NIGHTS…

What do celebrities do on date night? For Witney and her husband, it’s all about finding a delicious restaurant. She recommends one of her favorites, saying, “We love Zinqué. It's a super cute French restaurant with amazing food. You can dine outside and the atmosphere is so lovely. It’s perfect for drinks with friends or a night out with a date. We always order the bowls, chicken, and the burrata cheese with prosciutto. So delish!”

ON FITNESS…

As a dancer, it’s no secret that Witney loves to work out. If you want to work out like a professional athlete, take note: A few of Witney’s favorite places to take workout classes are Cycle House, Rise Nation, F45, Carrie's Pilates, and Barry's Bootcamp. “I love anything that gets my heart rate up with good music and leaves me dead after! I love Pilates especially for stretching and lengthening,” she shares.

Next: L’Oréal Lifestyle: How Nyakim Gatwech Embraced Her Skin and Found Success in the Beauty Industry