By stufflovely
ALLURE: There’s so much about you that’s unique: your freckles are a one-of-a-kind feature, you were discovered on the Explore page on Instagram, and you’re outspoken on social media about representation and inclusivity in what is a traditionally homogenous industry. Your look, your story, and your voice are all unique — so where do you draw most of your beauty inspiration from? And where do you draw confidence from?
Well, thank you, first of all, that’s very kind! This year, I’ve spent a lot of time on Pinterest, [and taken inspiration from] stuff I see on social media. I have different people that I follow for beauty references. A lot of the makeup artists that I work with on set, I’ll see something they do and I’ll think about [doing it myself]. I did a shoot for Target a couple of years ago and the makeup artist used blue mascara. I went out and bought blue mascara and I started incorporating that into my beauty routine sometimes as a fun way to have a pop of color. I pull from work, I pull from Pinterest, and stuff that I see on Instagram.
In terms of where I get my confidence from, I would say a lot of it has been instilled in me from my support system growing up. My mom, my dad, my grandparents, everybody that I grew up with, were always very encouraging and kind to me. I also think that my mom is very beautiful, and I look a lot like her. So if I think she’s pretty, then I must feel the same about myself. Life just goes better when you’re confident. Obviously, that [idea] comes with privilege, seeing that I’m conventionally skinny and I have lighter skin, so I’ve benefited from a variety of privileges that other people have not. But [confidence is] more of a feeling and an energy, because you can be the most beautiful person in the world, but if you don’t feel it, you’re not going to exude it. It really comes from looking at yourself and saying, “I’m going to present myself and this is how I want to see myself.”