Actress Melissa Barrera has been on a roll since her star-making turn in the 2021 musical “In the Heights” and now playing the lead in the slasher film franchise “Scream.” With everything going on in her life, she acknowledges the importance of her work as a way to invite more people like her into the spotlight.

“It’s opening doors for more Latinas that are coming up after me, and hopefully, once more people are coming, there will be more opportunities,” said Barrera in an interview with mitú. “I think a lot of what I do, I do with that in mind. I feel like I have a great privilege in all that I get to do.”

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In 2020, Barrera was the first Latina to become a Global Brand Ambassador for Clinique. It was a particularly sweet opportunity, considering how beloved the brand was in her household growing up. She likes to keep things natural when it comes to her everyday look, opting for skincare-infused products that enhance her features. Someone, please put Ghostface on to this routine!

Barrera is letting us in on her favorite makeup products, how she unwinds after long days, and how she finds beauty inspiration on social media. 

The Skincare Lessons She Learned From Her Mother

Barrera has fond memories of her mother applying makeup on her for dance recitals and often sneaking into the bathroom to open up her cosmetics bag to try her hand at it.

“I remember the green compact that she would put on me that I loved,” said Barrera. “And I would put too much on my cheeks.”

Aside from makeup application, she also remembered seeing her mother do her skincare routine and taking note of that from an early age. There was one product she was repeatedly told to use to protect her skin: sunblock. 

“My mom has lots of freckles on her shoulders [and] on her chest, and so she was like, ‘This is what happens when we don’t apply sunblock,'” said Barrera. “I always had a visual reference of that, and applying sunblock was always super important.”

Growing up, her family relied on aloe vera plants for all kinds of skin ailments.

The miracle plant is common in Mexican households; extracting and applying the gel can help treat burns, cuts, scars, and more. Barrera says that to this day, her mom keeps an aloe vera leaf on her kitchen table – it’s essential for a quick, natural remedy.

How She Achieves Her Glowy And Dewy Everyday Look

Barrera’s makeup routine is minimal. She leans towards a no-makeup, makeup look for her day-to-day to let her skin breathe outside work. She starts by giving her skin some love with her “holy grail” moisturizer, which has aloe vera. In skincare products, it helps retain moisture, making it great for taking care of skin from winter to summer.

“It just feels like a callback to me growing up,” said Barrera of the ingredient. “It’s a natural ingredient that I know is very good because I’ve been using it my whole life.”

She then mixes a serum foundation — with built-in SPF 25 — with a little bit of her moisturizer to create a tinted moisturizer. The skincare-infused makeup helps her skin while she wears it and evens out her skin tone with a light wash of color. That’s the key to her long-lasting glow.

“Glowy and dewy, to me, means healthy,” said Barrera. “I like the dewy look for an everyday look if I’m just walking around with my dogs or if I’m gonna meet someone for lunch. I just like looking natural.”

After curling her eyelashes, she applies her favorite tubing mascara for darker and fuller-looking lashes. At the end of the day, the product just slides off with warm water for easy removal. Her look is complete with a TikTok favorite: Clinique’s Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. 

Courtesy of Clinique

“I have [it] in my bag everywhere I go,” said Barrera about the universally flattering shade. “It serves as a lip balm, but it gives you a little bit of color. That’s the pop of color I have on my face every day.”

Now in her third year as a brand ambassador for Clinique, Barrera feels the responsibility that comes with it. She remains optimistic, in hopes that it can push the industry’s doors wide open for generations of Latinas to come.

“Not a lot of people get the opportunities that I get,” said Barrera. “What am I gonna do with that, and how do I make sure that whatever I do is creating more opportunities for more people?”

How Social Media Inspires Her Looks

When the time comes to promote her projects, Barrera enjoys browsing Instagram for makeup inspiration. She even does something a lot of us are guilty of:

“I have a folder on my Instagram saved of beauty hacks and inspo, and makeup looks that I love and that I wanna try eventually when I’m doing press,” said Barrera.

A recent makeup look derived from her saved folder was her eye look from the 2022 Latin Grammys. Barrera’s makeup artist, Lilly Keys, recreated a mod-inspired graphic winged eyeliner that paired perfectly with her shimmering silver dress.

Just peep the stunning makeup looks she wore for “Scream VI” press, and while promoting her upcoming titular role in “Carmen.” We’re saving those posts in our makeup inspo folders as we speak.

The Ways She Takes Time For Herself

Self-care is essential for everyone to practice – jefas have to rest after all! Barrera has her tried-and-true ways of doing so after busy days on set or doing press. Whether it’s hanging out with her dogs, putting on a chill playlist, or guided meditation, she has made it a goal for this year to spend more time with herself. 

Barrera is a reader. She’s currently reading “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which she’s “really enjoying.” She loves listening to audiobooks – specifically memoirs. Currently, she’s listening to Jeanette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” 

At the moment, she’s fond of listening to vibraciones — a form of sound therapy — to relax before going to bed.

“Sometimes I’ll just put that on the speaker, and I’ll just lay on the couch, and my dogs will hop on me,” said Barrera. “We’ll just lay there, and that’s a really nice way that I like ending my days.”

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