At 26, Latina singer and superstar Becky G has added ‘trailblazer’ to her list of achievements. The recent Oscar nominee—she’s nominated for her anthem “The Fire Inside” from the movie Flamin’ Hot, a collaboration with hitmaker Diane Warren— recently set New York Fashion Week ablaze with a whirlwind of scorching hot hair looks. Here, she takes a moment to discuss her favorite TRESemmé-styled hair, her skin and lymphatic system hack, and thoughts on being a Latina “real model” rather than just a role model.
You’re coming off an extremely successful New York Fashion Week. What were your most memorable looks?
Oh my goodness. Honestly, I think when we did a bob wig. The red fiery bob. It was just different. I remember when I actually cut my hair a couple of years ago, and it just felt so liberating. It made me want to cut my hair again but I would say that was one the standout for me.
We love the braids and bows look, too. We saw a clip from NYFW and you were chatting with celebrity hairstylist Justine Marjan about the duality of being Latina and simultaneously living in two worlds.
Yeah, I feel like our generations are starting to really learn to embrace the duality that represents two flags, speaking two languages and being able to celebrate two different cultures. The braids reminded me of when I would dance Ballet Folklorico. Funny enough, my mom didn’t know how to braid hair. So, she would buy the already braided hair and just bobby pin it into mine. But I loved that look; it has a very unserious beauty kind of feel, which I love. I think little me grew up not even knowing what Fashion Week was and then, you know, my first introductions to it kind of just felt like this space that I wasn’t in. It wasn’t necessarily made with me in mind, or, you know, people who look like me and talk like me, so I kind of love that it felt very rule-breaking in a sense.
We can’t wait to see you on the Oscars red carpet. Does Oscars prep feel different, or is it just another awards show?
Oh, I think it’s the biggest deal ever, to be honest. I remember my first time and getting to the Oscars and feeling like, oh my god, I’m the little girl who went from Inglewood to Hollywood. Like this is Hollywood’s most prestigious and I wish I had my whole family to experience this with me. As I was walking the red carpet, I saw how they divided all of the press and I found my little Latin pocket where I had all of my friends who I was familiar with. It was fun getting to run over to them and talk to them about how surreal it was to be there. I think this time the experience is 10 times, infinity times, more amplified knowing we’re nominated.
There are a lot of Latinos young and old cheering you on. How does it feel knowing that when you’re accomplishing something that isn’t just for you, but also for us? Is that a lot of pressure?
Of course it is. I always say, one of my biggest goals is to not be a role model, but to be a real model. I think more than ever, what I’ve really been tapping into is just the simple fact that having the platform that I have is such a blessing. It wasn’t something that was passed down necessarily to me, but it was passed down in a sense because of the sacrifices that my Abuelos made and that my parents made. I really started in this industry with just my dream and nothing else. So many of us find ourselves in situations like that where we’re starting from the ground up and we don’t have this blueprint or people within our community to be like, “Hey, when you did this, how did it feel?” My mom wasn’t a singer. My dad wasn’t a director or producer. I’m also not the only one who has experienced this. My experience is as an artist, but so many of my cousins are first-time nurses, so many of my fans are studying to become lawyers and they don’t come from families who do these things. For me, a lot of what keeps me going is knowing that we’re a part of something bigger.
As a Latina beauty founder, what inspired you to venture into the industry and how do you infuse your heritage into the brand?
Well, it’s funny because three is my lucky number, which is where Tresluce Beauty comes from and now here we are with TRESemmé. It feels like things have come full circle. I think of things that are timeless, like my mom in high school, who is one of my all-time style icons. I just opened her yearbook and from her makeup to her hair to the way that she would style her clothing, there was this effortlessness. A hybrid between her very girly side versus her tomboy side. I feel like today when I think of the beauty space and we talk about things like inclusiveness and what it means to truly represent our audience, it’s the most diverse and exciting it’s ever been.
What are some must-have skin-care and hair-care products you won’t leave home without?
Well, here’s a life hack: I end just about every single shower that I take with cold water and it’s amazing for your hair. Especially for me, I have really thick Latina coarse hair that tends to get a little frizzy. So, cold water really helps seal the cuticle of the hair as well as your pores for your skin, which is really good too. It helps close the body’s lymphatic system and I love scorching hot showers, but that isn’t always the best for your hair and your skin.
In terms of skin care, Brave Soldier’s Clean Skin face wash ($18) is both affordable and essential for daily makeup wear. For my hair, after trying TRESemmé Extreme Hold Gel ($7) during Fashion Week, I’m hooked. It’s weightless yet kept my styles intact without feeling crunchy or flaky. I also love an effortless low bun for busy days. So, yeah, the extreme hold gel is definitely a favorite.
