Actress and singer Michaela Jaé Rodriguez—you know her from Pose, Loot, American Horror Story and more—is everywhere right now. From television to music and even beauty campaigns, the A-lister has her eye on the prize. Taking time away from her busy schedule, she sat down with me this week to chat about all of the above and more.
Who were your beauty icons growing up?
There are a plethora of women who are beauty icons to me. Tracey Africa [Norman] was the first African-American trans woman to be in a hair campaign in the 1980s, and she looked stunning. To look at that and see that she was a face of beauty was fantastic. Also, Naomi Campbell—she’s a beauty girl. I love seeing how she’s dominated in the world of beauty and fashion.”
Do you have any muses right now?
“My muse right now is also one of Charlotte Tilbury’s muses: Jourdan Dunn. I think she’s so stunning and has such confidence. I’m so glad we share space together when we’re on set. You look at her and you think, wow, you are fantastic. She’s one of my 2024-2025 it girls, along with the Imans and the Alex Consanis.”
You are also one of Charlotte Tilbury’s muses. What has that experience been like?
“It’s so thrilling. I wouldn’t have it any other way, and it’s almost been three years now. Charlotte and I met at an Oscar party, and it was kismet when we first saw each other. We talked for hours after we walked out. Little did I know I’d be working with her. She makes it so easy, so comfortable and so safe. I love being a part of her family and her campaigns, and supporting girls out there who love beauty. I love the saying, ‘work hard, play hard.’ We work extremely hard and she’s very hands-on and instrumental, but when we’re done, we celebrate.”
If you could bring one Charlotte Tilbury product to a deserted island, what would you pick?
“Can I say two? My Flawless Finish Powder and my Beauty Light Wand. Peachgasm is my absolute favorite shade. It goes with my complexion really well and makes it peachy but still rosy enough. Peachgasm is chef’s kiss.”
I love the Beauty Light Wands, too. Pinkgasm is my go-to shade.
“That’s a good one, too. Pinkgasm looks good on me too, but for a different kind of makeup palette, you know?”
Totally. Are there any beauty trends you’ve been loving lately?
“As part of the Charlotte crew, you get kind of indoctrinated in the world of pinkcore. Pinkcore is a thing now, and it’s definitely been trending on TikTok and Instagram. I’m like, am I a pinkcore girl? Why yes, I think I am.”
Are you also a fragrance girl?
“Yes! I love Charlotte’s whole line. If I could wear all of them at once, I would. Love Frequency is favorite one to spray all the time. I don’t stop. I also love Joyphoria when I’m wearing a glam look. It’s a smell that’s sophisticated and just feels rich. I also like to wear More Sex when I’m going out on a date with my boyfriend and I want to feel youthful and free and fun.”
Let’s talk hair. You’ve had so many different looks. Do you have a favorite?
“My favorite look is bangs. I might go back to getting a little bang again—yeah, I think I will. I love bangs with bone-straight hair, but I also love the complete opposite. At Disney World recently, I had a big ol’ afro. I love going between my natural hair and a wig that I can just pop on and straighten out to create a different look—a different character, if you will.”
Who are the stylists responsible for all these “characters”?
“The love that I can give to the people that really turn it—there’s a family. I have really amazing people like Tym Wallace and Barry Lee Mo. These are really quintessential people in my life who I love and care for. We share the same for each other. It makes the work so much better.”
Do you have any favorite hair products at the moment?
“I’m a big Shea Moisture girl. I have a 4C coil texture, which is a really tight curl. I have to condition my hair the right way to really activate those curls. They have this one cream that’s so good—it’s so good on my scalp.”
What does self-care look like in your routine?
“When I wake up in the morning, I take 10 to 15 minutes to either listen to some Zen music or meditate. Then I take a shower. My boyfriend calls them ‘Hollywood showers’ because I take so long. I’m literally sometimes in the shower for an hour—and 30. The steam is great, the water feels fantastic and you don’t want to get out of it. I go HAM with body care to make sure my body is smooth. When I get out of the shower, I do a complete skin-care regimen. That is my therapy.”
What are your skin-care staples?
“After the steam in the shower, your pores are open and ready to soak up all that serum. And then I lock it all in with Magic Water Cream before I put on makeup. I am always in the mirror massaging my skin and enjoying it because you should enjoy skin care. It should be crucial, like brushing your teeth. At night, I also sometimes use the Collagen Face Oil if my skin needs more moisture overnight.”
I want to hear more about your new album, 33. What can you tell me?
“After I wrapped American Horror Story, I felt like music was my focal point. This album was healing for me because I felt like there was this voice—the character 33F7 [her alter ego]—that was speaking to me to talk to individuals around the world. I’m always trying to speak to the younger babies out there to encourage them to be confident in themselves. I felt like this was a universal message I was receiving, and I was like, I have to put this down on paper. I have to write this. I’m glad I could tell the story of someone who is out of this world that we cannot relate to—she’s a robot. I wanted to challenge our minds. The words are covered in lighthearted and poppy beats, and you want people to dance to it, but you also want them to take some time to sit down and listen. You want them to think, hold on, what did she just say? And from what I’ve seen, I think it’s translated pretty well.”
Actually, It’s kind of ironic that I was doing music and then right afterwards I was doing a campaign with Charlotte and she actually considered putting one of my songs in her campaign. It was wild and I was delightfully surprised. That’s what I’ve always wanted, to be part of something like this.” Click here to hear the remixed version of Rodriguez’s new song “Wasting My Time” in Tilbury’s holiday campaign.
