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Melissa Barrera has come a long way from starring in the Mexican telenovela Siempre tuya Acapulco. On top of playing the leading character in the Starz series Vida, the 30-year-old actress will star as Vanessa in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s screen adaptation of the musical In the Heights. And now, she’s achieved another accomplishment: Barrera is Clinique’s first Global Brand Ambassador to come from either of the Americas. “It is kinda crazy that I’m the first, I hadn’t even thought about it that way,” she told Vogue.
Clinique’s Global Creative Director Elizabeth Nolan expressed how the beauty brand admires Barrera’s efforts that have led to her present-day accomplishments. “We want people with substance to represent Clinique, more than just pretty faces and talking heads,” Nolan told Vogue. “We knew immediately that Melissa’s energy and passion are inextricable from what makes her so beautiful and are excited to bring our products to life in a new way with her bold voice.”
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Staying true to herself, the Mexican beauty conveyed the importance of authenticity when using Clinique’s products that she will promote. “I feel like we get lied to all the time out there,” Barrera said of marketing efforts in the beauty space. “So I was like, okay, I’m going to try all the things that you have and see if they work—and what works for me—to make sure I'm being honest with people.” Though she recalled learning about Clinique as a kid while her mother did her makeup for dance recitals, Barrera said she’s still “discovering the brand right now.”
As of now, Barrera’s favorite Clinique products include the Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator (“it’s genuinely like drinking water when you're thirsty, for your face”) and the Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 (“that has, like, three serums—it’s like you put a mask on overnight and you woke up and you feel amazing, and it’s a foundation! It’s mind-blowing”). Additionally, Barrera said she carries the Moisture Surge Lip Hydro-Plump Treatment in her pocket all the time.
Following her heart, Barrera plans to use her unique voice to represent her community. “It makes me feel good that little Latinas are going to be able to see me and think that they can also be the face of a brand globally,” she said. “I feel like that means a lot.” The official Clinique campaign will launch this fall.
