Selena Gomez has opened up about Hollywood’s beauty standards and her relationship with her appearance.
In a recent interview with Glamour UK, the singer and actress revealed that she thought she needed makeup to feel pretty while growing up.
The interviewer asked Gomez what beauty/self-care advice she would give her younger self, to which Gomez replied: “I’d tell her that makeup is something to have fun with, but not something you need. I used to think I needed to wear makeup to feel pretty, and I can definitely say that has changed as I’ve gotten older.”
Selena Gomez talks Hollywood beauty standards
Gomez has been in the spotlight since she was a child, first appearing on Barney and Friends before her breakout role in Wizards of Waverly Place.
The interviewer asked Gomez what her relationship was with herself and her appearance growing up.
Gomez responded, “Being in the public eye from such an early age certainly comes with a lot of pressure. It’s hard to feel comfortable when you feel like everyone is watching, judging, and commenting on the way you look. Self-confidence is still something I work on daily, but when I stopped trying to conform to society’s unrealistic standards of beauty, my perspective entirely shifted.”
She also touched upon the pressure in Hollywood to attain certain beauty standards.
“From the time I can remember, I’ve always felt like I had to be perfect or look a certain way. It took me a long time to realize that I only wanted to be myself – that what made me unique was also what made me beautiful,” she shared.
Gomez, who has previously revealed her struggles with depression and anxiety, told Glamour about how she deals with intrusive thoughts. “I’m a big advocate for therapy. I also love to keep sticky notes around my house with positive affirmations. I have a lot of various ones, but ‘I am enough’ is a favorite of mine.
Selena Gomez’s beauty brand, Rare Beauty
Gomez launched her own beauty brand, Rare Beauty, in 2020. The brand carries foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadows and more.
In an industry that seems to be saturated with beauty brands, Gomez spoke about what makes Rare Beauty stand out, saying, “My hope with Rare Beauty is that we have open conversations around beauty and mental health and can change the industry by breaking down unrealistic standards of beauty together. That’s why launching Rare Impact alongside the brand was so important to me. We created the Rare Impact Fund to help supply more people with more resources that support their mental health.”