Selena Gomez: On Makeup And Mental Health

The actress-singer entrepreneur’s beauty label rare beauty is proving to be a catalyst for social change in the mental health scene, while harnessing the power of individuality and community

- Chelsea Tang

Selena Gomez was put on the spot when she’s thrown this curveball: to pick a favourite product from her beauty label, Rare Beauty. “That is difficult!” she quips, and never quite commits to a firm answer. “I’ve been reaching for the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush recently,” she eventually lets on. “It’s so pigmented; one dot is all you need, and the finish is incredible.”

It’s tough indeed, having to choose — not just because there are a whopping 18 product categories available, but also because of the amount of dedication that’s been put into each and every item makes them all precious in their own right. Selena’s struggle, albeit through an email interview, is an answer in itself — and is in fact a reflection of the ethos that the brand is built on: to be unique, and celebrate whatever resonates with a person’s individuality.

“That is beautiful, and that is rare,” the American actress-singer-producer entrepreneur says. “Society puts so much pressure on us to look ‘perfect’, when we should really be focusing on what makes each of us who we are.” It’s a sentiment that many have expressed, but when articulated by Selena, inevitably brings to mind her journey in the world of entertainment and the immense stress of having lived a life in the public eye for most of her life.