Why beauty influencer Jenny Ruiz says Latinas should skip wearing pink lipstick
In the Instagram beauty world, Corona resident Jennifer Ruiz, who’s known on social media channels as Jen_ny69, is one of the first Latinas to break into the social influencer circle.
At 23, the Riverside native has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. She first started posting on YouTube in 2014, and her followers have increased as she continues to roll out video tutorials and beauty tips especially for her Latina audience.
On Sunday, Ruiz will step from behind the camera and have a fashion and beauty show at La Mirada Theatre covering how to style yourself for business meetings and events as well as how to best take selfies and photos for Instagram.
VIP tickets are on sale for $500 and will include a one-on-one consultation on how to start your own business. During a recent interview, Ruiz said she wants to help people follow their own passion. (General admission tickets are on sale for $65.)
As a Latina with Mexican parents, Ruiz said her fascination with makeup was made public in a big way when she turned 15 on the day of her quinceanera.
“That was the first day I wore makeup,†Ruiz said. Although she has played with makeup since she was a girl, a quinceanera is usually the time in traditional Mexican culture when girls become senoritas and can wear makeup and heels — in other words, be arreglarse.
When you have makeup [on], you are a totally different person, so you have to know who you are before.
— Jennifer Ruiz
Arreglarse, which means dressing up and wearing makeup, is what Ruiz said is key for a woman to show her confidence from the inside out. That theme also is a big part of her brand and message, although Ruiz said “makeup is just a tool to survive in today’s society.â€
“When you have makeup [on], you are a totally different person, so you have to know who you are before,†she said.
While she is a proponent of makeup and skin-care products, Ruiz also isn’t afraid to show her followers what she looks like without makeup — a stark contrast between her natural look and her glammed up one.
As part of her messaging on Instagram and her YouTube channel, Ruiz regularly shares posts and videos about her now señora life as a mom and wife, her fitness routines as well as makeup tips and inspirational messages (including few expletives sprinkled for an honest touch) in a Spanglish style.
Throw out those pink lipsticks
In one of her Instagram posts from earlier this year, Ruiz shared how she tossed all her pink lipsticks, which did not work with her olive complexion.
She tends to favor colors that are more fitting for people with brown and almond- and olive-colored skin. As more makeup brands create products for a range of skin colors, there is a greater likelihood of finding naturally matching makeup colors.
Although Ruiz wears fun, bright colors for photo shoots such as blue and red, she said she believes in wearing “realistic makeup.â€
When it comes enhancing a person’s face, Ruiz recommends using Ardell Wispies eyelashes and going with dark brown coloring on a person’s eyebrows. For Latinas, she recommends being cautious of using bright or neon pink lipsticks.
“Mauve pinks with brown tones work best,†she said.
Jenny Ruiz’s How to Arreglarte Show, La Mirada Theatre, 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. For general admission and VIP tickets, visit jennysixtynine.com
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