You know a song is catchy when you can’t understand the words but you’re addicted anyways. Ever since Rosalia blazed onto the music scene with flamenco beats and latin lyrics, we knew we wanted what she was serving up.
Already, the 27 year-old from Barcelona has 5 Latin Grammy awards, 1 Grammy award, 12 million Instagram followers and a collaboration with Travis Scott under her belt. Having breathed new life into traditional flamenco music, her updated spin features pop, R&B and electronic flavours, stomped with palmas (sultry hand claps) and soulful vocal inflections.
It’s just as well she extends the same passion and charisma to fashion and beauty as she does to her music. “I love experimenting – that’s how I make music – and I love experimenting visually, too with looks. That’s who I am and I love doing it,” she told GLAMOUR over a phone call from the states.
Now, she’s lent her creativity to M.A.C after partnering up on a new shade of Viva Glam lipstick. It’ll come as little surprise that she’s gone for a seductive Spanish red.
“When I don’t have a lot of time, I always use red lipstick to give me confidence,” she told GLAMOUR. Given she already had a favourite shade in M.A.C’s Ruby Woo (a true, blue-toned red), she had a job creating something that would outdo her main squeeze. But VG26, a vibrant orangey-red matte, offers up a little extra spice that suits her skin tone perfectly.
Top tip: “overline, always” says Rosalia who confides that overdrawing her lips is her top beauty hack. “It gives the visual illusion that your lips are bigger or your mouth looks bigger and I love that my mouth looks big!” she says.
As for how the collaboration came about, “I’ve always been a makeup fan and M.A.C is my favourite brand of all time,” Rosalia says. The real reason behind the partnership goes far deeper than surface level, though. “When M.A.C got in touch with me to cwork on Viva Glam, I said yes instantly. First because I love the products, but mostly because Viva Glam is such an amazing project.” Since its launch 26 years ago, Viva Glam has raised over $500 million for grass roots organisations globally.
This time around, “they’re donating £10 million between 250 organisations on the frontline,” says Rosalia. “They’re serving communities affected by Covid, in the moment that we need it. It’s very important that this collaboration is able to help. I feel very grateful for that.” In the UK and Ireland, all £17.50 from sales of VIVA GLAM lipsticks, is being donated to organisations that support the health and equal rights of everyone. “My goal for Viva Glam in particular, is to help M.A.C spread awareness about the rights of women and girls, that’s very important to me,” admits Rosalia.
So there you have it, one insider beauty hack and one very delicious lipstick that gives back to those who need it.
*Adds to basket*.
