Rosalía Talks Natural Skincare, Easy Makeup & Her Incredible Nails

Since bursting onto the music scene, Barcelona-born singer and songwriter Rosalía has made a name for herself as the artist everyone wants to collaborate with. She's teamed up on records with the likes of Travis Scott and Ozuna, and has bagged herself a Grammy nomination, but there's another exciting skill she's about to add to her CV: the next MAC Cosmetics VIVA GLAM global ambassador.

Since establishing VIVA GLAM 26 years ago, MAC's mission to support equal rights for women, girls and the LGBTQ+ communities, as well as provide help for people living with HIV/AIDS via their VIVA GLAM lipstick sales (all 100% of them) has exceeded expectations. The campaign is now one of the most prolific in the industry and has boasted a number of famous faces over the years, from Rihanna and Miley Cyrus to Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga.

With Rosalía on board, the brand has created a limited edition lipstick shade, VG26. A true fiery red, it's reminiscent of the singer's passion and bold style. And as part of the campaign this year, MAC will donate $10 million to 250 charities, also serving communities affected by COVID-19 and contributing to relief efforts. "Considering what we are living through at the moment, it's so important to try and help each other," Rosalía told R29 when we caught up with her recently. Her ultimate goal through VIVA GLAM? "To help spread awareness of the health of young women. That's so important to me. My whole team is made up of women and I always try and give visibility to women. It's what MAC stands for, so this is such an honour."

If you follow Rosalía on Instagram, you'll know that she's a pioneer when it comes to beauty trends – makeup and nails especially. "I grew up loving to play dress-up with my sister and we always used to put makeup on each other," said Rosalía. "When I was a teenager, I performed in small venues in Barcelona and I used to do my own makeup there. I remember that ritual; that moment before I was about to go on stage. I was so ready." Rosalía's memories of experimenting with makeup have cemented her as one of MAC's biggest fans. "The moment they asked me to be a part of the VIVA GLAM campaign, I didn't give it a second thought."

"I love having fun with colours, textures and patterns but I enjoy minimalism and I think that it's becoming such an important trend when I think about beauty looks," continued Rosalía. Cult for a reason, her signature red lip is always Ruby Woo. "I usually don't have enough time to do my makeup properly but I love a bold red lip. I also love over-lining my lips with a brown lip liner if I want to go with more of a natural vibe, and use highlighter daily!" Then it's a touch of concealer and mascara on the outer corners of her eyelashes. "I much prefer concealer over foundation because I like to let my skin breathe. My skin feels much better for it."

Working with big-name brands like MAC and topping the list at awards ceremonies has given Rosalía access to some of the best glam squads, and she's certainly learned a thing or two. "I never knew how to draw my brows in properly but having my makeup done has taught me how to do it," said Rosalía, whose brow mantra is the bigger, the better. "Now I think I can do it better than my makeup artist," she laughed. "The key is not to use too much pressure. There is geometry in brows and you have to respect the geometry of your face." Her go-to isn't brow pencils, gel or pomades, though. "I love to use a simple eyeshadow to fill in my brows. I opt for a brown shade similar to my hair colour and just do little light touches."

Of course, it all starts with skincare but unlike other celebrities, Rosalía isn't a fan of 12-step skincare routines. In fact, her regime is super simple. "Every day when I wake up, I take a shower then just put some moisturiser on. Then every night when I get home, I cleanse my skin with a cleansing milk and a hot wet flannel," she told R29. "This doesn't mess with my natural oils and so my skin is hydrated. This has changed everything for me. Skincare doesn't need to be expensive, either." She follows with a simple night cream but champions natural skincare with organic ingredients. "Sometimes I even make my own face mask with eggs and avocado. I love making my own skincare." Believe it or not, Rosalía has bad skin days like the rest of us. "It's usually because I haven't slept enough," she said. "I love working but some days are much longer than others. If I don't get enough sleep I try my best to drink a lot of water but my secret weapon is concealer."

And it wouldn't be right to speak to the star and not mention her incredible, Instagram-worthy nails. "I'm getting obsessed with Japanese and Korean nail art," said Rosalía, who highlights Kro Vargas (@krocaine on Instagram) as the biggest trendsetter when it comes to acrylics. "She does the designs that no one has been doing. She is just the freshest and creates gems and stones for me. I don't like discreet nails though. I go obvious!"