We live in a culture where hiding who you are, particularly on social media, is accepted as normal. From nip/tucks to Instagram filters, it’s rare social media users see the real “warts and all” picture when scrolling through their feed. That’s why Latina beauty blogger Rocio Cervantes is such a breath of fresh air in the online beauty world. Although her profession makes her part of a world that Photoshops and Facetunes every picture within an inch of its life, Cervantes is upfront about her ongoing struggle with cystic acne.
Cervantes has made it her mission abolish the stigma around acne–a skin condition that affects millions of Latinas.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Rocio Cervantes ???? (@rocioceja_) on
Cervantes first made waves back in September when she showcased a truly creative way to deal with her acne. In a Youtube video titled “You Are Beautiful, Acne Or Not”, Cervantes created one of her classic full coverage looks with a twist. But this time, she refused to conceal her imperfections. Instead, she put star-shaped stickers over her blemishes and applied her foundation as usual. This technique created a “starburst” effect around her acne that resulted in a face full of beautiful constellations.
Cervantes explained that this creative look of making stars out of her blemishes “came out of frustration”,after she was “thinking of how it would be if [she] didn’t have acne”. According to her, shortly after having this thought, she felt ashamed for wishing she were any different because she realized that she’s perfect the way she is. but don’t see themselves reflected in the media.
To many, Cervantes is a body-positive role model for people who struggle with their skin.
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“I hope acne and this skin acceptance continues to be an open topic,” Cervantes said. “Because it’s important that acne or any skin condition is normalized”.
In her latest effort, Cervantes is experimenting with foundation for the greater good dealing with acne.
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Cervantes has continued to break barriers with her honest and candid conversations about her acne struggle, most recently creating a series of videos where she tries out and reviews foundation made for acne-prone skin. The series, entitled “Acne vs. Foundation”, discusses everything from products’ shade range to their coverage (or lack thereof). And if that doesn’t convince you to subscribe, Cervantes even conducts her tutorials in Spanish makeup on occasion.
One thing’s for sure, and that’s that Cervantes has quite a few loyal Latina fans on Twitter.
Rocio you are literally everything this beauty community neeeds.
— M a r c i a ???? (@MarciaLanaXO) September 17, 2018
This Twitter user recognized how groundbreaking Cervantes’ work is–and how the online beauty community needs more gurus like her.
This Latina gave Cervantes props for using makeup as a means to uplift and inspire:
YOU have inspired me to keep pushing at it on ig makeup even if my engagements were shit and my skin were shit and i just want to thank you for that because makeup honestly makes me so happy and is deeper than just the surface level , IT IS ART
— Britney Canales (@britneyc95) September 17, 2018
Makeup may seem frivolous to some people, but to many, it’s a means of self-expression.
This Latina let Cervantes know that her “Starburst” Acne-Normalizing look was worth celebrating:
You look beautiful what amazing confidence I see in this picture ????
— J|VE$❤ (@IaChuIa) September 18, 2018
Cervantes’ whole aim behind revealing her flaws is to make a positive impact on the online beauty community.
This Latina just wanted to blow up Cervantes’ artistic skills, which are definitely worth mentioning:
I’m shook at how good it is ..: the patience … the time … the dedication … pic.twitter.com/4kB2FXshO7
— Michelle Mercado (@michmer88) September 17, 2018
Not only is Cervantes a trailblazer, but she’s talented too.
This woman let Cervantes know how her work was impacting her life personally:
This made me feel so much comfortable with myself, since I’m always trying to hide my acne, thank you so much for this
— victoria (@PolarizedDolans) September 18, 2018
Sometimes, all it takes is a role model to make people feel less alone in the world. Cervantes’ transparency with her acne struggle is all some people will need to feel more confident in their own skin.
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Read: 5 Acne Positive Latina Beauty Bloggers To Follow For The Best Acne Journey Stories