Telenovelas have been a big influence on Latin American cultures for many years, and that comes as no surprise. Some of us have spent so many nights watching them with our families to then share our thoughts with our friends the next day at school. We’ve always looked up to them for every aspect of our lives, especially when it came to getting the latest beauty trends.
My relationship with telenovelas is complicated—majorly because of the unrealistic eurocentric beauty standards—but I can’t deny the fact that they played a key part in forming a strong bond with my mom and my friends when I was younger. We would spend hours talking about what characters we liked or disliked, and we’d always pinpoint every detail of their outfits or makeup looks that we loved and tried to recreate them later.
Telenovela female characters were the main source of makeup inspiration back when beauty influencers weren’t even a thing yet. Their makeup looks played an important part in defining every character’s personality. The good girl projected a soft personality by using light tones while the villain sported a bold look with sharp eyeliner and dark lipstick.
Back then, we relied on magazines like People en Español to release some inside scoop from their makeup artists and actresses on how to achieve their iconic looks. Over the years, with a lot of trial and error, I was able to incorporate the makeup trends I saw on telenovelas. Want to recreate them yourself? Here are my tips and tricks and the Ulta Beauty products I use to achieve them.
Start With Smooth Skin
Something that really stands out from these characters is that they all have beautiful, fresh looking skin at all times. I recommend a weightless foundation or a skin tint like Fenty Beauty’s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, which offers a light to medium coverage formula with a soft blur finish. If you’re more of a powder gal, Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder is a great option. It’s comfortable on the skin and the matte finish lasts all day.
When it comes to concealers, hydrating liquid formulas are best for maintaining a natural look. One of my favorites is Too Faced Born This Way Super Coverage concealer, which has an oil-free formula and stays put throughout the day. Besides giving you full coverage, it can also be used as a contouring tool. We love a good multi-use product!
Express Your Character Through the Eyes
No one knows drama better than a telenovela actress, and that’s partly attributed to their ability to express feelings through their eyes. That’s why accentuating them is a key part of their makeup look. Whether you’re trying to recreate a mysterious look or a rockstar one, Tarte’s Double Take Liquid & Gel Vegan Eyeliner is a great option. Thanks to its two-in-one liquid and gel pencil, you can always choose between a sharp cat-eye or a smudged eyeliner look.
Another popular eye makeup look amongst telenovela actresses is the smokey eye. The look is defined by incorporating earth tones and carefully blending them together. Treslúce’s La Flor de México Eyeshadow Palette has the perfect matte terracotta shades that flatter just about any complexion. And for a little bit of glam, just add the shimmery shades.
To top it all off and really get the drama you’re looking for, a lash lengthening mascara like Ulta Beauty Collection's New Heights Mascara is a must to get those flirty eyelashes you see in every romantic scene in telenovelas. It’s formulated with special coated waxes and pigments that amplify your lashes while holding them in place. Plus, it’s clean and cruelty-free.
Keep It Chic on the Cheeks
The perfect telenovela glow can be achieved with a combination of a bright blush and a highlighter. Telenovela characters are never lacking in blush and wear intense shades similar to Treslúce’s Ready to Bounce Cream Blush. Follow with the Ambient Lighting Palette from Hourglass to get a multidimensional radiance and you’re ready to be the main character of your own show.
Make a Statement With Bold Lips
Villain characters choose bold lips to project their evil personas. But, aside from the negative part, they’re confident women that aren’t afraid to make a statement, and that’s something that I learned to admire. Their lipstick choice was a super-pigmented matte formula, like the classic Lipstick Matte from MAC in shades like Sin and Diva. If you’re on the main character’s side, lip gloss is the way to go. Elaluz’s Oil-Infused Lip Gloss is a great option to achieve the look with their pigmented and high shine formulas.
Shop telenovela-inspired makeup and more from Ulta Beauty.