By day, Angela Cruz shares the beauty of Palm Beach County with visitors as the manager of public relations and communications for Discover The Palm Beaches. But, in her downtime, Cruz celebrates a different type of glamour on her YouTube channel Beauty News with Angela Cruz. A former TV reporter covering hard news, she started her video blog in early 2014 and now reports on makeup trends and products. “I love that I can let my hair down, so to speak, to talk about the things I want to talk about,” Cruz says. This summer, she gained national attention when she won the Today Show’s Social Star Beauty Vlogger contest and, as a prize, received mentorship to grow her channel. Here, Cruz dishes on looks and products to try this social season.
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| Angela Cruz |
PBI.com: What’s your go-to beauty look for a gala?
Cruz: For an evening gala, I apply heavier makeup than I would typically wear. It’s easy to look washed out in photos, so to prevent that I’ll choose deeper makeup shades that help define my features. To stay matte for the entire evening, I’ll first use Veil Mineral Primer and then Immaculate Liquid Foundation, both by Hourglass Cosmetics. That combination has been magic to prevent my skin from looking too shiny after a few hours. Then I’ll create my go-to “diva” look, starting with contouring and highlighting my face with the Kat Von D Shade + Light Palette. Last but not least, I sweep on a dark smoky eye with the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette. The shadows are highly pigmented, and the palette has a wide variety of shades for whatever mood you want to express.
And for a luncheon?
For an easy luncheon makeup look, I prefer neutral face shades. I will do a light contour and subtle highlight, but I tend to shy away from shimmery eyeshadows. Mattes seem a little more professional for daytime hours. I always favor a rosy or pink lip, and I like using Tarte’s LipSurgence lip crème in the shade Wonder.
What do you keep in a clutch for touchups?
I like carrying Chacha Go-Go from Benefit Cosmetics because it’s portable for a tiny clutch and is both a lip gloss and cheek stain. Benefit’s They’re Real! Lengthening Mascara is a tiny travel size that fits easily, as well. Mally Beauty Evercolor Shadow Stick Extra is a powerhouse product that is smudge-proof and crease-proof. You can use it like an eyeliner and it comes in a ton of color choices.
What’s your favorite lipstick to wear on a date or evening out?
Lately, I’ve been going to dinner wearing Bare Minerals Gen Nude Under Over Lip Liner in the shade Freestyle, a warm beige nude, topped with Gen Nude Radiant Lipstick in XOX, a medium dusty rose shade. The lipstick is hydrating without being too sheer, and I feel like it gives you that perfect “your lips, but better” shade.
To ramp up the drama for an extra-special night out, I wear Dirty Little Secret’s Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick in the shade Crimson. I never would have picked such a bright red shade myself, but it came in my Boxycharm beauty subscription box. Once I tried it on, I was hooked. The texture is so trendy and the shade is bold, like something Taylor Swift would wear.
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| Cruz recommends Urban Decay Naked Smoky Eyeshadow Palette for a glamorous gala look. |
What products do you use for makeup removal ?
I’ve used Mary Kay’s Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover for years, and sometimes I will still use it. But my new favorite makeup remover is organic coconut oil. It removes eye makeup so well—even stubborn makeup glides off. A bonus is that I can use it like eye cream by gently stippling it on my eyes and then leaving it on overnight. It helped grow my eyelashes really long after a few months of consistent use.
What is your top tip for makeup novices?
Invest in a good set of brushes. You don’t have to buy a lot all at once, although I did splurge on a travel set of Jenny Patinkin Lazy Perfection Brushes. Good brushes will do the work for you and will give you that blended makeup look—as if a makeup artist worked on your face. They will save you time getting ready, so you can get maximum results with minimum effort.
What have been some of your favorite makeup trends of 2016?
It took me a few months to grow accustomed to wearing a matte liquid lipstick because I prefer glossy lips. Matte lips feel dry and looked cracked to me, so I stayed away for a while. However, now that I am used to them, I favor matte lips when I’m filming my YouTube videos since I feel like it places more focus on my eyes.
What trend are you ready to see fade into history?
I’ll be glad when the overly highlighted face trend fades away. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a beautiful highlight on the high planes of your face. I just think that some people take it so far, they shine like a disco ball—not a practical look.
What’s one makeup look that never goes out of style?
A classic red lip or a smoky eye. I think one look that is universally flattering and helps everyone look their most gorgeous is a great pair of false eyelashes. The key to applying them is to use quality eyelash glue and let it dry at least 45 to 60 seconds before you place the false lashes on your natural lashes. It took me years to figure that out, but now I’m a pro.
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