“I was born in Tijuana, but by the time I was in middle school, it had become incredibly unsafe so my family moved to Monterrey. Instead of making new friends at first, I watched a lot of YouTube videos from the OG beauty influencers, like Jaclyn Hill. Makeup was already a hobby for me, but that type of job didn’t exist in Mexico in the way it did in the US yet.
When I started uni, I enrolled in industrial engineering. What the fuck was I doing? I eventually switched to industrial design, but I was still sort of lost and bored, so for fun, I started filming makeup tutorials. Mexico slowly caught on to the influencer game, and when it snowballed, I decided to become a full-time content creator, which my parents didn’t understand. They’d say, ‘What are you doing? You’re in college. How do you even make money from the Internet?’ One million Instagram followers later… Little did they know. [Laughs]
I now have my own brand, Sarelly Beauty. When I spoke with colleagues, partners, and even friends, almost everyone told me that I could do mass production and make good money, but luxurious Mexican beauty brands hardly ever do well. They wanted me to internationalize the brand. But Mexico is the best. We have great creatives. We have a rich culture. Why can’t we be as good as other brands out there?
It’s taken a lot of trial and error, but Sarelly celebrates Mexican culture with products that bring out the spicy energy in you. I want people to feel represented, even through the aesthetics. Funny enough, we started by selling cactus leather bags because no one was giving us money to launch makeup. [Laughs] That was in 2022, and by the end of 2023, we launched our Cow Lashes mascara. I find that Mexican lashes are pretty hard to work with. They tend to be thin, super straight, and slant downward, so the formula had to be super lightweight and really hold a curl. Listen, Latinas are buchonas; we’re maximalists. It’s been so fun and exciting to share that with the rest of the world.
SKINCARE
Cleansing is really important. At night, I start with Sarelly’s Lavadero makeup remover. It’s so gentle, but it really melts off my eye makeup—even waterproof products. When I went to Japan, I picked up Anua’s Heartleaf cleansing oil. It’s everywhere there, and it’s really well-priced, around $20. Then I cleanse again with Bioderma’s Sensibio Gel Moussant. It’s never harsh or leaves my face feeling tight, and I like that it’s fragrance-free, too.
After cleansing, I tone with Laneige’s Cream Skin milky toner, especially if I’m prepping my skin for glowy makeup. It’s sort of sticky in a nice way so my makeup grips onto it. In general, I like serums that aren’t super light or super thick; I want them to leave that same sticky, rich effect on my face. Sofie Pavitt’s mandelic serum is a little lighter, but it really helps brighten my skin, so I let it go. [Laughs] La Roche-Posay’s Hyalu B5 has a great consistency, and when my skin is feeling more sensitive, I like Bioderma’s Sensibio Defensive serum. It’s really calming, so I like to layer it with my acne treatments. Twice a week, if my skin is behaving, I use Avène’s Cleanance Comedomed Concentrate; if it’s acting up, I use it every night. I have a benzoyl peroxide gel from Benzac, too. You can leave it on overnight, but I like to use it as a 10-minute mask to prevent breakouts.
I like thick, rich moisturizers. I discovered Avène’s Cicalfate+ cream when I did a laser treatment. The derm told me to apply a layer every couple of hours, and my recovery was so much faster with it. I mostly use it at night—except for the one night a week I use their RetrinAL 0.1 cream—because it leaves a bit of a white cast that doesn’t work with my makeup. La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast balm is my go-to during the day. It feels really cool on my skin.
I have really dark under-eyes. A lot of Latinos do because our skin tends to be thinner, so you can see the blood flow underneath. I had heard that retinol can help thicken the skin, so when I heard about Beauty of Joseon’s Revive eye serum on TikTok—it has retinal liposomes—I wanted to try it. Luckily, I got a bottle at a Business of Fashion conference. Then I do a little layer of 100 percent squalane oil from Biossance to lock everything in. It’s non-comedogenic, so I’m not worried about it clogging my pores and breaking me out.
My sunscreen depends on where I am. Mexico City is actually pretty mild, even in the summer, but Monterrey, where my family lives, gets very hot and my skin gets oilier. That’s when I pull out Avène’s Ultra Mat. It doesn’t sting my eyes or leave a white cast, and it really helps me stay matte longer. My other two, Bioderma’s Photoderm Crème—in Claire Light—and Colorescience’s Sunforgettable Face Shield Flex, are super glowy and hydrating. They’re both slightly tinted, the Colorescience a little more so.
MAKEUP
I like starting with my brows because I get a little bit of fallout sometimes, so I need to clean that up with micellar water first. So first I fill in where I need to with Urban Decay’s Brow Blade in Neutral Nana before brushing up my brows with L’Oreal’s Brow Lamination gel, which is the only one I’ve tried that hasn’t left behind white crusty things.
For my base, Bobbi Brown’s corrector stick in Light Peach matches the color under my eyes perfectly. It’s super thick and creamy, but it actually doesn’t crease. Then I go in with my Kosas concealer. I like using two different shades—1.5C and 03W—in different areas. We don’t have Kosas in Sephora Mexico yet, so I always stock up when I’m in the States because they blend so beautifully. But I will say, it doesn’t set if you don’t use powder—I like Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless—so I tend to grab it when I want a natural, glowy look. Otherwise, I like Lancôme’s Teint Idôle concealer. It doesn’t leave a glossy finish, and I don’t need to set it.
As for foundation, I usually go for L’Oréal’s Infallible in 130 when I want a more glam look. It’s pretty long-lasting, too. But if I want to look more natural, I’ll do a layer of RMS’s SuperNatural SPF 30 in Light Aura.
Chanel’s Les Beiges cream in Soleil Tan Bronze is the best bronzer. I apply it before Tom Ford’s Crème Blush in Café Blush [Editor’s note: discontinued] or MAC’s Glow Play Cushiony Blush in Ginger Luck. I like setting cream blushes with powder, and MAC’s Mineralize blushes are some of my favorites because they have a little sheen to them. Warm Soul is so pretty.
My eyes are pretty simple day-to-day. I dip my fingers into our La Mil Sombras palette and swipe the shadows on. The colors don’t actually have a base; they’re just pretty shimmers. And I love brown eyeliner, but I’m very specific about the shade; it can’t be super dark or super brown. MAC’s Costa Riche has these pretty red undertones that make my eyes pop. I smudge it with my finger and draw a little flick with my nail. [Laughs]
I really, really take my time with my lashes because I want them to be perfectly separated. Of course, I use our Cow Lashes mascara, but only after I curl them. I like using Kevyn Aucoin’s curler when I do other people’s makeup because I find it easier to use on certain eye shapes. But the Shiseido one does the job for me—and it’s easier to find than the Kevyn Aucoin one.
My favorite Sarelly lip crayon and liner are in Tamarind, which is more of a cool-toned, nude-y brown. In Mexico, people tend to go for warmer, pinker shades, so Tamarind is the shade that sells the least for us, but it’s the perfect everyday color for me.
Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl glosses are really underrated, too. It’s rare that I finish a tube of gloss—there are so many good ones out there—but I’m on my second of Nude Desire. It’s a natural, everyday pink that elevates the natural color of my lips. But my absolute favorite gloss is from Sarelly, of course, in Peony Carajillo.
HAIR
I change my hair like I change my underwear. I’ve had every color: purple, green, orange, you name it. But right now, it’s pretty much back to my natural color. I still have to go to the salon—I love Blanca at Hair Postive—every two months or so though; since it’s bleached underneath, the dye starts to fade pretty quickly.
I try to wash my hair every other day to give it a rest—and because blow-drying it now that it’s longer is sort of a hassle. If you ever see me with a slicked-back ponytail, that’s how you know I didn’t have time to wash and style it. [Laughs] I’m not loyal to any shampoo or conditioner, except maybe Herbal Essences’ Bio Renew shampoo when my hair feels really dirty and has tons of product in it. That’s my first pass before going in with Briogeo’s charcoal exfoliating shampoo. I’ve also been liking Tresemmé’s Anti-Frizz line a lot because it’s more hydrating for my ends. And twice a week, I use Phyto’s Repair Intensive mask. It’s been so helpful with repairing my hair after so much dyeing.
When I get out of the shower, I run Authentic Beauty’s hydrating serum through my damp hair. It’s really light like a face serum, and I have way fewer split ends when I use it regularly. I like adding Nuxe’s Hair Prodigieux nourishing leave-in, too. It makes styling so much easier.
Figuring out how to use the Dyson Airwrap was pretty hard, but once I got the hang of it, it became the best tool. I mostly use it when I travel so I can do easy blowouts. I’ve tried round brushes before, but for some reason, the look lasts longer with the Airwrap. To protect my hair, I always spritz it with Lador’s Thermal Protection spray.
NAILS
My manicurist, Xilo at Óleo Nails & Coffee, gave me a bottle of CND’s SolarOil because my cuticles are always dry and I tend to bite them. She told me I had to keep one in my purse and one on my nightstand, and it’s been really helpful. I want to say I’m the girl who always has her nails on point, but they’re my Achilles’ heel. They’re usually chipped. I don’t have time to do them, and I get stressed when I’m at a nail salon for three hours. But I really try to be consistent with at least a monthly visit, especially if I have a lot of trips or events. I love having long nails because they elongate my fingers and I feel really feminine when I hear the sound my nails make on a keyboard, even though I make all sorts of typos because it’s so hard to type. [Laughs] That said, I have short nails right now because I really needed a break from acrylics.
FRAGRANCE
There was a time when I would only wear men’s cologne. My friends would always say I smelled like a boyfriend. [Laughs] I went through three or four bottles of Chanel’s Allure Homme Sport Eau Extrême. It smells like a handsome, extra-clean man. By the way, I really believe that when you smell someone approaching you, you can tell they’re handsome without even looking at them. [Laughs]
Loewe’s Solo Atlas [Editor’s note: discontinued] is technically for men, but I think it’s pretty unisex. What’s interesting is that some of its notes, like lily-of-the-valley, are generally considered more ‘feminine.’ But it’s warm and a little salty—one of the notes is literally salt—and reminds me of walking into a boutique hotel where the lobby smells luxurious and expensive. Un Paseo Por Madrid [Editor’s note: discontinued] is very different. To me, it smells a little bit church-y, like spicy incense with some freshness thrown in. And I also really like Paula’s Ibiza [Editor’s note: discontinued]; it’s one of the few sweet scents I can actually wear. It reminds me of a piña colada, which I love because I’m obsessed with coconut, but it’s polarizing: You either love it or you don’t.”
—as told to Daise Bedolla
Photographed by Viridiana in Mexico City on November 1, 2025