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My face is important. Your face is important, too. All our faces are important. That’s why I’d like to take some time to tell you about my beauty regime. As the youngest ever female congresswoman, I’m delighted that I live in an era where women can be both into mascara and Martin Luther King, serums and Shakespeare. You know what I call that? Freedom.
I double cleanse, systematically. This means washing my face twice, to remove all the impurities. There’s nothing wrong with impurities, but do I want them on my face? No. Do you want them on your face? No. Scrub scrub scrub, with your muslin cloth.
I aim for that sort of ‘I just owned Trump’ kind of a glow. Once you have double cleansed (I like an oil; you can use a balm or a cream if you prefer) I like to highlight my cheeks and my integrity with a glow stick. You can also get this look, with a little Mac strobe cream. Buff it into your cheeks and smile.
Lipstick is a universal right. It is like armor, but better. I wear red, in honor of Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She was advised to wear neutral-colored nail polish to her confirmation hearings to avoid scrutiny but wore red. What a girl. I ♥ that Latina sass.
I know the suffragettes would also have worn red, too, if they’d had the vote and Revlon. I was delighted to discover that ‘What lipstick is AOC wearing?’ has become a popular Google search. The answer, I can reveal, is ‘Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick’. It has sold out online. One magazine blamed ‘the AOC effect’.
Skincare is a hobby of mine. I like activism and active ingredients. I am obsessed with K Beauty, which stands for Korean beauty. Beauty breaks down walls. It is the great unifier. What woman doesn’t want to look her best? When I stand in front of the mirror in the morning, I imagine the regimes of those women in Korea, both north and south. Do they, like me, apply Vitamin C, so it sits close to their skin? Do they obsess over BB creams?
NO ALCOHOL in your wipes (or any skincare products).
Remember prohibition? Those guys were on to something. We’re on to something too.
As a young, millennial woman, I do not need to take advice from older men who do not know their retinols from their resurfacing toners. Have you seen some of the faces of the men in the Capitol building? I have up close and I suspect some of these men don’t even use a basic moisturizer, like Nivea.
Speaking of moisturizer, finding one that fits is hard work. Some are too aggressive. Others irritate. Some work for certain skin types but not others. But when you do find one that works, you know you can trust it and it will do the best for you.
I want to be America’s moisturizer.
Wear sunscreen. It will keep you looking young. Unfortunately, not only will I look too young to be president in 2020, I will also be too young. I know my followers will be disappointed by this. I imagine the White House has excellent bathrooms. I don’t want to be too product-placementy, but if I become President in 2024, I pledge to post regular #shelfies showcasing the beauty products I use. I will not fill my face with fillers and Botox. Natural beauty is where I’m at. Some days I don’t even wear makeup, and everyone just has to deal with it.
Diet is important but I am not here to tell you what to eat or not eat. What I will say is that I cut out dairy and my skin cleared up. And no, I am not working for the oat milk lobby.
They say it’s vain to post about the minutiae of your life. That it’s narcissistic. Well, pals. You’re wrong. These gold hoop earrings? They are more than just jewelry. They are a statement. This white power suit? It is a symbol of intent. A declaration of power. My power. Get used to me slaying.
So look yourself in the mirror. You got this. And more importantly, I got this.
*As told to Lara Prendergast
