Okay, so, let’s just take a moment to fully appreciate the legendary look of la Reina del Tex Mex, Selena Quintanilla. ‘Cause girl had it going on. Internationally loved and missed to this day – nearly 20 years after her death – Selena was and continues to be admired for her singing/songwriting, style, all around good humor and undeniable icon status.
But she was so much more than an entertainer. She was a symbol for an often silenced culture, living in the margins of a country proud of its lemme-shove-this-fake-ass-American-dream-down-your-throat lifelong mission. A country that flourished – and continues to do so – on the blood, sweat and tears of its immigrants, yet often excludes them from its narratives.
Selena not only brought bi-cultural Latino identity into the limelight, she helped break the mold of traditional Anglo beauty standards (and laid the groundwork for J Lo to come in and put big booties at the center of the national consciousness).
As Deborah Paredez, the associate director of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of “Selenidad: Selena, Latinos, and the Performance of Memory” put it:
“Unlike most Latina celebrities, [Selena] was morena—dark—and she did not conform to Anglo standards of beauty. She had curves, brown skin, and black hair that had not been lightened. She resonated with her fans not only because she shared the same class and regional affiliations as them but because she looked like them too.”
Perhaps this is why Selena’s look – her bustiers, her staple red lip, her black eye-liner – have made such an impact on her fans. One such fan took her dedication to a whole new level by starting a Change.org petition asking M·A·C Cosmetics to release a “Selena Quintanilla for M·A·C” limited edition collection. And we gotta say, “Why hasn’t this happened?”
The petition, which has already garnered nearly 26,000 signatures lays out its argument clearly: “As a huge fan and customer of M·A·C Cosmetics and Latina woman, we want MAC Cosmetics to create a line that represents the community that shops M·A·C make-up. Selena Quintanilla is an iconic legend in our community and would she be alive, she’d be a perfect MAC girl! Her music is still being played and is as relevant today as when she was alive. #SelenaQuintanillaForMAC.”
M.A.C. has since responded saying “The loyalty and enthusiasm of Selena’s fans are clearly evident and we love this. M·A·C admires the passion and joy Selena brought to the world. She was an amazing person with amazing talent. We consider all types of feedback like this as we plan our collaborations.”
It’s not exactly the resounding “YES WE’LL DO IT” we were hoping for, but the petition signatures are growing by the day, so add your name to keep pushing for this to happen! And in the meantime, check out some of our favorite Selena Makeup Tutorials on YouTube so you can master the look at home. (And stick around for a little hairy surprise at the end, don’t forget to have that hairspray ready, though!)
Besitos
She doesn’t quite master the pronunciation of “Quintanilla,” but she does master that red lip.
Dreaming of You
This one made the list because it’s awesome to see the impact Selena had on people even all the way across the pond in England. “She’s just my hero,” says YouTuber KasminaM. Ours too.
Amor Prohibido
Get your tutorial in English AND Spanish.
Fotos y Recuerdos
This girl cut her bangs for the sole purpose of this tutorial. That’s dedication and we respect that.
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
And here’s a little something extra, in case you were wanting to get that Selena up-do.