The $5 Eyeliner Love, Victor and Crush Star Isabella Ferreira Calls “Amazing”

With her knockout performances in such beloved hits as Netflix’s Orange is the New Black and Hulu’s Love, Victor (season finale premieres June 15th) and Crush, fresh-faced beauty, Isabella Ferreira has truly arrived.

In this Beautytap exclusive, Ferreira shares what it was like during the final day of shooting Love, Victor, some of her most affordable, go-to beauty products, and her latest celebrity crushes.

Beautytap: You started your career when you were only five, but your big break came when you were cast playing thirteen-year-old Eva Diaz on the award-winning Netflix series, Orange Is The New Black. You were actually 15 or 16 at the time, so was makeup something you were already pretty familiar with when you started the series?

Isabella Ferreira: I danced for about nine years, and really started getting into makeup when I joined the competition team. I remember we would have a specific day where there’d be a makeup instructor who would come teach us how to do eye makeup and it was a lot of fun.

B: Do you remember one of the first makeup items you loved and learned about during those dance competition years?

IF: Yes, it was definitely eyeliner. That was a “woa, this is magical” moment for me. Eyeliner became my most favorite thing to do from that point on.

B:  Did you have a beauty regime at 15?

IF: Around 15 or 16 is when I really started to get into skincare and makeup and learning which products were right for me. At the time I was probably using a little too many products and really getting into lots of different face masks and cleansers, so my skin didn’t necessarily love that, but I think what I’ve learned from that time is less is more.

B:  Was working on Orange is the New Black where you learned that less is more?

IF:  Yes. When you’re wearing makeup for such long hours it’s really important to have a clean base, a good skin care routine and take all of your makeup off at the end of the day. I think that’s when I really started understanding all of that and learning the ups and downs. 

B: I imagine because it was such a successful series that every major brand was sending the cast products. Do you remember any specific products that you fell in love with while working on OITNB?

IF:  Honestly, I think I was just so excited about filming I was not even paying attention to what was being used on my face or my hair. But what did stick with me was that they used a lot of cream and liquid products on my face, and I was just so used to using powders at that time since that was all I knew. Since then, I love using liquid and cream products. 

B:  Do you have a favorite liquid or cream now?

IF: I love experimenting with new makeup, but if I can save a buck, I’ll save it. Ha! I really do enjoy E.L.F. products – they’re amazing. I love their Hydrating CAMO Concealer and their eyeliners. I also use their eyebrow brushes. E.L.F. is my go-to.

B:  In OITNB, your on-screen mother’s character, played by Elizabeth Rodriguez, doesn't like to follow the rules. You once said that your own character Eva was a lot like that too.  Would you say that you are like either one of them in real life? Do you like to break the rules or are you more conservative when it comes to doing makeup?

IF: I wouldn’t say I’m conservative when it comes to makeup, but I definitely love to have fun with it. If anything, I can find myself doing makeup and trying out new looks late at night. Again, eyeliner is one of my favorite things. I love experimenting with different colors like blue, purple, neon green, etc.

B: Where are you finding the colored liners?

IF:  Colourpop has a lot of good colored eyeliners. A little secret I love is making eyeliner out of eye shadow - just grab some eye shadow and drop a little bit of water on any straight edge brush then dab it into the shadow. Instant eyeliner.

B:  I'd love to talk about your gorgeous hair! In one of your most physical scenes in OITNB, both you and Elizabeth Rodriguez had to choreograph a big fight scene. Since your hair was a major focus for that scene, were there meetings about your hair? It looked like it must have really hurt!

IF:  We had a stunt coordinator on set and he was able to teach Elizabeth how to hold my head and my hair so that I wasn’t being harmed. I was able to just act as if she was genuinely pulling my hair, but no hair was harmed in the process, and all is well!

B: Oh good! So, speaking of not harming your hair. What do you do to keep it looking so beautiful?

IF: It really depends on what style I have. If I have a fresh blowout it can last up to a week or more thanks to dry shampoo - my best friend. I don’t necessarily love to wash my hair too much especially since I have curly hair. But when my hair isn’t blown out, I probably wash my hair twice a week. I’ve been using NatureLab Tokyo Shine conditioner and shampoo and that’s really been helping. Pavy Olivarez in the Hair Department of Love, Victor gave them to me and they’ve really been working!

B: Which dry shampoo do you use?

IF:  I use Hask, which was given to me as well.

B: Speaking of Love, Victor, you play Victor's sister Pilar Salazar and you’ve played a sister in almost every show you’ve been on. I couldn’t find any information on whether or not you yourself have a sister. Do you?

IF: I do! I was raised with my two older sisters, and they are the best. I absolutely adore and appreciate them for keeping up with me.

B: How nice! But since they are your older sisters, did you look up to them for makeup advice and did they let you share? Or were they yelling, "Get out of the bathroom, this is my time!" more often than not?

IF:  Oh, one hundred percent! Honestly, bless them because I was just a little fiend when I was younger. I used to take all of their makeup, skincare and even their clothes, and just try on everything. At the time, they are ten years older than I am, so they always had the newest things. I remember my older sister loved mascara. That was her thing and she would have a new mascara almost every single week. It was good for me because I would take them and say to myself, “let’s see which one is going to make my eyelashes look awesome?" That is a core memory I have. I still to this day take their things but they don’t get half as annoyed as I would get if they were taking my things. (Laughs).

B: Your Hulu film, Crush is an LGBTQ+ rom com that deals with teenage angst and love. In some of your previous interviews you have shared that your own personal crush was Shawn Mendes. Is that still the case? 

IF:   I think deep down it is still the case, but not quite as strong. Although, it’s possible that if I were in the same room as him I could become a fan girl.

B: The film Crush addresses unexpected love. Is there someone else you weren’t expecting to have a celebrity crush on?

IF: Zoe Kravitz and Robert Pattinson in The Batman are golden!  They are gorgeous humans and amazing actors, so they are definitely my celebrity crushes at the moment. 

B:  I also think you have great comedic skills. Megan Mullally also stars in Crush. She is one of the most highly regarded comedic actresses in television. Did you get a chance to watch her work and learn from her while making the film?

IF: Yes, and I was so blessed enough to have scenes with her. She is absolutely amazing. Golden inside and out and so talented. I love to be able to work with actors that I’m able to learn from. I always say that if you’re the smartest one in the room, you’re in the wrong room. When I was with Megan I just felt like "Girl! You got this!" I’m here to learn and to watch, so I’m grateful I was able to learn from her.

B: In most of the shows you've starred in, you've had some really funny lines and scenes. Maybe you need your own comedy?

IF:  Thank you! I would love to do a comedy one day. I think as a cast, we all just really clicked together. We were able to bounce off each other and that’s always so important especially when it comes to comedies. It was such a fun experience.

B: You are in the third and final season playing Pilar in Love, Victor. It started as the number one most watched drama on Hulu and is a hugely popular series that tackles so many teen issues. And Crush also tackles issues of self-identity. Have the roles you’ve taken on so far helped you find your own self in any way?

IF: I think so. With the characters I play, they are all going through things, while I am also going through similar things, and if not, I’ve already gone through them. So, I think that’s always the funny thing about this industry - you’re able to work through your problems through your characters. And with regards to Pilar, in the beginning her character wasn’t super confident. She was growing into herself and getting out of the tween phase. And then she learned to truly love herself. I was also going through similar issues myself, so I was able to grow from that role and learn from her experiences. 

B: Did makeup help empower you and make you feel more positive about yourself? Did it play a role in helping you feel confident?

IF: 100 percent. When I was younger and getting really into makeup I used so much of it – contour, foundation, concealer. Everything! It was good because I was trying to find my base. But as I grew into it, I learned that make up is really supposed to just enhance your beauty and not change or alter your face. It goes back to learning that less is more. 

B: If you just do the bare minimum for each of your features what would that be? Let's start with the face.

IF: Blush. You just need to put a little bit of blush on your face and call it a day.

B: Do you have a favorite shade? 

IF: I’ve been using TARTE Blush - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed - it’s a nude pink.

B:  What about for your lips?

IF:  Lip liner and lipstick are some of my favorite things as well. I’m really into the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lip liner and lipstick. It’s a really popular shade right now and I’m so here for it.

B: Do you wear nail polish?

IF: Sometimes I get my nails done but I feel that when you’re acting you never know when you’re going to need to go without nail polish, so I don’t really wear it. 

B:  Love to hear about some of your other go-to products you are loving at the moment.

IF: I also like Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Powders which I’ve been using non-stop. Also, L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara is my best friend right now. And Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez. I use her Positive Light Liquid Luminizer.

B: Do you enjoy getting ready for red carpet appearances and dressing up?

IF: It’s one of my favorite things. I love getting my hair and makeup done and learning new tips from hair and makeup artists.

B: I read in one of your tweets that the last day of shooting Love, Victor was so emotional you were throwing up and crying. Your on-screen family was like real family. You can’t reveal too much because the finale hasn't aired yet, but what was the last day of shooting like?

IF: The last day of shooting was so emotional and bitter-sweet. We all went into it with a positive light of course, just wanting to make it the best ending to our series as possible. There was so much love, although it was extremely sad at the same time and there were tears almost every five seconds. I don’t know how we got through half of the scenes. It was truly a family coming together and saying goodbye to the end of an era. It was both heartbreaking, but lovely. We were all going through it together, so it was beautiful.

B: So, lots of no-run mascara?

IF: Oh yes - waterproof!

B: You must be very proud of being on that show. You have 200,000 followers on your Instagram - @theisabellaferreira and you must have such a great sense of pride. Can you share how it feels to be an inspiration to so many fans? 

IF: In the beginning, when you start to gain those followers and supporters it feels a little scary because there are a lot more eyes on you. But I know there are a bunch of people out there rooting for me and there’s something so lovely about that. I really appreciate each and every one of them because I get lovely messages all the time where people share their stories, and it warms my heart - this is why I do what I do.

B:  What is your dream role?

IF: One of my dream roles is to play a Latina superhero. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that one day. 

B:  Well, you’ve got the stunt thing down already!

IF: Exactly! (Laughs). I got my hair pulled. I know what I’m doing.

Catch the multi-talented Isabella Ferreira starring in the highly anticipated season finale of Hulu’s Love, Victor on June 15th along with Crush and Orange is the New Black now streaming.