Beauty inspires fun and creativity, and Mercedes, the woman behind the super-popular YouTube channel, L’amour et la Musique is a prime example of this. This PhD and DJ spends her free time weaving her passion for beauty with music and candid, in-depth reviews. Earning the trust and loyalty of her audience by engaging with them faithfully, she seems to always have their best interest in mind. In this interview we learn more about Mercedes, a trusted and accessible voice in green beauty, her favorite superpower ingredient, mantra and how she launched her successful Vlog.
What inspired you to begin writing about beauty AND launch L’amour et la Musique?
I’ve started to become more comfortable telling people that if I hadn’t been born into a family of over-achieving academics with pretty specific expectations, I probably would have gone to beauty school. It could be that four planets of my astrological chart fall in Libra (though my sun sign is Gemini) – the sign of the zodiac most aligned with beauty; or the strong lung-metal element (from the Chinese medicine Five Element Theory) my acupuncturist has told me sheds light on my devotion to beauty
I started feeling like I really had a perspective to contribute, and hey- if I was spending such copious amounts of time researching and spending money on the latest and greatest in green beauty – maybe other people might benefit from my depleted bank account and firsthand product experience. Thus, my YouTube channel L’amour et la Musique came to fruition in the spring of 2014 (more detail on why I opted for this name can be found on my blog).
What’s your beauty philosophy?
I gravitate towards products/routines/looks that embrace quality over quantity (I’m an aspiring minimalist), and align with an effortless, chic vibe. I also strongly embrace balance, and non-perfectionism. I believe in always wearing SPF (like, always), nourishing my body from a traditional foods perspective, and maintaining a spiritual practice that keeps my thoughts and emotions balanced – because I believe this is truly reflected in your physical appearance.
What is your prescription for Health?
I have so many evolving thoughts on this, and it’s such an individual and personal practice. I think no matter what you’re doing to try and be healthy, your mental attitude towards it matters just as much if not more than the practice itself. Thus, cultivating true self-acceptance and love is probably the most succinct prescription I can think of.
Do you have a favorite ingredient? What do you love about it?
It might have to be blue tansy. May Lindstrom’s The Blue Cocoon, Young Living’s Valor blend, and La Bella Figura’s Travel Remedy all have the same addictive effect of me and I’m pretty insanely obsessed. But really I think just for the aromatherapy effect.
What inspires you?
An exquisitely good song. NPR’s StoryCorps series. Emotional honesty. Random acts of kindness. Generosity, empathy, and compassion.
How do you power up in the morning? How do you get energized?
This is probably obnoxious but I’m such a morning person. I get up between 6 and 6:30AM most days. ALWAYS have a cup of organic English Breakfast Tea first thing (and a big glass of water…). Two to three mornings a week I hit the gym to lift, and no shame – I stop off at Starbucks for a single espresso shot as a pre-workout (just as effective and cheaper than the Vega pre-workout supplement, which I was using before). I don’t find my energy lacking in the morning, but I definitely struggle with the mid-afternoon crash/slump.
Do you have a personal mantra?
Stay gold.
Do you have a favorite spa treatment?
I don’t get a lot of spa treatments! I do have a massage therapist I see from time to time, but I’ve probably only had two facials in my entire life maybe? My dream, however, is to have some kind of spa experience at either In Fiore or Earthbody in San Francisco.
Can you share one thing we don’t know about you yet?
My ethnicity! I’m Mexican, Irish, and Polish. I was named after my grandmother, and Mercedes is a more common name in Spain and Latin America (and apparently Iran?) than anywhere else. And yes. The name existed before the car.
Zen Moment: How do you unwind at the end of the day? How do you relax?
I actually find it very zen to remove my makeup and do my evening skincare routine – it’s very soothing. I regularly burn candles in the evenings (my favorite are 100% Pure beeswax candles, or Aloha Bay Chakra energy candles), or diffuse essential oils.
In addition to L’amour et la musique, what else do you do for work, hobbies and fun?
My other huge life passion is music. I’ve played the piano since I was 8, and around the mid-2000s I discovered house and underground dance music and it became a deep devotion.I bought turntables and started learning to beatmatch on vinyl in my bedroom. In graduate school I was part of a four-woman DJ collective, and played regularly for 3 or 4 years. I still DJ with old friends sporadically, though not I’m not currently as active as I once was in that realm. I work full-time as a researcher (I hold a Ph.D. in Sociology) in Boston – I just finished a project evaluating digital/mobile health technologies as health intervention techniques in vulnerable US communities, and am about to start a new research appointment focused on work, health/mental health, and productivity.
Where are we most likely to run into you on a Sunday?
Probably nowhere! Sunday is my dedicated veg out/recharge day. I’m usually in leggings, in bed, drinking tea/coffee/kombucha, catching up on YouTube and Bravo, and uploading a video to YouTube (I try and always upload on Sundays!). Sundays are my FAVORITE day of the week – I find them so comforting and lovely and cozy.
