Selena Gomez Talks Getting ‘Mouthy’ on Instagram and Leading a Mental Health Focused Beauty Brand

hi you both thank you so much for being here oh so happy to be here thanks for having us yes so happy to talk about rare which if you are a person who knows anything about the beauty industry you definitely know rare So Selena let's start just kind of from the beginning by the time you launched the company in 2020 you were already a globally recognized musical artist and actor why did you want to create a beauty company and what did you feel that you could add that would be different I think I I didn't want to really enter the Cosmetics world without a mission um I don't know if I could feel like I was putting something out in the world that was going to be also giving to what we focus on at rear Beauty with mental health so to be honest it was actually um a it was a dream that kind of happened within this brand and on top of it we were able to make hopefully decent products that people enjoy and that's that's just a bonus amazing Elise you have this incredible background as a corporate social impact and marketing expert you even worked with First Lady Michelle Obama on her let's move initiative which is super cool what was it about Selena's vision for rare that really attracted you you know I always joked that I didn't Envision a career working for famous people I've said this to Selena and um the mission and the issue that Selena cared about was so both personal to me and also we were living in this moment where we had such an opportunity to bring the gift of someone like Selena a new brand and an issue that was coming to headlines and we had every tool in our toolbox to make a difference and Selena and I met over Zoom um the very beginning of Co and one conversation with her and I saw the power and authenticity I know Tory Burch was just speaking to this but it's all about her authenticity and the power in her story and the gift that she's given to so many of us that I knew was something that could really make a difference and that was it and at the end of that conversation Selena said so will you join me on this journey of course I said absolutely and um she pulled me to Los Ang moved all the way across the country yeah well I really want to hear a little bit more about the rare impact fund and tell us a little bit about what what makes you the most proud about the work that you've done so far personally I think that we've been able to do something that at least in cosmetics I think we've done something that no one's ever done and that's really the community that we've built and that is what makes me happy every night when I go to sleep because it's it's Mission driven it's not just about what we're trying to portray I'm so proud of the fact that we're actually doing things changing things having conversations getting people to talk about the right things um I'm sure you could add to that at least but I'm very proud for sure yeah at leise maybe give us some of the impressive figures oh yeah sorry I'm bad at that well I think you know for the rare impact Fund in particular which is a nonprofit organization we've raised more than 13 million since we launched which for an issue that's so incredibly underfunded only about 1.3% of philanthropy dollars go towards mental health and 2% of global Government funding for an issue that's so prevalent and touches so many lives just doesn't make sense and so we've raised funds and we currently support 26 organizations around the world that provide support to young people and on average each year we're reaching over a million young people over 1,000 schools and Educational Systems and about 700,000 we call them stakeholders but they're really all the people that surround a young person's life so really helping so that a young person has all these places to turn with people around them that understand know what to look for know how to bring them help and and that's been incredibly profound in the mental health and philanthropy space and when we launched the brand Selena made this really bold commitment we had never sold one product and she said I want to donate 1% of sales not profit but sales to this issue as an ongoing Revenue stream and so for a brand that launched in a global pandemic having never sold a lipstick yet that commitment was built into the brand which really showed that long-term commitment and and we've also been able to leverage that and with the community that we've built to bring expert Mental Health Resources to young people every day our social channels don't just talk about our new blush they actually share expert driven evidence-based mental health content in a place where young people are looking for those resources [Applause] [Music] there's sort of an inherent tension in making and selling beauty products right like for most of us no matter how much makeup we apply or or how skillfully we know how to apply it we're never going to look like the person in the advertisement who's selling that product to us and I know it's obviously so important to both of you to uplift people and to help others feel good about themselves so how do you think about those tensions in creating a beauty company personally I felt that there's a very there's a very unrealistic standard uh when it comes to the Cosmetic world and and it and it makes me a little sad um for my generation and for anyone to look at something that's probably you know touched up and made to look nice is I just wanted to break that down I don't know how to do makeup and I have a makeup line like I'm terrible at it and I just enjoy I just to me I wanted to make products that people didn't feel like they had to look a certain way didn't have to change the shape of their face I wanted it to to feel good when you're using my products and all of our products are named based on uplifting things from our F Comfort Line to anything that comes to mind body and soul we try to be very conscious of even naming the products to to be reminders of of Joy or or just finding yourself so I I genuinely just wanted to make makeup that was fun for people I I don't believe in having to look a certain way I I spent years trying to do that and it just it it's a draining waste of time preach yes I am Cur I mean so much of this plays out on social media right like you go into your phone and you sort of fall into this hole of seeing all all these images and I respect and appreciate so much that that's the they sort of trying to be a counter voice in that world which is amazing but what is your relationship with social media like these days it's you are the most followed person on Instagram most followed woman on Instagram which is you know such a platform for scrutiny I just am wondering what is that like for you these days and how does impact your mental health For Better or Worse well I took four years off of Instagram and I let my team post for me for those years um I felt like it was the most rewarding gift I gave myself I think people especially young kids it it's you're sitting there so focused on what looks wonderful when everything that's meant to be wonderful to you is not from here and I was more present I was happier I would actually get real phone calls about people telling me about their story and I could actually hear it instead of going oh I already know what you did today it's like it it's more human like I think I I don't I just I find it frustrating and then I can get a little mouthy and I want to defend people I love and it's um it just I think it's important to take breaks so I try to I don't really pay much attention I'll just you know do things here and there leise how about you what does social media look like for you these days so I would say social media for me is connected to work of course and I think we know that young people particularly a lot of the people that we reach at the brand a lot in that genen Z population they turn to social media and they also in particular are turning to social media for support around behavioral challenges so whether they're following trained therapists on social media um we know that young people there's actually a recent report that that shared that uh young people want Brands to be focusing on social issues and top among those issues is mental health and so for us while we recognize the negative impacts that social media can have we're trying to counteract that and we're really leveraging social and the reach of Selena and The Brand to actually be delivering substantial educational information and so for us that success and that's leveraging social and our reach in our community for good because we know it's not going anywhere and so as much as we can train ourselves to be boundaried and as a brand we we encourage digital detoxes we also know that social media does have a place in people's lives and if used in the right way and with the right information you actually really can be filling a gap I know sometimes you get comments from people on the rare accounts and imagine you get in your DMs and comments on your posts and everything people who are going through struggle like they come to you to talk about mental health how do you feel is appropriate for you to respond in those moments it seems like it's sort of a a tough place to find yourself in because these aren't necessarily people that you know you can't call them make sure they're okay what is your response to those moments I well I think first is we we definitely aren't ones to to diag know or to say we know what's best that's definitely not what we do I think through what well then all at least she sounds better than me she looks better than me um guys come um we I think what first of all we make sure that our team the team that manages community and social we first of all they have a direct line to to all of us and they know um the way that we respond is with crisis lines and where to call if you're in need of immediate crisis if something feels really triggering we will reach out to one of our mental health experts to connect them we constantly reiterate we are not a team of mental health experts ourselves but we make sure that we go through comments so that we can support as as much as we can um believe it or not a lot more of the comments have become wow like this was so informative to me or you saved my life or you turned my day around or Selena sharing her story made me feel less alone and really as the brand evolves that's become the bulk of the comments that come in and we've always said if we can save one life like we've made a difference and we see that every day and what we've been able to build and so certainly in the instances where something feels alarming we'll make sure that we're providing um appropriate information for where to call and articulating that we aren't the experts yeah and that's with the rare Beauty account I think mine is is completely separate I think that's where I want people to to go for help not not me I don't want to that's where you're resourced prepared to respond I'm glad we created the space for that there's a moment in your documentary my mind and me which is really intimate fascinating look at your mental health um super Brave amazing and I remember this moment where someone from your team was asking you are you sure that you want to share your bipolar diagnosis publicly her point was sort of you know you're really young you have a whole lifetime in which you could decide to share this but in that moment you were very confident and you said no like I'm I'm ready to talk about it how has that decision to share that you're living with bipolar changed things for you it's it's actually it's actually a bit freeing once I was able to to kind of get it out because for years I was so confused uh my emotions were so intense and it was it was very confusing and then I went to psychosis and all these confusing things were happening and once I finally found the answer it wasn't oh I have this problem it it actually made me feel better to know and understand what was happening in my mind and um and I actually found it to to be less scary and you know words and titles of course can confuse people but I'm I'm proud to to say I've been able to lucky enough to have the right medications and I believe in in you know taking care of yourself and I just wear it as a badge I don't really not ashamed of it in any way [Applause] yeah I think it it makes a really big difference for people to be able to have someone to look to who is very open and I appreciate that so much that's the best part to me you know I I enjoy meeting people but whenever anyone comes up to me and shares their story or you know feels that they can have someone to to say ohe me too I feel that as well it it's a it's a great feeling to be able to know you're making that kind of difference other than I loved your outfit you know it's very rewarding well I know rare is near and dear to both of you there have been some rumors of buzzing about a potential sale or an IPO what can you tell us about the future of rare and and how you envision your involvement uh I don't think I'm going anywhere I am enjoying this a little too much and um I I just want to continue to build what we're doing it means so much to me especially the impact fund um we have so many fun things coming up both with the fund and the brand so I'm just looking forward to to being a part of this this is my this is my pride and joy so I don't know where we'll go basically Elise what are your thoughts on on the vision for the future of rare I'm just I'm just thrilled that we've been able to build a brand and will continue to build a brand that's not just known for its products but that our community and in the marketplace we are known for the mission that we've built and the issue that we focus on and so my dream is whatever the future looks like that we continue to be able to focus and be known for our mission and what really has set us aside so I'm excited for that amazing let's leave off with a little bit of advice for the room maybe or taking uh taking a look at how you lead by example what is the single most important thing that you each do for your mental health I got to do a lot for my mental health one single thing I do um I think it's important that I balance things I need time to be on my own and I think that's always been something that has allowed me to recharge I think before I Associated being alone as a you know depressing feeling that I used to wake up feeling and now it's it's like I get to enjoy every day so yeah i' say for me it's two things it's surrounding myself with people who Lift Me Up always having the handful of people that I know I can turn to and love to be around um and then I think I think we've both learned there there's so much power in our own stories and once you start to share a tiny bit you just realize how much less alone you are and how so many of us are more alike than we are different when you start to open up and share whatever story or whatever piece of you you want to share it's such a connection point and it creates strong relationships and support well that makes me very excited for all the conversations that we're here to have today thank you both so much this was wonderful thank you

Channel: TIME

Views: 137,422

Keywords: selena gomez, elyse cohen, time100 summit, time, interview, rare beauty, cosmetics, make up, beauty

Id: 2lK4cJmI0co

Length: 18min 3sec (1083 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 24 2024