Ignacia Soto Aguilar’s skillset and know-how has made her one of the busiest, and most sought after makeup artists in the industry. Having been a key part at of the makeup department for numerous productions including THE HUNGER GAMES, Project Power, Vice, and TNT’s hit series CLAWS amongst numerous others, she’s well versed in what it takes to bring a character from the page to life. Wardrobe and location are huge factors that come in to play when it comes to setting the scene, but it’s the makeup that helps the actor truly embody their character.
We recently caught up with Igancia where she dished on all things CLAWS, tips and tricks for looking red carpet ready, glam behind the scenes, and why she’s lending her voice to causes that matter.
Your latest project includes the final season of CLAWS. How did the makeup design process differ for each character?
Claws is definitely what I consider to be a makeup show. The makeup was a major component for helping tell this story. The main challenge we faced during the design process throughout the series was making sure that our narco-drama “boss ladies” always stayed true to their original established aesthetic throughout their entire character development, while also looking cohesive on screen with one another. This was difficult mainly due to the major differences in their overall looks. Each of their individual fashion style was centered around their assigned color palettes, and we took pride in that those creative decisions made early on in the show were always respected as their characters leveled up and evolved- going from rags, to riches, then back to rags, then… I won’t spoil it :).
All the women had a very good understanding of their character, and that allowed for every design to be a collaborative moment- discussions that admittedly never lasted too long once we both would quickly agree that it is totally acceptable to have a full face beat underneath all of that blood splatter.
What tips and tricks can you share to look “red carpet ready”?
I think one thing we are all focused on in this Covid era is taking precautionary health measures, and this also includes our skin. It is definitely way less about the homogenous “Instagram” corrective and reshaping makeup trend in recent years (which I’m so THRILLED about), and more about showcasing the appearance of a healthy good complexion- wellness is the new luxury in this current pandemic world, and the health glow is the new war paint.
So I would say the top tricks would be drinking lots of water, using SPF, and make sure to clean your skin and hydrate daily. Wearing face masks so many hours a day isn’t doing our skin health any favors. I am currently obsessed with Hyaluronic Acid products to counter the loss of moisture and restore plumpness after a long mask day. I highly recommend Tatcha’s Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum.
What beauty trends do you think we will see in 2022?
I’m definitely seeing that Y2K is back with a vengeance- but this time we have social media to hyper feed creativity, Sephora access, and online shopping. Nostalgia culture resurgence isn’t a new thing, but it is interesting to see how our hope for the future at the end of a significant era is expressed in makeup trends. Just like in the early 2000s we are seeing neon, bold statement eyeliners, pastel eyeshadows, less lash. Luckily line-thin brows, for those of us who got a little too tweezer happy while watching TRL, can only be found in our old forgotten MySpace pages. Brows seem to get thicker and more natural by the year, which I’m absolutely loving.
You are an advocate for the Nation Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC). What can you tell us about you work with them, how it is influence by your own experience as an immigrant, and how can people get involved?
I came across the NIJC when looking to support organizations doing on-the-ground work to offer immediate assistance to asylum seekers and other immigrants. Without getting too political, I can only say that in my experience as an immigrant who has been fortunate to have the opportunity to find a place in American society, I find it important that every other immigrant in my network not only believes in the American way of life, but also wants badly to work hard and contribute to the greatness of this country. I find that one way of doing that is to actively support those who want to have a similar success story as our own. I think it ultimately stems from a core belief that our character is measured on how we treat those more vulnerable than ourselves; there are few groups more vulnerable and deserving of our help than those risking everything to escape poverty and persecution.
It is easy to support the NIJC! They have a great website that shows all of the ways you can get involved.
You are also devoted to using your platform to advocate for mental health. What are some ways people can get in-tune with their mental health and find help when needed?
It took me a long time to understand my mother and her condition. When I was a child I definitely knew I had a loving, intelligent, caring, kind hearted mother, but I could never understand the disconnect between those positive parts, and the behaviors that were part of her illness. This other side that was debilitating both to her and, thereby, to me. But, as I got older I think I began to understand what was happening more as I began to experience my own set of challenges with mental health. Becoming educated and seeking the proper help allowed me to understand, accept, and even find value in what, maybe in the past, I had viewed as the lack of some important fundamental core experience in my life; and slowly, due to that understanding, our lives and relationship improved for the remainder of her life.
I learned that if these crucial ingredients are present- awareness, caring and proper intervention- lives can be restored. If anything I ever do or say ever encourages someone to seek out their own understanding and, thus, finding healing from something or someone that may be debilitating to their lives in any capacity, then what better way to honor my mother?
I cannot stress enough the benefits of finding a good therapist. And since the first step towards that search is to get rid of the stigma that surrounds mental illness, organizations such as Bring Change to Mind (BC2M) are great to support because they provide information and resources that will help eradicate myth and misunderstanding.
How do you manage life as a successful makeup artist and mom life while still finding time for yourself?
Both being a traveling working artist, and a single mom with family far away and limited support, are each individually challenging circumstances. Now- put those 2 circumstances together in a google search, and there’s very little that people agree on RE: How to do it successfully. I think the biggest breakthrough for me was the day that I understood that no other two people in the history of the world have ever been my son and I, with all of our circumstances, experiences, traits, etc. We are the first ones! I know it sounds like an odd thing to realize, but that’s when I was able to truly quit worrying about what was *right* according to various resources on “how not to ruin your child”, and we were able to figure out what worked and felt right to us. He has been in homeschool since quarantine 2020, and it has been incredibly beneficial for us to finally find a routine that works for our traveling lives. I would say each of the 3 areas of my life you mention have all been strengthened because of the other 2. Every day I spend at work is a day away from my son, and that’s what encourages me to give that day at work 100 percent. It is the only way to make that day worth all of the efforts by both him and I.
As far as time for myself, I find that being selective about who you work with can really make all of the difference in having that area fulfilled. Some of the people I work with, or have worked with, are my closest dearest friends. And, now that my son is older and has his own interests, there’s some time for mom to binge a crime documentary, a book, or a spa day. Or 3.
Where can NEW YOU readers go to keep up with your latest work?
Instagram @ignaciamsa
