Beauty Detail
The On My Block star shares her favorite beauty products.
In Bustle’s Beauty Detail, we dive into the beauty bags of our favorite talents for intel on the rituals that keep them glowing and the MVPs (most valuable products) they can't live without. Here, Jessica Marie Garcia tells Bustle about her favorite BIPOC-owned brands, the best products for psoriasis, and how her character Jasmine Flores influenced her beauty routine.
On My Block is sadly ending with the show’s fourth season, but its magic and groundbreaking representation created a legacy that will live on for years to come. Integral to the Netflix dramedy’s X factor was Jessica Marie Garcia, who portrayed the affable Jasmine Flores throughout the show’s run. The 34-year-old actor, writer, and producer mirrors her character in a lot of ways: Both have fun style, an undeniable warmth, and pride in where they come from. Those qualities (especially the latter) radiate through Garcia’s beauty routine.
Whether bare-faced or wearing a full beat, Garcia always makes sure her complexion is nourished. “For me, skin is everything,” she tells me over the phone. “I don’t need a lot of anything else if my skin looks good.”
The actor has psoriasis, which drove her quest for gentle skin care products that calm flare-ups. “I’m one of the lucky ones because I don’t have it on my face or arms,” Garcia explains. “But I do have it from the knees down on both legs, so it’s a lot.” The skin condition affected her tremendously growing up; she tells me she was always too self-conscious to wear shorts. “And this girl grew up in freaking Florida — so it was hot as hell.”
Now, she’s gotten over the stigma and proudly proclaims that her legs are one of her favorite features. When Garcia’s working and has a flare-up, she uses KKW Beauty’s Body Foundation to reduce redness. “It covers up my [psoriasis] without being too thick and it doesn't transfer as long as I let it dry.”
When she’s not filming, her main focus is giving her skin some extra love. For that, she turns to The Body Butters, an all-natural, Black-owned brand that she calls her “main savior for psoriasis.”
Garcia makes a point to rave about The Body Butters and the other BIPOC-owned brands whose products make up the contents of her beauty bag. “I love supporting them. I've had talks where I'm only wearing makeup from women of color,” she says. “And I think the more that we support them on the other side, [the] more people will get to know who they are.”
Inspired by the likes of J Lo, Selena, Mj Rodriguez, and Jasmine Flores (whose bold beauty looks have shown her new styles she thought she could “never pull off”), Garcia’s beauty routine is rooted in a love of her background.
Below, she shares the top five products she can’t live without.
Her Favorite Cleanser
“I’m kind of obsessed with JLo Beauty right now. I use pretty much all of her products. I start off with her cleanser, then I use her serum, eye cream, and her SPF moisturizer.”
Her No-Makeup Makeup Staple
“If I'm doing a no-makeup makeup look, I really love the Honest Company. Shout out to Jessica Alba — a Latina businesswoman. I love her Honest Clean Corrective with Vitamin C Tinted Moisturizer. I mix her light and medium colors and it [creates] my perfect skin tone.”
Her Psoriasis Savior
“With psoriasis, a lot of the moisturizers they often [recommend] have a lot of steroids in them. I just don't want to deal with that. [The Body Butters] is all-natural — they only use shea butter, avocado oil, jojoba oil, and olive oil. I live for it. It smells good enough to eat.”
Her Go-To Moisturizer
“I have to use the [JLo Beauty] moisturizer. You always have to use SPF and keep the skin looking good. And I live in LA, so it’s definitely needed.”
Her Signature Fragrance
“To me, it’s all about smelling good. I have five sprays in my purse [at all times]. I have my favorite Carolina Herrera perfume that I have to put on before I leave the house. I put them on before Zoom meetings if that tells you anything.”
