It could be said that Alejandra Espinoza’s new role as a Revlon Global Brand Ambassador was a lifetime in the making. Growing up, Espinoza – today, a Univision Network personality and host of the Simon Cowell-created Spanish language singing competition La Banda – was obsessed with makeup. But she wasn’t allowed to wear it until she was 15.

As soon as she hit that magic number, her older sister (she has four sisters and five brothers) passed down a gift from the beauty gods: her first tube of lipstick. “It was a red colour. I remember wearing it all the time,” says California-based Espinoza, who is also the face of Revlon’s new fragrance, Love is On. “I love putting on makeup. I love taking my time to do it. I like feeling beautiful.” Sounds scoring a beauty contract was a perfect fit. Here, she opens up about her new gig and beauty commandments.

What was the bathroom situation like growing up with 10 kids in the house? We had only two rooms and one bathroom! We used to get a little bit crazy in the mornings before going to school. When somebody was taking a shower the other one was bushing their teeth or brushing their hair or doing their makeup. My older sister she loves makeup and I remember when I was super-young I used to watch her apply it and that’s where I fell in love with makeup.

What’s your daily routine like now? I can be ready in three or four minutes. I used to take a lot of time, like an hour or so, and now with my baby [Espinoza has a seven-month-old son] I have to be very fast.

If you could only leave the house wearing mascara or lipstick – what do you pick? Mascara definitely. I think with mascara you can go from zero to 100 in minutes and it just gives you attitude! [Laughs]

How do you live life according to the “Love is On” philosophy? I always try to apply love in my life. I got married when I was 24 and I just had a kid so I’m more in love in my life that I’ve ever been. That’s why I’m loving this campaign. I think it’s amazing how we’re trying to explain to people to do what you love without thinking about it or having any regrets.

You have a huge social media following, with over a million followers on Instagram alone. When did you first get hooked on social? I used to like MySpace a lot. [Laughs] I used to like when you had the chance to change the background or change the music. It used to give you personality. Then I fell in love with Instagram. I just love the people who like me. I don’t like to call them fans; I think they are like family for me. I’ve been through a lot and they’re very kind and they support me.

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