Melissa Barrera on Becoming Clinique's First Latina Brand Ambassador: 'It Fills My Heart'

Melissa Barrera grew up with Clinique. Her first memory of getting glam was for one of her dance recitals, with the help of her mom who used the brand's signature compact blush.

Now, the award-winning actress is the first Latina to become one of it's global brand ambassadors. The star opened up to PEOPLE about the boundary-breaking partnership, the secret to her glowy skin and the future of Latino representation on-screen — and beyond.

The appointment "means so much" to Barrera, she shares. "Clinique is a brand that has been present in Latin America for as long as I can remember," says the 32-year-old actress and singer, who stars in the Scream franchise, Keep Breathing, In the Heights, Carmen and has another musical movie in the works. "I love the idea of women being able to see themselves in me...as the face of the brand. It fills my heart."

Barrera took on the role last summer, and she remembers thinking the opportunity was a "no-brainer," especially for her first-ever beauty campaign.

"I'm proud to be the face of a brand that actually cares about skin health, inclusion and women's empowerment through taking care of ourselves. It's all the messages that I believe in and that I want out there," she says.

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Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where she grew up in a "very matriarchal" household, Barrera's earliest beauty icons were her those nearest and dearest to her.

"I remember seeing my mom from when I was very little, always taking care of her skin and telling me to apply sunscreen. I remember my grandma — at least once or twice a week — would have someone come in and do her up. She always had to look like she was going to the Oscars because that's who she was," she reminisces.

Inspired by both her family and the Latino culture, Barrera formulated her own feel-good-look-good approach to self-care. "That's how I grew up — thinking if I take care of myself and if I make sure there's a pop of color on my cheeks or on my lips or a little bit of mascara before I go out, I'm going to feel like I rule the world."

Barrera sums up her skincare and makeup routines as "all about the glow." How does she gets it? "One of my favorite products right now is the Clinique Moisture Surge 100H Hydrator. I feel like it's the secret weapon of the world," she confesses on the multi-use product she's "obsessed" with.

She uses it as a high-powered moisturizer, a gel highlighter on her cheekbones or a primer under her foundation, even on the tips of her hair (which is a hydrating hack she picked up from Instagram).

It's also formulated with aloe vera, a hero ingredient used for DYI remedies in Mexico, which doubles as a reminder of home.

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Through her partnership with Clinique, Barrera wants to inspire the young Latino community to tell their own stories, much like Salma Hayek did for her. "I saw Salma cross over – she used to do telenovelas in Mexico just like me and then she became this huge Hollywood and global movie star. I was like, 'I can do that because she did that.' She paved the way."

Barrera continues: "I hope that now me being a Clinique global ambassador, little boys and girls are also looking at me being like, 'That means I can do that one day. I can be the face of a brand globally.' I just hope that it gives them hope and a drive to fight to earn their place in these spaces. I think a lot of people are fighting, a lot of Latinos are rising, and I'm very excited to see the wave coming. I'm excited to see more and more representation. Hopefully, one day we won't have to talk about it anymore."

Barrera encourages others "to go ahead and make your voice heard, start doing things and moving towards creating your own destiny because only you have the power to do that."

"There's such a wide spectrum of experiences in each group of people, in each community, and we need more storytellers, we need more creators. We need more of everything."