The 5-Minute Beauty Secrets Syesha Mercado Learned From American Idol
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Upon first meeting Syesha Mercado, I can tell we're going to be fast friends. It's not just her natural curls that entice my Afro envy or her cherry-red MAC lipstick that makes me want to pump up my pucker; it's her effervescent personality that truly draws me in. You probably remember Syesha from season seven of American Idol. While she didn't take home the prize (David Cook won that season), her soulful singing style did get her a place in the top three. Since 2008, Syesha has launched a successful career performing on Broadway, where she starred in Dreamgirls and The Book of Mormon. But it's a viral YouTube video of her performing Beyoncé's "Love on Top" that has people anticipating her first album (scheduled for release this Fall).
Growing up in Florida with a multicultural background influenced Syesha's sound drastically. Her mother's experience as a backup singer for Motown gave her a love of gospel and soul, while her father's Puerto Rican heritage made a love of all things Latin. "I never had CDs growing up. I would listen to the radio and record what was on the radio and then have it taped so I could play it back," Syesha said. "Then when I was 16, my mom bought me an Alicia Keys CD and I fell in love with that album. She had the braids, she was playing piano, and she was just so different." You'll also find Kirk Franklin, Esperanza Spalding, Etta James, Mariah Carey, and Celia Cruz on her eclectic playlist. Each artist has influenced her unique folk sound.
Keep reading to listen to a preview of Syesha's new album, glimpse into her extensive bath-time ritual for soft skin, and steal her five-minute curl secret.
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On American Idol
POPSUGAR: Tell me about American Idol. What are the biggest lessons that you learned from being on a competition like that? It's kind of intense.
Syesha Mercado: I learned how to pace myself, and it really taught me a lot about focus. You're constantly just trying to find a balance in life, but with Idol it was a really long process. We had to do interviews, learn dance steps, and learn songs in a very short amount of time. So, I learned how to write out a little to-do list and pace myself, so I'm not tired at the end of the day. I also learned how to do my hair quick. I remember one time there was a BET Awards afterparty, and they literally gave us five minutes to get ready. That's how I learned to use Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding ($22) and blow-dry.
PS: During American Idol, you're mostly covering other artists' songs, but now you're creating stuff on your own. What's that like?
SM: It feels like freedom because I'm my own boss, and I get to do things how I want to do things. That's the best feeling ever — to be able to create freely. I'm actually going to Belize and Guatemala. I'm taking like my studio with me. I'll have video footage and like behind-the-scenes stuff. I'm so happy to create, travel, and do all of it at the same time.
Click here to preview to some of Syesha's new songs from her Fall 2015 album.
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On Her Natural Hair
PS: What's your biggest challenge with the natural curls?
SM: Consistency. The curl pattern changes every single day. My hair is supercurly, and when I was younger, people always thought I had a Jheri curl. When it's wet it's really short, that's why I blow-dry it sometimes to have the volume. Especially with humidity and being from Florida, I had no clue how long my hair was until I got to California because there was no humidity there! So, I guess my main things are shrinkage and consistency, but that's also what I love about having natural hair: it's just different all the time. You just never know what you're gonna get.
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On 5-Minute Makeup
PS: When you were growing up, what were some things that you learned even from your mom, like beauty tips?
SM: My mom didn't wear makeup, but I get a lot of my beauty tips from doing shows and from people I work with. The main thing people would tell me to do is drink a lot of water. That's like a beauty tip number one. Water is everything. Your skin just needs it.
I also love taking baths. I put in Celtic sea salt and Dead Sea salt from Whole Foods. Sometimes I put coconut oil in my water. Another good thing is food-grade hydrogen peroxide. It cleanses the skin and moisturizes the skin and scrubs the skin.
PS: So what makeup tips did you learn while on Idol and starring on Broadway?
SM: I feel like my makeup reflects what show I'm doing. During my entire run of Dreamgirls, you would never catch me without a lash. Because you're wearing something so heavy and so big, when you take them off you feel naked without it. So, I always had lashes on. But now I'm starting to cut back more on my makeup, and I just like natural face. Sometimes I don't even put eyeliner on.
PS: If you have five minutes to do your makeup, what do you use?
SM: I do some of it in the car. I learned that during Idol, too, and you always want to wait for the red light.
PS: What products are in your car makeup kit?
SM: Kiehl's moisturizer for lips, gloss with a little bit of color, waterproof MAC mascara, foundation, and mineral powder. That's five products for a five-minute makeup job!
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On Growing Up "Mixed"
PS: How did your multicultural background — African American and Puerto Rican — influence you growing up? How did it affect the way you look at beauty?
SM: I feel like it made me the eclectic artist that I am. I embrace all styles, so I feel like it helped in that way. I'm an open-minded person, and I just find beauty in all different shades and also different hairstyles. The only time I did feel different is when people commented on my hair. Like I was scared to wear my hair out like this. I didn't really embrace it because I always got picked on when I had it out. I'd go to church and have my hair out and they would say, "You need to comb your hair." So, I wore my hair in a bun all the time, and it really wasn't the kids growing up, it was mainly adults.