Vanessa Hudgens on Having Individual Style: "I Feel Like I Do Me"

Courtesy of EcoTools
Courtesy of EcoTools

While Vanessa Hudgens may have gotten her name out there for being a Disney star, she's now recognized (at least in the beauty world) for having badass boho style. The gorgeous brunette takes risks on the red carpet — be it a whimsical braided updo with flowers or an extreme graphic cat eye. And she's definitely one of the most notable celebrities at any given music festival, thanks to a ton of glitter. Just mere days after she was seen living her best life at Coachella, we sat down with Vanessa to talk about her partnership with the EcoTools accessory brand and how her individual style is a perfect fit for the new campaign.

The #MyTrueBeauty campaign focuses on women building up one another and celebrating real beauty, which really speaks to the star. While Vanessa expresses her personality and radiating confidence levels through makeup and accessories, she wants her fans to do the same — well, she wants them "to just do them."

"I feel like I do me and I want everyone else to do them," Vanessa said passionately. "Looks are such a fun way of expressing yourself and contributing to how you want people to see you. It's almost the foundation of how you want to be treated. If you respect yourself, other people will respect you too." Her ability to be so naturally authentic is admirable, especially during a time when we're constantly comparing ourselves to others on social media. But Vanessa sees right through all the nonsense, and we give her serious props for that.

Keep reading to see all the incredibly inspirational things Vanessa had to say about the EcoTools campaign, her love for glitter, and why she thinks social media is "just completely a facade."

Vanessa on EcoTools: "I think EcoTools makes really amazing beauty accessories, and I love what they stand for. They're all about empowering women and they're launching the My True Beauty campaign [to help] take the intimidation out of makeup application. And just inspiring women to embrace their own individual true beauty."

Vanessa on how she developed such confidence to embrace her own individual style: "It's just a choice. At the end of the day, you can care about what other people think is right for you, or you can just do what you think is right for you. God made us all individuals for a reason. It's important to embrace ourselves for who we are, and to not deny ourselves the things that we like."

"When you look good you feel good, and there's nothing more powerful or sexy to me than a confident woman. I know that when I feel great, I put my best foot forward. So I think that it's very empowering when you feel your best. And for me, makeup is definitely a big part of that."

Vanessa on her festival style: "I always just kind of do the same thing. A lot of glitter, a lot of shimmer and face stones. More glitter."

On transitioning her everyday style for festival season: "Just a lot more glitter . . . I think that makeup brushes are key. EcoTools is coming out with a new kit called the Eye Am Courageous kit. It's a bunch of eye brushes, which are so important for me as such a big eye-makeup-lover. EcoTools also has the Perfecting Blender Duo that I bring and actually dip in glitter and put onto my body so it doesn't get all over my hands."

Vanessa on what she always has in her bag during a festival: "A fan, water, powder to tap away the sweat, lip balm because it's so dry, and the festival lineup."

On the best beauty advice she's ever received: "Drink a lot of water. It's good for everything. Your skin will always be better if you're hydrated."

Vanessa on her beauty inspiration: "Random women from all over. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest and I have a hair folder and a makeup folder and a Coachella folder, and I just kind of go for it."

On how she'd like to inspire others: "To just do them. I feel like I do me and I want everyone else to do them. I think that like looks are such a fun way of expressing yourself and contributing to how you want people to see you. So I think that it's almost like the foundation of how you want to be treated in a way. Like if you respect yourself, other people will respect you too."

Vanessa on the power of social media: "I think that social media can be great for keeping up with friends, but I think that it's forcing us to compare our lives to other people's lives. In reality, all it is is a snapshot of a moment that is really great that people want to share. No one's life is the life that they show on their Instagram . . . it's just completely a facade."

On her advice to anyone who's struggling to embrace their own identity and the pressures of social media: "Just know that they're not alone. There's probably so many other people in a very close proximity to them who's going through the same thing. It's really important for us to talk about [our issues] because you can bond with them and grow through having a bond that you might not have had if you didn't open up about it. So, don't be ashamed to be yourself, whether that's the good stuff or the bad stuff, because we've all got issues."