20 Pieces of Advice Our Moms Gave Us and We Now Swear By

Updated on 5/8/2016 at 1:00 PM

If your relationship with your Latina mom is anything like ours, it probably involves a lot of love, food, and wise (and sometimes interesting) advice. But even if you could find us rolling our eyes so hard when our moms were telling us about the wonders of night cream and how to stand up for ourselves when we were young, as adults we've come to appreciate every bit of guidance our great mothers gave us. Scroll ahead for what 10 Latinas and one Latino say are the best tips for life and beauty they got from their moms.

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "My mom always encouraged me to be an independent woman that isn't dependent on a man. She inspired me to make sure I know who I am and have my own life together before I settle down. I've kept that in mind through my 20s as I've built my career, traveled, and enjoyed girl time with my friends; I'm in no rush to get married because I know when I am (and if I do!), I'll feel as confident in the relationship as I do in myself."

My mom's best beauty trick: "Embrace your brows! I've always had full brows, and in eighth grade I got in trouble for plucking my brows to be thin like my classmates. My mom always told me I should embrace them, and she was right: Now that I'm old enough, I'm always combing out my brows and playing them up, and I get so many compliments from people who are jealous of them." — Arianna Davis, contributor, Latina

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Always work hard at everything you do."

My mom's best beauty trick: "Never leave the house without lipstick if you're wearing a full face of makeup." — Monica Sisavat, assistant editor, Celebrity

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Love is not enough. The most important thing in a relationship is mutual respect. Once you lose that, you've got nothing."

My mom's best beauty trick: "Always wash your face before bed! Drink lots of water! Don't leave the house without sunblock!" — Melody Garcia

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "That you can and should do it all. My mom has worked basically every day of her life since she was in college, but still managed to be at every dance recital I ever performed, took me to museums and plays every weekend, and read books to me every time we had a few minutes to lay around at home. She must have been exhausted, but never let it show."

My mom's best beauty trick: "That SPF is the key to smooth skin. She would chase me around the beach with a bottle of sunscreen and fought me when I didn't want to stop playing to let her reapply, but now I would never leave home without it. Every once in a while, I still get a morning text reminder to wear it." — Alessandra Foresto, senior editor, Latina

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Always make time for myself! She showed me by example to constantly give my time, love, energy, and patience to the people that matter most, but she also taught me that a little time for myself makes me a better person for everyone else!"

My mom's best beauty trick: "The power of a great skin care routine! Before makeup, she taught me how to take care of my skin with creams, serums, eye treatment, etc. Being Latinas, we love the sun, so having a great skin care routine is a must." — Alexandra Gonzalez Repetto

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Getting enough sleep makes everything better!"

My mom's best beauty trick: "Always wear something on your lips — whether it's lip balm, lipstick, or lip gloss — and a little bit of mascara. Even if you're not planning on wearing any other makeup." — Macy Daniela Martin, assistant editor, Latina

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "If you're going to do something, do it right. Although she usually would say 'hacelo bien!' while I was making my bed, that sense of work ethic and pride in one's work really stuck with me through high school, college, and now in my career. I can't thank her enough for teaching me the very valuable lesson that nothing is guaranteed in life, and respect and success are earned if you're kind and work for it."

My mom's best beauty trick: "The best beauty trick I learned from my mom is to not get too complicated with my beauty products. My mom has been using the same Olay moisturizer since I was born probably and her skin looks amazing. I've now noticed a similar commitment I have to the products that work for me. If it ain't broke, right?" — Kelsey Garcia, editorial assistant

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "The best advice my mom ever gave me is to always speak up for myself, because if I don't, no one else will. That, and to not let a day go by without being grateful for my blessings." — Lisette Mejia, editor, News

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Growing up, my mom always reminded me to never sweat the small stuff and that everything happened for a reason. Because of this, I've learned to not dwell on the negative moments in life and only focus on those that bring me joy."

My mom's best beauty trick: "Whenever I would get a burn, my mom would tell me to immediately apply mustard on the area. She always said it would help cool the burn and prevent it from blistering. Even though I hate the smell of mustard, I'm loyal to this remedy because it has saved my skin so many times — whether it was a burn from the steamer or a sunburn." — Victor Verdugo, intern

My mom's best beauty trick: "Always wash your face at night and keep your skin well-hydrated . . . and always drink plenty of water." — Josefina Boneo

Best advice my mom ever gave me: "Always only depend on yourself — never a man or anyone else. She's always wanted me to be self-sufficient and be able to pave my own path no matter what."

My mom's best beauty trick: "Embrace your semithick eyebrows. She's always called them beautiful and is happy I have them. She's also been ahead of the trends as thick eyebrows are just getting the love they deserve." — Ann-Marie Alcántara, assistant editor, Tech