Selena Gomez Admits She Felt ‘Hopeless’ Before Getting Mental Health Help: I’m ’Stronger’ Now

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Selena Gomez is one multi-talented woman! The triple-threat performer has been working hard in quarantine, dropping a makeup line, recording new music, and even debuting a cooking show. The former Disney Channel star has also gotten very candid about her mental health struggles, and discussed how she wanted to promote self-acceptance with her new Rare Beauty line. “It’s something that I wanted to be much bigger than makeup, because I fully believe that it’s your mind and it’s your body and it’s your soul. The relationship with you and your makeup should be healthy and should be fun and should be, in some cases, I’ve found, therapeutic,” Selena told Bustle in a September 2 interview.

She added, “Obviously, I’ve been doing this for so long. Having yourself be exposed — and that just kind of went into my pre-teens, early 20s — and that was a lot about what I look like and the makeup I would use. I don’t read the internet anymore, but it just didn’t make me feel good.” The makeup line takes its name from her January 2020 single, and features an extensive 48 foundation and concealer shades, along with a range of blushes, highlighters and lip products. The items have been given names like Fearless, Heroic, Motivate, Ascend, and Inspire, designed to “break down unrealistic standards of perfection” and “give people the tools they need to feel less alone in the world.”

“Sometimes if I’m getting ready and I’m alone, I listen to music and just kind of relax and enjoy it, try new things,” Selena said, adding that quarantine gave her some much-needed time to work on the line. The “Lose You To Love Me” singer also described the power of wearing the lipstick shade that you ex-boyfriend hated, when speaking to Bustle. “I’ve actually never told this story: I would wear red lipstick and a guy that I was seeing, he was like, ‘I don’t want to kiss you when you wear red lipstick, so I just don’t think you should wear it anymore.’ I was like — boop!” she said while confidently applying the lip shade.

Selena also opened about to PEOPLE about why she’s been so vocal over the years about her mental health issues. “As far as my career, I’m professional and I work very hard. At the same time, I do deal with mental health [issues] and I wanted that to also be known. In the beginning it seemed hopeless. Sometimes it was a challenge for me to even get out of bed,” she explained. “The one thing I’ve never stopped doing is asking for help. That was the hardest part, but I truly believe that that’s why I’m stronger. This is something that is the most important thing in the world to me ’cause it’s my mental health.”