Meet November's Very Important Friend, Amanda Rodriguez. We chatted with the Brooklyn native about how she's been keeping chill in the LBC with her pug, Fox Mulder, and if it really was Rupaul's Best Friend Race, who she would choose as her Drag Race BFF! Plus learn more on why she chose The LA Food Bank as her non-profit benefactor for this month’s VIF partnership! Shop Amanda's Top 20 here and use her code AMANDAVIF for 20% off + 5% of every order goes toward The LA Food Bank!
Currently living: In sunny, Long Beach, California.
Preferred Pronouns: She / Her
I am an: Brand + Community manager at WLDKAT.
Go to self care when you’re feeling that 2020 anxiety: Beach path walks with my silky pug, Fox Mulder, masking, and Rupaul's Drag Race.
Preferred Pronouns: She / Her
I am an: Brand + Community manager at WLDKAT.
Go to self care when you’re feeling that 2020 anxiety: Beach path walks with my silky pug, Fox Mulder, masking, and Rupaul's Drag Race.
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Wow. It would probably be my late abuela's cooking because it's textbook comfort food. Arroz con Gandules, Pernil, Mofongo, Pasteles. Also, any of my friends would tell you I'm a rotisserie chicken kinda gal.
Next vacation destination ASAP (post pandemic ofc): Japan! I want to go to Tokyo + Kyoto in the Spring for cherry blossom season. It was on my 2020 list and now it'll be that much more special.
Fashion trend I’m crushing on rn: Glowing skin and a structured brow. I've been happy af at home in my heavyweight sweatpants, 90's vintage tees, and Tevas + socks.
Who is an influential female muse /or major inspo in your life? SZA is a MAJOR muse for me. Jennifer Lopez, Zoe Kravitz, Solange, Rosie Perez, Janet Jackson, Paloma Elsesser. There are a lot of women who continue to shape my style.
3 essentials you can’t live without: My sidekick / 5-year-old pug, Agent Fox Mulder, my rose pendant necklace that I never take off, and my Levi's pink sterling trucker jacket (the perfect Southern California outwear essential).
If it was RuPaul's Best Friend Race, which Queen would be your BFF?: Oh WOW. It would probably be Katya or Naomi Smalls. I feel like I'm equal parts both of them but it can vary from day to day.
Between the years 2000-2005 I totally thought ________ would be happening in 2020 and I would be _______ : I thought a Blade Runner existence would be happening in 2020 and I would be some bougie GM at a luxury hotel in NYC. (I went to school for Hospitality Management in 2005.)
If it was RuPaul's Best Friend Race, which Queen would be your BFF?: Oh WOW. It would probably be Katya or Naomi Smalls. I feel like I'm equal parts both of them but it can vary from day to day.
Between the years 2000-2005 I totally thought ________ would be happening in 2020 and I would be _______ : I thought a Blade Runner existence would be happening in 2020 and I would be some bougie GM at a luxury hotel in NYC. (I went to school for Hospitality Management in 2005.)
Last Instagram account you followed? Working Class History @workingclasshistory. They post about something that happened on that day in history. It's mostly centralized around acts of resistance or rebellion from all around the world. I try to be thoughtful with the content I'm consuming on social these days.
Hate when: I've been REALLY good to my skin and I'm still dealing with random bouts of "maskne".
Love when: My Roomba cleans my entire crib, I saged every room, and the playlist is just right.
Anything dope you’re working on that you wanna share: I helped launch a clean and sustainable skincare brand in April and it's been one of the craziest and most rewarding things I've ever accomplished in my career. 2020 has been wild in so so many ways.
As a badass MUA, post~mask life what is your favorite beauty-enhancing product and why? It's gotta be a toss-up. MAC lip pencil in SPICE, because it's the perfect pink nude for my natural lip color and I was told when I was 15 that J-Lo wore it, Cindy wore it, and Linda wore it. And a Shu Uemura eyelash curler because after you use it no lash curler will be welcomed in your home.
Tell us why you picked The LA Food Bank as your non-profit? Simply put: Because no one should go hungry. 2020 has put so much into perspective for me like so many people. As overwhelming and stressful this year has been, I try to reflect on the things I have, and one thing that I never have to worry about it having a safe space to live and food in my kitchen. We have the opportunity to help give hope to our community and someone who might not know where their next meal is coming from.
Shop Amanda's VIF picks here and use her code AMANDAVIF for 20% off!
