“Material Gworl” rapper Saucy Santana has landed his first beauty ambassadorship with thread beauty. The Black-owned and women-founded beauty company was created by The Lip Bar Inc. CEO Melissa Butler. The brand aims to empower and uplift the queer community with self-affirming cosmetics while creating a space for the girls, guys, gays—and everyone in between—to feel welcome to express their authentic self.
Tapping Saucy Santana as the inaugural ambassador just made sense for the brand. He lives his life unapologetically and overcomes adversity daily as a dark-skinned feminine gay man in hip hop. But never worry, Santana isn’t embarrassed or ashamed to be himself at all times.
The pioneering Gen Z cosmetics brand, known for its commitment to representation, inclusivity, and diversity, is thrilled to have its first-ever celebrity ambassador. Butler and team are proud to be an ally to the queer community year-round by donating 15% of every purchase to LGBTQ+ organizations. The “Walk” rapper is joining in support of thread beauty’s #takepride campaign, which has donated over $40k to queer causes, including: the LGBTQ Freedom Fund, Black AIDS Institute, The Trevor Project and Joshua Home: An LGBTQ Safe Haven.
The partnership will also include social activations that include gifting 150 of Saucy Santana’s favorite male makeup artists and content creators, with custom PR boxes with the entertainer’s favorite thread beauty products.
EBONY spoke more with the rapper about this latest accomplishment in his career.
EBONY: What brought about the partnership?
Saucy Santana: With me being part of the LGBTQIA+ community and thread beauty being both an ally and a Black-owned, female-run beauty brand, this partnership was a win-win for everyone. Seeing that before I was rapping, I was doing makeup, being an ambassador with thread beauty also feels like it’s bringing me back to my roots. It’s fun and cool to collaborate with a makeup company that’s excited about me, and I’m excited about their brand, and working together in the future.
When I first started doing makeup, even on YouTube, there wasn’t anyone that looked like me that I could reference and learn from. It’s also really important to me to be an example, and have a positive impact on my community—for the beauty boys and everyone that loves beauty. Today, I have a lot more supporters that look like me, for example, boys that have facial hair, a fade or full glam. This partnership can hopefully inspire them and represent what’s possible. Like I’m out here living my best life and here’s an example of how you can do it too!
Image: Courtesy of thread beauty.
How old were you when you first got into makeup?
I would say I was 17. My mom used to be a Mary Kay beauty consultant, so I used to steal her makeup whenever I could and practice. I was completely self-taught because I found, at the time, YouTube tutorials didn’t help. Also, I had to learn for my face, get into the field, and learn through trial and error.
What do you like wearing more gloss or lipstick?
Depends on the day and depends on the occasion. thread beauty’s ‘gloss it’ is one of my favorites.
Image: courtesy of Thread Beauty
Do you wear makeup daily or only on special occasions?
Mostly only for special occasions and events.
What does a normal beat look like for you? Do you go the natural route or go all out?
A normal beat for me is full glam. I am not a big fan of color, so brown eyeshadows and a nude lip is my go-to look. I have to have my nose pinched like the beautiful K Michelle. I like beaming, iridescent highlighters. So, I would say, full glam, with minimal color, is my go-to look.
Today, I’m stepping out of my comfort zone, having fun with thread beauty. It’s 1 pm and I have a full face on including blue eyeliner.
