Meet the Army Mechanic Who Started a Beauty Empire

By
Ariel H
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Positivity is such a rare thing online – it seems like most people go online to tear others down. So it’s an absolute treat when we come across someone like Dulce Candy Ruiz, who wants to build others up through kindness and positivity.

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I feel incredibly honored and proud to announce that I am one of the recipients of @instagram ‘s #YoSoy #IAM award! . I know very well what it feels like to grapple with your identity as an immigrant to this country and feel like you don't belong or have worth as a human simply because of your brown skin. I realized that this was the root cause of all of my issues with self-worth and self-love as a young girl. I always wondered, "Why don't I love myself?" “Where did this self-hate come from?". Now I know very well the reason why. . It is more important than ever to authentically represent what my role and voice are as a proud immigrant in this country, especially having that we are widely misperceived. We have always been and will continue to be an integral part of the success and growth of this beautiful country. . @alexseyreyes , @mychivas , @johannareign & myself will be honored at the John F. Kennedy Center during the Hispanic Heritage Awards! @hispanicheritage in Washington D.C. Oct 1st! Thank you! Feeling incredibly grateful 🙏 . . Photographer:: @alexseyreyes

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Ruiz is a Mexican born beauty guru and online influencer. She immigrated to the United States with her parents as a child and joined the Armed Forces, where she served as a mechanic for two years. After her service, she started working as a mechanic, and in an attempt to add some femininity to her life, she started creating short makeup tutorials on YouTube.

These were the early days of YouTube, and the kind of content that Candy was making was rare and in demand. She soon became an online celebrity, and her brand grew each day.

As time passed, Candy expanded beyond makeup. She started sharing tips about lifestyle and fashion, as well as details about her life. Today she’s one of the biggest beauty and lifestyle gurus on YouYube and across social media, with over 1 million followers!

What makes her so popular? It’s not just her beauty tips or early start on YouTube – it’s her warm and welcoming personality, her candidness and her dedication to spreading kindness on the web and around the world.