Ydelays Rodriguez is a makeup maven. In the past decade, she went from working the Macy’s beauty counter and vlogging on YouTube to becoming the founder and CEO of a beauty brand.
“Golden Dream Beauty is my American Dream,” Rodriguez notes on her brand’s mission page.
“As an immigrant who came to this country with only a suitcase and a great desire to work and learn, I feel honored that my story inspires thousands of women to know that it is possible to make their dreams come true.”
The Venezuelan-born, Los Angeles-based influencer launched Golden Dream Beauty in 2019, investing all of her savings to create a line of non-toxic, cruelty-free beauty products, starting with four styles of vegan false lashes. After two and a half years of development in Milan, Golden Dream Beauty launched the Dream On mascara in July 2023.
As part of our Visionaries in Belleza series in celebration of Latinx leaders in the beauty industry, we spoke with Rodriguez about being a beauty entrepreneur, the importance of cultural representation, and her trusted purse staples.
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Reflect Beauty: Give us a glimpse of a day in the life of a beauty entrepreneur.
Ydelays Rodrigues: I start my day at home with my family. I go out to the patio to get some fresh air with my son and my dogs at 6:45am, and I do some stretches with my five-year-old. We talk about what we see around us, like if it’s a cold day, the sounds of birds, and then we get ready to go to school.
After returning home from dropping my son off at school, I do my skincare – which is a fundamental part of all my days – and then I go straight to my computer. I look at my agenda, check my email, and my to-do lists for the day. I also check on the marketplaces where people can buy Golden Dream Beauty and make sure all orders are up to date. Some days, I literally record videos from morning to night, and other days I focus on strategies and opportunities for myself or for the brand.
RB: How did you develop your career as a founder and entrepreneur?
YR: I started making videos on YouTube in 2013, My love for everything beauty began in my house in Venezuela. Growing up watching my mother and my grandmother get ready was truly fascinating to me. Culturally, beauty and taking care of ourselves from within have always been present in my family.
When I moved to Los Angeles, I felt lonely and decided to make videos for my mother and sister to watch. Over the years, creating beauty content became my full-time job. In 2019, I launched my brand with my own savings and continued creating wonderful spaces and products to proudly represent my community in the beauty industry.
RB: How do you elevate the voices of your community through your work?
YR: Using my own voice. As an immigrant who came to this country with only a suitcase and a great desire to work and learn, I feel honored that my story inspires thousands of women to know that it is possible to make their dreams come true. I love representing my Latin community through my work as a creator, working alongside some of the biggest beauty brands in the world and, as a result, creating more job opportunities for my people through Golden Dream Beauty. Latinos are hard-working, passionate, loving, and honest and we have hearts of gold.
RB: Who are some of your biggest career influences?
YR: My mother and my grandmother were the women who instilled a love for this industry in my home. My grandmother had a beauty salon called “Ydelays,” and I feel like now, she is an angel who is proud of me and watching me from heaven. In the entertainment industry, my biggest career influence is definitely Jessica Alba. I admire her as a mother, as a businesswoman, and as a woman overall. I have had the pleasure of sharing, talking, and working with her and with the Honest Company. Growing up, she was the only woman in Hollywood who I felt that looked like me. I love the way she works on different projects at the same time, especially her passion, naturalness, intelligence and charisma she has throughout it all.
Which makeup products are in your purse right now?
YR: I have the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder to touch up during the day if needed. I also always have lip gloss with me – right now I love the Dior one as well as the Maybelline Lifter Lip Gloss With Hyaluronic Acid – and, of course, the Golden Dream Beauty Dream On Mascara.
