LETÍCIA NOVAES
Singer, Songwriter, Composer, Musician and Author.
THE BEAUTY TALK
TELL ME ABOUT THIS PASSION FOR RED YOU HAVE? YOU ONLY DRESS IN THAT COLOR WHEN YOU PERFORM AS LETRUX.
When we were working on the album cover, I was presented three different arts. When I saw the red option it became obvious. Red is such a strong color. It is a statement. It is a revolutionary color. And from there, I started wanting everything red for the shows. Red clothes, red lights, red flowers. Everything had to be red.
SKINCARE OR MAKEUP?
I wear make-up on stage but I put so much on that when I am not performing I just want to let my skin breathe. Regarding skin, I am very "carioca": I love the sun. I know it is terrible but I feel more beautiful when I have a tan. In winter, when I see my face so white with all my violet veins, I feel awful. I try to use sunscreen but I am a little bit sloppy about it. Some friends of mine are already doing botox. I have some wrinkles, I mean it is genetic my mother has some, my grand-mother has some, but I have people asking me if I am going to do something about it… And I am like “what?!”. I like my wrinkles. Just like some people asked me if I was going to remove my mole. If I did I would not be feeling myself anymore. 36 years looking into the mirror and seeing this, how could I remove it?
DO YOU THINK BEING A WOMAN IS A POWER?
I love being a woman. I was thinking about that the other day… If someone asked me if in another life I would like to come as a man, I would definitively answer that I would not! I recently watched a very beautiful documentary with my boyfriend called “the mask you live in” about what masculinity meant, like the fact that boys are not allowed to cry… Some scenes show boys at school hurting each other, punching one another in the face. Tiago (editor’s note : Leticia’s boyfriend) told me that of course he got punched in the face when he was younger. I personally suffered bullying but at least it wasn’t physical. This is very violent. I think nowadays it is changing and I am very happy to have feminists friends who are giving birth to baby boys because they are raising their children very differently. I have hope for future men to be more sensitive. My emotions are what makes me strong. In every movie you see men who are being heroes without showing their emotions; if you show emotions you are portrayed weak, or gay! I love to show my emotions. And I love to be a woman.
WHAT PART OF YOUR FEMININITY DO YOU FEEL EMPOWERING?
I think my emotions! Haha. I never hold my tears. Whenever I feel the need to cry, I do cry. Always. It can be in front of a stranger or watching a movie. I feel safe crying. I think that some boys would appreciate that freedom too, when they are taught not to, which is terrible. My nephews love having a feminist aunt; I twist their mind, I twist their mind a lot! (Laughs).
WHAT IS IT WITH YOU ALWAYS WANTING TO CUT YOUR HAIR SHORT?
I think in Brazil a lot of women during the 2000s straightened their hair. It was the trend back then. If you had curly hair, you had to change it. Everybody was. My hair is not curly but it is thick, like horse hair. And I used to straighten it like crazy. In 2015, when my hair grew back after a straightening treatment and my curlier roots were starting to show, I asked a friend to cut it. It was like if I had shaved it. Hair has so much power. Suddenly men on the streets would not look at me anymore, which was good (laughs) but I realized how strange it was. When it grew back, all natural, I could finally recognize my real self. The one I grew up with. I was trying to connect back to the real me. And I am so happy to see women with afro now. I think feminism has helped to liberate women from these diktats.
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOU BEAUTIFUL?
I am a spontaneous person and I think that makes me beautiful. I never watched myself not even when I am on TV. I don’t have any automatism. I let myself respond spontaneously to things.
WHICH IS THE CONTRARY OF WHAT ARTISTS USUALLY ARE OR DO SINCE THEY TEND TO BE VERY AWARE AND IN CONTROL OF THEIR IMAGE.
I think one of the reasons why I always preferred music to acting is that I feel music is much more free, you live in the moment.
A SINGER IS AN EXAGGERATED VERSION OF YOURSELF. AN ACTOR GETS INTO SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES.
I became afraid of myself when I was acting because I started judging myself. I felt exposed, whereas I don’t feel that way at all when I am singing. Which is very crazy since I am on a stage in front of people (laughs).
ONE BEAUTY SECRET YOU INHERITED FROM YOUR MOTHER?
Moisturizing! We all have dry skin in the family. I remember going to the beach and instead of putting sunscreen my mother would put oil. I thought her legs shining under the sun was the most beautiful thing. This memory has never left me. Until today: when I go to the beach, of course I put sunscreen on but I also always carry some oil with me. I have the excuse of wanting my skin to be even more moisturized!
THANK YOU LETICIA x
CHECK OUT LETICIA’S INSPIRATION TALK HERE AND CITY TALK HERE.
FOLLOW LETRUX HERE.
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ITW & CREATIVE DIRECTION: LISA DEBATTY
PHOTOGRAPHER: PEDRO KOELER
BEAUTY ARTIST: FOX GOULART
STYLING: CRIS BARROS & LISA DEBATTY
PRODUCTION: OUI SIMONE
SPECIAL THANKS: HELENO BERNARDI FOR THE SET OF HIS BEAUTIFUL INSTALLATION “CASSINO”; THE IED RIO.
This portrait is part of a curated series of 4 portraits of artists representing free, feminine and inspiring women that OuiSimone imagined with Cris Barros.
