How Cassidy Montalvo Turned One Failed French Braid Into A Beauty Empire

Cassidy Montalvo may be known for her “big sister” energy online, but for millions of followers, she’s also become something else entirely - a guide through the intimidating world of fashion, beauty, and self-expression. Her approach is refreshingly simple, focusing on joy over trends, intuition over rules, and confidence that comes from showing up exactly as you are. For a generation overwhelmed by viral hacks, aesthetic pressure, and unrealistic GRWM culture, Cassidy’s voice cuts through with honesty, humor, and lived experience. Cassidy Montalvo spoke with The Blast on how she built a fashion-and-beauty playbook that actually feels doable and why her guidance resonates so strongly with beginners learning to trust themselves.

Cassidy’s personal style didn’t come from chasing aesthetics, designer hauls, or runway inspiration. It came from a single piece of advice from a friend with a beautifully decorated home.

“She said, ‘I just buy what makes me happy,’” Cassidy recalled. “That’s what clicked for me… If I’m not chasing the trends, and I’m not buying something because someone else wore it, and I’m just finding things that bring me joy, it naturally curates your own personal style.”

For her, happiness, not hype, is the core of confidence. “If you stop looking at the people around you and just go after what brings you joy, your confidence is going to boost,” she said. It’s part of why so many followers look to her for a more grounded approach to fashion in an era of fast trends and constant comparison.

If there's one “rule” Cassidy wants people to break, it’s the idea that there are rules at all. “I think style is supposed to feel personal,” she insisted. “Fashion is supposed to make you feel something. There are no rules.”

She even pushes back on the idea that certain outfits are “too much” for everyday life. “You don’t have to live in leggings to go to the grocery store,” she said. “You can dress up for it if it brings you joy.”

It’s the kind of permission her audience craves, especially Gen Z, who often feel judged for experimenting but also pressured to perform perfection online.

Cassidy’s beauty philosophy stands out because it’s approachable, beginner-friendly, and rooted in what actually works in real life, not what looks flawless under a ring light. When asked what every beauty beginner should master first, she didn’t hesitate.

“Definitely your base,” she said. “If you have a good skin tint or foundation and the right tools that work for your skin, everything else is so much smoother.” For her, the best makeup look is one that still feels like you. As she puts it, the goal is to “find what makes your skin look like your skin, but just a little glowier.”

When it comes to trends, Cassidy is all about the ones that translate off camera, favoring natural skin, fluffy brows, creamy blush, and hydrated, glowing finishes, looks that enhance rather than overwhelm. But she’s quick to call out the overly complicated beauty hacks circulating online.

“Those 14-step processes that only look good on TikTok with a ring light,” she said. “They confuse people, overwhelm people, and shut them off from trying.”

For Cassidy, makeup should be fun, accessible, and confidence-boosting, not intimidating.

Cassidy’s career didn’t take off from a glam routine or curated outfit shot. It started with a failure, and a creative workaround. “I can’t French braid,” she admitted. “I went in front of the mirror for like three hours trying to figure it out and I couldn’t do it.”

Determined to dress as Lara Croft for Halloween, she made up a fake French braid technique and posted it.

“That video is the one that took off because so many people can’t French braid,” she said. Her rise wasn’t about perfection. It was about honesty, relatability, and problem-solving in real time. And that’s exactly why it resonated.

One of Cassidy’s most powerful messages has nothing to do with makeup or clothes. It’s about mindset.

“You don’t need to shrink to be loved,” she said. “You can be loud, emotional, whatever version of yourself you need to be. Your people will find you.”

She also teaches her followers something she learned from a psychology professor.

“Your brain can’t differentiate between you talking poorly to yourself or someone else talking poorly to you,” she explained. “When you tear yourself down, your brain registers it as fact.”

To Cassidy, confidence isn’t a natural trait, but it’s built through repetition, kindness, and showing up even when it feels silly. “You’re going to feel stupid when you start,” she admitted. “But the more you do it, the more comfortable you get.”

In the world of overwhelming beauty standards, Cassidy is a reassuring voice telling her followers that imperfection isn’t something to fix, but something to connect through.