Ciara Shares Her "Secret Sauce" to Self-Confidence

"Confidence took time for me," Ciara tells POPSUGAR, though she admits she's always been bold. "I was taking on so much as a young girl . . . You gotta be confident when you're doing that. Even when you don't know what you're doing — be confidently wrong."

She subscribes to the "fake it till you make it" philosophy, attesting that it really works. "People don't see you or hear you if you're not confident — I learned that early on, and I've just worked at it over the years. Every year, I get better; through every experience, I get better."

This made her partnership with Degree for the launch of the new Unlimited Antiperspirant line ($12) such a natural fit. "I've been a fan of the brand for years, even before we were working together," Ciara says. "I actually was asked in an interview years ago what was in my bag, and Degree was in there. I swear by it — it's a secret sauce."

The new Degree Unlimited campaign is all about living life without limits — something Ciara does well and believes everyone should strive for. "We deserve to reach our maximum potential," she says. "Why not be your full self? Or push yourself to get all you deserve out of life? That's what living life without limits is about, and I am definitely that girl."

A solid skin-care routine has singlehandedly boosted Ciara's confidence, she says. "I was a girl that used to use body wash for my face, and I decided it was time to level up how I loved on my skin." She created OAM Skin, which launched in September 2022, as a fix. Now, that's what she primarily uses on her face. "Every night, I make sure I wash my face with the full system ($160) — the only thing I don't use is the brightening pads."

She's come a long way, and it's paid off. "It's game-changing when you become consistent with your routine — I've been doing that, and I see the difference."

It's been 19 years since Ciara released her debut album, "Goodies" — as you'd expect, a lot has changed, including what makes her feel good. "I used to think that wearing a lot of makeup is when I'm my most beautiful," she says. It took a lot of inner work to rewire those thoughts. "This is not realistic, having a full face of makeup — I don't wake up like that," she says. "Loving on myself has helped me significantly with my confidence."

Low days are a natural part of life, and Ciara gets them just like the rest of us, but she knows how to reset when needed. Showers are one of her instant mood boosters. "There's something about getting in the shower that just like, whew — it allows you to peel back a layer," she says.

The other big energy giver in Ciara's life is exercising. "When I go in the gym, especially when I don't want to, I come out feeling 10 times more ready for the world and more energized," she says.

With the help of her glam team, Ciara continuously steps out in head-turning looks, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't have favorites. After rocking long hair for quite some time, Ciara switched things up with a short bob haircut. "I used to feel really funny about short hair, but I'm really enjoying it," she says. But her favorite look isn't a cut — it's a color. "Even though I wasn't born a blonde, if I had to pick, I'm a blond girl."