If you've spent any time at all on the Food Network, you know Ayesha Curry. With her show Ayesha's Home Kitchen, her own cookbook, and 5.2 million Instagram followers under her belt, the 28-year-old's carved out quite a name for herself (as has her husband, NBA basketball player Stephen Curry). But if you don't know her yet, you're about to: Breaking from the mold, Curry is the first CoverGirl spokesperson who's not an actress, singer, or influencer.

Per Ukonwa Ojo, the brand's global senior vice president, Curry's selection was a chance to represent the multitudes of people buying drugstore makeup. "We realized we were casting a certain genre of CoverGirls, but in reality there’s so many beautiful women and men who use makeup for different roles every day," Ojo says. "We thought it’d be great to celebrate one in particular, who not only has a different role than we have in the past, but plays a number of different roles, and does so really successfully and is admired for millions because of it.

As the reception to the diversity in Glossier's and Fenty's recent campaigns illustrated, there's power in seeing everyday women celebrated as aspirational—as ad-worthy. Which brought them to Curry, chef, businesswoman, wife, mother, and altogether great-lashed person. It was a fit. Ahead of her official induction into the CoverGirl family, we caught up with Curry to talk makeup (she's the face of the brand's new Peacock Flare mascara), making your own path, and motherhood.

Glamour: What does this campaign mean to you?

Ayesha Curry: It’s such an honor. I remember my mom wearing CoverGirl. And no joke, the first lipstick I got was CoverGirl. It was this pearly pink shimmer that was not the color for me, but it sticks in your mind. And I have two little girls, four and one. My four-year-old is obsessed with makeup, and not through me! All on her own. But ultimately I'm teaching her that it’s not a necessity; it’s a treat. It’s a tool that you can use to transform yourself. I think that’s important. You don’t need the makeup. It just makes you feel fun and allows you to be creative. That's what I love about it.

Glamour: When you were growing up, did you feel beautiful?

AC: No. There were moments growing up where I felt beautiful, but I truly didn’t feel beautiful all of the time until I became a mom. It really allowed me to realize no one is perfect. Throughout high school I was made fun of a lot. I was a lot smaller than the other kids, and I have a big gap in my teeth. I had pretty bad acne. So I struggled with that. I was always confident and comfortable. But motherhood is what really made me feel beautiful.