last wednesday, i had the pleasure of attending a congressional briefing to announce data from the “no more” study. mark. brand ambassador ashley greene joined advocates on the hill to share sobering statistics related to attitudes toward, and experience with dating abuse, partner violence, and sexual assault among teens and young adults. the results clearly underscore the need to educate young people so that they recognize the signs of abuse and how to safely intervene to help end it. ashley also announced that m.powerment by mark. will award 25 new grants totaling $125,000 to expand its healthy relationship college program which helps students recognize the warning signs and encourages them to actively step-in as bystanders to prevent and stop violence before it starts.

after the briefing, ashley and i sat down to chat about m.powerment by mark. and a few burning beauty topics. we covered everything from self confidence to our shared befuddlement over why guys always tend to get the longest lashes. i walked away completely inspired by ashley’s dedication to the m.powerment cause and with a true envy of her poise and strong sense of self.

why is it so important to spread the m.powerment message and raise awareness about dating abuse and partner violence?

for me, it was sobering to hear the statistics that 1 in 4 women between the ages of 15 and 22 have experienced dating abuse or violence or they know someone who has. it’s something that needs to be addressed and hopefully it impacts other people as much as it has me. a really big part of stopping this dating abuse and violence is allowing these young girls to understand that it is ok to speak out. there are places that they can go and people they can talk to; if you’re somebody’s friend that it’s ok for you to speak to them and be there for them. we also want it to be preventative. i think a lot of people just don’t know the warning signs that could essentially stop this in its tracks before it even happens.

you talk a lot about using your celebrity power for the greater good, which i love. can you touch on what supporting this cause means to you and how it plays into your greater role?

my job is great and it does have its ups and its downs, but one of the really big ups is that i am able to help other people. it’s important to me especially because when i was younger, i didn’t have that self-confidence and luckily i had a mother who really instilled that in me. she has always said to me that she thinks i have the power to change the world and i should use it. that was very empowering and it’s important that i pass that on. i’ve been given this wonderful gift of being able to help people. so, i’m going to – as best i can.

one of the themes running through the m.powerment campaign is the importance of self-confidence. besides your mom, is there anywhere else that you draw confidence from or people who you turn to when you need a boost?

i have worked really hard to surround myself with people who love me through my ups and my downs – because everyone has them. you need people that are going to support you when you are down. i also recently started telling myself things that i love about myself everyday along with the things that i love about the people that i’ve surrounded myself with. it’s easy to put yourself down; it’s harder to bring yourself back up.

you have had the opportunity to work with some of the best hair and makeup talent in the business. have you picked up any tips and tricks that you work into your own stuff?

i have learned a lot from sitting in the mirror and watching these people perform their magic. for me less is more. in my teenage years, i was trying to look older, and now that i’m starting to get a little older i have realized that it’s just better to play up what you’ve been given rather than try and cover it up. that’s another part of being confident – loving yourself and what you’ve been given.

what’s your favorite facial feature to play up?

i love lashes. there is something so glamorous about having really thick, full lashes! and it always seems like it’s the men who are born with them. i probably wouldn’t wear makeup if I had those natural lashes that went on for days.

if we were to peek inside your clutch, what would i find in your #lipbomb?

mark. gloss gorgeous lip click is one of my favorites. i like it because it stains a little bit and it’s not tacky. the new lip crayons are also great. they don’t dry your lips out. the color payoff is true to what you see in the stick and they’re very rich. honestly, if i’m not wearing one of those, then it’s petroleum jelly – just to keep my lips hydrated, especially with all of my travel.

what are some of your other mark. favorites?

the make it go away makeup removing wipes. when i fly, i don’t like wearing a face full of makeup so they are one of the staples in my bag. i like got the goods foundation a lot, too. i’m really picky about what i put on my face because i try and keep it pretty clear.

endless thanks to the mark. team for including me in such an important and memorable day! you can click here to learn more about m.powerment by mark. and shop products that support the cause.