Jessica Alba felt "disconnected" from herself before social media.

The 40-year-old actress - who launched her ethical brand Honest in 2011 - feels "empowered" now that she can use her social networking sites to give fans a glimpse of the real her, rather than allowing photographers to edit her pictures and portray her in an unrealistic way.

Speaking to Coveteur, she said: "After I had my kids and started Honest, I think I sort of fell into the groove of being comfortable with myself in a different way. The entertainment industry is a very difficult place to have a strong sense of confidence. Before the internet, magazine editors and journalists had control over how people saw me. However, someone wanted to sell me to their audience is how I was portrayed. It wasn't until social media that I felt empowered to take control of my own narrative and my own image. I get to be my own megaphone—everything feels connected. Before, I think I just felt really disconnected from my own image."

The 'Sin City' star loves experimenting with make-up because she watched how passionate her mother was about looking polished at all times.

She explained: "I've always been a make-up and beauty enthusiast. My mom wouldn't leave the house without her face on—not even to take me to school or to just go to the grocery store. And we never had any money growing up, but she still always had her face together. Even if she pulled her hair back in a clip—my mom loves a red lip, black eyeliner, strong blush situation.

"My grandmother also had a big influence on me. She had one red lipstick that she used for everything—it was the OG multitasker. So my grandmother was very minimalistic when it came to her make-up, and my mom was on the opposite side of the spectrum. I fell somewhere in between."

However, Jessica has seen a big change in how she does her make-up now compared to the start of her career.

She said: "I started acting when I was 12. Hair and makeup transformed me into whatever character I was playing. I was exposed to so many makeup artists along the way, and I did so many shoots with iconic photographers. Make-up felt like a way to bring out the person you wanted to be.

"I learned how to do make-up through all my mistakes. Unfortunately, I had to see myself on a big screen and realize that I looked busted. Like, maybe I shouldn't do my own hair and make-up for a red carpet. But then it got extreme because I was doing super over-the-top glam. People were treating me like a doll and it was way too much."