Michelle RodriguezWhen it comes to her Latin roots, Michelle Rodriguez knows exactly what she likes and what she doesn't like. To stay connected to her cultural background, the actress of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage enjoys listening to artists from the 40's like Los Panchos, Celia Cruz and Perez Prado, as well as making the occasional trip to Latin America. But Rodriguez admits that she's been closed off from her own culture thanks to one thing: machismo.

"I'm such an independent woman; I don't match with the mentality of the [different Hispanic] cultures," says Rodriguez of the misogynistic reputation that traditionally identifies Latinos. Nevertheless, she tells Shine Latina she plans on dedicating the next few years to exploring her heritage. "There are so many beautiful things about the various cultures," says Rodriguez.

Watch Rodriguez speak about her love/hate relationship with Latin culture:

The Latina, who is well-known for her strong female roles in action films, says

Removing embarrassing excess facial hair doesn't have to be a chore. In this video blog, I'll show you what products you can use to banish any unseemly hair in a snap.

Tips for hair free skinBy Charleen Gonzalez for Shine Latina

Ready-to-use wax strips
Traditional at-home waxing kits can get a little messy, but with bliss Poetic Waxing Wax Strips for Face you can skip the mess and easily remove facial hair. The strips come double sided with 20 strips in each box. The process is super easy; all you have to do is warm up the strips between your hands for 15-30 seconds. My little trick is to warm up the strips against a lamp for a few seconds. The wax really grips on to the hairs and quickly removes them. The bliss wax is formulated with Aloe Vera making for a more soothing experience. There's even a little bottle of post waxing oil in the box that instantly takes away any stinging you might feel afterwards. I love using the strips between my brows and upper lip area. Waxing is the longest lasting of all home

This Yahoo! original series will introduce you to success stories, to the public figures who have crossed cultures and languages to leave a mark in the Latin and US markets. In this episode, get to know Dania Ramirez, a former tomboy growing up in the Dominican Republic who has taken her energetic personality and sexy ambition to Hollywood where she's paving her own way to stardom.

Actress Dania RamirezShe's beautiful, talented, sexy and one of the entertainment industry's brightest stars. Her acting résumé includes roles on TV powerhouses like "Entourage", "Heroes" and "The Sopranos". However, this young Latina's journey to Hollywood began with a glimmer of ambition mixed with an exceptional dose of unconditional love.

Raised by her grandmother in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez knew she wanted something more out of life. "I wanted to do more. I wanted to reach the skies," says the actress. She was a tomboy who played with the neighborhood boys, liked to jump on rooftops and occasionally steal

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

NachosTones

Nachos are definitely a fun appetizer to share with friends, but I find them to be a little too messy. I've made my own Colombian version of this favorite Tex-Mex recipe by substituting the nachos for tostones (or fried green plantains), which keep their shape without crumbling under toppings thanks in part to two rounds of frying.

Tostones are quite popular in Latin America and the Caribbean; they are simply smashed green plantains that are fried and served as a side dish or appetizer. They may sound complicated to make, but with a little patience you will get a delicious version of nachos I'm calling Nachostones. Mi abuela used to make a wonderful hogao to top the fried plantains, which is a sauce made with thick crema latina, green onions, tomatoes and salt.

Every time I make my Nachostones, I end up having to write the recipe for someone. This dish has become a new favorite among my American friends who attack them as soon as

By Liliana Moyano for Shine Latina

Crema Latina Mac & Cheese

As a little girl growing up in Colombia, my days were spent cooking with my Nana. I was a very active kid so the best way for my grandma to keep me entertained was to have me help her in the kitchen.

Looking back, I've noticed something about the meals I helped my grandmother prepare:
the children ate what everyone else in the family ate. As long as I can remember, there was never a separate children's menu. In fact, I was 15 when I learned that mac and cheese, a favorite of American kids, even existed.

Now, I have two beautiful nieces who are growing up in this country and are well-exposed to the usual kid-friendly options like macaroni and cheese or chicken tenders. Concerned about their eating habits, my sister Angie and I spent a day in the kitchen trying to figure out a better way to feed them similar foods with healthier ingredients. We tried mac & cheese, but the first problem was to make it look like the original version,

This month's birthday celebrations include some of our favorite Latinas in entertainment, a Brit music sensation we lost last year and a trio of "bad boys". ¡Feliz cumpleaños to all!

cosmopolitanBy Krystyna Chavez

Margarita who? We scoured the hottest bars across the country and asked them to serve us up some trendy tequila cocktails that don't require licking, slamming, or sucking.

From: Elixir, San Francisco

What You'll Need:
1.5 oz. tequila blanco
1 oz. St. Germain
Elderflower liqueur
2 oz. watermelon juice
or 5 1" watermelon cubes
6 mint leaves
0.5 oz. lime juice
0.5 oz. agave nectar
Mint leaves for garnish

Serve on the rocks.

From: Yxta Cocina Mexicana, Los Angeles

What You'll Need:
1.5 oz. Real de Mexico
Tequila blanco
Fresh pineapple chunks
2 thin slices of jalapeño
1 teaspoon of cilantro
3 lime wedges
1.5 oz. of simple syrup (or equal measures of water and Zulka cane sugar)
Splash of fresh sour mix
1 jalapeño slice for garnish

Serve over ice.

From: Salud Tequila Lounge, Chicago

What You'll Need:
1.5 oz.

Flor de Maria RiveraBy Flor de Maria Rivera

Dear Flor,

How can I look sexy without showing too much skin?

I always say that you don't need to show a lot of skin to look sexy. One of the biggest mistakes a lot of women make is that they wear tight clothes while showing cleavage and legs at the same time. Sexiness comes from within. If you feel good about yourself and what you are wearing, that's only going to reflect on the outside and make you look and feel fabulous! So for those of you who don't think you can be smokin' hot without showing cleavage, here are 10 quick tips and some pieces I love.

Related: How to Rock the Oxblood Trend

1. My motto: If you want to show legs, cover up on top. If you want to show cleavage, cover your legs more. At the end of the day, you don't want to look like you're trying too hard--or worse, wind up looking like a stripper!

2. Lace is very sexy. Think: La Perla lingerie. Put on a lacy blouse like this full length one or this cropped one and a pencil