Eva Longoria Shares Her Jefa Tip: ‘You Can Have It All, but Not at the Same Time’

Eva Longoria, 48, is a Hollywood powerhouse, traversing roles like producer, director, actress, and empresaria with ease. Still, the Corpus Christi-born star is notably down-to-earth. She shared her “favorite” margarita recipe with FIERCE, talked about funding her quinceañera, and admitted she “could not live a day” without her female friendships. 

Longoria also spoke to us about her “WE ARE” partnership with Hard Rock International in honor of International Women’s Month. Throughout March, they will raise funds for women’s health and empowerment, giving back to Longoria’s Global Gift Foundation, Eva Longoria Foundation, and the Magee-Womens Research Institute. “[The Hard Rock Foundation’s] charitable arm does so much for women’s issues,” the actress explained. “What they do was, for me, a no-brainer to partner with them.”

One of the coolest parts? Hard Rock International is booking 1,000 female musicians to perform at its locations this month. Longoria described, “That’s amazing… All these talented female musicians who may otherwise never get a chance to get up on that stage.”

As the “Desperate Housewives” star said, “When you help a woman, she will help her family. And when you improve the quality of families, you improve the quality of nations.”

Ahead, find everything to know about what Longoria is up to now, including her activist work, the importance of her “sisterhood,” and what excites her the most about her upcoming “Only Murders in the Building” role. 

Longoria shared her biggest jefa tip, and it’s a phrase to live by 

Longoria is the jefa, so of course, we had to ask for advice on balancing it all— family, friendships, career goals, self-love, and more.

One of her biggest tips? “You can have it all, but not at the same time.” Words to live by! 

Still, the actress has a crucial recommendation for anyone dreaming big: “The advice I give to women everywhere is you only learn by doing,” Longoria said. So start doing it, whatever it is. You want to be good at whatever it is you want to do.” She also spoke about taking the initiative to get a head-start: “Go out and do it, and figure out the path towards that goal and get that experience.”

The Texas native also shared how inspiring Latinas is always front and center for her. She stated, “It’s the Latinas in our community who are really leading the way and leading the charge for representation [and] economic mobility.”

“Being able to inspire [Latinas] to dream big, and then create a plan for that dream, and create the infrastructure for that dream is really important to me.”

Since childhood, Longoria has taken her own advice in working hard to achieve goals— including her quinceañera. In fact, the “Flamin’ Hot” director raised all the funds for her own quince and would relive “everything” about it today.

“I loved my quinceañera… I raised all the money on my own,” the actress recalled. “My parents wouldn’t throw me one because I was one of four girls.” She explained that her parents had not thrown a quince for any of her sisters, so when she asked for one, the reply was, “You’re not getting a quinceañera. We don’t have the money.”

Longoria, though? Unfazed. She raised all the money for her party by working at a local Wendy’s. “My mom couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe I got the damsel. I got mariachis; I bought my own dress.”

“For me, it was more than the party; it was the sense of accomplishment,” she looked back. “I really wanted this, and I got it, and I made it happen.”

Yes, we nabbed the star’s “favorite” margarita recipe to make at home

As an adult, Longoria continues to break the glass ceiling in both her film projects and activism. 

In fact, her Hard Rock International collaboration will benefit the Global Gift Foundation, a non-profit Longoria co-created that gives back to vulnerable groups worldwide. 

The Hard Rock Cafe is also unveiling its Pink Lace Margarita— spiked with Longoria’s tequila brand Casa del Sol— which will gather proceeds for the Eva Longoria Foundation. Amid the news, the actress said her 2012-founded charity focuses on helping Latinos reach “their full potential through educational programs and entrepreneur programs.”

Similarly, Longoria’s investment in Mexican tequila Casa del Sol was about “putting [her] money where [her] mouth was” when it came to women’s empowerment. As she described, the brand is headed by a female Mexican master distiller, Jalisco-based Alejandra Pelayo. Meanwhile, Mariana Padilla also heads the brand, with Longoria noting her role as “another position uncommonly held by a woman in the tequila industry.” 

“That was super rare,” the actress explained. “This is a great example of supporting women in their dreams, in reaching their full potential.”

Also, Longoria really just loved the taste of Casa del Sol’s tequila. “First of all, I love the juice,” she stated. “I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

And speaking of tequila… what is the 48-year-old star’s favorite way to drink it? A classic margarita, of course— otherwise known as her “favorite” drink ever. Luckily, Longoria shared her go-to recipe with FIERCE.

“I love a margarita but not a margarita like we think in a restaurant,” she explained. “An authentic margarita, which has a flash of agave, a squeeze of lime, and shaken with the tequila, and that’s it.”

So what are her margarita don’ts? No Cointreau, no margarita mix, no simple syrup, no concentrated lime juice. Noted! And if you want to spice up your recipe, Longoria simply recommends adding some fruit like blueberries, watermelon, or strawberries to her “clean cocktail.” One more thing? Steer clear of added sugar, “which causes hangovers.” She advised, “You want tequila to be the star of the drink.”

So, who does Longoria enjoy her favorite margaritas with? Well, that group might include her “sisterhood” or female friendships. “I could not live my day without being lifted up by my sisterhood,” she stated. “I collect an amazing amount of brilliant, independent, emotionally mature Latinas in my life.”

“Creating that community and connecting the dots is important,” she added. “Especially this past year with [Longoria-directed] “Flamin’ Hot,” like, talk about the community turning out.” Speaking of the film, Longoria shared that she became a producer and director as another way to uplift her community. “I wanted to build this pipeline of talent for our community to be their own storytellers.”

So what’s next for Longoria? Well, many things, including starring in season four of “Only Murders in the Building” alongside Selena Gomez, 31. 

Is the star pumped for the upcoming role? Oh yes. “I’m so excited. And I will say I get to work with Selena Gomez.”

She also shared short but sweet inside info on what to expect from the season. “I cannot wait for our first scene together this week… I will say it’s going to be so good.”