Luz Holiday Staff Picks

Images of a Siete Chips bag, Gnarly lip gloss, and In The Dream House Book

Holidays are around the corner, which means celebrating with delicious food surrounded by family gatherings and presents. We’re kicking off the season by sharing a few Luz staff picks of our favorite things to gift to others...or ourselves. Why not? One for them, one for us, one for them, one for us..



Up first, Ale, our bubbly lovely social and digital media coordinator. She loves her some tiktok but she also loves Gnarly Gloss.

“I’ve been waitiiiingg for clear gloss to be back in style, and... looks like my moment has arrived. So of course, I had to pick one for this Luz list. I love the Gnarly Gloss because it not only looks super pretty, but it also has coconut & grapeseed oil to keep the lips healthy. Oh, and it smells like heaven, I promise. OH! I almost forgot it has real rose petals inside! I dare you to find a cuter lipgloss.”

We believe her. Check it out:

Jarreau is our fabulous Director of Operations and Growth, who btdubs, is also a super ridic SoulCycle instructor currently based in Las Vegas. So if you’re not shopping for others, give yourself the gift of movement and book a class. But we digress, here’s what J has to say about his staff pick.

“So it might sound weird, but I’m addicted to chips. I can eat giant bags of chips in one sitting, and then eat another bag a few hours later. At some point, it got baaaad. I mean, why bother eating anything else when I can just eat chips? 🤷🏾

So I stopped. Cold turkey. Until I found these.

These chips CHANGED MY LIFE. They are so good. Perfect for a snack and even better for my totopos y guacamole. But better yet, the founder, Veronica Garza, built this company after her father helped her battle several severe health challenges.

So it may not sound like a good gift, but trust me when I say, it’s a GOOD GIFT that my whole family might get this year…assuming I don’t eat them all.”

Everyone needs chips for the party, right?

Natalia, our editorial manager, landed on what else? A book. That shouldn’t surprise anyone because you’re supposed to do what you love, right? Natalia has obviously chosen the right career path.

In The Dream House can be found at one of her fave intersectional feminst community bookstores, Cafe Con Libros.

In The Dream House has a special place in my heart. You see, I had a massive reading block while getting half through Little Women and needed a breather from the classic novel. So I picked this one up.

Let me tell you when I said I needed a break from the classic type of writing; this book UNDERSTOOD the assignment. Author Carmen María Machado makes you mad, sad, and frustrated with her abusive queer relationship through various tropes and narrative techniques while also keeping you at the edge of your seat. She explores in each word a violent queer relationship and the loss of self.

It’s a perfect fit for anyone looking for an out-of-the-box page-turning story.”

Sounds intense. We’re buying it right now.

Cintia, Luz’s lead graphic designer, can create something out of nothing. She understands the assignment each and every time. So what did Cintia choose?

“Ok, so hear me out. I’m all about going green, natural makeup products, reusable stuff, you name it, that’s my jam. And as the Luz designer of courseeee I am huge on aesthetics. So Oh My Coco was the first to come to mind when thinking of what to add to this list.

Mariana Rodríguez, owner of Oh My Coco, took her brand to Shark Tank, Mexico, where the investors called her a fool. However, she didn’t let that hold her back and continued with her project. And she thrived. Now you can purchase her products in both Mexico and the United States.

Oh My Coco is a brand where bowls, dishes, and food utensils are made from coconut shells and bamboo. I looooove it because everything looks beautiful, the materials are natural, not expensive, and behind that is a woman who believed in her dreams and who inspires me to do the same.”

I mean, come on, how do you not gift this to your favorite Alpha Latina in your life?

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Last but not least, Lucy, our fearless leader and Co-Founder, shares her pick of the season. And when we tell you we are NOT surprised, you’ll understand in a second.

“Ok, I love so many things but I am also very picky about my recommendations. I get asked a lot to promote things on my IG and become an ambassador for this or that and TBH, that’s great for some, but I’m just not into it. I have to truly LOVE a product to talk about it so when I was thinking about this list, it was actually hard to choose just one!

But then Chingona Box sent me a sample box, and in it were these fabulous Latina-made items that were all so lovely but one in particular stood out. It was a soap. Normally I’m not into soaps - like at all. I love me some lathery natural body washes, but I digress.

This soap happened to be a coffee soap. And anyone who knows me even the tiniest bit knows that I’m obsessed with coffee. So I figured, well, I’ll try it because the scent must be heavenly. Well it turns out it’s an exfoliating soap with coffee grounds on one side, and the smooth coffee formula on the other. OMG. I just about died. I can ingest coffee AND slather it all over my body??? Sign. Me. Up.

And in addition to the awesome sensation of exfoliation apparently caffeine is known to have skin tightening and firming effects. So yeah, like I said, I ordered a crate. #sorrynotsorry”

Well there you have it. Do you have any coffee addicts in your life? Don’t miss out on this item because it’s a limited edition item from Daffodil Gems and at $6 a bar, you cannot go wrong with this purchase.


We hope you’ve found some inspiration and are ready for the holiday season. Tell us, what Latinx products are you getting for the holidays? Tweet us @luzcollective.

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