8 Latina-owned Brands + Brujita Rituals To Embody Self-Love

a four-part collage of latina-owned brands and businesses. from left to right: viva la bonita, libreria book bar, vive salvaje aromatherapy and educated chola.

This year, self-love is evolving to new heights and stepping into the spotlight. It’s not just another buzzword trending on social media. The act of self-love has become the main component to awakening the magic within and the key ingredient to manifesting our dreams into reality.

From a psychological perspective, self-love is a state of deep inner awareness, appreciation of oneself, and having a high regard for our own well-being and happiness. It’s no surprise, then, why this element is key to unlocking our deep desires as well as the motivation behind setting personal boundaries to protect our energy and peace.

Although for some, self-love can sound like another performative topic on social media, it is much more meaningful and personal than that.


Manifesting con amor means focusing on the parts of our own lives where we may have lacked love or lack love, especially for ourselves. For many people of color experiencing generational trauma and damaging cultural beliefs, self-love is an act or thought that’s often portrayed as selfish or self-centered. This means that, especially for communities of color, learning to love ourselves and breaking down the old patriarchal teachings within us can be a lifelong journey.

Self-love is often an expression of resistance and means prioritizing our own needs and the pursuit of joy rather than accepting constant suffering as the default.

These Latina-owned brands are pushing amor propio into the forefront of our everyday life. And for everyday rituals that don’t cost a cent, check out the next section.

URBAN VQRA X Senora Calzones

Two Latina-owned brands joined forces to deliver Amor Propio, a new sultry and elevated lingerie collection that merges the erotic liberato of self-love and the exquisite elements of Mexican-ranchera cultura. The collection is fueled with self-discovery, unapologetic sensuality, and a luxury that embodies Mexican roots and culture. Find them at @urbanvqra & @senoracalzones.

Vamigas

​Pouring love into yourself can be as easy and simple as a clean beauty routine filled with the essence of Madre Tierra and our ancestor’s rituals. Dos amigas Latinas co-created a wellness beauty brand derived from the richness and roots of Mother Earth, and the connection back to ancestral beauty practices. Every product is carefully curated, keeping in mind simplicity, practicality, and, most importantly, love from generations of Latina women who came before them. And now you can find Vamigas at Target nationwide! Keep up with them at @vamigas.

Viva La Bonita

​Coming through all the way from the good old 818 San Fernando Valley in California, Viva La Bonita is a Latina-owned street fashion brand that embodies self-love in every curated piece and collection. The brand reminds us to walk in Bonita poder, be our loudest hype women, and of course, to dream big. When in doubt, put on your favorite Bonita t-shirt and/or sweatpants and tell yourself to keep going because that’s SELF-LOVE. Find them here @vivalabonita.

Libreria Book Bar

If you’re focused on aligning from within and developing a more positive mindset. This Latina-owned bookshop has curated a special selection of BIPOC books that will liberate your mind, body, and soul. They even created lists of books that shine the spotlight on radical acceptance, decolonization, inclusive feminism, and more. Self-love is all about expansion and allowing yourself to soak in some much-needed moments of solitude, and what better way to do that than curled up with a good book y un tecito. Check the out here @libreriabookbar.

Vive Salvaje Aromatherapy

Set the mood and vibe with Vive Salvaje Aromatherapy in every room you step into. The brand has floral, citrus, or earthy-scented candles, room sprays, and car diffusers. Every product is hand-poured and created from non-toxic and clean ingredients. Self-love never smelled so good. Follow them @vive.salvaje.

Educated Chola

This uplifting and empowering brand highlights the importance of mental health in the Latinx community. It advocates for and normalizes the development of supportive environments for mental health awareness. Educated Chola carries a range of products from tees, mugs, and stickers to encourage self-love through the importance of internal well-being starting con la mente. Find them here @educatedchola.

Nopalera

This luxurious Latina-owned beauty brand has become a national sensation after their recent appearance on Shark Tank. The brand was created from the love and appreciation for our cultura. Nopalera is disrupting old Euro-centric beauty standards and making its way into spaces that never once considered us. Self-Love means knowing your worth and valuing yourself in every space and room because, like the Nopalera founder Sandra Valazquez said, “Mija, no te desprecies.” Find them here @nopalera.co.

La Brujita Del Jardin

Brujitas, this is the year to arm yourself with affirmations, manifesting rituals, y mucho self-love. La Brujita Del Jardin knows our busy, and hectic lifestyles can sometimes steer us away from aligning ourselves from within. The brand incorporates brujeria practices and rituals into your everyday life. Whether you are looking for rituals manifesting under the moonlight or self-love affirmations to say to the mirror, La Brujita Del Jardin provides you with the right manifesting tools and rituals to help you turn up the self-love vibras and manifest your dreams into reality. Follow her at @labrujitadeljardin.

Spending money is never necessary for self-love, so check out this Brujita ritual from her Cosmica Book to help you invoke your own self-love magia.

COSMICA UNCONDITIONAL LOVE RITUAL

Unconditional self-love is the key to prosperity and to living freely. Learning to love and accept yourself during the dark moments on your journey will open a world of possibilities. This ritual will give you the love to pamper yourself through your journey.

Intention:

I love myself unconditionally

What you will need:

  • Rose petals (or any pink petal flower to represent unconditional love)
  • Himalayan Salt ½ cup
  • Epsom salt ½ cup
  • Rose Incense
  • Rose oil
  • 4 Pink candles

Best time to do this ritual:

  • New Moon
  • Full Moon
  • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
  • Every Season

Steps:

  1. Run a warm bath
  2. Light rose incense and candles
  3. Pour salt, rose petals, and rose oil into the bath
  4. Breathe and visualize yourself covered in love
  5. Focus on the love within
  6. Breathe 7 counts in and 7 counts out (repeat 3 times)
  7. Say mantras out loud
Mantras:
    I am embarking on my journey of self-love
    It’s a journey of pure unconditional love
    I love myself truly and purely throughout my journey

Final step, manifest con amor for you especially!

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).