In The Community
You just understand skincare
Photo by Kalos Skincare on UnsplashFor many people, skincare is still this strange ritual they just can’t seem to figure out. Not for you, though. You have your skincare down to a science and you understand what your skin needs. In that journey, you’ve learned a lot about skincare in general, so you’re a treasure trove of skincare routine insights, what products are worthwhile, and what ingredients to seek out.
You’ve embraced homemade beauty solutions
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Beauty traditions and rituals are often passed down through generations, so you’re also that Latina beauty guru friend who knows how to incorporate natural remedies. You’ve probably inherited some valuable knowledge from your mamá or abuelita, so you know your natural ingredients. Beauty practices like the Mexican Rebozo facial massage or Colombian body wraps are ways you honor the diverse beauty heritage of your people.
Your makeup techniques are on point
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One thing about Latina beauty gurus is that they’ve always had a passion for makeup. Ever since they got their first set of fake makeup when they were little, they’ve been painting their faces. Your makeup skills have been decades in the making, so of course your techniques are on point. You know exactly what works for your face and you can offer guidance to your friends on how to enhance their natural features. You have a flawless base, can create stunning eye looks for any occasion, and are the queen of perfect lip combos.
Hair care matters to you as much as skincare
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Latina beauty gurus understand that hair is one of the most important accessories a woman can have. That’s why their hair care routine is as strong as their skincare routine. Whether you have curly, wavy, straight hair, or anything in between, you’ve learned what your hair needs. You’ve also embraced your hair type and you’ve learned how to bring out its best characteristics. You’re likely also a master at hairstyling and you’re always trying new ones.
You don’t gatekeep your beauty tips and advice
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Latina beauty gurus are generous with their beauty tips and advice! That’s because talking about makeup, skincare, hair care, and more is one of their favorite topics. The beauty world is very interesting and there’s always something new going on. Whether that’s a new trend, skincare hacks, helpful tricks, and more, there’s no shortage of beauty news. If you’re the go-to for beauty tips and advice, you’re definitely a beauty guru.
You advocate for inclusive beauty
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As a Latina who’s passionate about everything beauty, you like to see yourself and your community represented in the industry. That’s why you not only advocate for inclusive beauty, but also support influencers, brands, and initiatives that do the same. Beauty comes in all shades, shapes, and forms, and you want to see imposed beauty ideals lose their grip on everyone.
You’re always on top of beauty trends
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Beauty trends, new products, new techniques, and innovations in the beauty industry are always on your radar. If you’re a Latina beauty guru, your social media feed is likely full of beauty influencers you admire and beauty brands you support. If there’s a new eyeshadow palette, skincare treatment, beauty product, or makeup hack, you know about it and you share it with your girls. That group chat is a wealth of beauty knowledge!
You inspire others to embrace their beauty
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Makeup, skincare, and all that stuff is not about vanity, it’s about self-expression, self-love, self-esteem, and self-confidence. You’ve come to understand that the power of makeup and taking care of yourself allows you to embrace your unique beauty. That’s what you want other people to get out of it, so you share uplifting messages, support your girls on their own journey, and encourage women to love themselves as they are, and use makeup and self-care to enhance their beauty.
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Find your light
Photo by Fausto Sandoval on UnsplashDon’t ever underestimate the power of good lighting. Seriously, that’s a big mistake we all make when taking photos. Always remember that natural light works best, so whenever you’re trying to get a good selfie, stand near a window or go outside if possible. If you can’t have natural light, harsh overhead lights will do nothing for you. Go for a ring light instead and adjust the brightness in a way that suits your complexion without creating harsh shadows.
Know your angles
Photo by Rafael Cisneros Méndez on UnsplashListen, unless you’re blessed with a perfectly symmetrical face, some angles will be better than others. That’s why it’s important to find the right angle for your face. To do that, hold the camera slightly above eye level. This can enhance your features and avoid the dreaded double chin. Then, tilt your head to the right, snap a few photos, tilt your head to the left, and repeat. Try different expressions as well. After that, you can assess all the photos and determine what angle you feel brings out your beauty the most. When you’re assessing the selfies remember to be kind to yourself! You’ll feel the urge to be hypercritical and focus on perceived flaws, but reign that in; compliment yourself instead.
Always check the background
Photo by kevin turcios on UnsplashIs there anything worse than taking an amazing selfie only to notice that your background is a complete mess? It’s not aesthetic at all and it takes time to make it look decent through photo editing or Photoshop. To save yourself the pain, find a simple, clean background every time you want to take selfies. That will keep the focus on your face and look more aesthetically pleasing overall.
Use a good camera
Photo by Taan Huyn on UnsplashWe’re not saying you should have a dedicated selfie camera. Your smartphone already has everything you need. However, it’s important to accept that the smartphone selfie camera is not always the best. Sure, it does make taking selfies easier, but the back camera is actually a lot better. Trust that the quality difference will be worth the little extra effort of taking selfies without seeing the screen.
Keep it steady, keep it steady!
Photo by Steve Gale on UnsplashBlurry selfies are a no-go. Keep your hand steady or use a tripod or a selfie stick for more stability. If you’re prone to shaky hands, try using the timer function on your smartphone camera. That will remove the need to hit the button, which reduces movement. Also, when your arm gets tired, just take a break instead of pushing through. A tired arm will just make your hands shakier!
Mind the way you frame your selfies
Photo by June Aye on UnsplashWhen you’re focusing on your beautiful face, it’s easy to lose sight of the way you’re framing your shot. The golden rule is to avoid cutting off important parts of your face or head. The best way to ensure this is to keep your eyes one-third of the way down from the top of the frame. That’s generally the most flattering to everyone, but don’t hesitate to try different things to find what you like.
Learn the art of subtle editing
Using filters is fine and good, but they usually mess with the quality of the image. The best thing you can do is learn how to edit your own photos. Apps like Lightroom or Snapseed offer all the features you could possibly need. The most important ones are brightness, contrast, and saturation, so learn how to play with those to find the settings that work for you. Remember to keep it natural! Over-editing will ruin a perfectly good selfie and no one wants to look like a product of AI.
Play with little props
Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels
Adding personality to your selfies is all about playing with your facial expressions, but you can also use props. Accessories are the most common props for selfies, so think of sunglasses, fun earrings, cool rings for when you do hand poses, necklaces, etc. Just make sure whatever prop you choose doesn’t overshadow you! Influencers can be a great source of inspiration for this.
Use your flash carefully
Photo by Darya Sannikova on Pexels
Usually, people avoid using their flash. It can create harsh shadows and also make your eyes look red. However, if you’re out and about and you need that extra light, you have to do what you have to do. Keeping the flash as far as possible from your face will help, so take the selfie from above at arm's length while minding your angles. Also, consider getting and external selfie light, that will be much flattering than the flash.
Let your confidence shine through and have fun!
Photo by Brittani Burns on UnsplashThe most important tip of all is to be confident and have fun when you’re taking selfies. It’s really not a big deal and don’t hesitate to take more photos than you think you’ll need. Experiment with your poses, smile widely, and let your personality show. The more you practice taking selfies, the better you’ll get. Once you find what works for you, every selfie will be a hit.
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Reina Rebelde
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Reina Rebelde, founded by Mexican Regina Merson, is a bold, unapologetically vibrant, Latina-owned makeup brand that celebrates Latino culture. Merson’s mission with Reina Rebelde is to empower women to embrace their multifaceted beauty. Reina Rebelde's products are designed to help women embrace their versatility and share their authentic essence with the world through makeup and self-expression. They offer a wide range of makeup products, including black and color eyeliners, lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes, blush, finishing powder, and everything else you could possibly need to create great looks and feel empowered when you step out of your home.
Rizos Curls
Photo by rizoscurls on Instagram
Rizos Curls was created by Mexican Julissa Prado and it offers a range of haircare products that cater to curly-haired women. Growing up with curly hair, Prado is familiar with the challenges of finding the right products, so she founded this brand to simplify curly hair care. Rizos Curls provides curl education and offers high-quality products for all types of curls, including detangle spray, curl-defining cream, curl-defining muse, shampoos and conditioners, hair oils, and more. One of their most popular products is “The Complete Rizos Curls 4-Step Bundle”, a 4-step system designed to detangle, hydrate, and define curls to avoid bad hair days and have healthy curls.
Bésame Cosmetics
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Founded by Argentinian Gabriela Hernandez, Bésame Cosmetics pays homage to the golden age of Hollywood glamour with its vintage-inspired makeup collections. Inspired by her grandmother's beauty rituals in Argentina, Hernandez has created luxurious and historically accurate makeup to celebrate timeless beauty and help women feel more empowered. Hernandez was also inspired by the suffragettes and how they wore red lips in defiance of the patriarchy, highlighting the power of makeup. Bésame Cosmetics is known for the beautiful vintage design of its products and its high-quality formulas. They offer a wide range of makeup products, including lipsticks, eyeshadows, highlighters, blushes, compacts, and more. One of their top best sellers is the “Bésame Red Lipstick - 1920”, which is one of the first shades the brand revived and it offers a classic bright red lipstick for unabashed confidence.
Vive Cosmetics
Photo by vivecosmetics on Instagram
Mexican Puerto Rican Joanna Rosario-Rocha and Mexican Leslie Valdivia co-founded Vive Cosmetics to celebrate Latino culture through vibrant, inclusive makeup. Vive Cosmetics was born out of frustration with the beauty industry's lack of representation and its mission is to make beauty accessible and affirming for everyone. The founders recognize Latinas and everyone who has ever felt undervalued, offering products that can help them fully embrace their beauty. They specialize in matte lipsticks, lipsticks, lip gloss, lip care, and brow pencils. One of their best-selling products is the “Amor Eterno” a deep red liquid lipstick that provides full coverage, is highly pigmented, and will stay on no matter what.
Alamar Cosmetics
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Alamar Cosmetics was created by Cuban Gabriela Trujillo, drawing inspiration from Cuba’s vibrant colors and textures. The name of the brand is a homage to Trujillo’s hometown in Cuba, Alamar, and her journey from dreaming about making her own makeup products to having a successful makeup business is nothing short of inspiring. Alamar Cosmetics offers all the makeup products you could need to put your face on and some of their best sellers include their DesNUDEAs lip liners, blush trios, and brighten and bronze trios. All the products are cruelty-free, affordable, high-quality, and richly pigmented to make everyone’s beauty pop.
Luna Magic
Photo by lunamagicbeauty on Instagram
Luna Magic was founded by Dominican American sisters Mabel and Shaira Frias, and it’s a celebration of Afro-Latinidad and Latino culture. The brand offers colorful and playful makeup collections inspired by the sisters’ Dominican heritage, and every product reflects the joy of Afro-Latino and Latino culture. One of the main focuses of Luna Magic is to help Afro-Latinas and Latinas embrace their own beauty instead of unrealistic beauty standards defined by celebrities and the media. Luna Magic offers eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, and much more. One of their best-selling products is the “Soft Perfection Foundation Powder,” which is vegan and offers a soft matte finish for a “no makeup” makeup look.
Dezi Skin
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Founded by Mexican Desi Perkins, a former freelance makeup artist turned beauty influencer, Dezi Skin offers high-quality skincare solutions for all skin types. Dezi Skin has a proprietary blend of natural Mexican extracts, including Mexican plum fruit and dragon fruit, that makes their products nourishing and rejuvenating. Their best-selling product is the “Agua Fresca,” a refreshing gel-crème moisturizer packed with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and fruit antioxidants, which provides long-lasting hydration and makes the skin look radiant. Of course, they also offer other skincare products, including serums, body lotions, moisturizers, face mists, cleansing gels, cleansing balms, and more.
Shaina B. Miami
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Shaina B. Miami was founded by Mexican-Puerto Rican Shaina Bassan and it’s a one-stop shop for everything makeup. As a young girl, Bassan fell in love with makeup because she discovered how it boosted her confidence. As she got older, she noticed that she had to buy from multiple brands to suit all her needs, so it became her dream to create a makeup brand that would offer everything in one place. That’s exactly what Shaina B. Miami is and it’s inspired by Miami’s multicultural vibrancy. Some of the best-selling products include the “Lip Gloss in Heatwave,” which is glossy and hydrating but not sticky, and the “Carnaval Pressed Pigment Palette,” which offers vibrant eyeshadow colors for bold, highly pigmented looks.
Glamlite
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Founded by Dominican Gisselle Hernandez, Glamlite is inspired by her childhood experiences and her love of food. As someone who experienced bullying and fat-shaming growing up, Hernandez wanted to create a cosmetics line that makes everyone feel represented and accepted. Glamlite is known for its themed eyeshadow palettes, which are fun and offer a great variety of shades to create many different looks. Fun fact: the brand went viral in 2018 for its “Pizza Palette,” which was the first food-inspired product they launched.
Valdé Beauty
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Last but certainly not least, Valdé Beauty offers luxurious, refillable lipsticks and lip balms with stunning packaging. It was created by Peruvian American Margarita Arriagada, who was inspired by her mother and the fact that even with dementia, she remembered her love of lipstick, and applying it always made her happy. Valdé Beauty is known not only for its high-quality lipsticks but also for its Valdé Armor cases. They’re collectible and each design is beautifully unique. Valdé Beauty's formulas contain adaptive pigments, jojoba and sunflower complex, shea butter, and castor seed oil, so they offer personalized colors and promote soft, smooth lips.
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