Meet The Badass Latinx Women Behind Some of Your Favorite Beauty Brands

Priscilla Ono, Global MUA for Fenty Beauty

A third-generation Mexican-American, celebrity makeup artist Priscilla Ono is the one behind Rihanna’s red carpet makeup looks and also serves as the global MUA for RiRi’s Fenty Beauty line. This means Ono gets to travel the world representing Fenty Beauty, contributes to product development, and educates those working at retailers carrying Fenty (such as Sephora) on product functionality. Over the years, her name and influence has become an important influence to the Fenty Beauty brand; she recently spearheaded the dreamy garden- glam makeup looks worn by models at the Savage x Fenty SS 21 digital runway show.

Yris Palmer, Owner of Star Lash Extensions

When it comes to taking your lashes to new lengths, Yris Palmer is the person to call. Born in Los Angeles to Salvadoran parents, Palmer began her eyelash tech journey during a trip to London in 2014. She launched her Star Lash Extensions business soon after, and since has also created her own celeb-loved product line of lashes and tool kits for fellow technicians.

Shaira and Mabel Frias, Founders of Luna Magic Beauty

New York-born Dominican sisters Shaira and Mabel Frías wanted to honor their Latinx heritage and love of beauty—and thus, their beauty and lifestyle brand Luna Magic as born. Shaira, a former journalist and makeup artist, and Mabel, the director of digital merchandising for Savage x Fenty, wanted to create products that all Latinas could wear. As they note, they do it pa la cultura.

Gabriella Trujillo, CEO & Founder of Alamar Cosmetics

In 2018, Gabriella “Gaby” Trujillo launched Alamar Cosmetics, an homage to her love of makeup and her hometown in Havana, Cuba, which she left at 3-years-old. Trujillo’s vision for the brand has been to highlight the multitude of cultures and voices within the Latinx community. Her latest collection, Spanglish, is a nod to Latinos born and/or raised in the U.S. The Miami-based founder has taken on various roles in the company, including CEO, lead makeup artist, and creative director.

Athena, Creative Director for Sola Look Cosmetics

Sola Look Cosmetics is nostalgia central. The brand, co-founded by friends David and Yvette, produces collections inspired by some of our old school faves, like Saved by the Bell and Dirty Dancing. A recent announcement shared that Sola Look had now added a creative director to the team: 20-year-old Athena, who also happens to be the daughter of one of the brand’s co-founders. As creative director, the Dominican and Haitian Boston native is involved with all of Sola Look’s creative decisions, as well as all copy for the brand’s website.

Kathleen Fuentes, Founder of LightsLacquer

Following a very public split from her partnership with KL Polish, mega beauty influencer Kathleen Fuentes, better known as KathleenLights, decided to create her own nail polish brand, Lights Lacquer. KathleenLights, who lives in Miami and whose roots lie in Cuba, launched her first Lights Lacquer collection, GRL PWR, in 2019—a tribute to her Cuban heritage and women’s empowerment.

Malena Higuera, General Manager at Urban Decay

Already a member of the L’Oréal family for years, Malena Higuera, was recently appointed the General Manager for Urban Decay. Higuera was previously General Manager of L’Oréal USA’s Dermablend, where she was big on making mentorship in the beauty industry accessible to everyone. In joining the Urban Decay team, Higuera’s mission is to create a new path for expressive beauty.

Read more on: beauty