14 Latine-Owned Skin-Prep & Makeup Products That Earned a Spot on My Vanity & Why
From skin prep to final touches, here’s an honest start-to-finish beauty routine with skin-prep and makeup products from Latine-owned brands
Credit: HipLatina | Courtesy
Since I was a kid, my mami taught me that your beauty routine is one of the most sacred rituals you can create for yourself. When I was younger, my options were limited to the beauty conglomerates available at the pharmacy or discount store. Today, accessing Latine-owned beauty products is as easy as walking into Sephora, Ulta, or CVS, or clicking a few times online to have them delivered to your home. Still, there’s much more room to grow.
For generations, Latinas have driven beauty trends, and despite making up 20% of the U.S. population, Latines rarely see themselves reflected in the industry. Representationisn’tt just a nice-to-have; brands that reflect their customers are winning. Latine-founded companies prioritizing inclusivity and representation—such as Rare Beauty, Ceremonia, and Ocoa Beauty—are growing 1.8 times faster than less inclusive brands, according to the 2026 SeeMe Index. Supporting them means building an industry that reflects Latines from the shelf to the boardroom.
I’ve tested and used dozens of Latine-owned beauty products that are just as good as—if not better than—other household brands. Below, in no particular order, are 14 skin prep and makeup products that have earned a permanent spot in my routine. Here’s why I keep reaching for them, along with the Latine founders behind them. Stay tuned for part two on body and hair care!
Untamed Naturals' Cafecito Eye Elixir
You might associate cafecito with the morning, but I use this step in my beauty routine right before bed. Untamed Naturals—founded in 2024 by Mexican business owner Gisela Rocha—created the Cafecito Eye Elixir to help you look more awake. Apply this serum under your eyes and around the corners. Cool to the touch, the rollerball delivers a blend of Caffeine, Coffee Bean Oil, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, and Moringa Oil to help depuff and hydrate your skin, so you look more awake. Life hack: keep this in your fridge to boost the cooling and depuffing benefits; it works like a charm.
Untamed Naturals’ Cafecito Eye Elixir is available at Untamed Naturals ($19.99)
Dezi Skin's Thirst Quenching Gel-Crème Moisturizer
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I can’t start or end my day without moisturizing my dry, sensitive skin, or else my face feels dull and crusty. When influencer and entrepreneur Desi Perkins launched Dezi Skin at Sephora in 2025, I immediately fell in love with the Thirst Quenching Gel-Crème Moisturizer. It’s fragrance-free and formulated with niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and a proprietary antioxidant blend of eight fruit extracts responsibly sourced in Mexico, including plum, dragon fruit, acai, tamarind, mango, soursop, guava, and avocado. I’ve used this moisturizer nonstop because it’s lightweight and doesn’t pill under the rest of my routine.
Dezi Skin’s Thirst Quenching Gel-Crème Moisturizer is available at Sephora and Deziskin.com ($48)
Dezi Skin's Dezi Broad Spectrum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 PA+++
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If you plan to spend any time in sunlight, sunscreen and SPF products are a must. This 100% mineral zinc oxide sunscreen moisturizer with SPF 30 also protects against UVA/UVB rays and doesn’t leave a white cast, making it suitable for all skin tones.
Dezi Skin’s Dezi Broad Spectrum Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 PA+++ is available at Sephora and Deziskin.com ($38)
AORA Mexico's INICIA Antipollution Illuminating Primer
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To make your makeup routine last, you need a primer. AORA Mexico’s INICIA Antipollution Illuminating Primer lets you mix a small amount with your favorite moisturizer or foundation for a glow boost. Since Nour Tayara and Rodrigo Peñafiel launched AORA in Mexico City in 2022, the brand has taken social media by storm with its plastic-free packaging. INICIA has quickly become a makeup artist staple, and I get why. Bonus: you can also use this as a face and body highlighter later in your makeup routine.
AORA Mexico’s INICIA Antipollution Illuminating Primer is available at Sephora and Aoramakeup.com ($35)
Vive Cosmetics' Dulce de Guava Lip Scrub & Lip Mask
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Before you move on to your eye makeup, I recommend using a lip scrub and mask to exfoliate and hydrate your lips. This is the key to extending your lip combo’s lifespan. Vive Cosmetics founders Joanna Rosario-Rocha and Leslie Valdivia launched the brand in 2016 after seeing a gap in Latina representation in beauty. Since then, the brand has become known for its lip product lineup.
Both the Dulce de Guava Lip Scrub and Lip Mask are infused with guava, which is high in linoleic acid, a fatty acid that supports skin elasticity. The exfoliant uses extra-fine sugar to buff away dead skin gently; unlike other lip exfoliants that leave a bitter taste, this one is sweet and almost good enough to eat—but don’t do that—while the lip mask is cushiony-soft and hydrates your lips.
Vive Cosmetics’ Dulce de Guava Lip Scrub ($15) and Lip Mask ($15) are available at vivecosmetics.com.
Melt Cosmetics' Melt-It Liquid Eyeshadow & Base
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I prefer doing my eye makeup before the rest of my face; it makes cleanup so much easier. Since my eyes are my favorite feature, I love experimenting with different looks. If I’m using eyeshadow or eyeliner, a product like Melt Cosmetics’ Melt-It Liquid Shadows creates a great base. Mexican-American makeup artist Lora Arellano co-founded Melt Cosmetics in 2012 with the idea of creating bold lipsticks. Since its 2013 launch, Melt Cosmetics has expanded its makeup line to include eyeshadows, mascaras and lashes. Admittedly, few Latina-owned brands still make eyeshadow primers; my old go-to was discontinued.
Melt Cosmetics’ Melt-It Liquid Eyeshadow & Base is available at Nordstrom and Meltcosmetics.com ($24).
SARELLY’s La Mil Sombras Eyeshadow Palette & The Cow Lashes Waterproof Mascara
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If you’re often on the go, like me, you will appreciate SARELLY’s La Mil Sombras Eyeshadow Palette, which features eight shades with different finishes that blend easily for daytime and nighttime looks. The palette comes with a mirror and a double-ended eyeshadow brush, but you can use your fingers for a more pigmented look, which the electric blue in this palette absolutely calls for. You can also use a thin brush with any of the colors to use the eyeshadow as an eyeliner.
While you can find the above-mentioned palette online, you can pick up the Cow Lashes Waterproof Mascara in person. Anna Sarelly, one of Mexico’s first big beauty creators, and her co-founder Rémi Martini built SARELLY in Mexico City in 2022. The two just hit a huge milestone: This September, SARELLY became the first Mexican beauty brand to launch nationwide at Target stores across the U.S., which is how the brand got on my radar.
The waterproof mascara has become a new favorite of mine: I’ve worn it while sweating at Pilates and dancing salsa without worrying that it’s flaking or melting off.
SARELLY’s La Mil Sombras Eyeshadow Palette ($45) is available at us.sarelly.com and Amazon. The Cow Lashes Waterproof Mascara ($24) is available at Target and us.sarelly.com
Reina Rebelde's Exagerada Eyeliner
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Reina Rebelde’s Exagerada Eyeliner lives up to its name in every aspect. Even with my hooded eyes, which can make it hard to keep makeup from smudging, this transfer-proof liquid eyeliner delivers a razor-sharp winged liner. This honors the spirit Regina Merson, founder of Reina Rebelde, hopes people embrace as they wield makeup to be bold rebeldes.
Reina Rebelde’s Exagerada Eyeliner is available at Reinarebelde.com ($19)
Rare Beauty's Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer
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As someone who doesn’t typically wear full-coverage foundation, I love Rare Beauty’s tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 in 24 shades. It’s great for no-makeup makeup days when you want a subtle tint to even out your complexion. I use either Rare Beauty’s Liquid Touch Foundation Brush or my fingertips, depending on how much coverage I want. Depending on the time of year, I wear shades 22W, 24N or 26W. Note: It’s recommended to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, so make sure to pair this with another level of sun protection.
Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer is available at Ulta ($30)
Alamar Cosmetics’ Viva Las Cheekas
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The Viva Las Cheekas cheek palette packs the triple threat anyone who loves a bold blush look needs. The cream base works on cheeks, lips or eyes; the powder blush adds a pop of color; and the glitter transformer can be used as a glowy highlight, as well as on the eyes and body. Cuban-American makeup artist and founder Gaby Trujillo launched Alamar Cosmetics in 2018 and has specialized in creating different face palettes and lip products ever since.
Alamar Cosmetics’ Viva Las Cheekas is available at Alamarcosmetics.com ($8.75)
Mitu Corazón Longwear Liquid Lipstick
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Earlier this year, first-generation Colombian-American founder Andrea Tello launched Mitu Corazón with four matte red liquid lipstick shades. When I first tried the neutral-toned shade Corazón, it made my smile look instantly brighter. The long-wearing formula includes botanical ingredients like Peruvian sacha inchi and Brazilian buriti. While it’s not smudge-proof, you can use setting powder to help minimize any smudging.
Mitu Corazón Longwear Liquid Lipstick is available at mitucorazon.com ($25)
Shades by Shan's Setting Spray
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No makeup look is complete without a setting spray to help it last longer. Shades by Shan’s Setting Spray delivers a fine mist for even coverage. It is water-based. Its alcohol-free, fragrance-free formula is ideal for sensitive skin.
The company was founded by Shan Berries and her sister Erika Clark in 2018, inspired by the grit of their mother, a single Latina immigrant from Ecuador.
Shades by Shan’s Setting Spray is available at JCPenney and sbscosmestics.com ($28)
