Latina Makeup Artist and Around The World Beauty Founder Is Making Travel Accessible To WOC
Professional makeup artist Stephanie Flor knew at the very beginning of her career that she wanted to make a difference in this world
Photo: Courtesy of Stephanie Flor
Professional makeup artist Stephanie Flor knew at the very beginning of her career that she wanted to make a difference in this world. The 31-year-old half Costa-Rican and half Ecuadorian wanted to find a way to combine her passion for both beauty and travel into something that wouldn’t just inspire women, but empower them. This was the inspiration behind Around The World Beauty, a traveling business that “unlocks the world’s best-kept beauty secrets one destination at a time whether it be through content on ATW’s digital platform, their beauty tours that happen around the world, partnerships or local events. Flor figured if she was going to create beauty tours around the world, why not extend them to her home town of NYC too?
“I ventured to travel to over 30 countries to learn from other women their beauty culture, their ingredients, and rituals but along the way I discovered the real foundation of youth. It doesn’t revolve around products, or scientific research. It was the simple act of being in tribe with women,” she tells HipLatina. “Sharing bathing, creating oils together—it was the experience that truly left the mind, body and soul radiating. Around the world beauty continues to evolve from my simple journey to discover my own beauty but now offering global tours where I get to actually bring women to countries where beauty still exist at its most raw and authentic form. We venture to the source of beauty, sometimes to the Amazon and the heights of mountains and indigenous tribes. The trips continue to inspire me, and the world continues to show me the deeper connection to self beyond the surface.”
Flor has organization beauty tours around the world in numerous countries so far including Tanzania, India, Ecuador, and Morocco. But for anyone living in NYC, Steph’s local tours are a great way to get a taste for the international ones she organizes throughout the year.
“What inspired the beauty journeys in NYC was really our great followers. Not everyone can travel across the world due to financial restrictions (even though we do have payment plans) and other responsibilities. So we wanted to create an experience we could share as a group in the most diverse city in the world,” she says. “I already had a list o fly favorite wellness destinations and wanted to share them with all women and men that love global beauty and wellness rituals.
Flor refers to her NYC tours as mini NYC educational tours mixed with beauty vibes. The first one kicks off on Wednesday, September 5th and will include everything from a historical tour throughout the East Village and SoHo, shopping, an introduction to some indie beauty brands, beauty and wellness tips and workshops, lessons on beneficial beauty ingredients, trips to numerous shops, and more.
“My goal is to inspire people to discover the deeper meaning of beauty. Maybe you’re curious about green beauty or global beauty. Having traveled all around the world, I’ve learned about the magical power of ingredients and how they not only help us achieve outer beauty but also inner beauty,” she says. “My goal is to change the conversation on how we see beauty.”
As far as travel goes, Flor strongly feels travel—especially for WOC—is incredibly important. Though she recognizes it’s a privilege to travel around the world, she also wants to find a way to make it more easily accessible.
“As a Latina it’s important for me to make travel accessible to people because I know what it’s done for me. It opened my eyes to love myself and feel worthy because of the wisdom I built around who I am and why I am beautiful,” she says.
To learn more about Flor’s beauty tours, check out aroundtheworldbeauty.com and follow them on Instagram @atwbeauty.
