Today is the first day of Black History Month and we’re kicking it off by shining a spotlight on some Afro-Latina-owned brands and businesses. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites for you to check out and shop this month and beyond!
Each of these self-care wellness brands draws inspiration from Afro-Latina culture and heritage, fusing those elements into their products. This Black History Month join us in celebrating the talent and hard work of our Black entrepreneurs and business owners!
Read on to discover some awesome Afro-Latina-owned businesses and treat yourself or your loved ones this Valentine’s Day with a little self-care and pampering.
6 Afro-Latina-owned businesses to shop and support now!
Luna Magic
Sisters Mabel and Shaira Frias founded their makeup brand, Luna Magic, as a celebration of the rich culture found in the Caribbean and Latin America. Combining their passions for beauty and lifestyle, they created a vibrant brand that celebrates their mutual love for their multicultural heritage.
Luna Magic’s mission is to introduce high-performance cosmetics, bold flavor, diversity, inclusivity and vibrancy to the beauty industry.
“We’re inspired by the rich cultures and music of the Caribbean & Latin America, the hustle and bustle of NYC and glamour of Los Angeles.”
Mabel Frías is a digital strategist with 12+ years of experience in executing digital merchandising strategies at fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands like Macy’s, Nordstrom and Savage x Fenty, lingerie by Rihanna.
Shaira Frías is an entrepreneur, professional makeup artist and former journalist. Her work has appeared in media outlets such as NY1, Fox News Latino, and Mundo Hispánico.
Reina Skincare
Reina Skincare is a luxury skincare brand founded by Afro-Latina, Adriana Isabel Robinson Rivera. With products made from all natural ingredients, Reina Skincare prioritizes quality.
After suffering from acne for years, Adriana wanted to offer products that were natural, effective and represented a part of her that is deeply rooted within her.
The term ‘Reina’ means Queen in Spanish and was chosen to represent the brand because because they wanted to establish that their products are fit for royalty.
“For the image of this brand, we dove into the tropics, played with Kokum Butter and danced to the rhythm of Celia Cruz.”
Offering a wide range of products from face washes and soaps to body butters, scrubs, serums and oils, Reina Skincare has everything you’ll need to pamper your skin and leave you feeling like royalty.
Vela Negra
Vela Negra is a luxury candle brand founded by Aisha Cort. With candles inspired by her Afro-Caribbean heritage, Vela Negra is a celebration of multiculturalism.
“The fragrances and their namesakes remind me of my heritage and places like, Cuba and Puerto Rico, that I have been lucky enough to call home.”
Popular candles include “morena,” “azúcar,” and “wepa” and “coquí” —a “tribute to coquito.”
All Vela Negra candles are made with black wax because of the belief that “black absorbs and dispels negative energies and provides new beginnings and clarity as when the light of the vela appears, the darkness is illuminated.”
Each candle is individually hand-poured using 100% vegan coconut soy wax and ethically sourced wooden wicks, fragrance and dye to provide you with a luxurious and environmentally conscious, clean burn with the highest quality ingredients.
Experience the power, comfort, and strength of Vela Negra today!
Pink Root
Mariel Mejia is the Founder and CEO of Pink Root Products, a natural hair care brand geared towards helping with the transition from chemically relaxed and damaged hair to natural hair.
Pink Root Products was created to help customers, like Mariel, struggling with chemically treated and heat-damaged hair to transition back to its natural glory. With ingredients that are carefully chosen to nurture all textures and hair types from wavy to curly to kinks and coils, Pink Root products are designed to revitalize damaged hair and promote new growth by infusing nutrient rich and organic ingredients into our formulations.
“We don’t believe in bad hair, just bad hair care,” says Mariel. “Our mission is to help people enjoy and feel confident about their curls.” Shop Pink Root!
Mixed Up Clothing
Sonia Smith-Kang is a multiracial female founder based in Los Angeles, California. Born in Puerto Rico to an African American father and Mexican mother, Sonia understands the ins and outs of multiracial life. She founded Mixed Up Clothing to bring cultural diversity to children’s clothing.
“In dressing my children, I noticed fashion didn’t reflect a rich, multicultural reality that I wanted to see in the world,” said Sonia. “I want children to see themselves in fashion, on the runway and in print. Everything we do comes from a place of celebration and showcasing heritage and culture.”
Sonia uses fashion as her vehicle to tell multicultural stories. Mixed Up Clothing sources fabrics and trims from all over the world, mixes and matches them, and then sews them into fun, everyday pieces that children are proud to wear.
In addition to children’s clothing, they now also offer face masks for all ages with patterns that embrace multicultural roots, such as their Día De Los Muertos themed masks and their African Patterns collection.
La Boticá
La Boticá Studios is a conceptual brand and niche fragrance house providing curated, luxury and sustainable products for the intentional self care ritual.
Founded in 2018 by fine arts photographer, Dawn Marie West, Afro-Dominican & African American culture is the foundation of the concept brand.
Through La Boticá, Dawn brings the intersectionality of luxury perfumery and contemporary art into one lifestyle brand. La Boticá Studios has become a cult-following luxury fragrance and conceptual brand recognized in several international magazines such as Vogue, Architectural Digest, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, The Zoe Report and Byrdie.
This sustainable luxury fragrance house focuses on self-care, showing deep respect for the Earth with their ingredients, and minimalist design. Ingredients are sourced from South America that give reverence to the earth.
Try one of these luxury fragrances and join in the curation of “modern rituals that promote sacred restoration for within and conscious reconnection to the earth.”
See something that caught your eye? Shop and support these amazing Afro-Latina-owned businesses today!
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