Why I Only Wore Latinx-Owned Beauty Products For A Month

Many moons ago, when I first moved to NYC in pursuit of the elusive Dream Job in magazines, I vividly remember my 85-year-old Abuela sending Nina Garcia — the creative director of Marie Claire at the time (now Elle's new EIC) — a hand-written note requesting a job for me. She, along with 4 million other people, had seen Garcia on Project Runway. "Nina is Colombian, she will help you," she said to me, blissfully unaware of how ridiculous that sounded. "Latina women, that's what we do."

And while I didn't get the gig (and still don't know if Garcia ever received that note), it's true: There's a special, unprecedented bond within our community that lifts one another up. That's why I decided to show my support by shouting out my favorite Latinx-owned beauty brands on the market.

For an entire month, I only used beauty products (makeup, skin, and hair) made by Latinx people. And I found a ton of new favorites along the way — which you can check out in the slides ahead. Abuela, this one's for you.