The Best Latina Beauty Tips We’ve Ever Heard Of
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Cholesterol Treatments
"Taking care of my hair was super important growing up, so hot oil treatments and cholesterol treatments were a regular part of my routine," says Valis Vicenty of Val's Vanity. "One or the other would be applied to my hair 15 minutes before my bath and insulated with a shower cap to help open the follicles and treat my damaged strands from the inside out."
Queen Helene Cholesterol Hair Conditioning Cream, $3.67 at Drugstore.com
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Sleep With Hair in a Bun
"After I started straightening my hair, my mom used to wrap my hair in a doobie every night to maintain the style," says Vicenty. "Unfortunately, it was hard to sleep with bobby pins poking my head, so I eventually switched to sleeping with a bun and fixing any flyaways in the morning."
Image: Imaxtree
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Use Shaving Oil to Avoid Dry Patches
"Just like African-Americans and other dark ethnicities, Latinas can get dry and patchy, too," notes Bianca Jade, founder of Mizzfit, health and wellness TV host, online fitness personality and influencer. "I always notice it happens on my legs. I have more melanin in my skin in some areas of my legs than others. So while my arms, face and stomach tan nicely in the summer, my legs are always a different story. And forget about winter, without the sun, I’d rather not show them off. My secret lately to avoiding this problem is a two-part solution. I no longer use shaving creams and gels that end up drying out my skin once I’m out of the shower. I use a shaving oil which works to moisturize my skin better during the shaving process and afterward. I swear by this Tree Hut moisturizing shave oil. It helps you avoid dry patches on legs and feels great on underarms."
Tree Hut Bare Moisturizing Shave Oil, $11.99 at Ulta
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Use a Leg Bronzer
"Then I think the best way to make your skin tone the most even and glowing is to invest in an amazing leg bronzer that picks up on the color that’s already there, but smooths it out and gives your legs a nice sheen," says Jade. "Say Hello To Sexy Legs makes great products for this. I love their Tinted Glow Gel and their Illuminating Fluid ($34) that you apply lightly where the sun or light would naturally reflect off. I’ve basically taught myself to contour my legs. It’s amazing and literally so easy! Latinas only really need a little since we have a base of color already, but all you have to do is build up the tint for those areas that are less pigmented on both arms and legs. I personally love it because now people don’t see the inconsistencies in my skin color when I decide to show off my arms and legs…which is all the time now!"
Say Hello To Sexy Legs Tinted Glow Gel, $38 at Say Hello To Sexy Legs
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Mix Foundations to Match Your Skin Tone
"The best way to mix foundations for your skin tone is to find a liquid foundation that best matches your skin color," relays Jade. "This can be hard for Latinas since a lot of us tend to lighten up a lot during the winter and darken up quickly during summer months. It’s perfectly normal because of the melanin we have in our skin. So, I buy a foundation that suits me for the color I am at my darkest and then I get a sample lighter color from the makeup attendant at the counter (in one of those sample containers that they give you to take home to see if you like the product). The lighter color is much whiter and I basically use it to dilute my foundation application as the seasons turn colder. This way, I’m always adding to my foundation to match my color."
Image: Courtesy of Syuji Honda for Bianca Jade
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Try a Café con Leche Foundation Color
"When Latinas accidentally go too dark or too light on their foundation, we start to look like a different ethnicity," says Jade. "I’m so proud to be Honduran-American…so I like to maintain the look and those olive and yellow tones in perfect balance. The slightest deviation from these base colors (like red or orange) can totally alter your look. I grew up identifying with the color 'café con leche' (a saying that translates to coffee with milk added in), so I basically take the same approach with my makeup and find that it always works."
Stila Aqua Glow Serum Foundation, $45 at Urban Outfitters
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Avoid Certain Colors
"Latinas should avoid creams, light peachy colors, yellows and browns in my opinion because it tends to wash us out," says Jade. "Then again, it really depends on what your skin’s undertones are, which could vary. Some Latinas have a yellow undertone, while others are more on the green side of the spectrum. Your hair color also greatly factors into things. Black tends to look amazing on Latinas with lighter hair, while drab on those with darker hair. Bright colors look amazing on Latino skin colors because of our propensity for tanned-looking skin. The best test is to put on a white T-shirt and see what colors pop out at you from your skin. The best thing to do is really accent those colors in your makeup and then go with opposing colors for your wardrobe. That way your skin will glow and your clothing will stand out. J.Lo has always been a wonderful example of how Latinas should apply makeup and pick their clothes. She’s never fighting her skin tone. Her makeup always enhances her color and she has a lot of fun with bright colors and metallics in her wardrobe. You don’t see her wearing a lot of yellow or brown, but she will rock gold and silver like it’s her job."
Image: @jlo
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Wear White Clothing
"Another secret for Latinas is that wearing white tends to make us look tanner, so never be afraid of the classic white tee. This is something that Sofia Vergara takes full advantage of. We’ll often see her in a white tee or blouse with jeans or a beautiful white ballgown. No matter your undertone, all Latinas look great in white!"
Image: @mizzfit_bianca
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Olive Oil Is a Must
"Olive oil is a multitasking miracle worker," says digital journalist Beatriz Alegría. "I always keep a small bottle to use as an emergency moisturizer for rough patches, dry hair ends or even to smooth out my hair after going to the beach (yes, think of salty waves and a bit of olive oil and not only will you look gorgeous, but you'll actually be able to comb it afterward as well)."
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You Are What You Eat
"If you eat it, put it on your face," says TV personality and Nuestra Belleza Latina finalist Nicole Suarez. "That's what my mom would say about any fruit. The vitamins make your skin baby soft, especially if you pair with sugar and make a scrub. I've also always used avocado and mayonnaise as a hydrating mask for my hair!"
Image: @the_good_bite
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Use Coconut Oil to Remove Makeup
"As a model, my face and body are exposed to various types of makeup, polishes, perfumes, harsh lights, etc. for photoshoots, commercials and videos," says Christina Mendez, top plus-size model and entertainment personality. "I am very cautious on what I use to remove the makeup (so there won't be any allergic reactions, breakouts or dryness), so I am addicted to 100 percent virgin coconut oil, which removes my makeup, but keeps my skin hydrated and moisturized."
Zokiva Pure Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, $13.95 at Bonanza
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Get Glowing
"For an around summer glow, I add just a few drops of baby oil to my body lotion to get a nice body sheen," Mendez notes.
Johnson's Baby Oil, $3.99 at Target
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Use a Cotton T-Shirt for Amazing Curl Definition
"When hair is freshly washed and wet out of the shower, use a cotton T-shirt to scrunch dry," says César Ramirêz, celebrity stylist and Mizani global artistic director. "Do not disturb the curl pattern after scrunch-drying. Scrunch in Mizani True Textures styling products, then take small individual sections and wrap each piece around your finger to make tiny corkscrews. Then, once all is wrapped, use your diffuser to dry. Every curly girl should own a diffuser to attach to their blowdryer. It dries your hair without disturbing your curl pattern and adds volume."
Image: @mizaniusa
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Embrace Your Natural Hair Texture
"Always embrace your texture as a Latina!" states Butterfly Studio Salon hairstylist Vanessa Fernandez. "Style your locks by enhancing your texture, not by being a slave to blowdryers and hot tools. Get into the routine of air-drying your hair. Use product type such as hair oil like Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue ($69) or a mousse like Shu Uemura Art of Hair Kaze Wave to help the process and achieve defined, hydrated results. Before drying, use your fingers to twist hair sections to enhance the curl pattern."
Shu Uemura Art of Hair Kaze Wave Sensual Curl Texturizing Mousse, $39 at Shu Uemura Art of Hair
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Second-Day Hair Is Key
"Embrace second-day hair and don't over-wash," notes Fernandez. "You don't want to dry out your ends by eliminating your mane's natural oils. Every other day would be a great time to shampoo. Use dry shampoo intermittently in case roots become a bit oily — or apply some after you cleanse and style to work preventatively. Use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray in between 1/2-inch sections of hair. Create knots, braids and ponytails to conceal messy hair. This will save you lots of time and result in healthier hair."
Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, $44 at Oribe
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Tame Facial Hair
"As a furry Latina myself, I know how difficult it can be to keep my facial hair tamed," says Sahily Perez, beauty and fashion blogger of Pretty In Pigment. "Before I decided to get laser to remove it once and for all, I lived for the Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover. It removes several hairs at once like waxing, but doesn't cause hyperpigmentation, which over-waxing can do."
Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover, $20 at Sephora
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It's All About the Brows
"Brows are an essential part of any makeup application, but you should fill in your brows, especially if your skin is tanned or darker than a lighter skin," relays Alejandro Falcon, celebrity makeup artist and artistic director for Osmosis Colour Cosmetics. "Fill in and shape brows to define the eye shape even if you’re not going to wear a lot of eye makeup. Osmosis Brow Gels go on smooth, fill in and stay on all day for any brow. Remember brows should always be the color of the base tone of your hairline, not the top or highlighted areas."
Osmosis Brow Gel, $25 at Osmosis
