Dominican sisters behind Luna Magic find success through authenticity: 'Instead of pretending to be Latin, we are Latin'

My Beauty, My Way is a video series hosted by Yahoo Life beauty director Dana Oliver, where women of different ages and backgrounds break down their beauty routines to explain what beauty truly means to them and how it represents their cultural identity.

When you see Black and brown women featured in beauty ads or promoted on cosmetics billboards, you probably wouldn’t question whether the businesses are actually created or owned by Black and brown people. But you’d be surprised by the number of brands that appropriate imagery and language that reflects diverse communities when their companies are in fact predominately white-owned and operated.

Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of this type of misleading marketing and are choosing to spend their money wisely on Black- and brown-owned businesses. One beauty and lifestyle brand that delivers products bursting with authenticity (and high color payoff) is Luna Magic.

Launched in 2019 by Dominican sisters Mabel and Shaira Frías, Luna Magic has eyeshadows, lipsticks and even false lashes that are inspired by their Afro-Latin heritage. The pair was born in Miami, Fla., and raised in the Virgin Islands before settling with their family in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. After having moved around a lot, Mabel and Shaira’s multicultural upbringing is deeply woven into the brand.

Luna Magic Liquid Matte Lipstick in Gostosa (which translates to “sexy woman” in Brazilian Portuguese) is a bright red shade that pops on fair, medium and dark complexions. “In the Latina community, specifically Dominican women, wearing red lipstick is like a statement,” says Shaira. “They would wear it just to go to the corner bodega. They would wear it to go to church. They would wear it just to drop us off [at] school. It’s just like an everyday situation.”

Mabel is especially proud of their bestselling Luna Magic Uno Eyeshadow Palette, which includes 12 vibrant pigments with creative names that the sisters believe embody pillars of Latin culture. “For example, [the shades] Salud, Dinero and Amor is a saying from Walter Mercado, a Puerto Rican astrologer,” explains Mabel. “He would log on at 5 p.m. everyday in this daily news segment show Monday through Friday to talk about your astrological signs. And our parents were so mystified by him.”

She continues, “I learned about what it is to be a Libra from this man on television that I carry to this day. And at the end of every segment where he would read everyone’s astrological future in money, love and wealth, he would always say, ‘Above anything else, I wish you Salud, Dinero and Amor.’ I wish you health, money and love.”

The Luna Magic Luxury Mink Lashes are also a “Latin wink” to the telenovelas that the sisters grew up watching, according to Shaira. They named their dramatic eyelashes Rubi and Xica, two protoganists in popular Spanish soap operas. Having this authentic Latin messaging is what the duo believes sets them apart from other brands.

Not to mention, as Mabel says, “Instead of pretending to be Latin, we are Latin. This is part of who we are. I think our competitive advantages are the insights that we have to this culture that we can translate seamlessly to the customer.”

While paying homage to Latin pop culture icons is important to both Mabel and Shaira, they remain connected to the girls and women who gravitate towards Luna Magic because it doesn’t paint Latinas as a monolith.

“My sister and I, we don't ascribe to boxes because even within the diaspora, there's so many layers,” says Mabel. “By identifying myself as Afro-Latina, it means that I acknowledge my lineage. I acknowledge my mother, who was your skin tone, Dana, and had your hair texture. I acknowledge my grandmother who was lighter than me. I acknowledge the whole thing that came before us that actually inspires who we are, informs our features and informs the vivaciousness and the rich elements that are part of our Latin culture.”

Follow Luna Magic on Instagram and keep up with the brand at lunamagic.com.

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