411 - Beauty
A Splash of Color
Makeup for Different Latina Looks Story by Molly Hammond Photos by Celeste Casas
At Latinitas, we’re all about helping you feel beautiful and unique. You don’t need make-up or fashion to achieve this, but hey, sometimes those things are fun to play with, verdad? We asked La Matadora Cosmetics, one of the few cosmetic companies for Latinas, to help us put together four different Latina looks. La Matadora owner Dawn Mata and make-up artist Amanda Pye created looks for four Latinitas’ teen reporters to try out.
• Future Career: Art Historian Anna-Alizette Ruiz, 17, modeled the natural look, which can be worn daily, using minimal make-up. Anna is wearing La Matadora’s Loose Mineral Powder in Mineral Sand; Concealer in Fair and Neutral; Mineral Compact Blush in Natural Glow; Gel Eyeliner in Chocolate Mousse; Mineral Eye Shadow in Mountain; Curling Lash Mascara in Black; Liquid Lips in Oxygen; and Lip Perfect Water Resistant Automatic Liner in Cogniac. This look emphasizes the belleza natural of the skin and face and highlights significant features.
“It doesn’t feel like I’m wearing any makeup. It feels like I just came back from a spa.”
About La Matadora Cosmetics La Matadora’s (www.lamatadora.com) line of makeup works for the fairest and darkest skinned women. Owner Dawn Mata started the company in 2004 after not finding the right blend of cosmetics to match her Latina skin tone in American stores. “I decided I could either get angry about [the lack of products for Latinas] or I could do something about it,” said Mata. “I wanted to make a product that a lot of people could afford. I chose the name, ‘La Matadora,’ (‘the killer’ in English) because it’s very strong and bold.”
After working in the Spanish and American cosmetic industries, she created one of the first make-up companies targeted specifically toward Latina women-a demographic other mainstream makeup companies failed to incorporate into their brands. “One of the key differences with our line is that it was designed with Latinas in mind,” she said. “We custom blend our products. Fifty percent of the line caters to the typical Latina skin tone and type.”
Today, she mostly sells her products on the Web and in Spain.
• Future Career: Poet Telvi Altamirano, 18, normally goes make-up-free, but she decided to give a little color a chance. The Hip Hop look, seen on stars like Jennifer Lopez, can be created using La Matadora’s Mineral Compact Foundation in Perfecta; Mineral Loose Blush in Amber; Brow Wax; Mineral Eye Shadow in Golddigger, Earth and Violet; Eyeliner Gel in Blackout; Long and Lush Mascara in Black; Lip Gloss in Mocha; and Lip Perfect Water-Resistant Automatic Liner in Mauve. This look is subtle around the eyes.
“It’s light and airy. I think I could do this everyday. I would wear this at night or when I have a poetry performance.”
4 Latinitas