Meet the Cubana beauty guru behind this vegan and cruelty-free nail lacquer brand
Latinas are owning their spaces within the beauty industry
Now more than ever, influencers within the beauty space are diversifying their streams of income beyond Youtube and social media. Although content creation will always be the name of the game, Latina vloggers like Kathleen Fuentes are making money moves with their beauty launches. Recently, the 27-year-old announced her new nail lacquers line Lights Lacquer.
Back in 2016, the Cubana launched her first lacquer brand, KL Polish. Followers went insane over the color selection and the collection sold out instantly, but internally Kathleen was unable to be the leader she hoped for. While it was a touch decision, the Miami-native shared a vulnerable video with her subscribers revealing she was shutting down the brand. Fast forward to today, the Cuban beauty expert is taking matters into her own hands and making sure her culture is represented in an intentional and tasteful way. Born to Cuban immigrants, it was important for Kathleen to be her own boss and create a collection that authentically spoke to her heritage.
"Lights Lacquer is a vegan, cruelty and seven-free nail lacquer brand that I have put my heart and soul into,” said Fuentes. Each name in my first collection GRL PWR is a tribute to women's empowerment. I made sure my Cuban roots are represented by naming one of my favorite colors of this launch ‘Jefa’, a creamy sage green inspired by the strong women in my life. I hope you feel empowered, inspired and proud when you wear it," said the boss girl.
Unlike regular polishes packed with toxic chemicals, this vegan and cruelty-free line is formulated without toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, TPHP, and xylene. When it came to picking the different hues, the 27-year-old powerhouse drew inspiration from the Pantone colors, makeup trends, and her Latindad. The colors range from a deep metallic black shade to a taupe with rose-copper shimmers and costs $9.50, lightslacquer.com.
Making decisions as a young entrepreneur is never easy, but Kathleen Fuentes is proving the impossible is possible with this beauty comeback. According to the proud Latina, this is just the beginning for Light Lacquers and we can’t wait to see her continue reinventing mani-pedi products.
Buena suerte, chica!
