DORÉ

I’m an au naturale girl when it comes to makeup. My everyday look consists of brow gel, mascara, and lip balm. And I’m not really a fan of the dewy, wet makeup look. As an oily gal, when attempting this look, I end up just looking sweaty and in distress. So, you wouldn’t believe how shocked I was upon trying Alamar Cosmetics’s new DesNUDEas Collection of glosses and lip liners, and actually liking it?!

Typically, lip gloss formulas are sticky, greasy, uncomfortable. But, the Alamar gloss is none of those things! I tried the DesNUDEas lip gloss in Coqueta and she was smooth and moisturizing on the lips. It’s easy application and the gloss is just the right amount of sheer for this natural-loving gal.

I swatched the lip liners — which come in a light brown color, Dulce, and a rich chocolate brown, Coqueta — and these babies are sure to stay on for the whole day, even in this unbearable summer heat. It’s clear that they were made for long, salsa nights on Calle Ocho!

I chatted with Gabriela Trujillo, professional makeup artist and founder of Alamar Cosmetics, to learn more about the brand’s rich cultural history and how she perfected the perfect nude gloss…

What inspired you to start Alamar Cosmetics?

Alamar Cosmetics was inspired by the lack of Latinx representation in the beauty industry. I wanted to create a line that highlights my Cuban culture and inspires others to connect to their own roots. During the rise of indie brands, I was working at a top-rated beauty box subscription company and started to notice that women of color founded many of these indie brands. Brands such as Beauty Bakerie and Juvia’s Place caught my attention because they had a beautiful story behind it. I wanted to create a line that did the same, sharing my story and my Cuban cultural identity.

Why is it important for you to pay tribute to your Cuban heritage with your cosmetics line?

My Cuban heritage is what has inspired me to become the woman that I am today. In creating this line, it was also important to me to pay homage to my parents, who sacrificed everything they had in Cuba to come to America and give me a better life. I saw my parents work hard to achieve the American Dream. However, they always kept Alamar present, and that has been ingrained in me. Now, I want to bring Alamar to the forefront, to have it with me as a daily reminder of my cultural roots, but to also inspire others to embrace their native roots.

In what ways does Alamar Cosmetics embody Cuban culture and the city of Miami?

I named my line after the place I was born — Alamar is a small neighborhood in Havana. I wanted to create a line that embodies the vibrancy of Cuba. It’s a place with such a rich culture and history, I knew it would be a rich reference point for makeup inspiration.

A Cuban memory inspires each shade — whether it’s the beach, the Coco-Taxi (a coconut shaped taxi vehicle in Cuba), Celia Cruz, the MOTHER to all Cubans, and so on. I want my makeup to be worn on a girls night out at El Malecon!

Miami also has a significant influence on my line as it’s the city that raised me. The vivid colors and lively tropical lifestyle–Alamar is just that.

Talk to me about the process of creating the DesNUDEas Collection.

Up until recently, we saw a lot of brands launching lipsticks in the “nude” shade, but it wasn’t a wearable nude for everyone — especially darker skin. People have a misconception about what nude is — it’s not beige, but the shade closest to your skin tone. I wanted to create a nude lip gloss line that could be wearable for all skin tones. Along with this, I wanted to create a wearable nude liner that, paired with the gloss, would create a sultry, juicy pout.