Honduras-born Cenia Vega has tried brand after brand of cosmetics, but always found her rich yellow skin tones didn’t mesh with the blushes, lipsticks and other mainstream makeup based on pink hues.
Recently, she discovered the Zalia Cosmetics line designed specifically for Latinas like herself, settled in for a makeover and emerged with a glossy smile.
“I’ve never liked the colors before,” said the 29-year-old from Union City, N.J. “But this looks so natural, like I’m not even wearing makeup.”
Makeup artist and entrepreneur Monica Ramirez couldn’t have been prouder. Long frustrated like Vega, she decided four years ago to design the line for Latinas, working with chemists and relying on funding from friends to keep her small business afloat during its development stage.
Her New York-based Zalia kicked off its national launch in August with makeovers at Victoria’s Secret Beauty at Bayside Mall in Miami. How does a first-generation American of Peruvian parents, with no experience in makeup manufacturing, get a shot at sales with one of the hottest retail chains for women?
Ramirez credits a new partner who worked 10 years with Estee Lauder helping with contacts. Plus, Victoria’s Secret reached out to tap what’s become the largest minority in the U.S.: Hispanics.
Latinos now make up nearly 15 percent of the U.S. population, or roughly 43.5 million people, and they could approach 30 percent by 2050, according to Synovate Diversity, which runs its Hispanic- and Latin-American market research from Miami.
Today, women account for nearly half of all U.S. Hispanics, and as a group, they tend to be young, with a median age of about 28. Roughly 13 million Latinas now range between 12 and 49 years old–prime makeup-wearing years, offering a strong potential market for Zalia and other brands, the data shows.
Even more enticing, Latinas are known to spend readily on beauty products, often more than the average American. “In the Latina culture, makeup is more of a necessity, not a luxury,” Ramirez joked.
To cater to the Latinas, 31-year-old Ramirez is going far beyond varying colors.
Zalia’s packaging and Web site are bilingual, in English and Spanish. Its models are Latinas, of different nationalities and facial types. And its products bear names appealing to Hispanics, with lipsticks such as “Red Rum” and “Tango” as well as eye shadows “Cafe con Leche” and “Sangria.”
The company expects top dollar for the unique items, with lipsticks starting at $11.50 each.
“Zalia’s definitely not a mass-market brand,” Ramirez said.
So far, the company’s not relying on ads to reach customers. Ramirez said she began selling “with a little Web site” and then spread the word through community events. In November, Zalia began opening its own stores, with three now operating in malls in New Jersey and New York.
But it is August’s launch at 10 Victoria’s Secret Beauty outlets that is expected to catapult Zalia to national recognition, helping push its sales to an average $150,000 per locale in their first full year of operations, Ramirez projects. Although the products are not sold in Chicago stores, they are available at www.zalia.com.
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Edited by Cara DiPasquale (cdipasquale@tribune.com) and Victoria Rodriguez (vrodriguez@tribune.com)
