Today we’d like to introduce you to Ileana Chavez.
Ileana, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I always knew that I wanted to be my own boss. Something about the idea of being able to have my voice be heard and my vision come to life called to me. As I grew up, I felt as though the idea of being a small business owner or an entrepreneur was way out of reach. I felt that I was being told that owning my own business was a lot harder than I imagined. In addition to this, I didn’t see many role models that I could relate to who were entrepreneurs or business owners. I am a young Latina from Los Angeles and not seeing someone in that same category made me feel like my dream was too much of a dream. It wasn’t until recently when I became friends with more artists and entrepreneurs in all types of industries that I realized my dream was actually achievable! Seeing my friends chase their dreams encouraged me to chase my own.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say it’s been relatively smooth. The beginning stages of the business such as making a business plan, getting funding, figuring out my branding and the image I wanted to portray, was much harder than actually running my business. My biggest struggle was securing funding. I am about 75% self-funded and the rest was scraped together with the help of my family!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Luna Nueva Cosmetics – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Luna Nueva Cosmetics is the only brand out there with CBD Jelly Highlighters, or what we call Starlighters! We pride ourselves on being inclusive. Meaning that I curated each shade specifically in the hopes that it would appeal to everyone with any skin tone and look amazing! Being a person of color can be tough, especially when picking cosmetics, even these days when a lot more inclusive brands exist. We wanted each shade to look beautiful on everyone and I believe we achieved that! The biggest thing that sets us apart from others is our product! Our CBD jelly highlighters are absolutely unique.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The best thing about our city is its diversity. The fact that each area of LA can be so diverse and beautiful! The thing I like least is TRAFFIC!
Pricing:
- Starlighters (4 Shades) $18ea
Contact Info:
- Website: lunanuevacosmetics.com
- Phone: 6262323915
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Maxwell Xavier Hernandez (MXH Photography)
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