Viva Glam Kay Teamed Up With Reina Rebelde to Create a Makeup Collection Dedicated to Puerto Rico

When beauty meets “cultura,” magical things can happen and for Latinx beauty brand Reina Rebelde its latest launch is exactly that: magical. Inspired by Puerto Rico, the new two-piece collection was created in collaboration with Boricua makeup artist Kay-Lani Martinez, known to her 1.4 million Instagram followers as @viva_glam_kay.

“This collaboration is more than just makeup. It’s a moment for any woman with curly hair and facial features they don’t see in media to know that all women matter, in every color, shape, and culture we come from,” Martinez tells Allure. “I also want the Latinx and Puerto Rican communities to feel heard and seen in an industry where we are often forgotten.”

Martinez worked for nearly two years with Regina Merson, founder of Reina Rebelde to perfect the long-lasting, turquoise-blue liquid eyeliner Bonita Bandera and the peachy nude, beso- proof lip color stick, Alma Desnuda.

“We are a small brand; we have to move slowly and carefully,” Merson tells Allure about the lengthy product creation. "It took some time to work on the colors because the blue had to be very vibrant in order to really convey the proper emotions and pride we were after and also to show up on darker skin. And nude lipsticks are incredibly challenging. It has always been difficult for both Kay-Lani and I to find the right nude for our skin tones.”

Both products are cruelty-free and vegan and inspired by different aspects of Martinez's heritage. Bonita Bandera was inspired by both the blue water that surrounds her native island and the popular song of the same name, while Alma Desnuda was inspired by the makeup artist's mantra: "Leading life with purpose, intent, and an open soul at all times."

Launched in 2016, Reina Rebelde has been committed to representing and celebrating the different cultures that make up the Latinx community. As a woman of Mexican heritage, Merson wanted to make sure she was representing communities outside her own in an authentic way, so she teamed up with Puerto Rican beauty powerhouse Martinez to bring the Reina Rebelde x Viva Glam Kay collection to life. As for Martinez, there was no question about whether or not Reina Rebelde was the right place for her first-ever product collaboration.

“I wanted to put my name, power, and audience behind a Latina-owned small business,” Martinez explains of the partnership. “Like everything I do, I create content and talk to my audience through my view on life — a Puerto Rican woman with Afro roots. I needed to make sure that who I am as a person was represented through every touch point of the collaboration. I didn’t want to create just another set of products with just any brand. I wanted to create a conversation about culture and beauty and that was something that only Reina Rebelde could authentically provide for me.”

In addition to elevating the Latinx experience and representing the culture in an industry that so often overlooks these consumers, Reina Rebelde is dedicated to giving back to the community. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of this collection will be donated to the Hispanic Federation’s UNIDOS Disaster Relief & Recovery Program to Support Puerto Rico. The funds will help support the country’s ongoing efforts to rebuild post-Hurricane Maria. The products in the Reina Rebelde x Viva Glam Kay collection are currently on sale for $14 each.

“I hope that this collaboration allows people to better understand the beauty of being Latin[x] and the beauty of being Puerto Rican, and to appreciate the vast diversity within our larger Latin[x] community,” Merson says. “While there are so many things that unify us as Latinos, our respective cultures are so unique and have a profound influence on our individual experiences. We have all been moved to tears by some of the messages we have received. It has been so touching and feels so great to offer something to the larger community that everyone is getting behind, no matter their cultural background.”

In addition to the two products in their collection, Martinez curated two beauty bundles of her favorite Reina Rebelde products. Each box will contain the brand's latest launches as well as four other products so that fans can create their own Viva Glam Kay-inspired looks. The bundles, named La Reina and La Rebelde are currently available for $75 each on site.

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