Founder Cece Meadows puts Indigenous voices at the forefront of the beauty industry.
As Native American Heritage Month comes to an end, we're highlighting the all-vegan cosmetic line Prados Beauty! The Indigenous-owned beauty brand is loaded with makeup must-tries. So here, we share some award-winning favorites and highlight why Native representation in mainstream beauty is vital.
Photo courtesy of Prados Beauty
Prados Beauty Celebrates Indigenous Voices
Founder Cece Meadows' Yoeme and Nʉmʉnʉ ancestral roots inspired the launch of Prados Beauty in 2018. Since then, she has cemented her mark in the makeup industry by placing Indigenous voices at the forefront. "I envisioned Prados to be a brand people could come to when they had questions about Indigenous peoples, our vast cultures, nations, traditions, and stories. I also wanted it to be a place where people could purchase cosmetics and see our people, rich colorways, vibrancy, and artistry at its best," said Meadows.
Prados Beauty founder Cece Meadows Photo courtesy of Prados Beauty
The vegan beauty brand is filled with award-winning favorites, eye-catching eyeshadow palettes, and bold lippies. So if you're looking for a beauty staple that goes from day to night, shop their Sagrado Eyeshadow Palette. This versatile product consists of 30 mattes and shimmers that apply like vegan butter. For a luminous finish to your base, shop their Prados Beauty Highlight—a vanity essential filled with shimmery rosy tones fit for all skin types.
The Significance of Indigenous Representation
Prados Beauty uplifts Indigenous creatives by collaborating on several beauty launches. One of these includes The Matriarch Eyeshadow Palette in collaboration with Indigenous filmmaker Steven Paul Judd. The award-winning palette consists of soft-hued neutrals along with dramatic pops of color. Also, don't forget to shop their other palettes in partnership with Judd—each more beautifully designed than the last.
Prados Beauty transfigures what it means to be beautiful and comfortable in your own skin. By using makeup as a storytelling tool, the Indigenous-owned brand continues to revolutionize beauty standards in the mainstream market. When asked about the importance of Indigenous representation in the beauty industry, Meadows shared, "When you colonize the world with your westernized beauty standard and create unrealistic expectations of how we should look as Indigenous peoples, you do more damage than we have words to speak with. By creating Prados, I want to empower my children and relatives to know that they are beautiful just as they are."
Meadows continued, "Teaching the world that we have warrior noses that have carried us through centuries, that our cheekbones aren't too big, and that our lips are the shapes and sizes they are because of the structures of our faces creates acceptance in not just our homes, but the world's idea of what beauty looks like."
Photo courtesy of Prados Beauty
Prados Goes Beyond Makeup
The Prados Promise is an initiative led by The Prados Life Foundation, started by Meadows and her husband. The organization focuses on sending resources to Native American communities year round. Proceeds from Prados Beauty are used to collect shoes, winter coats, clothing, monetary donations, and scholarships for several reservations nationwide.
Visit PradosBeauty.com, then, to shop for beauty products and head to PradosLifeFoundation.org to support their community work. Prados Beauty is preparing for a new launch on December 9. So, follow them on Instagram to stay up to date!
