Luxury beauty, in the form of glamorous makeup, is having a major moment. But it’s not from the country you may think. While legacy brands are dropping expensive products left and right, AORA MÉXICO, a Mexican-born makeup brand, is changing the conversation with sustainable premium products.
Founded and helmed by L’Oréal veteran Nour Tayar, AORA is redefining two key categories within the industry: Luxury and sustainability. Their initial launch included a collection of lip and eye makeup in plastic-free and recyclable packaging.
As if those initiatives weren’t enough, AORA is also putting Mexico on the global beauty map. In a world of minimal aesthetics, they bring the vibrancy of Mexican culture with each product. Their signature eyeshadow palette features a rainbow of enticing hues, including violet, emerald, and cobalt blue, housed in an equally stunning gold tin. The eyeliners have a similar feel, with vibrant yet wearable shades. Then there is the collection of lip serum balms, which include a pH-adjusting pink and spicy red lip plumper.
Mexican beauty goes beyond embracing color. The country’s culture is deeply rooted in AORA and is infused in every inch of the brand’s aesthetic. “We are a brand with poetry in our hearts and want to celebrate the creativity of Mexico through makeup,” says Nour. With the uncertainties of the world looming, makeup should be uplifting, fun, energetic, and forward-thinking. AORA brings all of that and more to the industry, while changing what sustainable beauty looks like.
In an intimate chat, Nour shares the inspiration behind the brand, the future of Mexican beauty, and the importance of staying plastic-free and clean while exuding ultra-luxe vibes.
ESSENCE: How did the name AORA MÉXICO come about?
Nour Tayar: We thought so hard about the name because we wanted it to be intentional and purposeful.
AORA comes from ahora, which is Spanish for now. We loved the meaning because it represented exactly what the brand is about. It’s colorful, vibrant, clean, and sustainable. It’s everything we want to see in the beauty industry, and it’s what we’re bringing right now.
Removing the h from the original word gave us AORA, which creates a beautiful shape, reminiscent of a pyramid. This brand was born to challenge the industry to look at beauty outside of Europe. The name AORA doesn’t just explain who we are as a brand—it also represents the culture within Mexico.
The colors are so vivid and energetic, completely different from the neutral shades dominating the industry right now. Was that an intentional part of AORA’s storytelling?
First of all, I love and live in color—so, for me, the decision to go with a crayon box of shades over traditional neutral tones was very personal. But color is also a BIG part of Mexico. Here, color isn’t forced. It’s not so much about whether the shades go together as it is an expression of art. We wanted AORA to celebrate and showcase that kind of joy.
We knew we were taking a risk, with minimal makeup trending for the last few years, but it was important to show up bold, loud, and luxurious. People are turning back to color and extravagance, especially with eye makeup. Our eyeshadow palette was made with that in mind. It may not be your average daytime look, but it gives you the tools to be creative and express yourself through makeup.
The packaging also feels like a celebration of culture. What was it like to bring it to life?
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. With the packaging, we knew it had to be 100% plastic-free and 100% recyclable, so we chose materials that met that criteria first. We recently launched our lip liners that are completely plastic-free. It was no easy feat to make a pencil without a plastic cap, but it was extremely important to us and the ethos of the brand.
The packaging also needed to feel as beautiful as the products. Before plastic, products used to come in packaging that was beautiful and felt special. We wanted to bring back luxurious packaging and make it something you can keep once it’s empty. Design was just as important. For the eyeshadow palette, we went with a bronzy gold color, the same shade as 10 pesos fresh out of the bank. The pyramid plays a large role in the aesthetic of our brand, so it was important to translate that through the packaging, from the eyeshadow palette to the boxes for the lip serums and eyeliners.
What do you think the future of Mexican beauty looks like?
I think Mexican beauty has a place in this global industry because of its diversity. The cities, people, and cultures bring something fresh to beauty outside of what we’re already seeing from European brands. Creating in that kind of environment adds to the brand and helps bring the POV to life. With AORA, we’re trying to transport people to the magical world of Mexico through texture, storytelling, and imagery. I think that’s what true luxury is. Everything comes down to the details, and bringing that aspect, combined with premium products, to the current beauty space is necessary. Mexico is growing its influence, and that includes beauty. So, I think the future for Mexican beauty looks bright.
What do you think the future of sustainable, luxury beauty looks like?
Sustainability is the only way to move forward, and we have to make it sexy and flavorful. No one wants to compromise style and quality for sustainably-made products. For years, clean beauty meant organic ads where people ran through fields, kids in tow, wearing cotton. It’s not a bad sell, but those ads didn’t feel as exciting as the ones for trendy beauty brands that weren’t sustainably focused. To me, that narrative is dated. Why can’t you be a clean makeup brand that’s also glamorous? You should be able to have beautiful makeup, quality formulas, and beautiful recyclable packaging without having to compromise.