How Camila Coelho Went From A Dior Cosmetics Counter To Running Her Own Beauty Brand

It's been 10 years since Camila Coelho started out sharing fashion and beauty content on Youtube, back when she was just 18-years old and a makeup artist at her local Dior cosmetic counter. Today, Los Angeles-based, Brazilian-born creator has over 13 million followers across platforms, and is running her own flourishing business ventures; an eponymous clothing line, and Elaluz, a skincare and color cosmetics brand, rooted in her celebrating her heritage, and the natural ingredients from her native country.

Although the world definitely slowed down on doing everyday full glam makeup looks after being stuck inside, that didn’t stop Coelho from sharing with the world what she does best—if anything it encouraged her. After sitting down for a few days to correspond via email with Coelho, her role in the beauty world goes beyond being just another pretty face but rather changing standards of beauty.

At a time when a lot of people couldn’t find a reason to get dolled up and feel beautiful, Coelho decided to launch her cosmetic line, Elaluz, at the height of the pandemic. Already deep into her namesake fashion line, Coelho was ready to start a new venture and attempt to bring light to the beauty world again. Trying to keep it clean and simple while not overwhelming consumers with a ton of products, she stuck to creating just a few of her favorite every-day go-to products.

Coelho took the time to share with NYLON more about starting a beauty brand during a pandemic no less - as well as her morning routine, her hands down go-to beauty products, and everything else she’s been up to right now.

Where did your love for beauty originate from?

I’ve been a beauty lover since I was a little kid. I have so many beautiful and funny memories of myself as a child – playing with makeup, overly brushing my hair. I definitely got that from my grandmother. I grew up seeing her always done up and she had this beautiful light that always shined through wherever she was and I just wanted to look like her. She was actually the first person to give me a red lipstick when I was only 6 years old.

After high school, I decided to get a job at a Dior makeup counter selling makeup. That’s when I realized how powerful beauty is and how it can empower you in such a strong way. It’s more than just what you’re putting on your face, it’s about enhancing that light and confidence inside of you. Beauty can transform you from the inside out.

Who are a few of your beauty inspirations?

My #1 beauty icon is my Grandmother. She was always done up and had the best energy that she shared with everyone around her, really teaching me the importance of beauty from within.

Diane Von Furstenberg is also so effortless in her beauty and I find that to be inspiring. I believe beauty is natural and she is the type of woman that owns her natural beauty. She has a bold, inner strength that translates into her confidence and I have always admired that about her.

What are your ideals of changing the standard of beauty?

It is so important that we keep inclusivity at the forefront of any brand, but especially in beauty. When I was starting on YouTube 10 years ago while I was a makeup artist at my local department store, I received so much feedback from both viewers and consumers saying they loved a certain concealer or product, but the color wasn’t matching for them.

In the past few years, I do believe that brands have become more cognizant of this need for inclusivity. While I have seen a lot of change in the beauty industry, there is still a lot of change that needs to happen. Not only is it about the products themselves, but also about the larger brand messaging and the day to day of the company – who is in the brand campaigns, who is hired to work on our sets, who makes up our internal corporate teams, and so on. Inclusivity must be present both behind the scenes and in the very product itself. Elaluz’s top priority is to be inclusive in every single way.

You launched your beauty brand, Elaluz, during a pandemic. How have you navigated this time?

We were supposed to launch in March, right when the pandemic started, but we also had a few challenges, as our goal with Elaluz is to have a completely clean brand, which takes a lot of time to receive the proper certifications—while also ensuring the quality of the product is never sacrificed. We had a natural delay and then we aimed for May, but by then we were in the middle of a COVID-19 peak. Being mindful of everything going on in the world, and the marketplace beginning to pick back up early on in the summer, we pushed the launch to August.

Even though we still launched during a pandemic, I felt comfortable. I made the decision two years ago that this would be a clean brand, which has felt like such a blessing that we thought through all of this beforehand. My hope was that this brand would bring joy and light to people, and so far it has. While launching, of course it has been very different connecting with media and consumers virtually, instead of in person, but I’m still so grateful that it’s been such a well-received success.

How does it feel to have your own beauty line after starting from the Dior makeup counter at 18-years old?

Elaluz has been a dream of mine for so many years. I always knew I wanted to have my own beauty brand. My mom always told me no dream is too big and I kept that in my heart. I always used to say to myself that, one day I’ll have my own beauty brand. I’ve accomplished so many things in the past, but my own beauty brand has always been my biggest dream and now it’s finally coming true.

Today, I’m so much more mature and confident and I know exactly what I want. I knew I wanted this brand to be different and stand out. We started working on Elaluz about two years ago and have been working on formulas for more than a year to really make sure they’re perfect.

Other than launching Elaluz, what else have you been up to since the start of the pandemic?

I started doing [Instagram Lives] with my trainer on my IGTV. Once a week I try to do a 30 minute workout to keep me active. Sometimes I go outside with my husband and we play around with a volleyball, we also ride bikes a lot.

To wind down, every night I watch a show with my husband. I spend the last 2 hours of the day watching something. These past few days, I didn’t have time to do that and I felt terrible. Last night, I watched our favorite show together and it made me feel great.

The app Headspace also helps me a lot at night. I can’t do meditation on my own, so this app is great and makes me concentrate. It’s the only thing that helps me when I can’t sleep or I’m anxious to relax my mind.

If and when things ever get back to "normal," what is the first thing you're looking to do?

I’m looking forward to having in-person design and product meetings with my brands! Internally, we have been making both brands, Elaluz and Camila Coelho Collection, run successfully via Zoom meetings, but I do miss being in person with my wonderful teams. There is something so special when we are able to touch the formulas, products and packaging together, brainstorming what products we want to launch next or what final tweaks we may want to make before the next launch.

How has your morning routine changed since?

My beauty routine has changed a lot – I’m putting on much less makeup. That’s why the products I launched are perfect for me right now. I’m always doing content, so I end up having makeup on most of the day.

In the morning I start off by washing my face with water. Then, I apply my Elaluz Beauty Oil, an eye cream, and then I use a Gua Sha tool to give my face a lymphatic massage to de-puff. I then apply my favorite sunscreen by SkinCeuticals and the Elaluz 24K Lip Therapy. On days that I don't want to wear a lot of makeup, but I still want to look flush and healthy, I'll apply the Elaluz Lip & Cheek stain to give my face that natural glow.

What is your go-to makeup look now?

My go to makeup look at the moment is an easy, natural look. I love glowy skin, flushed cheeks, and nude lips with a soft smokey eye using the Elaluz Brazilian Goddess eyeshadow palette.

What have been your top six beauty go-to's since being home?

1. Kerastase Masque Intense Régénérant Hair Mask - This hair mask makes my hair feel so shiny and smooth!
2. L’oreal RevitaLift Derm Intensives Night Serum with 0.3% Pure Retinol - I am loving this Retinol and I also think that it’s great for anyone starting to use Retinol for the first time. It is a quality product without spending the premium price!
3. Neutrogena Ultra-Soft Makeup Remover Wipes - These wipes have been a go-to of mine for years! My skin can be sensitive at times and these wipes are really good at taking off my makeup without causing a breakout.
4. SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E - I’ve loved this product for so long now because it’s helped improve my skin’s radiance, firmness and is filled with pure antioxidants.
5. La Mer Crème De La Mer - I have always been a fan of this iconic beauty brand. I love every product from La Mer but this crème is one of my absolute favorites.
6. Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation - I love this foundation because it feels light on my skin but has amazing coverage! It has a flawless finish and is one of my go-to foundations in my makeup routine.