“We celebrate natural beauty because it doesn’t get the praise…” – Thompson.
When it comes to beauty, black women have always had to struggle between what we were told, what society presented us with, and what we believed was beautiful. Over the years, we have had to deal with shelves of hair and beauty products not catering to our skin tones or hair textures. African American women are blessed with a range of skin tones ranging from light brown to deep indigo; however, we’ve had to mix this hair product with that product, this shade of makeup with the next shade to find the perfect color match or hair product that doesn’t dry, tangle, or pull our hair out.
Though, these days things are finally looking up for us. As the idea and face of beauty constantly changes more retailers, small businesses and homegrown inventors are creating products that not only pair well with melanin filled skin, they maintain its youthful appearance. As beauty ideologies and trends shift, more-and-more companies are catering to our natural crown texture with products of all kinds. Allowing us to embrace, appreciate, and represent our natural beauty like everyone else does.
That’s exactly what fashion blogger, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and natural beauty advocate Latoya Thompson did. Tired of the narrow perception of beauty society had been giving us, the CEO/Founder decided to take the best parts of her past and combine them with her passion for loving the skin you’re in.
In 2015, using her degree in fashion merchandising a different way, Thompson founded Heritage 1933, a beauty and hair product company. Thompson, a St. Louis native, founded her company on the belief of giving back and celebrating natural beauty of all women.
The company named after the year her grandmother was born and pays homage to the many women who came before us and whose legacy we carry on. With her grandmother as her biggest influence, she faced her challenges head on as they shaped her into the woman she is today.  So, how does Heritage 1933 embody natural beauty? It’s simple, all their skin products are made with natural ingredients and the hair extensions and clip-ins are natural as well.
Taking on the task of creating a product that allows women to be comfortable with their natural look while using natural based products that help enhance their beauty is no easy one. When starting the company, Thompson originally set out to partner with hair care companies to assist in the shelter drops her company makes quarterly.
When no one stepped up to the plate, Thompson took matters into her own hands. Determined to produce quality products, she took to YouTube to learn different ways to create natural skin products. Through trial and error, she had finally found recipes she was happy with. Structuring her business as social enterprise, she managed to incorporate a giving model into her business plan which allows her to use the revenue made from sales to go towards donations made to shelters for women and children in need.
Growing up in shelters herself, Thompson’s passion for giving back is coupled with her perseverance and is living proof of what you can become when you don’t let your past define your future. As she strives to affect change within the community, giving back isn’t the only platform she wishes to stand upon.
Through the entire process of creating her products, Thompson stands behind everything she sells and believes her company is a part of a movement that is equipping women with the tools they need to feel naturally beautiful. “We celebrate natural beauty because it doesn’t get the praise,” Thompson states.
Though she has nothing against other forms of beauty enhancements, Thompson’s overall message is that women should embody what makes them feel beautiful in their own skin and loving themselves. Well with beauty products named, And I Don’t Care and Ms. Know It All, we are sure women will feel a little bit of sass to go along with their natural beauty look.
Check out some beauty tips Latoya gave us on healthy summer skin and finding the right beauty products:
Tips for healthy skin:
1.    Drink plenty of water! You must take care of your insides first since beauty really is inside out, so keep your skin hydrated. Healthy skin is measured by your level of hydration.
2.    Stick to a beauty regimen and don’t cut corners (like not taking off your makeup at night or washing your face in the morning and at night)
3.    Purchase a good moisturizer and sun screen to protect your skin.
Tips for purchasing the right skin products:
1.    Know what’s in them! Products are like food. You can’t just feed your body and hair anything.
2.    Read the directions. The better the directions, the better the product is going to be.
For more information on Heritage 1933 products, please visit www.heritage1933.com.
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