On trend braids, twists and buns, woven with beads and threads, are captured in this shoot by salon owner and creative powerhouse, Meleesa Luna. "When inspired Latina artists unite in their native homeland, Belleza happens," says Luna, a native of Costa Rica who owns a salon in Huntington Beach, CA. "We wanted to give people an answer to the question, what is Costa Rica like? Through this series of images, we allowed the steamy flavors, colors, and scents of one of the world’s most luscious landscapes to answer this question."
Instead of the hot tools and blow dryers she uses in her salon work, Meleesa traveled with a carry-on and joined a crew of fellow creative women—‘my chicas lindas’-who collaborated on this tropical shoot, celebrating the natural beauty of the area and what can be achieved by embracing the colors, patterns, surrounding scenery and mindset of a location. She worked with products from Neuma Beauty, a cruelty-free, vegan haircare line, to bring out natural texture and to be mindful of her carbon footprint.
"As a project producer, my intention was to demonstrate how a fresh and fabulous look is achievable mid-voyage by incorporating finding from local designers, staying open to what the wind carries in with a traveler’s state of mind, embracing a minimalist approach to beauty care and keeping style and hearts light and sunny.
“When women come together, it’s a beautiful thing."
CREDITS
Creative director and hair by Meleesa Luna @meleesaluna
Photographer: Tatiana Marin, @tatianamarin_photo
Makeup artist: Tamara Sabaté, @tamarasabatemua
Stylist\designer: Marcelle Desanti, @marcelle_desanti
Model agency: Independent Model Management (IMM), @independent_cr
Samantha AR, @sammantha_10ar
Tamara del Maso, @tamara.dalmaso
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