"In my family, we love beauty," said Maia Alejandro, the Puerto Rican and Dominican-American founder of nontoxic nail-polish brand FOR TMRW. "My aunt taught me how to paint my nails when I was a little girl, and we would spend weekends practicing and making our own face masks. It made me feel so creative, and I'm super thankful for the confidence these experiences gave me in treating myself at home and allowing myself simple luxuries."
Alejandro was inspired to launch her own nontoxic nail-polish brand after experiencing health issues while pregnant with her twin daughters. With women of color being disproportionately affected by unsafe ingredients in their beauty products, she wanted to share the information she was learning while also using her brand to provide a safer option for Latinas like herself.
Alejandro said she is so proud of her culture and being an uptown Dominicana from Washington Heights that her spring collection, known as the Jardín collection, was even inspired by it. "I grew up visiting the Heather Garden in Fort Tryon Park with my mom. I didn't fully understand the significance of such a beautiful space inside of Washington Heights as a child, so thankfully, when I moved back uptown, I was able to take my newborn daughters on daily walks through this garden," she said. "I think it brought us some joy and peace while navigating those difficult early days. I like to say that I stepped into who I really am during this time, and I have the quiet beauty of the garden to thank for those reflective moments. I'm deeply inspired by travel, yet there's something so special about finding inspiration in your everyday space and surroundings. Washington Heights is a stunning neighborhood. The architecture, the music, the people, the food, and of course, the abundant colors and river views have all served as muses, especially since 2020."
The brand's bestseller For Tonight ($18) is a blue-red shade that works perfectly for fall and winter and pops nicely against any skin tone!
