Rachel Zoe Digs Deep with CURATEUR Magazine Cover Star Camila Coelho
Camila Coelho is a Brazilian-American global fashion and beauty entrepreneur. Most recently, she launched Elaluz, a mindfully luxurious lifestyle brand that encompasses skincare, makeup, hair care and more. Her line of products was created to encapsulate the energy and confidence that radiates from each person’s inner light.
Designed to help everyone find their light and shine it out to the world, the name Elaluz means “She is light,” in Camila’s native language, Portuguese. We’re utterly obsessed with the 24k Lip Therapy found in our winter curation (and we know you are too)!
Ahead, Rachel Zoe chats with Camila about her story and impetus of the Elaluz brand.
What made you decide to partner with CURATEUR?
I have been a fan of Rachel Zoe since the early days. I feel the new mission of CURATEUR, to deliver a foundation for a life of style, aligns perfectly with my own brand. The Elaluz mission is bringing clean, mindful luxury to all.
Congrats on the launch of Elaluz! What do you draw inspiration from and what motivates you?
I have been a beauty lover since I was a little girl. I remember watching my grandmother put on her own makeup and I suppose that’s when the dream of Elaluz was first born, at a very young age. I later worked at a makeup counter where I loved helping women and seeing first-hand the power of beauty and how it could inspire confidence. Then I transitioned into sharing these beauty tips to a wider audience on YouTube and now even more platforms. Developing Elaluz has always been the goal I was working towards. My Brazilian heritage is also extremely important to me and I wanted Elaluz to reflect that as much as possible. We’ve been using so many native Brazilian ingredients, from nuts to plants to fruits, that no one has really used before. The whole collection reminds me of my childhood, my family, and my life in Brazil. I want everyone to look at Elaluz and feel represented—from our products to the internal Elaluz team and models.
As far as beauty icons go, my front runner is my Grandmother. She was always done up and had the best energy that she shared with everyone. She truly taught me me the importance of beauty from within. Next would be Diane Von Furstenberg. Her aesthetic is effortless and she owns her natural beauty—I find that really inspiring. She has a bold, inner strength that translates into her confidence and I have always admired that about her. I actually shared the concept behind Elaluz with Diane Von Furstenberg a little over a year ago. She not only took the time to give me her feedback and advice, but she was also genuine in her support. DVF inspires me in so many ways, especially in the way that she uses her brand to empower women.
Elaluz, translates to ‘she is light’ in your native language Portuguese. Can you share more about “the why” behind the name?
The name was inspired by the beautiful warmth and confidence that comes from everyone’s individual light. I truly believe everyone is born with an individual light that shines within them. Beauty starts with your inner you and that light. I’m so proud of where I come from and I wanted this brand to have a little piece of my heritage. You can see that in the packaging detail and ingredients.
Even the greatest successes come with challenges. What was the most challenging aspect of launching your line?
I decided I wanted the entire line to be clean which posed many challenges. From design, to packaging, to formulas, and so on. I’m so happy I stuck to what I believed in all along. I’m proud to say that we’re launching beautiful products, with amazing quality and with clean formulations.
The entire office is obsessed with your 24k Lip Therapy treatment, and I cannot wait for my CURATEUR community to try it for themselves. What are the key benefits that you would you like to share about this luxe product?
First of all, thank you! The 24K Lip Therapy is amazing because it is a luxurious, intensely hydrating treatment that leaves lips looking and feeling softer, smoother and healthier the second it melts onto your lips! It’s great to use at night as a lip mask as well.
How are you staying connected with your team and loved ones during this most challenging time?
For my team, we’re split between the East Coast and West Coast, so we do lots of Zooms and communicate daily over WhatsApp. I like that on Zoom you can see everyone and get to know a bit more than you normally would about their home life! For my loved ones and family, I always try to take time while getting ready in the morning to do a call or connect over FaceTime. I have reduced travel significantly, of course, but am looking forward to seeing family back in Brazil.
What is next for you? What can our community expect to see from Camila Coelho in 2021?
You’ll definitely see many more exciting launches from Elaluz in 2021. We just launched a Dry Texture Finishing Spray and have more makeup coming soon! There will be many new categories to come in 2021 that I’m excited about.
Watch Rachel and Camila’s virtual chat below!