As Latin American culture increasingly fuels megawatt moments across music, food and entertainment, the influence of Latin American shoppers is poised to create a ripple effect on beauty, too.
“Choosing joy is embedded in [Hispanic and Latino] culture,” said Larissa Jensen, Circana senior vice president and beauty industry adviser at the 2026 WWD Beauty CEO Summit. “Joy is not an indulgence or a soft emotion, it is a key purchase driver, and for Latina consumers, it is a mindset.”
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Proprietary research conducted by Circana and WWD shows that 76 percent of Latina beauty shoppers report using beauty products that bring them joy, a figure that jumps to 81 percent and 83 percent for Gen Z and Millennials, respectively.
Meanwhile total Hispanic spend on beauty in the U.S. reached $23 billion during the last 12 months, growing 6 percent according to receipt data from Circana. With Hispanic buying power increasing 30 percent overall in the U.S. in the past five years, that beauty spend will likely continue growing in meaningful ways.
“For Hispanics, the top [shopping] channels are beauty specialty stores — so think Sephora and Ulta — followed by mass retailers like Walmart and Target,” said Jensen. “They are also more likely to shop at department stores and drug stores [than non-Hispanics, for whom pure-play e-commerce is the top channel].”
Latinas overindex on trying new products, as well as on sampling before committing. They also “are more likely to believe that higher prices equal better quality, so it makes the investment for them meaningful, and the opportunity for prestige brands specifically notable,” Jensen said.
At the same time, Latinas are “more likely than the total beauty consumer to purchase beauty on sale, but also to purchase beauty that is refillable or sustainable — and these numbers jump even higher among Gen-Z Latinas,” she continued.
From a category point of view, hair has the highest and most consistent usage across Latina age groups, “making it our emotional epicenter,” Jensen said.
Fragrance is also a key category.
“Storyteller is the connector here, but there’s nuance [in purchase motivators] by generation; it’s discovery for Gen Z; emotional resonance for Millennials, and heritage and meaning for Gen X.”
Between 75 percent and 90 percent of Latina beauty shoppers said they plan to spend more or about the same on beauty moving forward, and 54 percent said they would be more likely to purchase from a Latina-owned or -founded brand. For Gen Z, that number jumps to 70 percent.
In terms of what Latina consumers want the industry to know, “two top themes emerged,” said Jensen. “The first is tactical: we are not a monolith, we have different skin tones and hair textures…and second: emotional joy, confidence, resilience — these are core, not extras. Latinas are asking the industry not necessarily to market louder, but to understand better.
“The Latina beauty consumer is not just a trend to watch; they are a future to learn from,” Jensen said.