I’ve been lucky to have a 20+ year career in beauty, and over the years I’ve met so many incredible brand founders who have a vision and a purpose that comes alive through their storytelling and products. Sandra Velasquez, the female founder of Nopalera, is one of the most dynamic brand founders I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in a long time. She has created the first Latin-founded luxury body care brand rooted in her heritage as a Mexican American woman focused on championing the richness of Mexican heritage, and a reminder of the strength in natural beauty born from her native land. She has expertly designed beautifully packaged body care (shower gel, body polish, lotions, hand creams) and fragrances that are addicting and all powered by Mexico’s nopal cactus fruit.
Bosque Místico, perhaps my favorite scent by Nopalera, is a fragrance that captures the allure of Mexico’s mystical forests and smells fresh, spicy and delightfully complex. The scent captures Mexico’s vibrance and zest with top notes of citrus, pepper, and hibiscus. It feels energizing at first and then, as the fragrance settles into the skin, honeysuckle and cashmere woods begin to bloom and dance alongside the other notes until it becomes whole.
My second favorite, but I’m splitting hairs here because they’re both so beautiful, is Dulce de Cuerpo. It’s a warm, sophisticated fragrance inspired by Mexico’s Pueblos Mágicos and ancient copal resin. It blends smoky amber, soft citrus, and warm vanilla into a rich, gender-neutral scent that lingers delicately on the skin.
I’ve been wearing the Nopalera fragrances for years now, and I adore the shower gels as well for so many reasons. They’re packed with truly gorgeous ingredients. Prickly pear oil and vitamins E & K are anti-inflammatory and restore skin barrier. Cactus flower extract is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and it helps unclog pores. Blue agave extract is soothing and moisturizing, so it leaves you feeling soft. Plus, it’s got no harsh sulfates or phthalates, parabens or silicones. They’re also vegan, dermatologist tested and safe for sensitive skin. It’s a truly luxe shower gel that’s good for your skin and smells amazing and looks chic in your shower. What more can you ask for? Oh, gorgeous packaging, and they have that too!
Each Nopalera fragrance and product is clean and crafted with a focus on simplicity, safety, and environmental consciousness. They avoid synthetic ingredients that are often found in conventional perfumes and body care products and steer clear of hormone-disrupting chemicals, which are synthetic compounds that can interfere with your body’s natural hormone function. Instead Noparela’s scents rely on natural ingredients like essential oils and absolutes. Most importantly they smell divine!
If you haven’t yet treated yourself to luxury body care, do it now. You won’t regret it, and you deserve it. If you’re already a body care and perfume junkie like me, please slide into my DMs and tell me what your favorites are! I’m always hunting for the best of the best for 213Deli and could chat all things beauty forever! Find me on IG @collinsinla
Find me on instagram @collinsinla