Puerto Rican Beauty Mogul Brand Resumes Expansion into the United States Empowering Latin Women Entrepreneurs
• Bettina Cosmetics’ nail polishes, largest selling brand in Puerto Rico, is now available at 602 Walgreens stores in Florida.
• The launch of Bettina Cosmetics will kick off with “Bettina Premia tu Valor”, a social initiative designed to recognize and support Latin women in Florida with inspiring stories of entrepreneurship during the pandemic.
• The five (5) winners will be honored with a designated nail polish color with their company name. All proceeds (100%) generated from these nail polishes sales will go to the entrepreneurs. In addition, their story will be featured as a testimony of business success.
TAMPA, Florida – During these challenging times, the Puerto Rican woman-owned cosmetics company, Bettina Cosmetics, resumes its expansion into the continental United States with a launch of 50 nail polish colors now available in 602 Walgreens stores across Florida. The Bettina Cosmetics nail polish line is the best-selling brand in Puerto Rico.
“It is with great pride and excitement we announce that thanks to our partnership with Walgreens, our nail polishes are now available at 738 points of sale throughout the state of Florida. This expansion into a new market was made possible after an exponential increase of nail polish sales during the pandemic,” said Bettina Mercado, President at Bettina Cosmetics and also former New York actress who took over the reins of the family business and made it the leading company that it is today.
This exponential growth in sales of nail polish occurred due to quarantine. Since beauty salons were closed, women began to buy a variety of nail polishes to spend quality time with their family during the social isolation period.
The idea of this expansion occurs in a particular way because the Puerto Rican company had paused its production of cosmetics in Puerto Rico based on recommendations from local government officials to reduce interaction between employees and minimize possible spread.
“That two-month pause paralyzed our sales and income. However, we did not want to lay off any of our employees, who are a part of our family. In this regard, the support of Walgreens has been key to solidifying the company and continuing expansion into the United States,” added a business member with a relationship of more than 50 years with the Walgreens chain in Puerto Rico.
Although Bettina will arrive to Florida with initially 50 colors – from classic pinks, reds and nudes, to the modern and daring neons – the idea is that new colors will be introduced according seasons of the year. In fact, today, Bettina’s nail polish line has more than 145 colors.
“If there is something that characterizes Hispanic women, it’s that they like to accentuate their natural beauty at all times. We always like to be beautiful. With Bettina Cosmetics, we want Latin women to have nail polish options beyond the traditional ones and to offer colors that match their skin color and mood,” said Mercado.
The nail polishes, which are made in Puerto Rico, are now available at 602 Walgreens stores in Florida. The available locations can be found at www.bettinacosmetics.com
“We bring a quality product with beautiful colors while still offering a competitive price that is lower compared to other global brands,” said Mercado.
This expansion is not just about the success story of a Puerto Rican company that recognizes the potential for growth in Florida. This launch brings a message of optimism and hope to women leaders who want to start a business.
Therefore, with this expansion, Mercado announced a contest that will reward stories of entrepreneurship of Hispanic women who even in times of crisis, like those caused by the pandemic, dared to take a leap of faith and launch their company.
“When my family gave me the opportunity to take over this company, which has been a family business for six decades, I had a successful acting career in New York. However, I took a chance and embraced this project and we have already seen the fruits of our effort. In the same way, we want to recognize other stories of women who have successfully taken that leap. Their testimonies will help inspire others and with it, boost the economy,” said Mercado while explaining the rules and details of the contest.
Five Hispanic women will be selected who during the pandemic, decided to undertake the challenge and become leaders of change even with the risk of launching a business venture in times of a health crisis.
The winners will be honored with a designated nail polish color with their company name, which will be available online. All the proceeds (100%) generated from their nail polishes sales will go to the entrepreneurs. In addition to the naming, their story will be featured as a testimony of business success.
The Bettina brand is not new to Florida. Since 2015, the products have been available at Navarro pharmacies in Miami. This chain has 28 stores in South Florida. Apart from nail polishes, the stores have other products available.
In addition to Navarro, the brand can also be found in 108 Walmart stores in Tampa, Miami and Central Florida.
At the moment, Bettina is also participating in discussions of entering the market in Panama, a country that is a commercial bridge in Central America, who is also interested in bringing in the line of makeup designed specifically for the skin of Latin women.
“I also dream of taking our products to places where there are more population of Hispanic women like Texas, New York, New Jersey and more. In fact, from these and other states, we receive several online orders, which tells us there is a demand and brand recognition in many other states” said Mercado.
Entry is simple. The entrepreneurs must post a photo of themselves and their success story on Instagram or Facebook tagging @bettinacosmeticsusa and @bettinacosmettics using the hashtag #BettinaCosmetics.
Since its founding in 1963, Bettina Cosmetics has been celebrating the diversity and beauty of Latinas with products that enhance their natural radiance. Puerto Rico’s leading cosmetics brand includes nails polishes, compact powders, foundation, shadow palettes, lipsticks, and brushes. Bettina® Cosmetics has achieved a top position within the vast cosmetics market, not only due to its high quality but also because of its distinctive colors that are much more than the color trends of the moments. The products are available for purchase in Puerto Rico, Florida and online visiting www.bettinacosmetics.com
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Media Contact: María Isabel Sanquírico
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Email: mis@eleven11communications.com