Marianne Fonseca launched Gente Beauty in 2022, because she wanted to create a body care brand that reflected the heritage and culture of her home country Brazil.
Fonseca said that in Brazil, there is a focus on taking care of the body before anything else and using natural ingredients to do that. While lymphatic drainage is a body care treatment that is growing in the U.S., she wasn’t really seeing much for it in the market five years ago when she started Gente Beauty. She knew that because lymphatic drainage was big in Latin America, it would eventually gain popularity in the States. Now, people are including lymphatic drainage in conversations around wellness and longevity. Fonseca said lymphatic drainage is not a trend, it is something that is here to stay. She said it is a great way for people to improve their quality of life and live a better, longer life.
“I think lymphatic drainage is one of those treatments where you look good on the outside, but also on the inside you feel lighter, and you’re more clear headed,” she said. She added that she is happy to see where her brand is now, but in the beginning it was definitely a gamble.
Gente Beauty‘s products include the Lymphatic Drainage Effect lotion, Belly Firm, Bye Bye Cellulite and the Lymphatic Drainage oil, as well as a gua sha tool, the Tropical Rain Shower Gel, the Ipanema Scrub, the One Body Butter, and body mists. All of the ingredients for the products are sourced in Brazil. She said the most popular product from the range is the Lymphatic Drainage Effect lotion. It eliminates excess water retention to give a slimmer appearance and has a lifting effect that gives the body a more sculpted look. The Lymphatic Drainage oil is the second bestselling product. The oil detoxifies the skin and gives it a more luminous appearance. Belly Firm is the latest in the range. It is an overnight body treatment that is designed to contour the midsection and visibly refine stretchmarks.
Fonseca said that in Brazil, people are very aware of their bodies. She said that Brazilians really care about smelling good and taking care of their hair, skin and nails. She said there is a lot of emphasis on looking and feeling good. She said there are many natural resources in Brazil, and growing up she was taught how to use those natural resources for body and hair care. She said that because people from other countries came to Brazil, it is the most diverse country in the world and the people there are more accepting of the who people are and how they look.
Fonseca said that people in Brazil are proud of their bodies, from people with the curviest bodies to people with least curves. She said people put in a lot of effort to take care of the bodies they have. She said that people who use Gente Beauty love the way the products make their body look. She said people are very satisfied with how they look and feel after using the products. She said it has been great for her to see how people have responded to the products.
