Latinas have been largely left out of designing and developing beauty products despite their role in fueling the industry's growth.

Why it matters: Cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products rake in about $400 billion worldwide a year, and are expected to have a revenue of $580 billion by 2027.

• Hispanic buyers represent 16% of all dollars spent in the industry in the U.S., and their spending has been growing fast, according to NielsenIQ data.
• But people who've worked decades in the industry tell Axios Latino that while brands have transformed in the last five years to serve Latinas as consumers, they are still massively underrepresented in the business of beauty.

State of play: The nonprofit Latinas in Beauty launched last week with the goal of getting more representation in retail shelves, brands' boardrooms, product development, and marketing plans.

• They're planning educational programs, networking events and mentorships, and ways to connect Latina-focused brands with funding or supply chain manufacturers.
• Eventually the plan is to also run an accelerator program with certification options and to host a directory of hireable Latina professionals, says the group's co-founder and executive director, Emily Perez.

What they're saying: "We want to change the make-up of the makeup industry, pun intended," says Margarita Arriagada, founder of lipstick brand Valdé and a former exec at Sephora who is now the secretary of Latinas in Beauty.

• "We want to move the needle fast because we're so underrepresented on boards and on shelves, yet we over-consume … so the opportunity to pave the way for more of us is lucrative and it's powerful," adds Arriagada.

Zoom in: Perez says that even as parts of the industry have diversified —for example, with more brands offering wider shade ranges — many changes are still skin-deep.

• "For starters, we don't all look like the stereotypical Latina that is usually featured across ad campaigns, or like the sole Latina person chosen as a brand ambassador to a large conglomerate," says Perez.
• That means a lot of the brands and companies "are not really getting down into the data of who their consumer really is," when developing a product or looking to market it, she adds, using the example that haircare needs will be different if a potential customer is Dominican American than if they are Mexican American.
• Having more Latina voices in all branches of the industry, to serve as sounding boards and focus groups, can make a big difference, Perez says.

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Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This year, Latinos could swing a presidential election and help determine which party controls Congress.

Through the lens: Axios looks through the history of Latinos in the U.S. through the following images that cover politics, culture and sport.

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U.S. adults are now more likely to say they'd reach out to someone if they were considering suicide, including Latinos who in the past have been reluctant due to stigma, a new poll shows.

The big picture: Suicide cases in the U.S. reached a record high last year, and the number of adults who say they know someone who has attempted it or died by it has been rising in the past five years.

Driving the news: The new poll, released yesterday by a coalition of groups focused on suicide prevention, found 82% of people said they were more likely to reach out to someone if they happen to have thoughts of suicide than in past years.

• In comparison, 80% said the same two years ago and 73% said so in 2018.
• This year's poll was also the largest yet and included more experiences of different ethnic/racial groups, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center.
• There were more than 4,300 respondents; 17% of them Latino.

By the numbers: 66% of Hispanics polled said they know someone who they think is considering it or who has talked about, attempted or died by suicide.

• 30% of Latinos polled said they themselves have considered or attempted suicide.
• Latinos have the second-highest metrics in both regards, after American Indian or Alaska Native people (77% and 42%, respectively).
• The numbers were 62% and 22% for white non-Hispanics; 55% and 26% for Black non-Hispanics, and 50% and 25% for Asian non-Hispanics.

If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. También hay ayuda disponible en español.

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A "Rocky Horror Picture Show" production in Boston is catching attention, starting with an actor with an Ecuadorian flag over their suit.

Why it matters: The Full Body Cast — which has put on the show since 1984 — celebrated its first all-Latino shadowcast of the cult classic, a special Hispanic Heritage Month rendition.

The big picture: The all-Hispanic cast may be a first for FBC, but performers say it's also a testament to Latinos' growing presence in the fandom as the film approaches its 50th anniversary in 2025.

Catch up quick: "Rocky Horror Picture Show" is an audacious, absurd outer space musical with a drag queen that has captivated generations.

• As is now tradition nationwide, the film will play on a big screen while shadowcasts reenact the scenes live.
• It's heavy on audience participation — with people dancing along to the "Time Warp," throwing toilet paper and yelling insults at various characters.

Zoom in: When some fans see it, they think of the telenovelas or variety shows they grew up watching, like "Sábado Gigante."

• "It's all ridiculous faces, over-the-top dramatics, people are fainting everywhere, and I think that's really fun," says Alexis Boucugnani, a Cuban American performer who played Janet Weiss.

Between the lines: Latinos around the U.S. have always been a part of the Rocky Horror fandom, but they haven't always been visible, says Paulie DeLarge, creative director of the Ordinary Kids shadowcast in New Jersey.

• Only in recent years have casts pledged to make their spaces more welcoming to Rocky Horror fans of various races, ethnicities, sexualities, and body types.

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1. Chile's government announced plans this week to cancel the student debt for more than one million college students.

• The amount to be canceled for each student that signs up to the program will depend on different factors, including the number of installments owed and whether the student has graduated.
• Chileans have pushed for the measure for more than a decade, beginning with a 2011 student protest movement that included current President Gabriel Boric.

2. Nicaraguan organizations are warning that new changes to a cybercrime law could lead to criminal charges against journalists who cover the regime of President Daniel Ortega even after they've gone into exile.

• The law was recently amended to include possibly charging people abroad if they are deemed to be spreading "distorted" information, a claim Ortega has levied against independent media in the past.
• At least 278 Nicaraguan journalists are in exile, the group Fundación por la Libertad de Expresión y Democracia said this week.

Our hats off today for Joe Scantlebury, who leads Living Cities, a collaborative of philanthropic foundations working to close racial and wealth gaps.

• Joe, who is Panamanian American, hails from Brooklyn.
• Joe's leadership has helped Living Cities empower Latino communities in more than 20 U.S. cities.

Congrats, Joe!

🎤 Please send us your pachanga nominations by filling out this form or replying to this email!