The second day of Billboard Latin Music Week 2026, on Tuesday (Oct. 20), included an insightful conversation with Yasmin Dastmalchi, the president of Maybelline and essie US, in an Executive Keynote moderated by Billboard’s Leila Cobo.
During the 30-minute conversation, Dastmalchi, who’s half Persian and half Mexican, talked heavily about the connection between music and makeup.
“One thing music and makeup have in common is self-expression, but also emotions. It’s about letting artists be themselves,” she explains.
To further demonstrate, she spoke about the latest ventures between the brand and music stars including Miley Cyrus, Becky G and Nicki Nicole. “It has to be super authentic, and Miley is real, she’s herself. We’ve partnered with her because she’s used Maybelline her entire life. That’s something near and dear to her heart, and she dreamed of doing it,” she said of Cyrus.
The brand also teamed up with Becky G after the Mexican-American artist organically mentioned them in her song “Marathon,” and they also launched a campaign with Argentine rapper Nicki Nicole for the Superstay Matte Ink lipstick.
“Our strategy has shifted in the sense that we want to make sure that we’re building Maybelline in a traditional manner — the same way you’re sitting with your mom watching put her makeup on; the same way you’re having dinner with your family,” Dastmalchi noted. “Connecting with the consumer by building new traditions, and the way music is connected to that is important.”
As part of the conversation, Dastmalchi also announced a Billboard and Maybelline partnership called “Maybe we’re next,” a platform to give visibility to music artists. “We love partnering with an expert like Billboard who has their eye on the pulse,” she shared. “From all the research, the Latinx community is super engaged in beauty. They’re very passionate and connected to beauty, that’s what makes them special.”
