Sarita Nauth founded Islands of Influence to create space for Caribbean women to be recognized as founders, innovators and decision-makers within the beauty industry.
Photo by Adair Maxwell
In New York, where Caribbean women are among the beauty industry’s most loyal consumers, visibility has not always translated into ownership or recognition.
Scheduled for March 25, 2026, at Atmosfera New York, the gathering will bring together Caribbean founders, beauty professionals, and entrepreneurs for what Nauth describes as a necessary intervention.
“For too long, Caribbean women have fueled the beauty economy without owning the spotlight,” Nauth said. “If we don’t create rooms for ourselves, we will keep waiting to be invited into spaces that were never designed with us in mind.”
After building a career working with high-profile influencers and celebrities, media personality Sarita Nauth is now investing her influence back into the Caribbean diaspora in New York through elevated, community-centered events. Photo courtesy of Sarita Nauth
Nauth, who is known in the industry as ‘The Glamorous Social Media Maven’, said the idea grew from years of observing the disconnect between Caribbean influence and representation. While Caribbean women spend significantly on hair care, skincare, and cosmetic products, they are rarely at the center of marketing campaigns or mainstream industry conversations.
Born in Guyana and raised in Belize before establishing her media career in New York, Nauth said she also experienced cultural stigma around beauty. Within many Indo-Caribbean households, she noted, beauty practices are sometimes dismissed as vanity rather than as empowerment.
“Beauty has always been part of our culture, but the conversations around it were often controlled or silenced,” she said. “I wanted to create a space where Caribbean women can speak openly about beauty, entrepreneurship, and self-expression without judgment.”
Her early career assisting Emmy Award-winning makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor and working backstage at Fashion Week exposed her to the industry’s inner workings. It also revealed how rarely Indo-Caribbean women were acknowledged as formulators, founders, or decision-makers.
Through Islands of Influence, Nauth aims to change that narrative. The event will feature a live panel and marketplace highlighting Caribbean-owned brands, including Yuvana Beauty, Amoureux Beauty and Avalah Beauty. She added that the goal is not only celebration, but economic empowerment by directly connecting founders to their diaspora consumer base.
Islands of Influence founder Sarita Nauth curated a marketplace and panel discussion to spotlight Caribbean entrepreneurs reshaping the beauty industry.Photo courtesy Garfield “Garry G” Galbraith
“When people talk about Caribbean beauty, they immediately mention the biggest global brands, and I love that for us. But there are women like Sacha Cosmetics, Karen Young of Oui The People, and Christal Alert of TONAL Cosmetics who are doing powerful, grassroots work. They may not always dominate the headlines, but they are building, innovating, and creating products rooted in our culture. We have to support and spotlight them just as loudly,” Nauth added.
Nauth also hopes the gathering will spark honest dialogue around topics often discussed privately within Caribbean communities, including colorism, skincare standards, and cosmetic procedures.
“This isn’t just about glam,” she said. “It’s about ownership, visibility, and building sustainable businesses rooted in our heritage.”
For Nauth, the mission is long-term. She views Islands of Influence as the beginning of a larger effort to ensure Caribbean women are not only present in beauty but recognized as leaders shaping its future.
