We were lucky to catch up with Giovanna & Ana Tavares recently and have shared our conversation below.

Giovanna & Ana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

At Morena Beach Tan, our mission goes beyond selling skincare products—we’re about sharing a piece of our Brazilian heritage with the world. Our goal is to empower people to feel confident and beautiful in their own skin, while celebrating the natural, sun-kissed glow that Brazil is known for.

The inspiration for our brand comes from our own experiences growing up in Brazil, where the beach is a way of life, and skincare is rooted in using natural, nourishing ingredients from the land. When we moved to Miami Beach, we wanted to bring a touch of Brazil to our new home and share that with others through our products.

We use carefully selected Brazilian ingredients like cacao, coconut oil, and aloe vera, which not only provide great results but connect our customers with the natural beauty of Brazil. Morena Beach Tan is about more than just skincare—it’s about embracing who you are and feeling radiant inside and out.

This mission is meaningful to us because it’s a personal journey of bringing our culture, values, and love for natural beauty to others. It’s about creating a product that reflects who we are and helps others feel confident in their own skin, just like we did growing up in Brazil.

Giovanna & Ana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

About Morena Beach Tan & Our Story

Hi! I’m Giovanna, the founder of Morena Beach Tan, a skincare brand based in Miami Beach, but deeply rooted in my Brazilian heritage. Our journey began when my mother and I moved to Miami from Brazil, with the dream of bringing the essence of our home to people in the U.S. For us, beauty and skincare have always been tied to nature—using ingredients that come from the earth, and celebrating the sun-kissed glow that embodies the beach culture in Brazil.

I got into this industry because of my passion for both natural skincare and the joy of helping others feel confident and radiant. Growing up near the beaches of Brazil, skincare was part of our everyday routine, especially with the natural resources like coconut oil, cacao, and aloe vera all around us. When I realized how much people in the U.S. appreciated the glow and beauty of the beach lifestyle, I saw an opportunity to share these traditions through Morena Beach Tan.

We offer a range of products, including tanning lotions, body butters, and body glows, all made with nourishing Brazilian ingredients. What sets us apart is that our products are more than just about achieving a tan—they’re about offering a holistic skincare experience. Our lotions don’t just enhance your tan, they hydrate, protect, and nourish your skin with ingredients like Brazilian cacao seed butter and coconut oil. We want to solve the problem of dry, sun-damaged skin while also helping people feel confident with a radiant, natural glow.

I’m most proud of how we’ve been able to create a brand that merges culture, beauty, and natural ingredients into something that feels authentic. We’ve grown steadily, from partnering with boutique hotels like 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Kauai to working with influencers who love our products as much as we do.

For potential clients and followers, we want you to know that Morena Beach Tan is more than just a skincare line—it’s a celebration of natural beauty, self-confidence, and the vibrant, sun-soaked culture of Brazil. Every bottle we produce is infused with the spirit of the beach, the warmth of the sun, and the natural richness of the land. We care deeply about what we create, and we want our customers to feel that in every drop.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Absolutely! One of the most impactful books for me as an entrepreneur has been *”The Lean Startup”* by Eric Ries. It introduced me to the concept of continuously testing and validating ideas before fully committing resources, which has been crucial for the growth of Morena Beach Tan. Starting out, we didn’t have unlimited resources, so the idea of building a minimum viable product and learning from customer feedback early on helped shape our entire approach. This allowed us to grow organically, making adjustments based on what our customers loved and needed, rather than taking big risks without data.

Another important resource has been Simon Sinek’s TED Talk, *”Start with Why.”* It helped me realize the importance of knowing the deeper purpose behind what we’re building. Morena Beach Tan isn’t just a product line; it’s about sharing our Brazilian heritage and helping people feel confident and beautiful in their skin. Keeping that “why” at the forefront of everything we do helps guide our decisions and keeps our mission authentic.

These resources have really shaped the way I approach both product development and the overall vision for Morena Beach Tan.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Yes, Morena Beach Tan started as a side hustle and has since grown into my full-time business! In the beginning, I used to sell our tanning lotion to people at the bar where I worked as a bartender. I would bring bottles with me because customers would always ask what lotion I was using. It didn’t stop there—countless times at the beach, people would stop me to ask about my tan, and I ended up selling the lotion right there on the sand! It was such a fun and organic way to get the brand started.

The first major milestone happened when one of our TikTok videos went viral, reaching over 3.1 million views. After that, we were selling more than 200 lotions a day for a week, which led to us being completely sold out. That moment really put Morena Beach Tan on the map and showed me just how much people loved our products.

After the viral success, we focused on restocking and expanding our line. We partnered with influencers, which helped us reach even more customers. The growth was so significant that I decided to leave bartending behind and focus on Morena Beach Tan full-time.

Now, we’re proud to have our products in boutique hotels and are expanding into more retail spaces. It’s been an incredible journey, and what started as selling tanning lotions at the bar and beach has become a full-time, thriving business. I couldn’t be more excited about what’s to come!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.morenabeachtan.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morenabeachtan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morenabeachtan