With a new beauty brand launching seemingly every day, it can be a hard for a newcomer to stand out amongst the crowd, much less one that isn't backed or created by a celebrity or influencer with a massive following, ready to pounce at whatever they're promoting. But every so often, a company comes along with a product lineup and branding is so unique, it’s impossible not to take notice.
Enter: Uoma Beauty (pronounced oh-ma), a new cosmetics line started by Nigerian-born, London-based Sharon Chuter, a former LVMH executive and all-around beauty veteran. Uoma, which means "beautiful" in Igbo (one of the main languages spoken in Nigeria) is inspired by the rich ethnic diversity of Africa, and has an expansive product lineup that caters to a variety of skin tones and undertones to match.
Of course, a beauty brand that offers something for everyone is nothing new. After all, the beauty world has made important strides in recent years toward becoming more inclusive, thanks to the Fenty Effect as well as the rise of social media, which has given consumers and influencers a platform to use their voices to hold brands accountable. But a lot of the dialogue surrounding inclusivity and diversity has focused on shade availability.
Chuter wants to change that by expanding people's understanding of inclusivity — that it's not just about how many foundation shades a brand carries but catering to people's unique needs and making sure they are represented and heard. "Inclusivity is allowing people to be their authentic self and celebrating the authenticity of people. [It's] understanding it's not about 60 shades, but who are the people behind the shades, what do they want, what do they like?" Chuter explains to Allure.
In that vein, while creating Uoma's Say What?! Foundation, which has 51 shades, Chuter made sure it was uniquely suited to different skin tones and would be beneficial for the skin as well. Using the Fitzpatrick scale, which measures the skin's reaction to the sun, she created six custom formulations, split into various "skin kin" categories — White Pearl, Fair Lady, Honey Honey, Bronze Venus, Brown Sugar, and Black Pearl — that address the most common skin-care needs of each group.
"The formulas are not one-size-fits-all. We recognize that, hey, [if] you're very fair-skinned, [it's] very likely you suffer from redness and hypersensitivity, so we created a formula and we put in microalgae extract, which we know helps soothes that," Chuter explains.
A similar approach was taken for all the other formulas, which incorporate ingredients known for their ability to solve skin issues that people within the various skin profiles often deal with. There's rose hybrid extract for olive skin (in the Honey Honey skin kin) to help contribute to elastin induction and reduce sebum production since olive skin tones commonly are combo/oily concerned with premature aging.
You'll find woolly thistle extract and white tea extract in the Brown Sugar and Bronze Venus skin kins, respectively, which both help to address hyperpigmentation — a common skin concern for tan and brown skin tones. And the Black Pearl skin kin tackles skin dullness with tomato extract and berry extract.
In addition to a robust range of foundation, the brand also carries concealer in 18 shades, eyeliner, eye shadows, a contour-and-highlight stick, lip gloss, and lipsticks (in metallic and matte finishes) — the latter of which boast names inspired by culturally influential women like Diana Ross and Maya Angelou. The whole line could very well complete your makeup bag. With its Insta-friendly packaging and formulas with intense color payoff, the entire Uoma range will have makeup maximalists salivating.
Beyond its products offerings, Uoma's ethos of inclusivity is most evident in how it presents itself to the world. The website features women of different hues, and the brand's first campaign, shot by Nadine Ijewere, has trailblazers Nyakim Gatwech and supermodel and Allure cover star Halima Aden posing alongside a cast of diverse women, beautifully illustrating that beauty comes in every color. "I'm here to start a movement [and] to encourage people and make them know that they have a voice," Chuter proclaims.
Of course, we still have a way to go before the beauty industry is a welcoming place for everyone, but with brands like Uoma leading the charge, the future is looking bright.
The Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation is a 2020 Allure Best of Beauty winner. Check out the full list of Allure's 2020 Best of Beauty winners.
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