Launching a new beauty brand in 2019 requires a different sort of preparedness than it would have, say, two years ago. The bar is significantly higher than its ever been, thanks largely in part to Fenty’s then unprecedented 40 shade range debut, along with the growing momentum and real life impact of social media, where everyday consumers and vloggers rich in digital capital alike are calling out disparities within the industry.
It’s an important moment in the beauty world without a doubt, as we watch companies new and old scrambling to catch up to new inclusive standards. But it shouldn’t be mistaken for a moment that can sustain itself without continual momentum forward, where the goal shifts from simply meeting the bar to surpassing it. Otherwise, doesn’t inclusivity become just another buzzword?
It’s a question that weighed heavily on Sharon Chuter, a Nigerian-born, London-based former LVMH executive and all-around industry veteran. So much so that she decided to push the conversation further herself. Today she launches Uoma Beauty—a self-proclaimed Afropolitan cosmetics line and Ulta Beauty’s answer to Fenty—with an ambitious 51 foundation shades right out of the gate. Accompanied by a solid lineup of bold lipsticks, highly pigmented glosses, liners, concealers, and more in weighted, Insta-ready packaging, the newcomer is sure to shake the table.
“I was very excited when Fenty launched, because it came in and really made a statement within the industry,” Chuter tells Glamour. “But it infuriated me when I saw other brands just waking up. It was like, is this it? Is this the best we can do? It was really reminiscent of when this happened in the nineties. Iman Cosmetics had this whole inclusive revolution and it lasted for a few years, but then it died down, and things went back to the way it was.”
Uoma, which means “beautiful” in the Nigerian language Igbo, is set on picking up the torch, and stretching the understanding of what true inclusivity and representation means in the beauty industry today. It’s a mission evident in the brand’s DNA, from the models cast in its first campaign to the product names that pay homage to culturally impactful women, like Angela Davis and Nina Simone. And its especially evident in the way Chuter and her team approached the products themselves.
A look at Uoma Beauty’s packaging and lipsticks
TSEWhile more and more brands are routinely adding new extended shades to their already existing foundation collections, Uoma has created entirely unique formulations for different skin tones. This means that you’ll find the 51 shades split up into six distinct “skin kins,” each made up of active ingredients meant to address the specific needs of each group. Straddling the lines of makeup and skin care, the deeper shades have ingredients meant to help with hyperpigmentation, while fair shades are packed with ingredients to address and calm hypersensitivity and redness. For my rich tan complexion, the shades within my skin kin had been formulated with ingredients like white tea and berry extracts to combat mild hyperpigmentation and oily/combination skin—two issues I’ve dealt with at length for years.
The best part about this for me (aside from, you know, the accuracy) was how easy this system made finding the right shade. After determining I fell within the Bronze Venus skin kin, I was able pick my perfect match out of a much smaller, hyper-nuanced shade range broken down by undertones. The color was spot-on. But as for the wear? I was skeptical.
I’m not a usual fan of liquid foundation (I hate the weighted feeling it leaves on my skin), even though this formula is adjustable coverage. But the Uoma Say What?! foundation ($39) really stays true to its claims of feeling weightless and breathable throughout the day, which allowed me to relish in all of the benefits of fuller coverage—blurred pores! softened fine lines!—while acting and feeling like a second skin.
