If there’s one word beauty brands are waving like a banner in 2018, it’s diversity. While we love seeing companies with major clout spotlighting the importance of inclusion, we sometimes worry that it’s simply seen as a trend. And if you’re a consumer without insider access, it can be hard to trust that the people making your products are actually in it for the long haul.
Ofunne Amaka feels the same way. If her name isn’t familiar to you, perhaps you’ve heard of her creation, Cocoa Swatches. Back in April 2015, it became the first omnichannel platform to regularly display swatches of popular makeup products on brown skin.
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Its purpose is to help beauty lovers with underrepresented complexions find makeup products that work for them. It does this by utilizing a variety of media, including a mobile app and Instagram, essentially becoming a makeup bestie that you can carry in your pocket. Source: Instagram
Long before brands started promoting their extensive shade ranges, Amaka was inspired to start Cocoa Swatches after realizing she was “constantly lacking the tools needed to properly indulge in the practice.”
“As a fashion blogger, makeup was also a creative extension of my personality and my outfits,” she tells StyleCaster. “It was so hard to find something as simple as the right foundation shade or the right red lipstick. I wanted to create a platf...