Thanks to a new generation of bold challenger thinkers and activists, society’s perception and acceptance of beauty is no longer segmented to a skin tone, type, colour, race, cultural background and even gender.
One of such bold challengers is Suliaht Bolaji, the 24year old business management undergraduate who is the founder of SB Parlour, a skin-clusive makeup brand created with inclusivity and diversity in mind.
I recently caught up with the ambitious and devoted woman behind the brand, who shared the inspiration behind her bold business move and her significant contributions to the global cosmetics industry. Here’s what she told me:
“My passion for makeup and all things beauty started developing in Secondary school – all I ever did in my free time was to watch my favourite beauty YouTubers! I would sit in front of the mirror with my laptop, and flick through makeup tutorials for hours copying exactly what I saw. I got so good at doing my own makeup that I risked it all and did my own prom makeup! But there was always something that bothered me, every time I went to the drugstore or boots to buy makeup, I could never find foundation, concealer or blush shades that were quite right for my skin tone or even my skin texture. As I grew older, I did more research into inclusive beauty and diversity in the beauty industry. I became so fixated in trying to find the reason why most beauty brands just did not stock a wide range of makeup shades for all skin tones.
“Then one day, in my first year of university when studying my research methods module, I found it. It wasn’t that making darker foundation shades was difficult to mix, or that it was more expensive to create, it was just plain and simple – the beauty industry lacked diversity. Making diverse shade ranges for people of colour had never been a priority and this is something I was so eager to change. So, I decided to birth my very own beauty brand – SB PARLOUR. But this couldn’t be just any old beauty brand, it had to be a brand that was a true representation of all cultural backgrounds, a brand that spreads awareness of all the different skin tones that women carry.”
True to her passion, SB Parlour is a diverse cosmetic brand with the core message that beauty has no skin tone. Through their online community (@sbparlour), they teach women that individuality and character also define beauty. The aim is to educate women that any skin tone whether light, deep, or tan, each is the epitome of beauty. More importantly, to embrace the beauty of their skin first, by providing them with a range of luxury makeup products that match the tones of their skin.
The brand currently boasts two game-changing products that are must-haves for anyone who is beauty conscious and keen on expanding their cosmetics collection:
- Waterproof Eyebrow Pomade: These creamy, mousse-like texture eyebrow pomades are one of a kind. Its waterproof formula is most effective as it ensures the gel stays put on your brows all day long. The pomades are pigmented in colour and glides over the brows effortlessly, making it perfect for defining and sculpting. The best part? It is sold in six shades to complement each and every hair colour, and also comes with a defined angled brush to help achieve those hair-like strokes.
- The Glossip Collection Lip-Gloss: Infused with pure oils such as sweet almond oil and vitamin E oil for the highest level of moisture, the glossip lip gloss is juicy but subtle, delivers explosive shine, and melts into the lips just like butter! The glossip collection lip gloss will have your lips looking fuller instantly and comes in four introductory shades made to suit every skin tone. The glossiest of glosses that will make the world gossip!
Suliaht wants everyone that comes across SB Parlour to know that her brand is not just a beauty brand that will sell you makeup, but one that will help you to love your skin first, learn what your skin texture is and all of its undertones, and understand that you will always be able to have access to beauty products that suit YOU.
Her long-term goals include continuously providing learning opportunities to all customers about the lack of diversity within the beauty industry and how important her work is in the developing future. She also hopes to one day expand her business from an online store to a one-stop beauty parlour for all. Well, with the way things are going, that day may come sooner than we think.
