During her teenage years, South Sudanese American content creator Golloria George struggled to find beauty products that matched her deep skin tone. "Very early on I realised that I was not the beauty standard in society based solely off of how I was treated growing up due to the colour of my skin. It was a lot to experience that level of colourisim because it was just something that I couldn't control," she admits to H! Fashion.
The creator continues: "I was just trying to live unapologetically as myself but my blackness and the depth of my blackness was the first thing that people saw, and it was just really hard because they always saw it in a negative light."
This isolation from the cosmetics industry pushed Golloria to become the voice many had been yearning for. "I enjoyed going to Ulta (US version of Boots) to try on the few products that actually worked for my shade and watching creators like Nema Tang and Jackie Aina. Through them I learnt 'You can do it, you can be in these spaces and change the narrative surrounding dark-skinned women within the beauty world.'"
© Bukunmi GraceNow, the 24-year-old has made an unparalleled impact on the conversation around inclusivity. Through her viral Darkest Shade TikTok series, unfiltered opinions, and 2-million-follower count, she has become a powerful advocate for dark-skinned Black makeup enthusiasts who are often overlooked. Her influence has even prompted million-dollar beauty brands to reformulate their products."The beauty industry has gotten very comfortable with the bare minimum, and that's just not something I’m willing to accept," she tells H! Fashion.
Here, the trailblazer opens up about finding her voice, must-have inclusive products and her plans for creating a beauty brand.
Your ‘Darkest Shade’ videos always go viral Did you expect such a huge response?
No, I didn’t expect it. When I made the TikTok video in 2022 just trying on and reviewing the Fenty Beauty Match Stick Contour in the darkest shade, Caviar, and it got this crazy virality - I was shocked. I've never experienced that level of hyper visibility a day in my life. I also found my community when I was least expecting it. Other South Sudanese women were commenting and sharing their experiences about existing in life as dark-skinned people. Colorism is a very real systemic issue and when I saw the response, I knew I had to keep going.
There should always be shades that work for my skin tone and darker.
© Bukunmi GraceAfter your video about the lack of inclusivity in the shade range of the Rhode Skin Pocket Blushes, Hailey Bieber instantly consulted with you and altered the formula - how does it feel knowing your voice has this much impact?
Internally, I’ve always felt like my voice didn’t matter, so seeing this kind of impact is surreal. I love Hailey and Rhode Skin - the way they responded and made the changes was perfect.
I’m truly thankful that brands are starting to take constructive criticism seriously. Rhode handled it well and are making sure that no future product repeats this kind of oversight. But overall, companies still need to ask themselves: why aren’t they being inclusive from the start - the way they are with all the lighter shades?
The real pillar of inclusivity is doing it without being asked - without me having to make videos like this. That kind of exhaustion, of always having to speak out, is a lot. There should always be shades that work for my skin tone and darker. Once we get to the root of that, maybe we can start having some real conversations.
© Bukunmi GraceMakeup has no rules - don't let the internet police how you choose to do it
What are your top tip's for finding the perfect foundation match - especially for people with deeper skin tones
- Go in store and actually swatch the shades - never order foundation online. When I first started off my journey with makeup, I would like see a deep shade online and think "OK, this will work for me, " but it never did.
- Don't forget about your neck. At least for me, I feel like my chest is a little bit like lighter than my face. So, make sure your foundation matches.
- Double check. It's essential to test out your foundation in every type of light. This is important because a foundation shade that looks perfect in one type of light might look completely off in another.
- Give yourself grace. I think with dark skin sometimes there's just not a lot of research on how to find your undertone because I think people just see us as one color, just a monolith, which is quite insane to me. So, just give yourself that grace because you won't find your perfect shade the first time.
Your videos gain a lot of attention - sometimes positive but also negative - how do you handle the difficult moments?
Sometimes, seeing the comment section filled with so much hate can be really jarring. But I think I’m at a point in my life where I understand that it’s not about me. It doesn’t always have to be my responsibility, or my burden to carry.
It’s OK if you don’t post for a week. It’s completely fine if you take a few days off. Therapy, and having my team around me, has definitely shifted my mindset. I’m also an advocate for rest. Rest when you need to - and when you’re ready to rise, rise.
It's okay to take a week off or not post that Darkest Shade video. I'm in my era of allowing myself to exist
What are your current go-to beauty products?
Danessa Myricks’ Dancing Queen Blush is that shade for deep skin tones. Also, her complexion products are perfect from the Blurring Balm Powder to the Yummy Skin Lift and Flex Concealer. Jordana Ticia’s Duo Bronzer is another standout. This UK brand truly understands what it means to be bronzed. Jordana changed the game for South Sudanese women with this product.
What is your holy grail foundation?
The Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Foundation. Lady Gaga really knew what she was doing in that lab. The formula is amazing with a variety of undertones, and she made sure that the shade range catered for everybody before even launching it.
Your skin is always glowing - what is your night time skincare routine?
I get hormonal acne so the Hero Mighty Pimple Patches are key. Whenever I feel a pimple coming through, I'll just put it on. I love anything from Tatcha, it’s a really good brand. Tatcha’s Water Cream Moisturiser is on heavy rotation in my night time routine because it provides hydration. It’s not heavy, but it makes my skin glow like crazy. Finally, the Rhode Skin Glazing Milk, Barrier Butter and Barrier Restore Cream are amazing.
© Bukunmi GraceAs we look towards summer - what are your beauty travel essentials?
"SPF is a must in skincare and makeup. One of my favourite SPF products is the Tula Skincare Brightening Serum Skin Tint. It is one of the first products I have used that actually looked like my skin and felt lightweight. Also, the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Balm Sunscreen Stick. They did a really good job of making sure it was actually clear because we don’t want that white cast residue. Finally, you need a lippie. I love the Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glazes. That bare faced, glossy lip look on holiday is my go-to."
Can we expect a Golloria beauty brand in the near future?
I’ll definitely keep doing shade consulting with major brands behind the scenes because that's the pillar of the groundwork that I do. But I also recognise the power of my voice, and creating a beauty brand is definitely something that I see myself doing in the future. Also, there are also people who have a deeper skin tones than me that need it. My brand would not only amplify the voices of black creators, but it would also be a reflection of the gap that we've had in the industry.
Lead image: Bukunmi Grace
