Welcome to The Glow Up, Highsnobiety’s series examining the bathroom shelves of beautiful people.
It's no secret that makeup for melanin-rich skin is difficult to find. Sure, there's Fenty Beauty and its stunningly expansive range of shades, but we can't rely on Queen Rih for everything.
To help decode the conundrum that is makeup suitable for non-white skin, Sophi Saint Louis — AKA OkaySophi — is putting brands to the test.
For a following of over 660,000, the TikTok creator tries on the darkest foundation and concealer shades offered by a slew of companies, recent examples being Rare Beauty, Estée Lauder, and Urban Decay. She doesn't stop there — contour, bronzer, eyeshadow, and lipstick are all fair game for the beauty obsessive, who always wants her makeup to pop (she cites anything neon as her favorite color).
Building a dedicated fanbase is no small feat. Still, Sophi insists her stardom was a happy accident.
"I used to post random videos of me testing out foundation because when I was younger, [I realized] not a lot of foundation fits me," she says over Zoom. "Something needs to change... the beauty industry shouldn't have one foundation for [Black people]. So I felt like, 'okay, I need to do this.'"
Sophi, who started buying makeup with she was sixteen, cites Rihanna as her personal beauty hero. "Before her, there weren't a lot of brands that made foundation shades for darker-skinned woman. Now, other brands are now doing that — they're following in her path," she says.
So what other companies are killing it, Bad Gal style? Below, Sophi shares her color-inclusive picks.
First-ever beauty purchase
The first product I ever bought was foundation... I had to return it. I think it was Maybelline Fit Me foundation. Now, they have the right shade. But the first time I ever bought it, it did not fit me.
Biggest splurge
Pat McGrath foundation and Gucci foundation.
Holy grail
Cocokind Texture Cream and Cetaphil cleanser. And Fenty Beauty Skin Tint!
Drugstore favorite
NYX Total Control foundation.
Best under-the-radar beauty brand
Cocokind. They have this Texture Cream and it feels really good on my face. Everyone's skin is textured, but mine has a lot of bumps.
Beauty hot-tip
Don't be afraid of using color. I know a lot of people are afraid to use bright eyeshadow or lipstick. Don't be scared. Go for it — you'll probably look amazing.
