Black-Owned Dr. Gio Cosmetics Is the Model Making Okay-Magnificence Make-up for Darkish Pores and skin | Overview

It is no secret that Okay-beauty make-up staples, akin to lip tints and BB lotions, have caught the eyes of many Individuals for years now. Sadly, although, a few of these merchandise do not at all times have shade choices for darker pores and skin tones. Fortunately, when there is a gap within the magnificence business, oftentimes there’s somebody making an attempt to fill it — and Grace Ijeoma Okafor has arrived to shake issues up within the Okay-beauty world along with her model, Dr. GIO Cosmetics. 

Okafor is aware of all too properly how onerous it may be to seek out cosmetics for darkish pores and skin, particularly as a Black girl dwelling in Korea. In reality, it is the impetus behind her personal magnificence model. “At the moment Okay-beauty is broadly identified for its scientific strategy to skincare and use of nature in producing very efficient magnificence merchandise,” Okafor tells Attract. “So I felt there was a have to make it an inclusive magnificence business and create Okay-beauty merchandise focusing on darkish pores and skin tones and folks of shade.” 

The model’s first and solely product is the Extremely 7 Brightening Basis Cushion with a weightless end that appears like the most effective airbrushed pores and skin. Okafor began with a cushion basis as a result of she felt it was “the number-one” Okay-beauty product “missing in inclusivity.” It is a fashionable product class due to the normally light-weight components and natural-looking end, however there aren’t too many manufacturers that supply darkish shades based mostly on our analysis. 

First issues first, what makes cushion foundations completely different from different formulation? “Mainly, a [cushion foundation] is a liquid basis is packaged in a conveyable compact type,” make-up artist Mai Quynh says. “The liquid basis is saved in a spongey cushion that’s distributed once you press down on the sponge with an applicator.” That makes it a handy strategy to apply basis, particularly for somebody on the go, she provides. 

Beauty chemist Ginger King agrees, however provides that “[cushion foundations] are extra of skin-care formulation with shade.” Bottled basis formulation typically have extra polymers for longer put on or larger pigment hundreds for thicker protection, she explains. Cushion basis formulation, alternatively, sometimes have a lighter protection with a luminous, satin end.

Every Extremely 7 Brightening Basis Cushion comes with a buildable liquid components and a tan-colored puff with Dr. GIO printed in all caps on a beige sash. So, Okafor began out with six shades specializing in the medium-to-dark vary, completely. I, together with two different Attract editors, was in a position to get our arms on the inspiration to check it out. As a result of I’ve by no means really used a cushion basis, I requested Quynh for just a few utility suggestions. This is the way it went.