Q: Tell us about yourself.
A: I was born in the UK and my family is Nigerian. I grew up in a lot of places: UK, Nigeria and the US. Before starting Nubian Skin, I worked mainly in the financial services industry, so it’s been quite a change!
Q: What prompted you to create Nubian Skin? What does Nubian Skin stand for?
A: Nubian Skin was essentially born out of frustration. I wanted a product that I couldn’t find in shops, so I decided to create it. I knew I couldn’t be the only one who felt the same way.
I came up with the idea almost four years ago, and we launched in October, so it felt like a long time coming. After a lengthy period of thinking about the idea and figuring out the right time to start, I put the wheels in motion in May of last year. So, from the time I pressed play to now, it’s been a year and four months. Our ethos is “Empowering Women. Embracing our Colour” because we believe ALL women of colour should have access to a product which takes their skin-tone into account.
Q: In your opinion, how has the beauty and fashion industry improved (or not improved) to cater to all skin types of men and women?
A: I believe the beauty industry has made significant process in catering to different skin types over the past couple of decades. Consumers have become significantly more discerning, and I think cosmetics companies have realised that by excluding certain ethnic groups they were leaving a lot of money on the table.
Clothing in general is much more universal, and less dependent on skin tone. Obviously nude has been a big trend for years, and that’s where there is a lot of work to be done.
ARTICLE | NANCY VANG