Uoma Beauty

It's been over a month since I last wrote a beauty related blog post, the break was completely unintentional. The Black Lives Matter Movement on social media became the focus on my attention and I just had no desire to post anything beauty related. One of the things I've been doing as an act of active anti-racism is spending my money on Black Owned brands and companies. I figured one of the ways I can help in a very small way is to promote Black Owned Beauty Brands as it's something I have such a huge interest in. Over the past month I've come across so many incredible brands that I had never heard of before. A brand I had heard about however is Uoma Beauty. One of things that first struck me about Uoma Beauty when I started looking at their products was their homepage message which states :

"Our weirdo in chief is a rebel with a cause"  

"Her mission, using her platform, is to empower all those who have been left out. Every person deserves to walk into a beauty hall and feel inspired and included." 

I absolutely love this message and I think it's something that all beauty brands should aspire to. There is no excuse for not having an extensive shade range anymore. It should come as standard, there should be something for everyone. Nobody should walk up to a makeup counter and not be able to find a foundation shade to match their skin. 

"The world is beautiful because we are all different and colourful in our unique way and this is why Uoma Beauty exists. To celebrate uniqueness, to bring people from all ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, sizes and of all ages together in a colourful celebration of co-existence."

The Uoma Beauty Founder, CEO and Creative Director is Sharon Chuter who has worked for Revlon, L'Oréal and Benefit Cosmetics. Born in Nigeria she has drawn inspiration from her Afro Heritage and created modern and innovative products that are suitable for all skin tones. You can read more about Uoma Beauty here. 

The product I was most excited to try was the Say What?! Foundation. It has 51 shades and 6 custom formulas to cater to the unique needs of different skin colour groups, or as they call them "Skin Kins". For example, their formula for Dark Brown skin addresses the most common skin concerns for that skin tone which is dullness and the most common skin type is oily/combination so this particular formula has ingredients to brighten the skin. It is such a genius way to create a foundation range and something I have never seen from any other brand. This alone made me want to buy from Uoma Beauty. 

The website also has a shade matching feature which matches you based on foundations you already have. I used it and was matched to shade T1N (I compared it to the Urban Decay and bareMinerals foundations I have that feel are the best shade matches for me). You can see the comparison swatches below to see how accurate the shade finder is. This is the shade I probably would have picked for myself anyway, despite being cool toned with some redness, my neck is more neutral so I tend to go for neutral foundation shades. I could probably have used T2N either but the former is a more dead on match for my skin especially in the Winter when I have less freckles. The formula for the White Pearl (very fair skin) range is formulated to help with hypersensitivity and redness which are some of the common skin concerns of very fair skin. 

The formula in general claims to be weightless, long-lasting, adjustable coverage, vibrant matte yet hydrating and has a blurring technology to minimise the appearance of pores and softens fine lines. 

I have to completely agree with all of the claims. I was slightly hesitant about the matte finish but I needn't have worried as this foundation gives you the best of both worlds. It looks and feels hydrating and depending on how you prep and finish your skin you could definitely wear this whether you have dry or oily skin. I tend to prep with a more hydrating base as I prefer a dewy finish. This is where the Beauty Bakerie (also a Black Owned Beauty brand) Baking Oil comes in as it gives a really smooth and hydrated base, perfect for underneath this foundation. 

I also bought the Stay Woke Concealer which I ordered in shade T1, which is actually slightly darker than the foundation so next time I'll probably order T05 or T075 as I'd prefer it slightly lighter but this shade does still work on me. This is again a lightweight, creamy formula that blends out so easily and covers what I need it to cover. I'm really loving it, so much so that it's a rival for my beloved bareMineral Serum Concealer. I've swatched it beside some of my other concealers below so you can hopefully you have some kind of reference. 

Of course I couldn't resist a couple of lip products too. The main catalyst for my order was this photo of Taylor Anise wearing the Boss Gloss Liquid Marble in the shade No Stoppin which you can see me wearing below. It's such a beautiful, comfortable and long-lasting gloss with a glass like finish. It contains lychee extract to protect and soften the lips too. This is a big winner for me and I'm already contemplating what other shades to get. I couldn't not get a matte lipstick too so I bought the Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in the shade Tina. This formula is probably the most similar to my favourite Lisa Eldridge True Velvet lipsticks. It's so light, smooth and comfortable with the most amazing pigment that lasts incredibly well too. It contains mango butter for hydration too, so it doesn't feel like you're wearing a matte lipstick at all. The shade is so beautiful, I love orange reds so I know I'll get lots of wear out of this. I swatched it compared to some of my other favourite orange reds for shade reference. 

L-R: Uoma Beauty Say What Foundation T1N, Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation 10NN, IT Cosmetics CC Cream (Fair), bareMinerals BAREPRO Liquid Foundation (Fair)

Top- Bottom: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer (Light Ultra Fair), Lancôme Teint Idole Concealer (010 Beige Porcelaine), bareMinerals bareSkin Concealer (Fair), Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer (T1)

Badass Icon Matte Lipstick Tina, Boss Gloss Liquid Marble No Stoppin 

Uoma Beauty Tina, MAC Lady Danger, Clarins Spicy Chili, Charlotte Tilbury Tell Laura, Lisa Eldridge Velvet Morning

Beauty Bakerie Wake and Bake Baking Oil (also available on Boots, Look Fantastic and Cult Beauty)
Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation (T1N) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer (T1) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
*Clarins Glow 2 Go Blush & Highlighter Duo (02 Golden Peach)
Fenty Beauty Match Stix Matte Skinstick (Amber)
Glossier Brow Flick (Brown)
Soapbrows Brow Kit
Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curler
*Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Bodyography Glitter Pigments (Eclipse and Halo)
Maybelline The Falsies Lash Lift Mascara
Glossier Cloud Paint (Puff)
Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Face (Prism Rose)
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder (1 Fair)
*Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Pixi Glow Mist
Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick (Tina) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)
Uoma Beauty Boss Gloss Liquid Marble (No Stoppin) (also available on Cult Beauty, Beauty Bay and ASOS)

I'm loving all four of the Uoma Beauty products, as you can see the foundation is a great shade match and despite being a matte finish, my skin still looks radiant. It's one of those foundations that actually looks better as the day goes on. I definitely have more of their products on my wishlist including the Double Take Contour Stick and the Black Magic Carnival Colour Palette and the bright pink Badass Icon Matte Lipstick in the shade Whitney. Have you tried Uoma Beauty or are there any Black Owned brands you would recommend for me to try out next?


Emma x

*PR Samples

**Glossier products are affiliate links, if you choose to shop via those links I will receive a small percentage of the sale but it won't cost you anything extra.