Encouraging beauty brands to be more inclusive online by creating videos, does make a difference. But that wasn’t enough for model and content creator Nyma Tang. She’s now working behind the scenes with CVS to make changes right at the source as the first Beauty Inclusivity Consultant. It’s not the first time Tang has worked with the company. Four years ago, they collaborated on the Beauty Mark initiative, which put a watermark on imagery that has not been materially altered to encourage authenticity in marketing.
“I felt like it was the next extension in what I wanted to do with my career,” Tang tells STYLECASTER. “My journey started with creating content online geared toward the lack of inclusivity in the beauty industry so to now go and do it with a brand as big as CVS and as accessible as CVS is amazing.” This accessibility is especially important to Tang.
“We have a lot of different meetings where we talk about how to make the aisles more inclusive, how to make them feel more welcoming specifically to people like me,” she continues. “When I first started my beauty journey, I didn’t see myself reflecting back at me within the beauty aisles. To now be able to be a part of the conversations and those boardroom decisions is huge.”
Tang believes drugstores have a responsibility when it comes to representation since so many folks, including Tang, start experimenting with affordable beauty right in those aisles. “Everyone starts out in the drugstore,” she says. “I think the role that drugstore beauty plays in the beauty world, in general, is way bigger than just prestige.”
Not seeing herself in the beauty aisles was just the beginning of the discrimination Tang faced when she became a YouTuber. This just pushed her further into creating a platform that champions inclusivity. “If I didn’t encounter discrimination at the very beginning of exploring makeup, I don’t think I’d be on this platform creating the type of content that I create,” she says. “I’ve encountered a lot of it. The industry was very discriminating towards me and my skin tone.”
Part of her work as a Beauty Inclusivity Consultant is a new Masterclass series, which launched this week. The conversations spotlight Black industry talent and leaders across the beauty and wellness categories, including esthetician Nayamka Roberts-Smith — known as the LaBeautyologist — makeup artist Mali Magic and hairstylist Kahh Spence.
“Those are people I honestly look up to,” Tang says. “I learned so much from Nayamka about her technique and her journey. It’s going to be amazing to see all the untapped commentary from their perspective fields we didn’t even know.” You can watch the first video in the series, below.
Before I ended my conversation with Tang, I had to get the details on her favorite drugstore beauty products. Shop them all — starting at just $5.
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ELF Cosmetics.
E.l.f. Baked Highlighter in Blush Gems
“This has been in my routine since before I started YouTube,” Tang says. “I haven’t been able to let it go. Because it is baked, you have to scrape off the top to get to the pigment. I scrape off just a little bit because I like it subtle.”
Maybelline New York.
Maybelline Lifter Gloss Lip Gloss Makeup With Hyaluronic Acid
“The shades are so subtle but so good,’” Tang says of this plumping lip gloss. “They’re the perfect lip toppers. And I’m a glossy lip type of girl so I like glossy all day.”
Maybelline
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara
“It’s better than anything out there,” Tang says of one of my favorite mascaras. “Right now, it’s my number one mascara and I have tiny lashes so you know it’s good.”
L’Oreal.
L’Oreal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation
“L’Oreal True Match has always been one of my go-tos,” Tang says. “Ever since they expanded and added shades C11 and C12, if I’m wearing drugstore foundation it’s that one.”
Source: Stylecaster.com
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