Magnificence Influencer Jennifer Renée Created a Lash Line for Folks With Albinism
In 2019, South African mannequin Thando Hopa made historical past when she graced the duvet of Vogue Portugal, making her the primary mannequin with Albinism to entrance a Vogue cowl. Shaun Ross, the first-ever worldwide male mannequin with Albinism, has been a fixture in main runway reveals and has starred in music movies for superstars together with Beyoncé and Katy Perry.
The inherited genetic situation—which reduces melanin pigment within the pores and skin, hair, and/or eyes—impacts round one in 18,000 folks in the USA. Whereas the illustration of individuals with Albinism has elevated in media and style, magnificence manufacturers (apart from Fenty Magnificence, after all) have nonetheless largely didn’t make merchandise that meet the particular wants of individuals with Albinism. That’s why Jennifer Renée, a magnificence influencer with Albinism, determined to launch her personal line known as Ivoree Magnificence earlier this yr.
Dwelling With Albinism
As a toddler, Renée didn’t see herself represented within the media she consumed. When she examine Albinism in textbooks, it was typically in reference to animals. “I struggled lots to see Albinism as stunning once I was a child due to different folks’s unfavorable reactions to it. It took till my mid-20s to just accept myself and my pores and skin,” she expressed.
All through her life, Renée has typically needed to debunk the myths and stereotypes folks have concerning the situation because of the lack of widespread training about Albinism. “Folks have this stereotypical concept of what Albinism seems like based mostly on what they see in Hollywood movies. On a regular basis, folks will inform me I don’t have Albinism as a result of I don’t have crimson eyes. I would like folks to know we will have quite a lot of eye colours and hair colours.”
How Ivoree Magnificence Was Born
Renée recollects taking part in round with make-up in center faculty, however she started to take her ardour for magnificence critically when she was in faculty. “I’m a visible artist, and my mother bought make-up artistry books for me once I acquired to school,” Renée stated. “I additionally keep in mind going to a celebration the place somebody was promoting make-up, and I purchased all this make-up and began experimenting with colours. That’s once I began to place artwork along with make-up, and it took off from there.”
Trying to talk about magnificence with different folks with Albinism, Renée launched a Fb group known as Albinism Magnificence Chat. The conversations Renée had with members of the web group led her to create her magnificence model. Her first product? Lashes.
“I requested the members a number of occasions concerning the merchandise that they had problem discovering,” Renée stated. “They requested about blonde lashes, and I instructed them I’d attempt to discover out if I might get these made. I believed they have been simply going to be for that small group of individuals. However as soon as I posted it on social media, it went viral, and I noticed a of individuals have been interested by them.”
When Renée launched the model on the high of the yr, common leisure platform The Shade Room made a submit about her firm that garnered over 10,000 feedback and almost 360K likes. The overwhelming response made Renee notice that individuals with Albinism weren’t the one ones interested by a extra inclusive lash line. “I noticed folks with blonde or crimson hair most well-liked a lash that matched their hair, too,” Renée stated.
The Lash Lineup
At the moment, Ivoree Magnificence’s lash lineup consists of lengthy, fluttery 3D Mink lashes in three colours: a white shade named Icee, a blonde shade named Blondee, and an auburn shade named Aubree. Every set prices $19 (though they’re presently on sale for $15). For Renée, essentially the most fulfilling a part of creating her lash model has been the client response. “It’s been rewarding to listen to how stunning they really feel once they put them on as a result of I skilled that myself, too,” Renée stated.
The Way forward for Ivoree Magnificence
Renée has plans to broaden her line of lashes to proceed to handle the shortage of choices obtainable to folks with Albinism. “I’m making Black lashes obtainable this month,” Renée stated. “We wish to do brown lashes as nicely. Everybody else has the choice to put on the colours they wish to put on, and we wish those self same choices as nicely.”
Along with lashes, Ivoree Magnificence will quickly start to supply extra magnificence necessities. “My clients need an entire make-up line. They need white and blonde mascara, in order that’s one thing we’re engaged on. I’ve lip glosses coming, and I additionally wish to do eyeshadows, basis, and merchandise with SPF as a result of folks with Albinism want solar safety,” Renée stated.
