PopSugar’s 2021 Beauty Changemaker of the Year and named by Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women and “most forward-thinking executives shaping the future of the beauty industry,” Nigerian-born Sharon Chuter — CEO, founder and creative director of the makeup brand UOMA Beauty and founder of the non-profit organization Pull Up For Change — is a rebel with a cause, on a mission to redefine the rules of inclusivity and diversity. UOMA Beauty’s product line boasts 51 shades of foundation, catering to everyone who wants to wear makeup and filling a massive gap that has been left untouched by many of the world’s most prominent cosmetic brands.
Chuter has been a force with innate business acumen since she was a teenager, when she asked Revlon if she could be its distributor in her home country, Nigeria. She had been struck by the fact that hardly any major beauty brands had made their ways into the Nigerian market, and she wanted to do something about it. Revlon said yes, and with that, Chuter got her start in the beauty industry, a field that she would ultimately dominate through UOMA Beauty and her demand for industry change and inclusivity.
It was this fearlessness and drive that propelled her to be so productive throughout her business career. Before establishing her own company, Chuter had spent years in the corporate world, working up the executive ranks at brands like L’Oréal and Benefit Cosmetics in a career that took her around the globe. But at the top of her game in the corporate world, Chuter was incredibly frustrated by the lack of diversity and representation in both the beauty industry and corporate leadership roles and was determined to create change.
Drawing inspiration from her Afro heritage and infusing it with a fierce modernity, Chuter has created a truly fresh aesthetic while advocating for self-love and authentic self-expression. This time, instead of bringing a U.S. brand to an African country, she reconnected with her heritage and brought an African-inspired brand to the U.S. What emerged was the first “Afropolitan” makeup brand: a range that is radically inclusive, uncompromising and filled with both meaning and emotion.
For Chuter, leaving the corporate world and starting UOMA Beauty was all about doing something that was underlined in purpose, creating a space where everybody was proud to be themselves. In less than three years, the company has grown exponentially, beating out some of the best-known brands in the world and winning numerous awards for its innovative formulas and diverse offerings. UOMA Beauty boasts a makeup range that is rebellious, innovative and created for everyone — all are welcome in the UOMA tribe.
UOMA Beauty is available for purchase at uomabeauty.com, Ulta Beauty and Nordstrom in the U.S. and Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Boots and Harrods in the U.K. The brand also recently launched UOMA by Sharon C. — a curated, transparent line of products that is rooted in the values of skin care, self-care and soul-care — at Walmart nationwide, accessible to all with price points ranging from $6 to $24.
Bringing bold new ideas to industries that are stuck in their ways, Chuter is revolutionizing the world as the creator of the influential Pull Up For Change and Make It Black initiatives, both of which spotlight the need for increased representation of Black people in corporate America and provide support Black founders through small business impact funds.
After the murder of George Floyd, Chuter was enraged by the corporate brands that were posting black squares on social media and claiming Black Lives Matter — the same brands that were notorious for not catering to people of color and, most importantly, have condoned the lack of economic inclusion for Black people within their organizations for decades. With that, Chuter launched the #PullUporShutUp campaign: a grassroots call-to-action for consumers to hold off their spending and demand that all brands who released statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement publicly disclose to the number of Black employees in their headquarters/office roles and occupying leadership positions. Since June 2020, over 350 brands have released the demographic data on their employees and executives, including beauty brands such as Kylie Cosmetics, Ulta, Sephora, Revlon, Coty, L’Oréal and Milan, as well as tech giants such as Facebook, Google and Netflix.
During Black History Month 2021, Chuter struck again, launching Make It Black, an initiative to shift perceptions around what it means to be Black and to raise funds for emerging Black founders. Nine beauty brands re-released iconic products in all-black packaging, and 100% of the sales during the month went to Pull Up for Change’s fund- ing of emerging Black founders. The campaign raised over $400,000 and will re-launch this month.
Cutler has proven that she does not back down, complain or make excuses — instead, she demands action and accountability, even if that means having uncomfortable conversations within the beauty industry. The challenges she’s faced as an executive, a beauty-brand founder and an activist have been less about striving to be the best or blend in and more about figuring out how to help her colleagues keep up. Not only has she changed the game, but she is not slowing down anytime soon.
