Q&A
67
Is the BEAUTY
industry
failing
black people?
We talk to Tinu Bello, chief executive of salon Colour Riot Nails in Shoreditch, London, about black representation in beauty, including what needs to change, and her experiences as a black woman working in the sector With your experience, how do you think the beauty industry is failing black people? “I feel like the industry is flawed from the core, which is our education, as there’s no in-depth training on black skin or black hair in the curriculum. When I was at beauty school, we were given kits with everything you needed for the subjects you were studying and the make-up products were for Caucasian skin only. The make-up course was completely tailored to white people and that was really alarming. “The failings start when students enter the industry and that’s where we need to make sure that everyone is catered for – in the imagery, social media posts and PR, right through to the products used, because at the moment black people are just not represented. It’s also about redefining what we call qualified because students leaving school are only educated in Caucasian
skin, so how are they fully qualified? You don’t walk into the industry and there’s only one type of skin you’re going to treat. “It’s just a really narrow way of teaching and an update is long overdue. I feel through re-education and updating the curriculum then things will start to change, the black community will be more represented.”
What are your experiences as a black business woman working within the sector? “I’ve experienced all sorts of challenges. With my nail salon business Colour Riot Nails, most of the challenges have stemmed from recruitment. I feel like there is a stigma attached to black-owned businesses where we’re seen as untrustworthy or like we don’t run our salons properly. I’ve even had a message from someone
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