By Michella Oré
The long-awaited sequel to Eddie Murphy’s blockbuster 1988 hit, Coming 2 America, has no shortage of gorgeously opulent looks, which is what’s to be expected when Uoma Beauty is involved.
Since its launch in 2019, the inclusive makeup brand created by Nigerian-born beauty exec Sharon Chuter has been celebrating Black beauty in a way that is honest, fun, and a little rebellious. So when Murphy’s team approached Chuter to work on the film, she was thrilled to play a significant role in making up the next chapter of the classic she loved as a kid. But she also felt a deep sense of duty to depict the beauty in a way that would honor past ancestors and inspire future generations.
The Black Magic Coming 2 America collection features a sultry array of lipstick and liners, dazzling shadows, and a pearl-infused highlighter palette, all of which were inspired by the lush scenery of fictional Zamunda and the decadent adornment of Black bodies. And the campaign, produced by makeup artist Sir John, stylist Zerina Akers, and photographer Trevor Stuurman, pays homage to the African royalty who paved the way for their people and left behind legacies that are nothing short of powerful. (If those names sound familiar, it’s because they’re the same creative team who brought to life the stunning imagery in Beyoncé’s Black Is King.)
“With this collection and campaign, we’re celebrating African beauty and showcasing it in its most authentic form,” says Chuter. “We’re celebrating Black-skinned beauty while also shining a light on the history of the kings and queens of Africa throughout time.”
As beautiful as the partnership is, it’s also a historic one. With Coming 2 America, Uoma Beauty is the second Black-owned brand to be tapped for an exclusive partnership on a major Hollywood film.
Chuter isn’t new to breaking down barriers so that others can have a seat at the table. As the Black Lives Matter movement reached a historic momentum last summer in the wake of police brutality and nationwide protests, she launched the Pull Up or Shut Up challenge, which asked brands who expressed support of BLM to share how many Black employees they have in leadership roles.
And just last month she launched another campaign aimed at centering and uplifting Black voices in the beauty space. The Make It Black campaign is a partnership with 10 major beauty brands to not only reimagine their most popular products in all-black packaging, but also invest in Black-owned businesses and the owners behind them by placing 100% of the gross profits into the Pull Up for Change Impact Fund.
While the world tunes in to see what our favorite characters in Zamunda have been up to all these years, Uoma takes opulent beauty to the next level.
The Coming 2 America collection is available now at uomabeauty.com and will be available at Ulta Beauty and Nordstrom on March 5.
