Influencers are booming on TikTok, testing makeup for dark skin and pressuring companies for greater product diversity

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Juliana Luziê and Mirella Qualha share videos doing self-makeup on the internet and try to show whether or not the products are made with all skin tones in mind. Juliana Luziê and Mirella Qualha focus on makeup tutorials for black women on TikTok. Reproduction/Instagram With more than 1 billion active users on the planet, TikTok has become a work tool for thousands of people – and from different niches. In the beauty area, names like Juliana Luziê and Mirella Qualha stand out with specific content. The influencers focus on makeup tutorials for black people, in addition to testing whether or not products are suitable for all skin tones. The two competed for the TikTok Awards — an annual award that celebrates the platform’s content creators in Brazil — in the Beauty Beating category. From reseller to influencer of millions With more than 1 million followers and around 15 million likes on TikTok, Juliana Luziê, 33 years old, is successful on the platform by reproducing makeup done on white people. The content creator is from Rio de Janeiro, but moved to São Paulo 6 years ago. Before becoming a digital influencer, she worked as a photographer, administrative assistant, demonstrator and reseller of beauty products. In 2016, while doing some work at events with bloggers, professionals in the field advised her to create a page on social media due to her spontaneous nature. Since she had a steady job, she only posted videos once a week. “At that time I had a lot of difficulty seeing people who looked like me. There were girls who already worked on the internet, but none with the same tone as me, with darker black skin. So I missed people who looked like me, you know? So I started,” she recalls. Juliana Luziê, 33 years old, tests makeup with the aim of showing whether or not it works for dark skin Reproduction/Instagram Just like for many Brazilians, Tiktok appeared in the influencer’s life in 2020, during the pandemic. With social isolation, she started creating content more frequently on the platform. In the beginning, the focus was talking about hair. Then, she started to address the topic of makeup on black skin. In her content, she shows that it is possible to reproduce makeup done on white people on black skin. The influencer didn’t know how to apply makeup, but as she learned, she passed this on to her followers. Today, she buys and tests some trending products — like Virginia Fonseca’s Wepink foundation. The objective is to show whether or not it is suitable for black people. “I value what I believe in. Whether it worked for me or not, I’ll tell the truth. Brands have to open their minds and also understand what the influencer says”, explains Juliana, remembering occasions when she criticized products and did not receive positive feedback. “I’m sure that if it was a white blogger speaking badly, they would send the product, apologize, if in doubt they would even send flowers thanking you for the feedback”, says Juliana. Currently, the influencer works in the Microenterprise (ME) model, earns around R$50,000 per month and employs five people on her team. In addition to advertising, Juliana also participates in lectures, events, lives, podcasts, as well as being a presenter. Model turned influencer Another prominent influencer in the same niche is Mirella Qualha, 22 years old. Before working with the internet, the young woman moved from Campinas to São Paulo to pursue a modeling career. In 2020, during the pandemic, she recorded a lip-syncing video for TikTok and it went viral. Since then, Mirella has never stopped and the modeling life ended up being put aside. Today, she dedicates 100% of her time to her career as an influencer and has more than 3 million followers on TikTok, in addition to 49.5 million likes on videos on the platform. On the social network, Mirella tests products and responds to comments from her followers, demystifying some myths about makeup on dark skin. The idea is to bring representation and give tips to other black women. Mirella Qualha, 22 years old, has more than three million followers on TikTok Reproduction/Instagram “To date I have not tested any product that did not perform well on my skin. But if one day it happens, it is the brand that has to take responsibility to improve. I think it’s absurd that it’s 2023, almost 2024, and brands aren’t taking this care to really deliver for all skin types,” she says. To test the makeup on her face, Mirella buys all the products. In her videos, she shows the durability, pigmentation and cost-benefit. “I prove that pink, yellow, red do go well with black skin. You don’t have to think that, or bring these opinions disguised as criticism and racism,” she says. In addition to publishing on social media, she participates in lives, lectures, podcasts, event coverage, and more. Currently, the influencer works in the ME (Microcompany) model and earns around R$15 thousand. Here’s how to make money on TikTok:

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