Ezinne Iroanya is Founder of SKNMUSE, a Black woman-owned luxury beauty brand enabling Black people to indulge in luxury beauty accessories which are suited to their needs. The company does this by elevating the beauty experience for modern Black women through an authentic reflection of Black beauty in the luxury space. For them, rest is deserved, not earned and that is the primary message they’re sharing with their community.
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, entrepreneurship was a common venture in her household. Raised by her mother she learned ways to move through entrepreneurship while also prioritizing self-care as a right, a necessity and a source of joy.
At 16, Ezinne moved to America by herself to pursue excellence of her own.
“My first job in college was in the beauty department store as a perfumer at Dillard’s. From behind the counter, I was able to witness the gap in luxury beauty and how they serviced women of color.”
It was there where Ezinne’s passion for luxury beauty flourished and after college she continued to grow in the luxury beauty space, working for brands like Dior, Nordstrom and Lancôme.
Ezinne created SKNMUSE to serve as an intersection of beauty, culture and community for the modern Black woman. Ezinne uses the values instilled during youth and her experience in the luxury beauty space to fulfill the previously unmet skincare needs of Black women. SKNMUSE uses authentic clean beauty practices and nourishing ingredients to provide a sense of familiarity and comfort for the “firsts” and “onlys” of the room, giving the modern Black woman an indulgent self-care ritual to cater to her soul’s vessel.
Since launch in 2019, SKNMUSE has come highly recommended by celebrities such as Issa Rae and Sean Garrett. The have since raised over 150,000 in grant funds, recently adding the Cantu Elevate Grant to their list of awards; and partnering with notable company, Andreessen Horowitz (known as “a16z”), a venture capital firm that backs bold entrepreneurs building the future through technology.
With her winnings, Iroanya plans to open Sknmuse’s first warehouse in Los Angeles, a vital step that she said will aid in the brand’s expansion, among other things.
“We’ll be launching another product, and launching our WeFunder campaign to give our community the opportunity to invest in us,” Iroanya said.
