Lauren Unplugged

Girls&WomenToKnow : Balanda Atis

Now y'all how much I love reading about black women breaking barriers in what ever field they are and this woman Balanda Atis is the bomb! 

Last year L’Oreal  opened the Women of Color Lab in Clark, New Jersey  in order to create cosmetic products for women of color. As you all know it can be quite difficult to find the right foundation or powder for us black women, specially those of darkest complexion. Balanda Atis, THE WOMAN AND CHEMIST who created foundation for Lupita Nyong’o’s Lancôme campaign, now heads the lab!!  Atis joined L’Oréal in 1999 as a researcher and gained patents for the products she created in the mascara lab. 

“Despite L’Oréal’s attempts to cater to women of color throughout the years, Atis found the new formulations to be too pale for darker women. In 2006 Atis began to work on creating foundations for women of color as a side project. Once she presented her research to L’Oréal she began to work full-time on this project and created more than 30 new shades for women of color across L’Oréal’s brands.”   

Atis goal is to create makeup that matches the textures and colors of the skin of all women in each of the 140 countries where L’Oréal products can be found. 

Education: Atis holds a Bachelors Degree in Biology from Rutgers University and Master’s of Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University ‘s cosmetic program.

Sources: fastcompany.com

What do you guys think of this woman?