Makeup · Kenya
Pauline Cosmetics
Founded by Nelly Tuikong
Pauline Cosmetics is a Kenyan makeup brand named after founder Nelly Tuikong's mother. Tuikong is a Kenyan critical care nurse and entrepreneur who founded the Nairobi-based company in 2013, with business operations beginning in 2014. A nursing graduate of Indiana University, she started the brand from the US with very little capital. With about US$400 she started Pauline Cosmetics, beginning with lipstick, lip gloss, mascara and eyeshadow. The brand's explicit mission is serving the full spectrum of Afro beauty. Nelly created products for the diverse Afro woman, from the dark rich cocoa tones of South Sudanese women to the warm caramel shades of Ethiopian women and beyond. She built a distribution network reaching beyond Nairobi into smaller towns where international brands neglected restocking, and was recognized among Kenya's Top 40 Under 40 women. A genuine indie-to-known discovery gem with a powerful founder story rooted in correcting beauty's neglect of deep African skin. The brand has since expanded with a USA-facing storefront.
Who it matches
- Depth range
- Medium, Deep, Deepest
- Undertone
- Warm, Golden / yellow
- Skin type
- All skin types
- Price
- Budget
Hero products
- Lipstick
- Lip Gloss
- Mascara
- Eyeshadow
- Makeup Brushes
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