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Mali Thomas

Source: Bobbi Brown / Mali Thomas

Today, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics has expanded its team of Global Artists in Residence to include our favorite Dewy Brown Girl, Makeup Artist Mali Thomas. Dubbed the “Complexion Queen” by Bobbi Brown’s Vice President and General Manager Stephanie Davis, Thomas is responsible for bringing the Internet the hashtags #DewyBrownGirls and #WeAreNotATrend, and in her new role with the brand she plans to continue looking out for brown girls in beauty.

“Bobbi Brown always stood for inclusivity and that was a really huge deal for me,” Thomas said during a virtual Zoom event announcing her new role. “Starting out 10 years ago I was looking for that brand that would basically cater to all skin tones and Bobbi Brown always stood for that which is why I am so thrilled to come on as the new Global Artist in Residence.”

Thomas, who has a Masters in Fine Arts and more than 10 years of artistry experience, said the Bobbi Brown BBU Palette was one of the first products she purchased when starting her makeup kit because it had such a variety of shades when it came to correctors, concealers, and foundations.

“I pride myself in doing makeup on all different skin tones but definitely women of color,” Thomas shared. “When I first started my career, so many models would come to me that were underrepresented and I was responsible for making sure that they were represented and that companies had their shade match.”

As a new artist in residence, Thomas joins fellow makeup artists Nikki DeRoest and Romy Soleimani in strengthening Bobbi Brown’s ethos as teaching brand rooted in artistry expertise. One of her first tasks was giving journalists a quick demo of how she achieves her classic dewy look starting, of course, with Bobbi Brown’s Vitamin Enriched Face Base, which she said has been a staple in her kit for years, and the brand’s new Vitamin Enriched Eye Base.

“In order to achieve a dewy, fresh, flawless finish, you have to start with a great skincare regimen,” Thomas explained. “You’re prepping the skin for what’s to come.”

Pointing out that finding her makeup shade hasn’t always been easy over the years as an olive brown-skinned woman, Thomas said one of the things she loves most about Bobby Brown’s complexion products is that they cater to undertones which allows for a natural finish. The foundations, for example, which come in 42 shades, are specific to skin tone, not just color. That’s how Thomas was able to find her perfect match in the Instant Full Coverage Concealer in Chestnut.

“You want to see yourself within a brand and I was always able to see myself within this brand.”

Now because of her heightened visibility with Bobbi Brown, more brown girls will be able to see themselves in the brand as well, and Thomas is more than up for the task.

“I have a moral obligation to make sure that I represent for people that are underrepresented and to make sure that I continue to show up for Black women.”

The grand return of the Melanin Awards amplifies and honors the finest Black-owned beauty brands with honest reviews, and discusses the evolution of beauty in Hip-Hop culture.