516 Polish - UK indie feature
- Jas It So Happens
- Jun 9, 2020
- 1 min read
Updated: Jun 17, 2020
When #blacklivesmatter splashed across all of our screens recently, many of the nail polish brands I follow on Instagram began looking for BAME swatchers. 516 Polish, however, was way ahead of the curve. They call themselves ‘the UK's first indie nail polish brand championing swatch diversity’ and I have to admit I appreciate seeing products represented on diverse skin tones and shapes across the beauty and fashion industries.
I don’t want to get too repetitive about what the brand stands for because their own About Us page is brilliant and informative, but brand owner Wunmi Ladele is committed to her beliefs and values, and she’s passionate about all people being represented and catered for, particularly those to whom the beauty industry doesn’t always pay the greatest attention. “I want to see everyone consistently represented in the beauty industry,” she says in her bio. I’ve had a gander at Ladele’s LinkedIn and she’s not only a successful businesswoman, but also holds a law degree, runs a successful Christian blog, has been involved in various pursuits promoting African and Afro-Caribbean wellbeing, and has a successful career outside of 516 Polish.
516 Polish has a deliberately inclusive approach to the products they develop and sell, with a particular emphasis on colours that complement deeper skin tones. They’ve also just launched a 1-step gel collection that I can’t wait to get my hands on!
Head over to their website to get some goodies, and give them a follow on social media.
Website
Awwwww I just randomly clicked on your blog to have a read and then I see this!! You’re too kind, this really made me smile. Thanks so much for the support.
It really is good to see other nail polish brands *finally* taking responsibility for their lack of diversity, I noticed years ago and felt like a broken record going on about it all the time, and basically being ignored haha. Even I’ve still got a lot of work to do myself with 516 – more diverse swatchers, more colours and products (particularly nudes for all). Super excited for the journey ahead!
Thank you again for this lovely write up 💜
Wunmi x