Team members behind the boundary-pushing skin care brand Topicals share the secret of their success
Often, our struggles illuminate our calling. This was certainly the case for Olamide Olowe, the founder of Topicals, a game-changing beauty brand offering products for flare-up–prone skin. Growing up, Olowe faced a wide range of skin concerns, including acne, dark spots and boils. “Every skin condition one could have, I probably dealt with,” she says. Olowe got her start in entrepreneurship while working with SheaMoisture in 2015, when she was attending UCLA. “Being a Black woman and rarely seeing yourself represented was already enough, and having these skin conditions made me feel even more alienated,” she recalls. But she found the silver lining: the inspiration to launch a skin care brand, which she did in 2020.
More recently, as part of their relaunch of minty-fresh lip balm Slick Salve, they released a short film—a concept created by former collaborator Sanam Sindhi—starring musical artists Ian Isiah and Rico Nasty. “She came up with this idea of a lip balm being so good, you and your friends would plan a heist just to steal it,” Olowe explains. “We love to allow our community to use us as a platform to tell the stories that they want to see.”
Every skin condition one could have, I probably dealt with. Being a Black woman and rarely seeing yourself represented was already enough, and having these skin conditions made me feel even more alienated.”
And if it feels like Topicals is a brand that, as Olowe says, “exists outside of the bathroom and in the center of culture,” it’s because she intentionally designed it this way. “I was always inspired by streetwear culture,” she explains, naming brands like Supreme and Pastry as her favorites when she was growing up in El Paso, Texas. “I wanted to use a lot of what I had experienced and learned about the streetwear movement and bring that into skin care.”
“When we were in Bermuda, we were talking about how well the trip went, even though we were really just winging it—but we wanted to keep the ball rolling,” says the brand’s Influencer Marketing and Partnerships Senior Associate, Imani Moss. “Olamide and I looked at each other, and we immediately said, ‘Detty December in Ghana.’ I knew when she said that, we were for sure going to do it—because when Olamide says something and puts her mind to it, it’s going to happen.”
Makeup Artist: Jeannette Williams
Art Director: Bryce Carrington
Assistant Art Director: Leanza Mondesir
Makeup Assistant: Leslie Tejeda
Stylist’s Assistant: Oyinkan Akinbolabe
Executive Producer: Jade Montgomery
Production Coordinator: Aicha Cherif
Gaffers: Alex Eaker & Temi Okotieuro
Retouching: Rina Veremejchik
Photo production CREDITS:
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BY Akili King | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Olivia “LIT LIV” Morgan | Styling by Solidad Nwakibu
Although Olowe never expected Topicals to become so successful so quickly—it won an Allure beauty award last year, landed on Sephora shelves and raised $10 million in series A funding in 2022—she can credit the success to two major attitudes. “I believe in excellence, and I believe that whatever it is that I do or we do as a company should impact the people that we serve,” she says. “I think I truly understood who I was and what I was meant to do on this Earth.”
I always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. This was my answered prayer.”
If it’s not already obvious, this is only the beginning for the incredible company. Up next, you can expect “more brand trips, more products and for us to give back more, too,” Olowe says. Regardless of what they do, though, Topicals’ secret sauce is that you’re always bound to love them for something. “If it’s not our product portfolio, maybe you like us because of our branding, or for our mental health give-back program or simply because we’re Black-owned,” the founder reflects. “Either way, I just want us to be a space where you don’t even have to necessarily purchase something to feel included in the Topicals community.”
Standing firm in her authenticity, Coi notes that in her upcoming album, fans can expect a versatile and different sound. Though she can’t share too many details, she describes the album as giving “Bitch, I’m here to stay. I’m that girl, get ready.” This energy inspires hope for more party anthems, daring lyrics, standout hooks and tastefully sampled beats to come. “I never really got to tell my story, how I grew up and where I’ve been,” Coi reflects. “So this year, I’m gonna do a way better job of getting closer with my fans and really getting my story out there.”
Her refreshing candor and unapologetic stance affirm that there is no perfect way to be a successful woman in hip-hop. Doubters can point fingers at her weight and turn their nose up at her style, but this Jersey girl is laughing all the way to the bank with an army of fans behind her.
I think I truly understood who I was and what I was meant to do on this Earth.”
Later that year, Coi added another hit to the Billboard charts with her unforgettable song and trending TikTok audio “Players.” Sampling Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “ The Message,” the jam was an instant fan favorite and became a go to pregame and party anthem. Content creators on TikTok even remixed the song and created a viral dance to it—the Gen Z way of saying, “This song slaps.” The single was an uplifting contrast to what Coi was actually experiencing behind the scenes.
When I dropped my last album,” she reveals, “people got a kick out of making me a headline. There was so much pain and stuff that I was going through. Now, after these past couple of months, I’ve been having the most success of my entire career. You can just hear how much fun I’ve having in this new music, and how much it took a shift ‘Pain’ to ‘The pain is no longer here.’”
Just days before our interview, Coi released her new singles “Bops” and “My Body,” on which she samples Lesley Gore’s famous 1960 hit song “It’s My Party.” Though she was disappointed that she had to swap out some of the original lyrics due to the amount of profanity in the first version of the song, its message is still the same: It’s her body, and she can do what she wants—and who she wants—with it. The song holds up a middle finger to the Internet trolls who for the majority of her career scrutinized her appearance and body shamed her natural, petite physique.
Beyond beauty
Since releasing their first products—Like Butter, a moisturizer for eczema-prone skin, and Faded, a serum that targets dark spots and discoloration—the team has made it their mission not only to create quality products for a range of skin types, but also to remind customers that they’re seen and included in the beauty industry. You sense this ethos as soon as you look at the vibrant packaging: their baby blue High Roller Ingrown Tonic, the bubblegum pink hue wrapped around the Faded Mist. Additionally, it’s present in how they give back to underserved communities—donating a portion of their proceeds to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, or making therapy more accessible through their Topicals Mental Health Fund.
Body shaming is nothing new in the music industry, especially in hip-hop. Artists like Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Kim and Cardi B have all been targets of society’s damaging dialogue around what they do with their body. Ironically, while some of Coi’s fellow women MCs have been judged for their body alterations, Coi gets put down for the lack thereof. “In hip-hop, if you look back into history, there were a lot more women who looked like me,” she points out. “Over time, people started doing enhancements, which is also fine. I don’t judge anybody. But I feel like when I came into the game, it reminded women it’s okay to just be the girl you were born to be.”
The brand also celebrated the diaspora with goodwill gestures, like inviting POC influencers on outings to destinations such as Bermuda for the company’s third birthday. Additionally, the brand recently took influencers to Ghana for Detty December, where Topicals’ guests were spotted wearing the viral Faded Eye Masks on nights out.
None of it would be possible, of course, without the help of a dynamic and forward-thinking team. “They’re all creatively cool and don’t necessarily come from a beauty background,” Olowe says. “I think true innovation comes from connecting to disparate ideas.” Simi Olowe, Olamide’s sister and Topicals’ Event Coordinator, adds, “We’re creating a space where many things intersect, and it’s really great to see our community reflect that.” Jade Montgomery, the brand’s Creative Project Manager, echoes this sentiment: “Being in a room where we give space for everybody to create in their own way is really magical.”
For Alyssa Ackerman, the Social Content Manager, what makes Topicals so successful is that the employees are their own consumers. “That’s what enables us to make the best products and to tell the best stories for the customers,” she says. More than anything else, the brand’s magical vibe immediately lets you know “that Black women are behind it,” Moss adds. “And I always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. This was my answered prayer.”
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See Coi Leray perform live at the GU Kickback Stage Saturday July 1st. Grab your tickets here.
And one can’t forget the inventive product rollouts and campaigns that keep fans on their toes. Last year, for example, they partnered with Teyana Taylor on a sultry-chic shoot that highlighted the artist’s very own edit of Topicals faves, including Slather, Like Butter Mist and Faded Eye Patches.
“As a Black-owned business, we should believe that we can do things like take brand trips, raise money or be the fastest-growing skin care brand at a major retailer,” Olowe says. “We have to be intentional about how we think about who we can be. Black and Brown content creators should be able to go on a brand trip for the sake of relaxation, too. We have people telling us that they had never been out of the country. These are all experiences that I believe should be more accessible to any marginalized group.”
And one can’t forget the inventive product rollouts and campaigns that keep fans on their toes. Last year, for example, they partnered with Teyana Taylor on a sultry-chic shoot that highlighted the artist’s very own edit of Topicals faves, including Slather, Like Butter Mist and Faded Eye Patches.
“As a Black-owned business, we should believe that we can do things like take brand trips, raise money or be the fastest-growing skin care brand at a major retailer,” Olowe says. “We have to be intentional about how we think about who we can be. Black and Brown content creators should be able to go on a brand trip for the sake of relaxation, too. We have people telling us that they had never been out of the country. These are all experiences that I believe should be more accessible to any marginalized group.”
“When we were in Bermuda, we were talking about how well the trip went, even though we were really just winging it—but we wanted to keep the ball rolling,” says the brand’s Influencer Marketing and Partnerships Senior Associate, Imani Moss. “Olamide and I looked at each other, and we immediately said, ‘Detty December in Ghana.’ I knew when she said that, we were for sure going to do it—because when Olamide says something and puts her mind to it, it’s going to happen.”