As the founder of MB Cosmetics Amsterdam, Mariam Basajja has not only made waves by winning the prestigious Beauty Brand of the Year at the 2023 Hair and Beauty Awards but has also created a brand that resonates deeply with diverse people across continents. Mariam Basajja, an influential Ugandan entrepreneur started her journey during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, she has successfully built a brand known for its inclusivity and commitment to empowering women. With a wide array of makeup products tailored for every skin tone and a soon-to-be-launched skincare line, Mariam is not just shaping beauty trends but also transforming lives. This is her story, her vision for MB Cosmetics, and what drives her love for empowering individuals through beauty.
FAB: It’s the 3rd year, and MB Cosmetics Amsterdam has already made a mark, winning Beauty Brand of the Year at the 2023 Hair and Beauty of the Year Awards. How did it feel to have your hard work and dedication recognized with such a prestigious award?
Mariam Basajja: It felt well deserved, especially for the team. We’ve worked hard to build something meaningful, and we now have two stores in Uganda. Our manager, and some of our operators have put in effort to make sure that the clients are happy and content with the service and the product. So, receiving this award felt like a reward for their dedication and effort. because we really try to put in effort, especially for our clients. We try to make sure that they always get what they want. We always make sure that the customer service is great and for them to also be able to be consistent and come back and also buy more.
FAB: It’s interesting to see someone with an academic background stepping into the beauty industry, where some might perceive it as vanity-driven. How did your journey into beauty begin?
Mariam Basajja: I truly love what I do, both in makeup and in computing. I love coding and programming, but what really drives me is the end result—the joy and confidence our products bring to people. When we think about makeup, it’s easy to see it as just products like lip gloss or foundation, but it’s so much more than that; it’s about how it makes us feel. I focus on empowering individuals, especially women, to feel beautiful and confident. Makeup gives them the freedom to be spontaneous—whether that means choosing different coloured lenses or experimenting with various looks.
It’s all about the experience for me. I love seeing the excitement when people purchase our products. Messages like, “Oh my God, Mariam, I’ve been searching for this shade my whole life” really excite me. Many dark-skinned individuals in Europe often express frustrations about ashy foundations and the lack of inclusive options. While there are some inclusive lines, access to these products can still be limited. At MB Cosmetics, we make it a priority to ensure our products are both accessible and affordable. For instance, while many foundations can cost around 80 euros for just 30 ml, our foundations are priced around 40 euros, offering excellent value for quality.
It’s about the joy our products bring and the satisfaction of our clients. We do receive feedback and occasionally have requests for less pigmented eyeshadows, which shows the diversity in customer preferences. It’s important to listen to what our customers want and to adapt. For me, it’s all about empowering people and helping them feel good about themselves.
The Power of Data Science in Shaping Beauty Trends
FAB: How has your background in tech and data science influenced your approach to making people feel beautiful and confident through your beauty brand?
Mariam Basajja: In the makeup business, we work with various types of data, including customer data, staff data, and product data. To truly leverage the power of AI, we need diverse data from multiple domains, not just health data. My research involves working with hospital data, and I believe in empowering people through training to help them become self-sufficient. Never miss a beat in fashion, arts, beauty, and lifestyle, follow FAB L’Style Magazine.
Beyond just selling products, we aim to motivate women and individuals to start their own businesses. For instance, we have wholesale buyers, particularly in the African context and in Holland, who may have the funds to purchase ready-made products but not enough to go through the entire production process. We provide them with a shortcut by selling products wholesale.
Depending on our relationship with clients, we often set up agreements that allow them to make an initial payment for a bulk order and then sell those products to earn income. Many of our wholesale buyers are makeup enthusiasts themselves, and it’s empowering for them to generate income from something they love.
In my view, tech and makeup are closely related. While makeup products and software products differ, they share fundamental similarities. We analyze makeup data and client preferences to understand market trends, which informs our product development and marketing strategies. Additionally, we make our data available for others to use, further bridging the gap between technology and beauty. Overall, I see a strong connection between the two fields, and I believe they complement each other beautifully.
FAB: You have a global presence, spanning from Europe to Africa and beyond. How do you manage to develop products that cater to such diverse beauty needs? For instance, the preferences of women in Kampala might differ from those in Amsterdam or New York. How do you ensure your brand resonates with all these markets?
Mariam Basajja: Our products are created to be more inclusive and are very highly pigmented and they work really well on both black and white skin. We also have a wide range of shades as well, for example, we have more than 20 different shades of lipsticks and recently dropped some new shades of lipsticks and glosses and also a few other products. We have added a few skincare products to the MB collection as well. We have massage oil now, hair oil is coming soon and also a few other skincare products. But the products are actually created to be used by everybody. The fact that they’re highly pigmented means even somebody who is extremely dark-skinned can use the products and they won’t come out cakey or ashy, but really nicely blended.
Mariam Basajja: When It comes to the standards or the guidelines, different countries have different requirements. Each market requires specific certifications to sell products and operate a business. Typically, this involves testing to identify any harmful ingredients or to ensure compliance with regulatory standards. Once testing is completed and a product passes, we receive certification, allowing us to operate or sell within the EU. In Africa, there are also organizations dedicated to testing products. To avoid issues down the line, we validate our products during the production stage, ensuring they meet the specific standards of each country. We conduct extensive research before launching a product, focusing on the ingredients and their safety. This thorough process ensures that we have all the necessary certifications in place before introducing any new products to the market.
FAB: What stands out about MB Cosmetics is that you’ve built the brand around the idea that makeup should be fun, spontaneous, bold, and most importantly, affordable. How do you manage to strike the balance between offering high-quality, cruelty-free products while keeping them accessible to everyone?
Mariam Basajja: To be honest, it’s not always easy because the cost of the ingredients we use for different formulas can be quite high. Plus, we go through an extensive testing and trial process before launching any product. Our testing team spends time ensuring that the product won’t cause irritation, that it works well on different skin tones, and that the pigmentation is up to standard. We want to make sure the final product looks and performs exactly as intended. To keep our prices accessible, we find ways to reduce costs where possible. For example, we work to minimize production costs, although it’s challenging.
We also focus on optimizing shipping by using more affordable carriers and shipping methods. Additionally, we make sure our production schedules are on time so that when a product is ready to launch, it’s available for purchase immediately. It’s a delicate balance, but we make sure not to compromise on quality while keeping our products affordable. If you plan well, you’re able to minimize some costs, especially when it comes to the cost price.
FAB: There’s an ongoing rage pushing for clean beauty and natural ingredients. How do you feel about the growing demand for more natural beauty products? Is MB Cosmetics already embracing that shift, or is it something you’re planning to incorporate into your brand strategy?
Mariam Basajja: We offer a wide variety of colours and shades, including both semi-matte and matte foundations, which are buildable. One of the great things about our matte foundation is that it can give you a makeup-less look, even with a full face of makeup. It really depends on how you blend the foundation and the shades you choose. For example, by selecting the right lip color and properly blending your foundation and concealer, you can achieve a very natural, yet polished look.
If you look at our models on our page, almost all of them are wearing foundation and full makeup, but for some, you wouldn’t even realize it because their makeup looks so natural, chic, and classy. This goes to show that a natural look doesn’t always mean no makeup—it’s about how you apply and layer the products. Our buildable foundation makes it easy for even those with less makeup experience to apply just a thin layer or use only concealer for a light, natural finish. It can still give full coverage, depending on how much you apply, while allowing your skin’s texture to shine through. It’s all about the colors and techniques used to achieve that effortless, natural look.
FAB: There’s also the growing demand for hyper-personalization in beauty. Customers are looking for products that cater specifically to their individual needs. How does MB Cosmetics plan to respond to this trend of personalization?
Mariam Basajja: We offer a variety of colours across our products, particularly with our foundations, which come in about 40 different shades. These shades are designed to cater to various undertones, including warm, yellow, and olive tones. Often, someone might appear to have a warm undertone, but during shade testing, we might find that an olive undertone is a better match. This is where the skill of the makeup artist comes into play—they need to correctly identify the client’s skin type and the appropriate undertone.
The great thing about our products is that they are designed to blend seamlessly with different complexions. As long as the right shade is chosen, they never look off or mismatched on anyone. We strive to cover a broad percentage of skin tones and undertones to ensure that our customers can find the perfect match.
FAB: What excites you most about your collaborations with various fashion platforms, such as African Fashion Week and Diversity Fashion Week?
Mariam Basajja: I love fashion and beauty; they both empower individuals and allow for self-expression. We’ve collaborated with several platforms, including African Fashion Week, Rotterdam Fashion Week, Diversity Fashion Week, and Paris Fashion Week. I believe that makeup and fashion go hand in hand—models showcase stunning clothing alongside carefully curated makeup looks on the runway. However, our collaborations extend beyond the fashion world. We also partner with various organizations, including academic workshops, where winners receive goodie bags that may contain our products. I see makeup as an integral part of the broader beauty industry.
FAB: How do you perceive the evolution of the beauty market in Uganda regarding emerging beauty trends?
Mariam Basajja: The makeup industry in Uganda is growing compared to 10 years ago. It has really grown, especially as we offer training for individuals interested in starting their own makeup brands. We’ve seen an increase in people reaching out for support in launching their ventures. Looking ahead, I believe that in the next ten years, the makeup industry in Uganda will reach a whole new level.
Although the makeup industry in Nigeria is quite big and very competitive. But I feel like we are really heading in the right direction, especially when it comes to the female-preneurs. These women are not only building their brands but also creating employment opportunities and empowering others through skills training, basically empowering people with different skills to survive. It’s not just like doing your makeup just for fun but that also you’re empowering people, so when people feel good about themselves, it triggers the release of happiness-inducing hormones in the brain. Thus, as we build the makeup industry, we are also contributing to the emotional health of our clients. I am confident that in the next decade, we will see a rise of makeup businesses in Uganda, as people recognize that the beauty industry encompasses much more than just products. It includes various elements that can bring about transformative change.
FAB: As an experienced entrepreneur in the beauty industry, what advice would you give to someone looking to launch their own beauty brand?
Mariam Basajja: I would advise them to be consistent. They need to be consistent. While it may seem straightforward from the outside, building a brand can be quite challenging, especially when your goal is to empower a different range of people. You’re prone to face a few challenges but you just always need to be consistent, put in the work, and just make sure the clients are satisfied. And I think with those, you can actually have a successful business brand, makeup brand.
MB Cosmetics’ Skincare Collection Launch
FAB: What can we expect next from MB Cosmetics? Are there any exciting projects or collaborations that we should be looking out for?
Mariam Basajja: We have so many exciting things! One of the big announcements I can share is that we’re expanding into skincare products. While we’ve primarily focused on makeup—like foundations, concealers, lipsticks, and mascaras—our upcoming skincare collection will mark a significant new direction for us. We’re also exploring a few other ventures, so I encourage everyone to stay tuned. We’re committed to evolving and keeping things fresh and exciting for our clients, ambassadors, and content creators. There’s always room for growth, and we aim to ensure our offerings remain spontaneous and fulfilling. In addition to product launches, we’re also dedicated to empowering our community through training programs. We provide our students with the skills they need to manage and start their own businesses, which may extend beyond just makeup to areas like hair and other beauty services.
FAB: Excellent!
Mariam Basajja: I’m really excited about this expansion because I have sensitive skin myself, which has really influenced our approach to skincare. I understand the challenges that come with finding products that work without causing reactions. Many of our clients also have allergies and often tell us how our products have become their go-to solutions because they don’t trigger their sensitivities. Before we launch any new product, I make it a point to test it on myself. I wouldn’t introduce anything to the market that I wouldn’t personally use. This hands-on approach not only ensures quality but also empowers our clients, as they can trust that the products have been validated through my own experiences. Testing before launching is definitely a super plus for us.
