Beauty Influencer Golloria George Says She Won’t Compromise Her Commitment to Inclusion

Golloria George is reshaping the beauty industry with her viral “darkest shade videos” on social media. 

The beauty influencer posted her first video in 2022 about the Fenty Caviar Match Stick as she was shocked to find a product that worked for her skin tone. Today, she has more than 2 million followers on TikTok. When she’s not busy racking up millions of views and gaining brand partnerships, George is calling for tone inclusivity and better representation for different skin tones. 

Originally from South Sudan, George’s family immigrated to the U.S., specifically the Midwest, when she was 5 years old. She was the only African child in a predominantly white community, and George says she was bullied because of her skin color. It’s the fuel behind her passions now as an adult, making content to highlight darker, often excluded skin tones.

Despite her success, George says she still deals with racism and colorism. But she’s committed to living unapologetically. “I can deal with colorism and racism. But at the end of the day, I know that the impact and change I am making in this industry is a stamp,” she says.

Calling for inclusivity in the beauty industry 

Even though her “darkest shade videos” catapulted her to success, George says she actually doesn’t enjoy making them. In a recent episode of The Squeeze, George shares that her “darkest shade videos” are a reminder that you are not included. She describes them as “traumatizing.” 

“Every time I swatch a product that doesn’t work for me, [people] think it’s the happiest thing ever. It’s a constant reminder that you are not included. Your skin color and how you look are not perceived by the world. They don’t even acknowledge you enough to make a shade for you. They don’t see you,” she reveals.

Even though she is doing the work to call for more inclusivity in beauty, the internet still trolls George. Though the backlash has been difficult, George isn’t one to back down. “Despite it all, I’m still going to make the video. You can drag me for two weeks, but I’m still going to make a ‘darkest shade video’ because it’s bigger than me,” she says.

Brands that are getting inclusivity right 

Since her viral success, George says a few brands have responded to her videos and taken steps to change their shade ranges, the most well known being Hailey Bieber’s iconic company, Rhode. 

George tried a few of the line’s blushes on camera and the result was an ashy, unnatural look. After the video went viral, Bieber called her to listen to her experience. She took her feedback and compensated her for color consulting. “Rhode was the first receptive brand. A lot of these other brands have a history of changing it for the optics. With Hailey and Rhode, I genuinely believe they want to be inclusive,” George says.

When Rhode released a new line of blushes, Bieber even used a South Sudanese model to show off the product, a huge shift from the past. George says, “Not only do you see you can do better, but you also see that inclusion goes beyond the product, but to the campaigns, the lab, and the chemists.” 

Other brands George celebrates for their inclusivity and representation are, LYS Beauty, Danessa Myricks, and Patrick Ta.

Tips for maintaining integrity as a creator 

When it comes to what she posts, George always goes back to her followers as her North Star. She’s said no to a number of beauty brands whose products she didn’t believe in, because for her, there just isn’t enough money in the world to compromise.

Worst case scenario for George would be if one of her followers, who was tight on cash, went and bought a product she recommended and it didn’t work. Even worse, if the product negatively affected their skin or their health. George says it would leave her feeling sick. 

“The number one thing to remember is…these are big numbers on the screen, but these are also real people. You do have influence. You do have some sort of responsibility to that. Centering other people before you center yourself is the biggest reminder I could give influencers,” George says, recalling the importance of influencers maintaining their integrity.

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