Melanique’s founder, Ida Forsberg, is a young ambitious woman set to make a change for the better in the bleak Swedish beauty industry. With a strong will and humble mindset, she pushes against Eurocentric beauty norms. For Krull, she shares her beginnings and ambitions regarding beauty and make-up for dark skin tones.
Tell us about your background.
My name is Ida Forsberg and I am adopted from Colombia in South America. I grew up in the small town of Mora in Dalarna. My siblings and I were some of the few adopted there. At that time, there were not many dark-skinned people in Mora, meaning that there was no range of makeup for dark skintones or the knowledge around it. At the time I did not reflect much on it. I was so used to it that when my friends went to shop for foundation, I would go look at something else. I chose to focus on my eyebrows and lips instead.
In 2011, I moved to Stockholm to pursue my preschool teacher education. I’ve always been fascinated with Stockholm ever since I was a kid, because of the variety of people and cultures. I started to get interested in makeup and started learning through Youtube, following American and British dark skin vloggers who showed several different foundations for dark skintones. Then I thought that maybe it was time to buy one of those foundations. But it was as if Sweden had stood still and “unfortunately we do not have this in darker colors” was the answer I’d always receive.
A few years later I finally found a foundation with the help of a makeup artist who persisted in doing trials and tests. Glad I finally found a foundation, I also started to support multiple brands that focused on makeup for dark skintones.
In 2018, I finally chose to start Melanique – a cross between ‘Melanin’ and ‘Unique’ – Brand Collections partly because I was still experiencing that several dealers weren’t buying enough dark shades of foundation, if any at all. I also wanted to make it easier for melanin-rich people to find makeup that suited their skin tone, because I had experienced myself how difficult it was to know where to look to find these brands. I felt that it was strange that such a small simple thing like finding foundation for one’s skintone wasn’t a given. Everyone should have the opportunity and the right to find makeup that suits them and saves them from feeling excluded. Everyone should have the opportunity and the right to be included in the beauty world regardless of skintone. How can this still be a problem? Sweden is a multicultural country and there is a great demand for makeup from people with dark skintones.
How did you start Melanique?
I’ve always thought it has been fun to come up with different ideas and projects and always liked that it taught me new knowledge. I have also been very interested and inspired by different success stories. Stories where people built something big out of nothing. I’m a rather restless person who easily gets bored and I always want to spend time doing something.
But what really had me starting my own business was a childhood friend of mine who had started her own company, Sosabi, a few years ago. She’s a little more impulsive than I am and explained to me that she just went for it. In that sense, my mindset is “if this doesn’t work this time, then at least I’ve learnt something and it’ll be easier the next time around.” I believe it’s important to think that way so as not to completely feel down when things don’t go as planned.
What challenges have you met as a black woman owning a business?
I can’t say that I have faced any obstacles or challenges as a black business woman, but rather as a young woman owning a small business. What was hard in the beginning was to find a larger selection of makeup for dark-skinned people. When I searched abroad I found a lot of brands but trying to find Swedish ones was almost impossible. To my great joy, I got in touch with Maréna Beauté whose entire range focused on dark skintones, as well as Färg that had its Melanin collection.
When I reached out to foreign brands, it was very difficult to convince them that Sweden was a country with great demand for makeup for dark skin. Many asked me to get back to them when the company had grown. Of course, I can understand it is difficult to relate to a small unknown company contacting you with a request to re-sell from a far away country. Unfortunately it is little like a vicious circle; if you do not have products you can’t grow.
How supportive was the community to your enterprise?
Oh, thank goodness! I have been met with so much love, help and joy. I got the chance to get to know and meet so many amazing people who gave me tips, a push and new ways of thinking. Everything from customers, companies and partners. I’m really so happy and thankful for that. I’ve thought about quitting and ending the business, but several times I would encounter someone showing their appreciation. It’s just a small thing, but a little acknowledgement that you’re not completely off your rockers makes you feel like it is worth carrying on.
What’s your relationship to beauty and cosmetics in general?
Make-up and beauty have not been an interest of mine before. Neither during my upbringing nor into adulthood. It felt like a whole different world and there was so much of everything while at the same time there was nothing at all. I still have a lot left to learn. When you read in magazines about how to apply make-up or look at apps, almost everything is aimed at light skintones, and together with the fact that there isn’t a wide range of make-up products, it makes it difficult to gather knowledge and thus to become interested.
This is why, I hope to be able to develop my company together with make-up artists and start arranging Master classes. Melanique Events & Masterclasses would be makeup courses focusing on dark skintones for those interested in learning more. I think it’s important that we all try to share our knowledge and exchange tips with each other. That’s the way things have been since I started the company. I’ve met people who have given tips and shared their experience around cosmetics. But as I said, I have a lot left to learn.
Your favourite product to use?
I am obsessed with shea butter as I have such dry skin and hair. There are certainly other products which are better to deal with it, but shea butter works for me.
In collaboration with Melanique, Krull Mag is setting up a contest to win the following products, so jump on to our Instagram and Facebook for more details and you could be packing the following home:
1. IMAN Under Cover Agent Oil Control Primer (219 kr )
Apply daily or when needed on the T-Zonen to control oil excess on the face. Use under make-up to moisturize the skin. Suited for oily/greasy or mixed skin types. Prevents the skin to get oily throughout the day.
2. Fatous passion African Black Soap (95 kr)
Fatous Passions African Black Soap is a handmade soap containing natural ingredients. The soap has the shape of the African continent and weights about 120grams. The soap is sulfate, paraben and propylen glycol free. Perfect for make-up removal as it is gentle and caring for the skin.
3. Fatous Passion Ekological Softening Whipped Oil for skin and textured hair (for all skin types)
Apply on skin when you’ve washed off all make-up and want to give your skin a real vitamin boost and for extra softness. Can also be used on hair.
