Canadian burn survivor's 40-shade foundation line gets picked up by beauty giant Sephora
CBC
Basma Hameed is living her childhood dream to create her own cosmetics. She has developed a 40-shade foundation called Basma — now selling online and soon to be available in stores at beauty giant Sephora.
"It's still hard to believe, but it's incredible," Hameed, 36, said about her success. "You don't [expect] somebody who's a burn survivor to launch a beauty brand."
When she was two years old, living in her native country of Iraq, Hameed was burned by hot oil in a kitchen accident — leaving permanent scars on part of her face that made her a target for bullies.
"I was called every name you can imagine," she said. "They would just be pointing and laughing."
Hameed started experimenting with foundation at the age of six to camouflage her scars, but she said the products available were too heavy and didn't blend well with her skin.
"I had a lot of discoloration in my burn. I always struggled, even finding my shade," she said. "I felt like I wasn't being represented by any of the beauty brands."
Until recently, many foundations offered limited shade ranges that failed to recognize their diverse customer base.
"I promised myself that one day I'll have my own beauty brand, where everybody feels accepted," Hameed said.
Her family immigrated to Toronto when she was nine. As a young adult, Hameed established a successful career in scar camouflage, a technique where scars are tattooed over with flesh-coloured ink.
In 2011, Hameed opened her first scar camouflage clinic in Toronto and gained international recognition for her work. In 2016, she opened a second clinic in Los Angeles, where Hameed said she has treated celebrities and royalty (but she won't divulge names).
Using her experience in scar camouflage, Hameed said she developed her lightweight, 40-shade foundation over the next five years.
"I understood colours so well that I was able to customize anybody's skin tone."
The beauty industry began to embrace, en masse, more inclusive products following the success of pop star Rihanna's Fenty Beauty brand. It launched in 2017 with a 40-shade foundation that scored big with customers.
In response, major competitors widened their shade ranges.
