Duckie Thot Is The New Global Ambassador For L'Oreal Paris & We Stan
Call it the "Fenty Effect", but over the last year, makeup brand after makeup brand has stepped up and formulated increasingly more inclusive ranges of makeup for all skin colors, and I am here for it.
From CoverGirl adding 40 diverse foundation shades and employing Issa Rae as one of its faces, to Target adding 8 more inclusive makeup brands to cater to medium to darker skin tones, melanated beauties no longer have to shell out the big bucks to get the ultimate face beat. Another brand that wants to capitalize on the new wave of including everyone is L'Oréal Paris. And they picked the perfect global ambassador to do this: Duckie Thot.
If you don't know who Duckie Thot is by now, there is no doubt that you will be seeing a lot more of her in the near future. The 22-year-old Australian model of Sudanese descent made her debut when she finished in third place on the eighth cycle of Australia's Next Top Model. The mahogany-brown model decided to set her sights on the fashion world, moved to New York, and has since been on an upward trajectory that any up-and-coming model would envy.
Soon after she signed to New York Model Management, she made her runway debut in the Yezzy S/S '17 show. Then Rihanna came knocking, making her the face of Fenty Beauty and featured her in campaigns for FentyxPuma. She has also been featured in campaigns for Oscar de la Renta, Moschino, and Balmain, and appeared in the world-renowned Pirelli Calendar. The 5'10.5" stunner will also make her debut in the coveted 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
However, most notably Duckie is not afraid to use her platform to inspire and motivate her followers. She also uses her social media presence to speak out against discrimination in the modeling world. In the past, the model has even called out industry makeup artists for not carrying makeup to match her skin tone. She told the Evening Standard:
"I take my own make-up to shoots every time. I'll give the make-up artist the space and we'll shoot. If it doesn't look good, then we'll change to what I know works. If you're doing make-up on my skin, no one knows my face more than me. Growing up, make-up was ordered online, shipped from America or London. I found it difficult — I'm really, really dark: sometimes even the MAC shades weren't dark enough."
Well, it looks like she won't have to worry about that any longer. As L'Oreal's global ambassador, not only will she have the right shade to match her gorgeous dark skin, she will also get the opportunity to continue to shine a light on the need for brands to make products for all women. Duckie also says that one of her missions is to help young girls embrace and love the dark skin they are in. On being the newest ambassador for L'Oréal Paris, Duckie says:
"I'm honored to represent L'Oréal Paris, a brand that celebrates infinite ways to be beautiful and makes products for all women… I'm looking forward to helping more girls love the beauty of their dark skin. In my mind, I'm going back in time and telling the young girl I was: 'Dream big, work hard and trust in yourself girl, because one day you're going to say yes to the number-one beauty brand.'"
L'Oréal Paris is banking on her bold look AND her ability to deliver a strong message to the fashion industry. The brand recognizes the power of her voice and, no doubt, wants to make their brand the go-to makeup line for her 1 million followers and beyond. L'Oréal Paris Global President, Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou says:
"While emerging in a new generation of models, Duckie Thot knows how to use her voice to match the strength of her images...by speaking out, she has contributed to the redefinition of what [being] a model is. Her uplifting messages are shared to inspire her followers to love themselves."
What a time! The modeling world is becoming more and more diverse, and we live for this. Long gone are the days when we had to search far and wide just to see ourselves in magazines or in major ad campaigns. Inclusion is IT, and if you haven't gotten the picture by now, you are so far behind, we can't even see you.
Featured photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images
Michelle Schmitz is a writer and editor based in Washington, DC originally from Ft Lauderdale, FL. A self-described ambivert, you can find her figuring out ways to read more than her monthly limit of The New York Times, attending concerts, and being a badass, multi-tasking supermom. She also runs her own blog MichelleSasha.com. Keep up with her latest moves on IG: @michellesashawrites and Twitter: @michellesashas
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The 96th Academy Awards: Big Wins, Big Losses For Black Culture
This year’s Oscars presented so much potential when it came to Black cinema, from the talented casts featured in the hottest films of the season to the brilliant minds behind the scenes. While some notable wins like The Holdovers star Da’Vine Joy Randolph taking home "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" and American Fiction writer Cord Jefferson’s win for “Best Adapted Screenplay” took place—there were also some potentially history-making moments that didn’t come to fruition as one would have hoped.
Colman Domingo, recently dubbed “The First Black Gay Movie Star” by Out Magazine, was up for “Best Actor in a Leading Role.” Many may not have realized but Colman taking home the golden trophy would have meant him becoming the first openly gay Black man to win “Best Actor in a Leading Role” in The Academy’s nearly 100-year history. Actually, Colman is only the second openly gay man to earn an Oscar nomination for playing a gay character. With the first happening 25 years ago, when Ian McKellen was nominated in 1999 for his leading role in Gods and Monsters.
Domingo took on not one but two roles in films garnering huge Oscar buzz this season— portraying Mister in The Color Purple remake and the depiction of Martin Luther King Jr. advisor Bayard Rustin, the biopic that earned his first nomination. Only five Black men have taken home the “Best Actor in a Leading Role” prize to date, having a 15-year gap between Will Smith's 2022 win and Forest Whitaker's 2007 victory. While we would have loved to see first-time nominee Colman Domingo make history at The 96th Academy Awards, his captivating on-screen presence is sure to earn another nomination one day in the near future.
Colman DomingoCourtesy of The Academy
American Fiction costars Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown were also the first Black actors from the same film to be simultaneously nominated in the lead and supporting actor categories. Wright's portrayal of frustrated novelist Monk in the movie adapted from the 2001 book Erasure and Brown's portrayal of his younger surgeon brother, who is freshly divorced after coming out as gay, were two modern characters, unlike anything we've seen on screen before. Not to mention, the film Sterling described as “expanding the collective consciousness and imagination of what Black life on screen can be” was also nominated for "Best Picture." Jeffrey once said, “We lack a fluency in how we discuss race and history… and identity," and it can't be denied that American Fiction is truly a step in the right direction.
Danielle Brooks' nomination for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" can't go without mention. Her show-stopping reincarnation of the character Oprah Winfrey made famous, Harpo's wife Sofia, can't be overlooked. In the 1985 version of The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey were all nominated for their film debuts; however, none of them won. In fact, in spite of eleven nominations, the original film won none of the Oscars that year. Brooks had a chance to change things for the undeniable cult classic film, but ultimately, Da’Vine Joy Randolph took it home.
Danielle BrooksCourtesy of The Academy
Randolph tearfully accepted her trophy, stating, “For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different." She continued, “And now I realize I just need to be myself, and I thank you. I thank you for seeing me.” Da’Vine basically swept awards season, also winning a Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award for her performance as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.
Other winners of color included The Last Repair Shop director Kris Bowers, who took home "Best Documentary Short" alongside two-time Oscar-winner Ben Proudfoot, and American Fiction writer Cord Jefferson, who won “Best Adapted Screenplay.” Cord's acceptance speech included what might have been the most important moment during the night: a plea for cheaper films and more opportunities for those trying to follow in his footsteps. “It’s a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given." He continued, "I want other people to experience that joy. The next Martin Scorsese is out there. The next Greta [Gerwig] is out there. The next Christopher Nolan is out there. They just want a shot. And we can give them one.” Well said, Cord, Well said!
Cord JeffersonCourtesy of The Academy
Kris Bowers (R)Courtesy of The Academy
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Feature image courtesy of The Academy