Doyinsola Afolabi, once an investment banker with a deep-rooted passion for makeup, has transformed her love for beauty into Didi Beauty Co., one of Africa’s most formidable beauty brands. Growing up around makeup, thanks to her father’s unique interest in gifting makeup products, Doyinsola quickly became a beauty enthusiast. Her journey to founding Didi Beauty Co. began while balancing her demanding 9-to-5 job and taking makeup lessons from a friend, despite being able to barely afford the fees.
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Through this hands-on learning, she became skilled in the art of makeup, and along the way, she noticed an untapped opportunity: while everyone was focused on becoming makeup artists, very few were addressing the need for quality beauty tools.
Recognising this gap, she started small, venturing into lash extensions, which sold out almost immediately. Building on this success, she, disrupted the industry with an innovative brown pencil ‘’The almighty Browgasm’’ taking risks and leveraging small loans from friends and family to bring her vision to life. The response was remarkable, with thousands of brow pencils selling out within months.
Didi Beauty Co. now has a strong community of 20,000 women and a network of distributors across Africa and beyond. Doyinsola credits her success to her mother’s unwavering support and the guiding word she received from God at the inception of her business. She also acknowledges the sacrifices, faith, and grace that sustained her and the inspiring friends who encouraged her along the way.
One of Doyinsola’s guiding principles is collaboration over competition. She actively seeks partnerships within the beauty space, ensuring that Didi Beauty Co. remains a brand that brings value and inclusivity to the industry. Her dedication to community shines through in the Didi Divas, a vibrant community of women who benefit from exclusive perks both within the beauty industry and beyond.
Looking ahead, Doyinsola has big plans for Didi Beauty Co. and the Didi Divas community. “We’re only getting started,” she shares with a smile. “What sets us apart is our commitment to value and to listening to our community. Every piece of feedback helps us grow and evolve.”
Didi Beauty Co. is more than a beauty brand; it’s a movement that inspires women to embrace their true beauty with confidence and strength, a brand built on faith, family, and a bold leap into the beauty industry.
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