Tomi Akintade Wants to Put Nigerian Beauty on the Global Map

By Tosin Clegg

As the global beauty industry continues to evolve, the conversation is increasingly moving beyond products and trends to the people shaping the craft itself. For Nigerian beauty entrepreneur and permanent makeup artist Tomi Akintade, the next chapter of that conversation will unfold in the United Kingdom, where she is set to bring her expertise to three major cities this October and November.

The founder of YBB Beauty International will be in London from October 28 to 31, Birmingham from November 5 to 7, and Manchester from November 9 to 11. Following her recently concluded tour of the United States, the UK engagements represent another opportunity for Akintade to extend the reach of her work while placing Nigerian beauty expertise before an international audience.

At the centre of her practice is Nano Brows, a precision-based permanent makeup technique that creates fine, natural-looking brow strokes. Akintade is recognised for introducing the technique to Nigeria, where she helped expand the possibilities available to clients seeking a more natural brow finish. Her work through YBB Beauty, which operates in Abuja and Lagos, is built around a considered approach to aesthetics, with safety, science and professionalism serving as its guiding principles.

The upcoming tour is significant not simply as an international expansion for a beauty entrepreneur, but as part of a wider ambition to position Nigerian practitioners as contributors to the global beauty conversation. For Akintade, the objective is to demonstrate that the knowledge, artistry and technical standards being developed in Nigeria can travel across markets and hold their own on an international stage.

Permanent makeup is a discipline that demands a careful balance of artistry and technical understanding. Beyond the immediate visual result, practitioners must understand skin, technique, hygiene and the importance of tailoring treatments to individual clients. These considerations are central to Akintade’s philosophy, particularly in her approach to African skin and the need for beauty solutions that account for different skin types and client needs.

Her specialisation in Nano Brows reflects this emphasis on precision. Rather than approaching beauty as a pursuit of fleeting trends, she has built her practice around mastering a specific technique and delivering considered results. It is this focus on craft that underpins her ambition to contribute to a more professional and inclusive permanent makeup industry.

The UK tour also offers an opportunity to strengthen the connection between Nigerian beauty talent and an international market. London, Birmingham and Manchester provide three distinct settings in which to introduce her work, engage with new audiences and continue building the visibility of a Nigerian-founded beauty brand beyond its home market.

For an industry in which expertise often travels through training, professional networks and the exchange of techniques, such engagements can help create greater recognition for practitioners whose work might otherwise remain concentrated within their domestic markets. They also present an opportunity to broaden perceptions of African beauty professionals, positioning them not only as participants in global trends but as specialists with their own experience, knowledge and perspectives to contribute.

Akintade’s ambition extends beyond the growth of YBB Beauty. She is committed to training more artists and encouraging a new generation of practitioners to understand the science behind the techniques they adopt. The long-term vision is to help build an industry in which African professionals have greater access to knowledge, wider opportunities for development and the confidence to compete internationally without compromising the standards that define their work.

Following her U.S. tour, the forthcoming UK engagements mark another step in that direction. They reflect a belief that the future of Nigerian beauty lies not only in the strength of its consumer market, but also in the ability of its professionals to develop specialised expertise, build internationally minded businesses and participate more visibly in the industry’s evolution.

As Tomi Akintade prepares to take her work to London, Birmingham and Manchester, her focus remains on the craft itself: the precision of the technique, the science behind the procedure and the professional standards that sustain a beauty business. Yet the larger ambition is equally clear. She wants Nigerian beauty expertise to be recognised beyond Nigeria, and she is using her growing international reach to help make that possible.

For Akintade, putting Nigeria on the global beauty map begins with demonstrating what its practitioners can do, and ensuring that their work is given the opportunity to be seen.