Atlanta, Georgia was graced by the presence of royalty on March 21st as Mali Boykin, known by the moniker King Mali Magic (an ode to her late brother, Kingsley), held her long-awaited masterclass in association with Anastasia Beverly Hills to celebrate the launch of the brand’s newest Impeccable Foundation collection.
Boykin, a product developer for the foundation line, known for her complexion-forward approach to make-up, taught attendees how to replicate her signature dewy base routine while offering tips and tricks to enhance one’s natural features. A makeup artist for stars such as Kelly Rowland and Ryan Destiny, Boykin’s body of work speaks to her keen eye for color theory, and her affinity to chic, effortless beauty, and her unrelenting allegiance to authenticity. Her fine art background, having earned her masters from the Chicago Institute with a concentration in color theory, was on full display as guests witnessed her prep and perfect her muse the way one would imagine a virtuoso artist prime and paint their canvas.
Sitting down with Boykin once the event ended solidified an observation I made earlier in the day—her charisma has an undeniable gravitational pull. She imparts her knowledge unto the crowd with the assuredness you’d expect from a former Bobby Brown Global Resident Artist, but each nugget of wisdom came coated with a jovial and honey-sweet attitude. Audience questions were answered with thoroughness and garnished by a compliment hand-tailored to the querier. Put simply, she possesses the energy of your big sister’s coolest friend; the kind you’d risk getting scolded by your mom for if it meant hearing a “cute skirt,” from.
The masterclass itself was filled with the sort of going on’s you’d expect in any PR-related space. Beautiful black women, exuding the kind of glamour only found in the ATL, capturing, chatting, and networking with one another. What set the atmosphere apart from the run-of-the-mill influencer networking party, was the emphasis on community building, something Boykin values dearly.
“I think, because I didn’t have a lot of support growing up when it came down to my dreams and… I didn’t have a lot of inspiration around me, I was determined to give other people what I did not get,” Boykin tells me as we settle comfortably into conversation. Despite having Boykin’s warmth doesn’t lag or falter during our time together. “’I’m a true ‘girl’s girl,” she continues, “I don’t care how busy my schedule is… I really want us to feel seen, and I want us to feel valued; I think, for me, community is about sharing.”
Navigating the social demands of networking is not for the weak, yet attendees who know Boykin in a professional and personal manner gushed about their relationship. I spoke with a makeup assistant for the event who told me her first modeling gig was because of Boykin advocating for her at nineteen. Now, at twenty-three, she was tapped to assist with shade matching at the event. “She’s always checking on me,” the makeup assistant shares, “Whenever she’s in Atlanta she makes sure to let me know.”
Boykin makes it clear to me that her masterclass in the “Black Mecca” means more to her than a simple brand partnership, rather, it’s the first step in an intentional plan to create equitable access channels for creatives itching to enter the beauty world. “I want to create opportunities for students in Spellman, students at Morehouse. I want to continue to grow in many different ways, but I know what can be birthed here on the soil.”
Despite the city’s cultural legacy as ground zero for tastemakers across creative sectors, Atlanta’s legitimacy has been continuously undervalued in comparison to other cultural hubs like L.A. and NYC. “I’ve had many conversations with several brands about coming here,” Boykin divulges, “and [many have said], ‘Well, I don’t think we have a market [there].”
The hesitancy to build brand loyalty in Atlanta may be confusing to the naked eye, but is unsurprising when put into context. Brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Huda Beauty, Kylie Cosmetics, etc. had their heyday in the mid-2010s. The social media boom was at its high, being rap music surpassed rock as the most popular genre in the U.S., and influencer marketing was in the water supply. As the internet brought about the democratization of visibility, beauty standards began morphing to suit what Western society heralded as a “Post-Racial” society. Cat-like eyes, full lips, slim-thick figures, and bold brows were all on the menu.
But, the “Baddie Instagram Face” of yore has been exchanged for the “TikTok Girl-ification” of today. Consumers have traded in their BBLs for Ozempic, pigmented matte lippies for slick, peptides oils, and bulletproof night-out cut creases for 12-step Korean skincare nights-in. The votes are in- “progressive” racial ambiguity is out ladies, “mindful” all-Americana is in!
As beauty trends have changed, so has the marketing schemes of products. It’s clear that brands are willing to bleed on their own sword if it means manipulating the internet’s hunger for outrage and exploiting their black clientele’s search for inclusion. TikTok creators (and most notably, beauty influencer, Jackie Aina) have called out brands for allegedly blundering shade-rollouts for the purpose of generating reactions from the Black influencers they send PR to; Anastasia Beverly Hills, it seems, is of no exception.
The Impeccable foundation line was released in January of this year with 25 shades- only seven of which catered towards darker skin (which, in a post-Fenty world, is baffling to say the least). Darker-skinned influencers who were sent PR-packages did their jobs- showing off the unusable products which sent algorithms around the globe into a week-long tailspin. When asked about her feelings surrounding the launch, and the subsequent release of an extended shade range, Boykin neither pauses nor capitulates before stating the following:
“We had the event planned in January,” Boykin tells me. “ I am a product developer for the [Impeccable] line as well. Many of the shades that I developed, actually, all of the shades that I developed did not come out in that [January] launch. I felt a way about that, because I don’t like for any of us to feel like an afterthought.”
After having some “tough conversations” Boykin reveals it was her decision to postpone the ABH event until the company released the shades Boykin helped create- the shades suited for darker skin.“One thing about me is you’re not gonna mess with my reputation or my brand,” Boykin says. “[It’s] probably why I don’t have many large brand-deals because I always tell the truth. Always do. I’m not afraid of anything. My skill and my magic lives within me. I can take that anywhere.”
Boykin and ABH’s working relationship remains amicable, with both parties seemingly open to collaboration in the future, but the January fiasco has only emphasised Boykin’s desire to create equitable and welcoming spaces for POC beauty creators.
While the next chapter of Boykin’s career is still taking shape, the image is becoming sharper by the day. As the make-up artist prepares to launch her own product line, Boykin has been finding her footing in this time of transition.“It’s been very difficult because I’ve gotten so comfortable behind the scenes…but what is needed is necessary, and it’s time for me to be front and center of my own brand.”
In a market saturated by gimmick and high trend turnover, Boykin is aiming for a sort of timelessness only carefully-crafted, high-performance products can achieve. “When you’re with a celebrity client, you don’t have time to be playing around and testing. You need that sure thing that’s going to be perfect.”
Taking her viral #DewyBrownGirlProject to new heights, Boykin plans on releasing skin-enhancing products that are flattering and stunning on all shades and hues. What Boykin is angling to achieve is bigger than cornering markets and beating-out competitors. Instead, she’s ushering in a new age of beauty amongst Black and Brown folks. One that is just as chic, fresh, and elegant as its consumer base.
As beauty consumerism continues to rapidly fluctuate in an increasingly volatile economic and cultural market, only time can tell what world Boykin’s brand will be birthed into. What I’m sure of after attending Boykin’s class is this: contour should start by the ear, a pointy-tipped mascara is a must, a peachy-orange undertone in concealer is key, and a 90s lip will never die.
