Jecca Blac Sculpt and Soften Palette - Product Design, Rebrand and Digital Campaign

In 2012 I developed a signature tutorial-style using a mix of ‘salmon undertone’ correctors, shadow shade contours, and softening highlights. I created this map of the face to demonstrate a paler skin tone, then changed it to a mid-skin tone, and a darker skin tone. I developed this to make me feel more secure in my features and to help trans people who didn’t have enough money to finance surgery. In 2014 I worked with Extreme Makeup (Now XtrmeMakeup.co.uk) who sent me the entire Kryolan range Dermacolor to use in my videos. Combining Dermacolor with my own products, I mixed a contour product that resembled shadow, and this opened up my classic Boy To Girl series which went on to win Simon Cowell’s the You Generation. My first version of that tutorial went viral on Facebook in 2014, and I created 5 different variations leading up to 2017. These cosmetic concepts were an organic creation from my experience as a trans person.

In late 2017 Jessica Blackler contacted me in regard to a product she was creating inspired by my original ‘Boy to Girl’ tutorials on Youtube, a concealer and color corrector similar to the products I had mixed up in tutorials. She began to produce the product and sent me early samples, thus the Correct and Conceal palette was born. She presented to me the outline of a trans safe space led business model, and I was extremely interested because I believed that if I was involved in a creative capacity I could bring the finesse and integrity to the brand that would not only support my community but be an example of change.

Jessica wanted a rebrand and my first review video talking about the partnership was featured on Forbes, with an announcement that Jecca would be taken into the L’Oreal innovations scheme. This would be a breakthrough in beauty, particularly with it coming from the organic, creative content that I designed as a teenager. I proposed not only an extension of shades, but cocreated the formula and design of a contour product, and thus the ‘Soften and Sculpt’ palette was born.

I wanted to take my tutorials further than just using a technique on my particular face shape, and open it up to everyone, so I gave my techniques for contouring in a manual to accompany the product. This breaks down not only feminization, feature changes, and symmetry, but showcases a diverse campaign of trans models and digital artwork. The product is an indetectable shadow that blends into the skin and is an amazing mass market bridge to my signature style.

The product has been met with critical acclaim and I was extremely excited by the reaction from the audience who have grown up watching me on social media. I have such a specific style and when I worked on the images, that are now seen in number one reviews all over the world, in the pop up shops at events and department stores, I proved that not only can you create a product for trans people that is accessible, but you can be creative in a range of roles within creating a product that is of the standard you’d expect for a commercial product. Creatively designed, led, digitally remastered, inspired and conceptualised by trans people, for trans people.

Number one in Elle Magazine, and a Beauty Bible Gold Awards.