The Challenge:
Why Generic Beauty Imagery Failed an Inclusive Cosmetics Mission
When Francine Bahati launched QUEENFIDENCE Cosmetics in Winnipeg in December 2017, she carried a mission that extended far beyond selling lipstick. As a Congolese-born entrepreneur and former refugee who had navigated discrimination and resource scarcity across three countries, she built her brand on a promise: high-quality, inclusive beauty products that inspire self-confidence across all skin tones. That promise demanded visual proof. Generic stock imagery and over-retouched campaign work couldn't communicate the brand's commitment to authentic inclusivity or demonstrate how a matte liquid lipstick performs on deep skin.
For an indie beauty brand competing against legacy names with bigger budgets, the visual gap was a business liability. Shoppers deciding between CAD twenty-seven-dollar liquid matte lipsticks and established alternatives needed to see true-to-shade payoff before adding to cart, especially when shopping online where color matching drives conversion and return rates.
The challenge facing QUEENFIDENCE wasn't just aesthetic. The brand's flagship Fearless Liquid Matte Lipstick collection offered more than a dozen shades, each named with affirming intent (Melanin, Kindja, Proverbs 31, Boss Babe) and formulated as vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free. That ethical positioning attracted customers who scrutinize both ingredient lists and brand values. When those customers land on a product detail page, they evaluate more than color: they assess whether the brand understands their complexion, whether the finish will flatter their undertone, and whether the imagery reflects real people rather than airbrushed ideals.
A single poorly lit swatch or color-shifted hero shot erodes that trust instantly. For a brand rooted in empowerment and representation, inaccurate visuals weren't just a missed sale. They contradicted the founder's story and alienated the very audience the brand was built to serve. QUEENFIDENCE needed inclusive color-accurate lipstick photography that preserved shade integrity across diverse skin tones, highlighted the texture-forward matte finish their formulations delivered, and created a launch-ready beauty image library cohesive enough to support e-commerce, social campaigns, and editorial features without constant reshoots.
The Execution:
Color Science and Inclusive Representation as Technical Foundations
The solution required a workflow designed around color science and inclusive representation from the first test frame. Most cosmetic photography leans on heavy retouching and idealized lighting that prioritizes a polished look over accuracy. That approach fails when the goal is proving a product performs as shown, especially for deep skin tones that many cameras and default color profiles underexpose or shift toward unnatural hues.
The strategy started with controlled, spectrally neutral lighting. Soft, bright setups render skin tones and lipstick pigments without introducing color casts. Studio strobes paired with large diffusers eliminated harsh shadows while preserving enough directionality to reveal the matte texture customers expect from a liquid lipstick. White balance wasn't left to auto; each setup was calibrated using a ColorChecker passport to build custom camera profiles that map QUEENFIDENCE's shade range accurately from capture through post-production. Backgrounds stayed neutral and minimal to keep focus on the lip and product, avoiding distractions while maintaining the clean, modern aesthetic the brand uses across its digital presence.
Casting and Direction That Honored the Brand's Identity
Casting and direction centered on diversity not as a checkbox but as a reflection of the brand's identity. Models with a range of deep and varied skin tones were selected to showcase how shades like Smile, Melanin, and Amour adapt to different undertones. Direction emphasized natural expressions and confident poses that align with the affirming messages embedded in each product name. These images communicate empowerment rather than aspiration tied to unattainable standards.
Lighting ratios were adjusted per skin tone to prevent underexposure on darker complexions, a common technical pitfall that results in muddy, detail-poor images. The goal was color-true deep skin photography where every model's complexion appeared rich, vibrant, and true to life, reinforcing the brand's commitment to inclusive representation in a tangible, visible way.
Macro Texture Photography as Trust Signal
Macro work became a critical component of the asset library. Close-up lipstick swatch photography on lips and arms provided the detail shoppers need to evaluate finish and pigment load before purchase. A texture-forward approach revealed the velvety matte surface of products like Focus Lip Liner and the lightweight, non-sticky sheen of I Am Enough Lip Gloss, differentiating those finishes clearly across the product range.
Lighting for macros used cross-light at shallow angles to accentuate texture without exaggerating flaws or over-smoothing skin. Minimal retouching preserved authenticity; skin texture, natural lip lines, and the precise matte finish remained intact. This restraint mattered for conversion. When a customer sees an ecommerce lipstick swatch macro that matches the shade they receive in the mail, return rates drop and trust builds. For QUEENFIDENCE, whose pricing sits in the mid-luxury indie range competing against both drugstore convenience and prestige brand heritage, that trust translates directly to repeat purchases and word-of-mouth growth.
A Systematized Launch-Ready Beauty Image Library
The deliverable wasn't a handful of hero images but a systematized, launch-ready beauty image library. Each shade received a suite of assets: hero close-ups for campaign use and product detail pages, tight macro swatches for color verification, and social-optimized crops formatted for Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook advertising. Consistent color pipeline ensured that a shade photographed in one setup matched its appearance across all angles and contexts, eliminating the disjointed look that undermines brand cohesion.
This library empowered QUEENFIDENCE's marketing team to launch campaigns faster, populate their e-commerce site with high-quality visuals that reduce friction in the buying journey, and maintain a polished, professional presence across touchpoints without budget-draining reshoots every time a new collection dropped or a wholesale partner needed assets.
The Impact:
How Accurate Imagery Drove Engagement, Trust, and Business Growth
The outcome delivered measurable value beyond aesthetics. Product detail pages populated with inclusive color-accurate lipstick photography saw improved engagement; shoppers spent more time reviewing images and comparing shades, a behavior correlated with higher add-to-cart rates. Social posts featuring the vibrant, diverse hero imagery generated stronger organic engagement than previous generic content, with followers commenting on the authenticity and relatability of the visuals.
Media outlets covering indie beauty brands in Canada highlighted QUEENFIDENCE's inclusive shade offerings, and the professional, cohesive imagery made it easier for editors to feature the brand in roundups and interviews. For a founder whose mission centers on using beauty to inspire confidence and self-worth, the visuals became an extension of that mission. They proved that the brand sees and values every customer, regardless of complexion.
Inclusive Representation as Commercial Strategy
This project demonstrated that inclusive representation and commercial effectiveness aren't competing priorities. They reinforce each other when the technical execution is rigorous and the creative direction is rooted in the brand's authentic story. QUEENFIDENCE needed imagery that honored Francine Bahati's journey and the communities she serves while driving the business outcomes a growing indie brand requires: conversion, loyalty, differentiation, and trust.
Inclusive color-accurate lipstick photography delivered both by treating diversity as a technical requirement, not an afterthought, and by building a visual system that scales with the brand's ambitions. If your beauty brand is ready to invest in imagery that proves your inclusive claims and strengthens your commercial results, let's build a library that moves product and reflects your values with equal precision.
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