[Musings] The Loss of Dr.GIO and No One Stepping Up in AB

 

This is a rant, really. 

I learned about Dr.Gio in March of 2021 through a fellow mod who saw an Asian Boss episode and with her approval, shared it with the sub. An enterprising Nigerian woman in South Korea who started her own cushion brand made for people with deeper skin tones? Yes please. Another mod made an order, as did I. (Fun fact, ordering Dr.Gio was the excuse I got to meet her IRL). 

I'm not a big cushion person because I'm not a "touch up my makeup while I'm out" person (because I'm not a makeup person), but I bought it to support her and the real need to have more brands pay attention to people who don't fit the #21 or #23 shades (including me) kbeauty brands think most people fall into. I had also already got into the habit of using another cushion that was slightly deeper for me as contour.

I didn't write a review on the sub because it seems weird to only review it for a contouring manner and the other mod who bought it wrote an amazing review with pictures (it's since been deleted for personal reasons). I actually still use that same cushion (hi, I don't really care about PAO). For contouring, it fits my summer shade a little better, but I reach for it regardless of the season when I need to wear makeup. I still really enjoy it (despite being well-past it's PAO) and the cushion and color payoff is great.

Me with Dr.Gio's DG-04 Funmi as contour

I was made aware something was happening with Dr.Gio earlier this year because they've been the only brand I've been able to recommend when people ask for cushions for medium and deeper skin tones, and someone responded saying it looked like they weren't selling any more. Repeated checking of their IG throughout the year seemed to suggest no movement.

Their last and current "most recent" IG post is from January 23, 2023.

 

It seems like a hopeful message - so successful that a small business can't keep up with demand, but they're restructuring and paving the way for new management. But nothing has changed for over seven months. It bothered me enough that I went on a light internet sleuthing one night and well...if Dr.Gio returns, it'll be without their founder because she's apparently back in Nigeria and working as a self-employed data analyst (she didn't specify what industry).

 

The founder of Dr.Gio's LinkedIn shows she's now a

"Self-Employed Data Analyst" in Nigeria.

 

Which is completely fine. Personal situations can arise suddenly and change one's life directions. She doesn't owe it to anyone to continue Dr.Gio. It's just a bit of a let down, especially since there's been silence on Dr.Gio's end for months after a message that didn't suggest it was an end. Made more puzzling by the fact that as I was sleuthing, I came across a bunch of articles, reviewers and skinfluencers from around the world praising Dr.Gio.

 

Allure and Glamour are the top articles that come up

for Dr.Gio. Which is huge for a small brand.

To have that amazing momentum stall without communication for months...ouch. I know the turnover rate of kbeauty brands in South Korea is high, but not all of them has the global attention Dr.Gio had. And the market Dr.Gio provided products to...suddenly has a huge gaping hole again.

 

And then I got angry. Because clearly demand is there. There's been a need and want for cushions for deeper tones in the (worldwide) AB community for years; loads of people who have wanted cushions but have been left out. An entrepreneur came in and against everyone telling her "there's no market" for her idea, she proved there absolutely was. 

Kbeauty brands: where the fuck is your cushion for deeper tones?

There was a post on the sub two years ago about brands who used models who aren't your traditional "pale princess". And of the ones that still exist...

• Sulwhasoo: cushion only goes up to #33 Beige Honey and not in stock. (That model they used in the post? Definitely darker than that).
• VT Cosmetics: cushion only goes up to #23.
• Dr.Jart: no cushion but their BB cream that comes in 4 shades seems to claim that it can cover deeper skin tones (I never tried the product so I can't say if that's true).
• Dear Dahlia: no cushion but their foundation looks like they're trying.
• Cosrx: cushion only goes up to #23.
• Kaja: no cushion, but their concealers look like they're trying.

And of the bigger makeup brands that have cushions I can think of off the top of my head:

• 3CE: cushion only goes up to #N02.
  
• AmorePacific: cushion only goes up to #208. 
• AMUSE: cushion only goes up to #02 Nude
  
• Clio: cushion only goes up to #05 Sand (most end at 04 Ginger).
  
• Hera: cushion only goes up to #27.
• IOPE: cushion only goes up to #23.
  
• Laniege: cushion only goes up to #31N1.
  
• Missha: cushion only goes up to #23.
• Peripera: cushion only goes up to #3 Beige.
  
• Romand: cushion only goes up to #25. 
• VDL: cushion only goes up to #A205 (? the naming scheme is confusing).
  

I mostly associate cushion compacts with kbeauty, and my main gripe is with kbeauty (see below for further), but they do exist outside of kbeauty in the AB realm and it's still equally depressing.

• 4U2: cushion only goes up to 03 Sand Glow.
  
• Addiction: cushion only goes up to 006 Almond Beige. 
• Catkin: cushion only goes up to C04 Buff.
  
• CEZANNE: cushion only goes up to 20 Natural Ochre.
• Cle de Peau: cushion only goes up to B20 Light Medium Biege.
  
• Florasis: cushion only goes up to N30 Bathing Beauty.
• Judydoll: cushion only goes up to N30.
  
• SUQQU: cushion only goes up to 003 Medium Dark.
  

I happened to still have an unopened Dr.Gio compact because it was a buy one get one free deal when I bought mine (and again, I'm still on my first one after two years of use). I really love the South Korean law that says brands have to list their manufacturer and there it is: COSMEDIQUE

 

The back of Dr.Gio's packaging showing the manufacturer is COSMEDIQUE.

 

They look very much in business still. And despite their experience making cushions for deeper tones, the  cushions they advertise only goes up to #23. Fantastic.

 

My main point as to why I'm specifically upset with the kbeauty brands large and small: they have all very clearly been targeting the western market. I've mostly been following AmorePacific & LG, but with the amount the SMEs have been blasting social media (and the sub), many of them are clearly following their moves. 

 

So why in the ever loving fuck are most brands neglecting such a huge population in the NA market? You know, the demographic that helped make Rihanna a billionaire and Selena Gomez tens of millions?

 

You can't tell me cushions aren't popular because look at all the #23 cushions up there still in the market and I wasn't even trying. Or are you telling me people who wear makeup in the west don't like to go out and touchup their makeup? Cause I've seen it being done in bathrooms.

 

Forget the pandering with your advertising shtick, put your products where your mouth is. Because hello there is not only a need for it, there is money there. 

 

Honestly of all the dumb moves I make fun of AmorePacific for, this might be one of the dumbest. It's right there.

 

If you're feeling entrepreneurial, speak some Korean (probably not necessary but it'd probably help), have a few hundreds lying around, and want to undercut some big names before they wake up and look at the market they're so desperately trying to tap into, apparently you can contact COSMEDIQUE about making some prototypes for $500. They're also conveniently FDA-approved. Just saying.

From COSMEDIQUE's main site, $500 to design a product,

discount if you order multiple with the same concept.