The Sheika Daley effect

Whether you’ve heard of Sheika Daley or not, you have definitely seen her work.

Daley is a self-taught makeup artist with a mathematics background and meticulous eye, and her brush has touched the faces of the world’s most iconic and influential women.

Known for creating her signature melanin-popping, buttery glow on the likes of Zendaya, Kelly Rowland, La La Anthony, Jodie Turner-Smith, Taraji P Henson, Keke Palmer, Serena Williams, and Nicki Minaj, she’s not only a custodian of Black beauty but is also helping to empower its narrative, one look at a time.

Do you feel a responsibility to shift and redefine the narrative of Black beauty?

At first, I didn't feel like that because, initially, I was just trying to be seen and be respected by my peers. Once you’ve achieved that, there’s a responsibility to make sure that we are seen in our greatest light every single time.

That’s my goal, every time I work with a client — to make them feel as beautiful and shine as brightly as they possibly can on that red carpet, TV screen or wherever they are. When they feel beautiful, they exude that and make the makeup look even better.

What does Black beauty mean to you in today’s landscape?

Black beauty to me is confidence. It’s being happy with everything you are and not trying to look like anybody but yourself. I feel like we as women, and especially black women, are so beautiful. It’s just being 100% happy with who and what you are, and all your different nuances and features. That’s what makes us special and that to me is Black beauty.

Your journey is quite unconventional. How has that set you apart?

Because I have such a numbers background and numbers are so precise, there’s no getting around it — it either is or it isn’t like one and one equal two. I feel like I do that in the way that I do makeup. I’m very precise, very strategic, and very intricate in it.

I like things to be even and perfect. I also try to make it customisable for each client — I never take what I do with one client to the next. What I do for Kelly, I can’t do for Zendaya. So, I try to do and prescribe whatever is specific to them and make sure they have everything they need to bring them out. I don’t try to change them.

Once I get a formula that works specifically for them, that’s what we’re using every single time, I’m never changing it.

How has your own beauty and self-acceptance journey influenced your craft?

It’s funny because I’m still working on that and on my self-confidence. I’m very shy. I’ve just started coming out from behind the brush, having more conversations and being in more campaigns.

Whereas before, I hid behind my clients. Having worked on my own self-confidence, I’m able to lend a hand to people who I see are working on theirs too; I’m more sensitive to that. If I’m working with a client and I see that they’re shy and getting nervous, I know what they’re going through and what they need to hear in that particular moment.

What inspires you?

Everything, everyone, and everywhere inspires me. I do see trends on TikTok and Instagram and am like, “Well, we’ll try that, we may enhance that or do something a little bit different from that.”

I watch a lot of the History channel and National Geographic, and I get inspiration from that. I love playing with the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s and going back there. And my mom inspires me, just looking at her old pictures and seeing some of the things that she used to wear, her lips and the way she used to wear her hair.

Why is it so important for you to allow skin, especially Black skin, to shine?

I want Black skin to be so abundant, so amazing, and so like, “Oh, that skin, that chocolate!” Whatever is showing is going to be highlighted, and you’re going to gleam from head to toe.

"I want everybody to really embrace what it is that we have, because if not, then you’re just looking at the makeup, you know what I mean? You’re looking at a face of makeup and it’s just being critiqued as makeup, but it’s not necessarily about that for me.

"I really want people to see that we are beautiful, we are gorgeous, and our melanin is amazing. There are so many different tones and textures and I want it all to be embraced. All these different trends come and go, but skin is never going out of style.

What are your top Lancôme products?

Lancôme Absolue moisturizer is my favourite, and Monsieur Big Mascara is my favourite mascara ever. The powder brow pencils are everything, I love that they actually turn into a powder and you can brush it through the hair.

L’Absolu Rôsy Plump lip gloss, that’s the best — it’s a clear lip plumper made from roses, so good. When I put it on, I get compliments every single time.