Tomi Akintade is the founder of YBB Beauty International and is recognized for introducing Nano Brows to Nigeria, a technique that has transformed the country’s approach to permanent makeup and natural-looking brow artistry.
Tomi’s interest in beauty began early in Lagos, where she was known for styling her friends’ hair in secondary school. She later earned a degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos and completed her NYSC in Abuja. Afterward, she launched her first beauty venture, Maquilage by Tomi, while also working in banking at Zenith Bank and FCMB. Encouraged by Onyekachi of Beauty Ateliers, she eventually transitioned fully to beauty, applying the discipline from her banking career to her artistry.
In 2017, she traveled to the United Kingdom for formal training in permanent makeup, graduating at the top of her class despite facing resistance from some models due to her background. She continued her education in the United States, further developing her technical skills and scientific understanding of aesthetics.
Upon returning to Abuja, Tomi established her practice and chose to specialize rather than remain a generalist. In 2018, she discovered Nano Brows, a technique with few Black practitioners at the time. She mastered the method, demonstrated it locally, and built trust with clients who were initially cautious about permanent makeup. By 2020, she opened her Lagos studio, establishing herself as Nigeria’s pioneer of Nano Brows.
Today, YBB Beauty International operates in Abuja and Lagos, guided by three core principles: safety, science, and professionalism. For Tomi, the brand is more than a beauty house; it is a solution where beauty concerns are addressed with scientific rigor and artistic care. The name YBB, short for Young Black Billionaires, reflects a broader ambition to empower, uplift, and set a new global standard, inspired by the legacies of Branko Babic and Mary Kay.
Looking ahead, Tomi Akintade is committed to training the next generation of PMU artists and expanding access to specialized beauty knowledge across Africa. She aims to shape an industry that will soon be defined by the technique she helped pioneer.
Share a little bit about your professional background with our network.
I took my first training for PMU in 2017, and I have gone ahead to take further training in the US in 2018 and other specific training online in PMU.
When you look back at your journey, what did each world help you discover about yourself?
Looking back at my journey, I realize that even though my calling and passion have always been beauty, I am glad I started off in banking. It helped me understand structure, prospecting, troubleshooting, and planning in general. Specializing in nano brows and pioneering them in Nigeria helped me understand and appreciate how much I love creating natural brows on African skin, specifically regarding hairstrokes.
What moment made you realize it was time to focus on one path?
In 2019, when I started my training in Nano brows, I noticed there was zero representation of Africans in nano brows. So this sparked a genuine concern as to why this was, and upon further study, I realized that Africans with black skin really would benefit from the nano brows technique; specifically because this technique creates less trauma to the skin. So in 2020, when I started offering it as a service, we could offer this technique to all skin types without restrictions, achieving natural hair strokes.
Onyekachi’s encouragement helped you take that leap into beauty. What do you think she saw in you that you didn’t see in yourself at that time?
We have known each other since our university days, and at the time she had also started and set up her PMU business. Seeing how well she navigated the beauty space, and knowing she was a mom herself, helped me realize I could do it too, and for that I am forever thankful.
When you look back now, what are you most grateful for?
When I look back, I am grateful I never gave up on my dreams, and seeing where we started and where we are now makes me even more excited about the future.
You graduated at the top of your class in the UK but still faced models who refused to work with you because you were African. In those moments, what did you tell yourself to keep moving forward?
As a Nigerian, one major attribute I am most proud of is our resilience, and this factor was the exact reason why I was able to focus on what I came there to learn, and in the end, the outcome was the proof.
When one of those same models later came back to sit for you, what did that moment mean for you, deep down?
Actually, the moment I finished working on this model, she took the mirror and saw her brows; she immediately forgot about the color and race and gave me the biggest hug. In that moment, I made up my mind that I was going to focus on my craft because after that day, every other student became more friendly towards me in class. This helped me recognize the importance of being skillful at what you do.
You didn’t stop with your UK training, you went on to study cosmetology in the US. What made you feel that you needed more training to become the expert you are today?
At the time, I hadn’t chosen the area of beauty I wanted to specialize in; that’s why the name of my brand had “Beauty Clinic,” because I had taken other trainings in the US, including frontal installation, micro-needling, eyelash extensions in the UK, and more. So I wasn’t sure which I wanted to specialize in.
When you first discovered Nano Brows from Korea, what about it made you decide to make it your niche?
The hyper-realism of nano strokes, the promise of no open cut on the skin, and the fact that people with oily skin can achieve hair strokes using the nano brows technique and no longer be compelled to get shaded brows excited me. Moreso, the fact that it heals quicker and creates less trauma to the skin when compared with microblading/microshading made me decide that this was worth channeling my energy and focus.
When you first started, what was it like to watch skepticism slowly turn into trust, client by client, especially when so many Nigerians still saw permanent makeup as a risk?
Reviews from my clients, and seeing how well their brows healed, gradually helped spread the truth about nano brows as more clients gave positive feedback and referred friends and family for the same techniques. In no time, people started catching on; in no time, nano brows became the most requested brow technique in our studio to date.
You’ve shared that you’d rather turn away work than compromise on safety, science, or professionalism. Can you tell us about a time when holding onto that principle cost you significant clients?
Over the years, I’ve communicated effectively on our social media platform what we stand for when it comes to PMU ethics and practice. (dos and don’ts). This has generally helped us with our client profiling and client retention over the years. So we really haven’t experienced losing clients because of our values and ethics; rather, the reverse is the case. Clients come to us based on referrals and the general perception of the high values we uphold.
If YBB Beauty had a personality, what would it be?
Confident, elegant, warm, and a bit playful, but very quality-conscious. She understands trends but doesn’t become a slave to them.
What do you hope the next generation of artists learn from you, beyond your technique?
I hope the next generation of artists understands the science behind every technique they adopt and focuses on creating more and more beauty solutions with African skin in mind.
If the version of you who used to braid her friends’ hair back in secondary school could see YBB Beauty today, what do you think would surprise her most?
First, that I ended up in beauty, and she would essentially be proud of my commitment to my craft.
| Connect with Tomi Akintade |
| Instagram – ThisTomi_ |
| Instagram – YBBBeautyIntl |
