SunkissedMari Skin: A Celebration of Beauty, Culture & Confidence

Mariatu Savage-Whyte, the founder of SunkissedMari Skin (SKM)—a beauty brand dedicated to celebrating authenticity, confidence, and self-love. My journey with SKM began in 2018, inspired by an experience in a bustling market in Sierra Leone. While shopping with my mother, I noticed a vendor selling skin-bleaching products, reinforcing harmful beauty standards that have long impacted communities like ours. That moment sparked a vision: to create a brand that enhances, rather than erases, natural beauty.

That vision became a reality in 2020 when I officially launched SKM, a brand rooted in quality, intention, and empowerment. Now, as we approach our 5-year anniversary on February 28, 2025, I reflect on how far we’ve come—from an idea to a thriving brand with a growing community.

Beyond entrepreneurship, I am a wife, a proud Muslim, and a full-time program analyst. Family and faith are at the heart of everything I do, and SKM is an extension of that—a brand built with care, purpose, and passion. As we celebrate this milestone, I’m grateful for the journey, the lessons, and the incredible people who have supported SKM along the way.

Here’s to five years of beauty without compromise—and many more to come