SMB WRLD: can AI pick your perfect foundation? Glamir's founder thinks so

In July 2025, SMB WRLD published an exclusive interview with Glamir founder Florence Fadipe titled “Can AI Pick Your Perfect Foundation?” The conversation covers the origin of Glamir, the frustration of in-store shade matching, and why Fadipe believes AI can help—when it is built with intention, diversity, and respect for how people actually look.

What the interview covers

• The Sephora moment that sparked Glamir—and why store scanners often miss the mark
• Building a startup in three months while working as a registered nurse
• How Glamir uses AI to serve more skin tones and reduce product mismatches
• The viral TikTok moment that took Glamir from hundreds to tens of thousands of users
• What's next for inclusive beauty tech and Glamir's long-term vision

From a personal problem to a platform

Fadipe describes growing up with the feeling that much of the beauty industry was not built for dark-skinned women. A breaking point came in store, when a scanning device recommended products that did not match her skin type—recommending formulas meant for oily skin when she had dry skin. That experience, shared by friends and strangers alike, became the seed for Glamir.

I want people to be knowledgeable about what products they use, why they're using it, and how they're using it.

Rather than alter how someone looks, Glamir is designed to help users feel more confident in the decisions they make—whether that is skincare, makeup for an occasion, or learning which shades actually suit them.

Building while balancing a nursing career

The SMB WRLD conversation also explores the realities of launching a first business. Fadipe co-founded Glamir with teammates who brought marketing and engineering strength from the UT ecosystem, while she continued working as a registered nurse. She frames the challenge not as a reason to wait, but as proof that solvable problems deserve solutions—even when life is already full.

What Glamir offers today

In the interview, Fadipe walks through Glamir as an all-in-one personalized beauty platform—covering skincare guidance, product analysis, and makeup looks tailored to specific occasions or celebrity-inspired styles. The app also includes a community space where users share product journeys and a beauty guides section for deeper routine research.

• Try a new look for a specific occasion
• Create makeup looks inspired by reference styles
• Analyze products and routines with personalized feedback
• Connect with other users in a free community space

Where Glamir is headed

Looking ahead, Fadipe imagines Glamir becoming a daily beauty companion—something people open as naturally as other apps in their routine, to check off skincare, plan a look, or get honest product guidance. The through-line remains the same as when BurntXOrange first covered the team: make beauty education feel personal, inclusive, and a little more fun.