Justine Skye Says Her Island Gyal Collection Is an Homage to Her Jamaican Roots

If you scroll down Justine Skye's Instagram, you'll notice she is no stranger to trying different beauty looks that complement her style. From long goddess braids to acrylic nail designs to her signature nude lip, she's inspired a slew of brown and Black girls to love the skin they're in and taught us not to be afraid of makeup exploration.

Before I knew she was a rising artist, actress, and model, it was her look that prompted me to hit the follow button and stalk her 'gram. It comes as no surprise that Skye is now the new collaborator with makeup brand The Lip Bar on the new line Island Gyal Collection.

The lineup features 13 shades of One Love Brown Shimmer Lipgloss, Fiya Metallic Brown Liquid Matte Lipstick in 17 shades, Eyeland Ting Blue Eyeliner, and the Island Gyal Cheek and Eye Palette that comes in six shades.

What first caught my eye were the colors. They range from soft mauves, nudes, and golds to vibrant matte blues and greens. It's a beautiful combination, and Skye told me in a recent interview that the shades are an homage to her Jamaican roots.

"The colors came from my heritage," she said. "I wanted to pay homage to that aspect of my life where I grew up. I wanted to share that with everyone else as well too. The colors are very warm tropical, very vibrant and pigmented."

But her home was not her only inspiration for the collection; she also chose to partner with The Lip Bar, a brand that is widely known for being vegan, cruelty-free, and very digital-community-oriented. For the Island Gyal collection, Skye worked closely with the brand's founder, Melissa Butler. "The brand does not represent anything that's extremely intense — Melissa always makes sure everyone feels welcome by spreading positivity," she said.

Skye's collection seems to solve the issue of being busy by loving makeup, offering convenience and multipurpose products when you're on the go. The eye shadow palettes can also serve as a blush or highlighter, or vice versa. The eyeliners can also be used as a lip liner, and if you're feeling Insta-adventurous, slab some of the gloss on your lids for a cool '90s holo effect. The possibilities are endless with this collection. Skye loves to play with multipurpose combos in her collection to whip up a fresh look.

"The cheek and eye palette comes in handy a lot, and I'm not just saying that," Skye said. "I've been using it every time I do my own makeup, or if I'm going out with a fresh face. I will literally put this palette all over for a pop of glow. Also, I can never go anywhere without lip gloss."

For me personally (and I think many other Black and brown people) growing up, it was hard to explore different makeup looks and trends because we are told lies, like that our lips are too large to pull off shimmer, for example. In beauty spaces, this can also be difficult to navigate online. But Skye wants to break down those barriers.

"Make sure that you surround yourself with love in your actual life; you know with the internet, it's very easy for people to express their unwanted opinions," she said. "You have to make sure you have a healthy balance and positive people around you to bring you back to reality. You have to know that other stuff isn't important."

Check out the full Island Gyal Collection ahead.