SLIQ is creating the tools to make textured hair care easy
Written by Marianne Olaleye, JAIKU
It took 28 attempts for co-founders, Mamy Mbaye and Zainab Sanusi to get the right formulation of their first product. But you know what they say, beauty is pain.
Photographed by Krystal Nuevill
Winning BGF and Glossier’s Beauty Grant this year is a full circle moment for Mamy Mbaye. She first graced the halls of Glossier HQ in New York as an intern back in 2018, and today she returns as one of five grant recipients alongside her co-founder, CEO Zainab Sanusi.
The pair have just launched SLIQ, a hair care brand looking to “shake up the textured hair status quo.” First meeting at a friend’s dinner just five years ago, the pair instantly hit it off, bonding over their appreciation of beauty and eczema horror stories.
As a longstanding fan of Glossier, Sanusi was captivated by Mbaye’s stories of the industry. She already had a seedling idea for a brand in mind, after looking for a solution to her own hair nightmares.
“I would try these hairstyles and without doubt they would fail,” she says. “There was so much information, I guess I constantly felt overwhelmed.”
It wasn’t long before Sanusi asked Mbaye to join her business venture as joint co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer.
When they formulated SLIQ, the duo wanted to ensure they didn’t replicate products that were already on the market. Designed for textured hair, their brand is rooted in research, community, and maintaining hair health.
Following a friends and family investment round – where they gained valuable advice from peers who had studied cosmetic science – they raised enough capital to launch their first product, the DEEP IT conditioning treatment. But this isn’t any ordinary conditioner. It’s version 28 of what was a painstaking process to get the result, just right.
“We literally went through 27 formulas before landing on this one,” Sanusi laughs. “My physical body particles have gone into this product in some way… I even sent in a piece of my hair for sample testing!”
Sanusi, who grew up in Lagos and has a science background, dove deep into trichology practices to help shape the formula. While Mbaye, whose friends already came to her for skincare advice, focused on making the product feel just as considered as the best serums on the market. “People are particular about what they put on their skin,” Mbaye says. “We want them to think the same way about their hair.”
While both are still juggling full-time consultancy roles alongside launching the brand, applying for the 2025 grant felt like the right timing. “It had been on our radar for years,” Sanusi adds. “We didn’t fully believe we’d win, but it’s very validating.”
More funding means higher visibility, and the chance to build a loyal fan base through planned events.
“Now people who are two degrees away from us are starting to know about what we’re building,” says Mbaye, “I think that will allow us to reach a lot more people.”
For now, the pair are deliberating about which direction to take their product line, but one thing’s for sure, they’ll be powered by community every step of the way.
Thank you so much to Mamy and Zainab for sharing her powerful story with us.
Connect with Mamy and Zainab or read more about the Black Beauty Grant programme here.
We’re eager to learn, collaborate, and share knowledge, so if you’re interested in working with us, say hello@blackgirlfest.com
BGF x
