Easy on the eyes: Trio of SAINT models snag hot beauty projects

SAINT International models Brit Knight, Naki Depass and Tomiwa have delivered their in-demand ‘face value’ to newly released global beauty and skincare campaigns, and glossies.

Jamaican SAINT model Brit Knight is commanding attention for Italian make-up brand Kiko Milano’s advertising promotion while her Nigerian counterpart Tomiwa co-stars for Innisfree’s multimedia rollout of its eco-friendly skincare lines.

And Depass is beautifully captured in Spanish magazine S Moda’s just-out beauty story featuring looks using Byredo make-up.

Prominently showcased in Kiko Milano’s 1,000-plus storefronts in more than 60 countries, Knight’s ad campaign visuals for the European cosmetics brand sees the Linstead, St Catherine-raised fashion model lensed alongside a makeup artist’s extended hand employing the slanted eyeliner brush product.

SAINT International model Brit Knight, who has been featured in past campaigns for Fenty Beauty and Lancôme, was front and centre in this storefront image for Italian make-up and skincare brand Kiko Milano. (Photo: Courtesy of SAINT International)

In a statement from the model – who repaired in Bali, Indonesia, during her birthday vacation, stated that she ‘shot the campaign in Milan in May last year’.

Booked by her rep from the Italian modelling agency, WhyNot, Knight jetted in from London for the one-day shoot. ‘I quite fancy the Kiko Milano line because it’s always trending and they are ever diversifying, which is very important,’ she shared.

Besides Kiko Milano, Knight has appeared in ad campaigns for several beauty brands including Fenty Beauty, Lancôme, Ofra Cosmetics, NARS and Estée Lauder.

The high-stakes beauty market is a major global moneymaker for make-up, fragrance, hair and skincare brands, generating $446 billion in worldwide revenue in 2023, and growing by 10% from the previous year.

Shot in New York, last August, Tomiwa showcased the Innisfree Daily UV Defense Sunscreen from the brand’s current multi-media advertising rollout. (Photo: Courtesy of SAINT International)

This, according to a joint report issued last year from global management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company and The Business of Fashion, a leading fashion news platform.

The report forecasts annual growth of 6% per year through 2028, at which time, revenue is expected to reach US$590 billion.

Shining brightly in a recently unveiled marketing blitz for Innisfree is top model Tomiwa. The 24-year-old’s ebony complexion serves as a glowing canvas for the South Korean company’s daily UV defense sunscreen and green tea seed hyaluronic cream.

Tomiwa revealed that the shoot for the eco-friendly brand — sold in beauty and skincare retail chain Sephora — was done five months ago in New York.

SAINT International stunner Naki Depass, lensed by Mikael Schulz, for the just-out S Moda beauty story, 'Huir del uniforme ('Escape from Uniform'), spotlighting varied looks utilising the luxury make-up brand, Byredo. (Photo: Courtesy of SAINT International)

‘I saw the promotional images of myself for the Innisfree campaign in Sephora last week, and boy was I ecstatic,’ raved the Brooklynite.

A figurative abstract visual artist who enjoys at-home painting sessions when off duty, Tomiwa has previously worked with cosmetics brands Bare Minerals and Essence Makeup, as clients.

Excited too, for her latest assignment — a five-page glossy editorial titled ‘Escape from Uniform’ which co-stars the pair of American Eden Somerset and Chinese Chenyin Qi — Depass was lensed by photographer Mikael Schulz for S Moda.

The luxe Byredo palette of Blue Marionette eyeshadow, Gilded Memoir highlighter, and Space Black mascara, among the products used on her face by make-up artist David Razzano, Depass said of the freshly published work: ‘It’s always a surreal moment seeing the magic I was able to create with the team. I feel very proud of myself.’

The SAINT model, who co-fronted a NARS Cosmetics campaign in 2021, and is based in Manhattan, NYC, gushed: ‘I love doing beauty projects, so I was really happy to be a part of this S Moda beauty shoot. The different details of each make-up felt like I was transformed into a work of art. It was great to work with Mikael again who I had previously shot with two years ago.’

Continuing the stroll down memory lane, Depass recalled her first-ever magazine editorial: ‘It was for an Elle Italia shoot in Paris in 2016. I remember feeling very nervous and trying my best to take the photographer’s direction. In the end I was really happy with the results.’

Now, a seasoned muse, Depass stated that ‘photo shoots are fun for me. I basically get to play different characters and become a different person in order to bring the vision to life.’