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Sharon Chuter, the founder and former CEO of Uoma Beauty, has died at the age of 38. According to a report from the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Chuter passed away on August 14. The cause of death is still under investigation. In her newsletter Ahead of the Kirb, Kirbie Johnson reported that a source with knowledge of the situation said that a former Uoma executive had first shared the news with former colleagues last week.

Chuter was the founder of makeup brand Uoma Beauty and its sister brand Uoma Beauty By Sharon C, which launched in 2019 and 2021, respectively. Uoma was celebrated for its inclusive shade ranges and its mission to champion underrepresented voices, especially the voices of Black women, in the beauty industry.

Chuter often referred to Uoma as a brand that sought to champion inclusivity through its products and social messaging. "I'm here to start a movement [and] to encourage people and make them know that they have a voice," Chuter told Allure in 2020. This was seen through products like the Best of Beauty-winning Say What!? Foundation, which launched with 51 shades. It was heralded at the time for being one of the few foundations that rivaled Fenty Beauty’s then-groundbreaking 40 shades. (Uoma also won a Best of Beauty Award for its Black Magic lipsticks.)

Uoma’s mission was also reflected in projects such as Pull Up For Change, an online initiative Chuter started in 2020 that challenged big companies, especially those in the beauty industry, to be transparent about the racial makeup of their employee bases and leadership teams.

In May 2023, Chuter announced via an Instagram post that she had stepped down from her role as Uoma’s CEO and resigned from its board of directors. A couple of months after her departure, the brand ceased operations and went silent on social media until it was later acquired by The MacArthur Companies, an offshoot of a venture capital brand, in December 2023. Uoma relaunched under its new ownership in December of 2024; the following February, Chuter filed a lawsuit against MacArthur and other involved parties for alleged fraudulent transfer of assets, among other allegations. The lawsuit was ongoing at the time of her death.

Even after Chuter left the brand, Uoma still bears her legacy. The founder’s Nigerian heritage was central to the brand’s identity—the name “Uoma” itself translates to "beautiful" in Igbo. Last December, the brand’s current owners told us that they plan to carry on Chuter’s intentions: “Our mission is to create a space by our community, for our community, where everyone feels valued and represented,” Uoma’s then-CEO Tony Bash said at the time.

Leaders and creatives across the beauty industry are sharing their condolences and sentiments on social media following the announcement of Chuter’s death. “Rest Well. Thank you for your courage and strength,” Melissa Butler, CEO and founder of The Lip Bar, wrote in the comment section of one Chuter’s last Instagram posts. Makeup artist and brand founder Ashunta Sheriff-Kendricks wrote under the same post, “Thank you for your championship fight for diversity, equity, and to be valued as Black brand founders. Sad your light ended so soon.” Cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson also reflected on the luminosity that Chuter brought to her work: “You were such a bright light that broke so many barriers.”

Several remembrances of Chuter described her as a “force”—strong in her convictions and clear in her vision for a more inclusive beauty industry. It’s a vision that will hopefully live on.

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I started learning English right before I turned 10, at school, a natural feature of a publicly funded education in France. On top of this, and around the same time, a wave of language learning swept through my household.

My dad, who would have been in his forties by then, had also recently started taking English lessons. Two things struck him: how hard it was to learn a foreign language as an adult, and, despite these difficulties, how much bigger his world suddenly grew. He was able to pursue opportunities, learn skills, and consume art in ways he had never imagined before. He wanted the same thing for his children. And so, dear reader, my father became a—how you say?—hardass about learning English.

There were books on tape. There were English versions of classic children’s books I’d previously consumed in French. There were immersion stays in the UK, wherein a group of kids from all corners of the world would descend upon an empty boarding school in the summer and… converse. You want to make friends? Speak to your crush? Have any fun at all over the next two weeks? Well, then, I hate to break it to you, Kid, but you’re going to have to speak English.

Eventually, it became a truth universally acknowledged in my household that the best way to learn a language was to do things with that language that were fun—and preferably not openly educational. This might seem like an obvious statement now, but back then, at a time when you still had to visit specialized stores to access any media in a foreign language, it felt novel.

What was my version of fun? Makeup tutorials on YouTube, of course. There was a time in my life when I spent hours watching them. I don’t remember what that first video was. What I do remember was that I became hooked. If you were online back then, you’ll remember those videos. Those were the days when Michelle Phan transformed herself into a version of Lady Gaga in the Bad Romance music video—a clip that, 15 years later, has been watched 56 million times. It was the era of “get ready with me”s and “what’s in my bag”s. The era of Urban Decay Primer Potion, of the Naked Eyeshadow palette, of MAC foundation, and China Glaze nail polish.

Watching those videos, I didn’t actually retain much about building a beauty routine—though I did learn how to curl my hair with a straightening iron, a skill I utilize to this day. But the creators of the 2010s gave me something else. Something certainly more profound, and maybe more useful—but I had no way to know it at the time. They taught me how to speak English.

When I speak English, I don’t sound like a stereotypical French person. I know the difference between “beach” and “b****h.” I know how to pronounce my “r”s with the back of my throat. Sometimes, I “pass” as a native American speaker. Other times, people think I’m… Canadian, maybe? Sometimes, my French accent makes a small comeback, especially if I’m tired, sick, really nervous, or tipsy (I don’t think I’ve ever been all four at once, but there’s still time). If people know I’m French, the way I speak often prompts questions about where, when, and how I learned English.

At the time, I didn’t realize that watching these young women with their Christmas hauls, sparkly eyeshadow, and clattering collections of nail polish would help me become confident enough to moderate a conversation on stage with multiple native English speakers. All I knew was that they captivated me—Ingrid Nilsen (then known as Missglamorazzi) and her beauty hauls, Blair Fowler (juicystar07) and her room tours, her sister Elle (AllThatGlitters21)’s everyday makeup tutorials.

I didn’t even buy that many products—though I’m not sure I would have tried (and loved) Clinique’s three-step system if not for Blair’s video on the topic. I did splurge on the Naked eyeshadow palette and still use it to this day—yes, the same one I bought back in the 2010s, and which has endured long enough for that specific model to be discontinued, then relaunched. The eyeshadow in it has technically expired, but I’m French, and we don’t believe in expiration dates. If you’ve seen me at a book event, just know I was wearing eyeshadow dating back to Barack Obama’s presidency—the first one.

Beware the things—and the people—you don’t take seriously. Back in the 2010s, if you were not living in an English-speaking country, and if you weren’t friends with or related to a native speaker, then YouTube videos were pretty much your only source of spontaneous, contemporary, “normal” English speech, not written or edited for a given purpose.

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I love movies, and god knows I love television, but—much to my chagrin—no one actually speaks like that. People aren’t that funny, or that fast, or that quippy, or that emotional, and they don’t wield metaphors that adroitly, either. The same goes for books. As an author, I’ve found that the key to making dialogue sound natural is to omit all the tiny garnishes of everyday language—the hellos and how are yous and the likes and the ums.

A language isn’t just vocabulary and grammar. It’s turns of phrases. It’s common malapropisms. It’s facial expressions and gestures and it’s what people do with their hands while they speak. It’s exclamations of joy, surprise, and pain. All those things lived on YouTube. I gobbled them up at the same time as I gobbled up those videos.

Unbeknownst to me, the YouTube videos also served as a training ground for a part of my life I had no idea was coming: just a few years later, I moved to New York City for what was supposed to be a year but has turned into more than ten. I went through a couple of green cards and became a US citizen three years ago. I’ve worked as a journalist in English for a decade, and I’ve become a bestselling author of novels written in my second language.

And to think it all began—in earnest—with tutorials on how to achieve the perfect smokey eye and bold red lip. I would say it again: beware of the things you don’t take seriously, but who am I kidding? This was always pretty serious business to me.

Cleménce Michallon is the author of The Quiet Tenant, an international bestseller. Her second thriller, Our Last Resort, is out now.

Source Images: Courtesy of @thuybnguyen, @nailartbyjen, and @nailslpc.xo

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All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

Halloween costumes come with various levels of commitment: We've got the planners who know a whole 11 months before the day what their theme is, the creative crafters who get to work two months ahead of time, and the 10-minutes-before-leaving-the-house crew. Did you know there's yet another group that's filled with Halloween spirit? They are your nail-obsessed friends. You might think a costume takes more planning than Halloween nails, but once you see this collection of intricate and beautiful designs, you'll realize they are total works of art in their own right.

Countless nail artists are just as enthusiastic as you are about the eerie magic of October 31, with some already serving spiderweb French tips, sleek orange-and-black designs, and candy corn stripes on their grids. These fun manicure ideas can stand on their own if you're not dressing up or serve as an awesome enhancement to a festive Halloween costume and/or makeup look. Here are the coolest ways to wear your excitement for Halloween 2025 on your fingertips.

Cute chrome mummies

Courtesy of @nailartbyjen

This adorable manicure by California-based nail art content creator Jeanette Flores is simultaneously subtle and fully committed to the bit. From a distance it might seem like a regular white-chrome manicure with a little texture, but up close, you can tell there's a mummy peeking at you from every nail. We love how Flores used Daily Charme Chrome Effect Gel to create the look of three-dimensional bandages.

Negative-space spookiness

Courtesy of @witchofbunnywoods

Take the edgy simplicity of a black French manicure and turn up the Halloween spirit with this negative-space concept by UK nail art creator Alana Lawson. The black tips fully border the almond shape, leaving an open area for little illustrations, like a Jack-o'-lantern, bats, and spiderwebs, also painted in black for a sleek presentation.

We all scream for ice cream

Courtesy of @jbepolished

Can’t let go of summer? Try this “summerween” manicure. You can feel the SoCal vibes in California nail artist Jazmine's spine-tingling yet mouth-watering manicure, which features Halloween-inspired ice cream treats in vibrant colors atop a multicolor chrome base. The idea requires a pretty ample canvas, so it's no surprise she opted for Apres Nails Gel-X Long Stiletto tips.

Iridescent ghosts

Courtesy of @nailnymphs

Who knew ghosts could be so adorable? Bust out a chrome powder (like Daily Charme’s Magic White Chrome Powder, which has a true silvery shift) and pink gel polish (like CND’s long-lasting Shellac Strawberry Smoothie) to re-create this set by Gabi De la Cruz. The creepy-but-cute ghosts wearing witch hats might take some artistry, but they’re totally drawable using a fine-tip nail art brush.

Spooky soulmates

Courtesy of @caval.studio

For lovers of both Halloween and Valentine’s Day, we have this hauntingly romantic manicure by Charlotte Bradwell of Caval Studio in Sheffield, UK. Bradwell swept on a sheer pink base (Essie Nail Lacquer in Vanity Fairest is perfect for this) before meticulously painting tiny, lovestruck creatures above it.

Cosmic creamsicle

Courtesy of @nail.brat

Sure, this manicure uses cream-colored polish, but it doesn’t make the look any less eerie. Its snakes, evil eyes, and crescent moons make for a sinister set that skips the dark hues. For a similar cream-and-orange combo, try OPI Nail Lacquer in My Vampire Is Buff and China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Orange Knockout.

Muted mischief

Courtesy of @baileebailsnails

When Halloween and minimalism intersect, the result is this look by Bailee Tabag. Its matte topcoat and autumnal colors give the Jack-o’-lanterns, spiderwebs, and ghosts style and finesse. For a spooky mani with a similar finish, reach for Nailtopia Go Matte Top Coat.

Velvet slime

Courtesy of @mabelandrowe

If hand-painted icons or nail decals aren’t your thing but you still want a special set for the holiday, this velvet green look is for you. Ask your nail artist for a cat-eye manicure, which involves moving the iron particles in a special nail polish with a magnet to create the illusion of texture.

Eerie oozing

Courtesy of @amyle.nails

The first step to creating this mesmerizing gel mani by Los Angeles-based manicurist Amy Le is carefully forming the drip effect using black nail polish, a dotting tool, and a nail art brush. Next, smear chrome powder over the top of each nail to create this oil-slick effect. Finally, add some small, cute spiders to give it a Halloween-esque finish and seal the look with a high-shine topcoat.

A little bit bloody

Courtsy of @lolo.nailedit

California-based content creator Lauren proved that blood drips can make a heck of a stylish manicure. She combined a milky base (like Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Sheer Happiness) with an accent nail featuring delicately placed blood drips (we love a deep, dark red like Zoya Professional Lacquer in Courtney for this step). It’s a Halloween-themed manicure without going over the top, if that isn’t your vibe.

Tiny skeleton bones

Courtesy of @kuypernailart

You don’t need to dress as a skeleton to get into the Halloween spirit. Designs that look as good as this one by content creator Kristin Kuyper allow you to wear the theme on your nails instead.

This look requires some patience and a steady hand. To re-create it, start with a jet-black all-over nail color. Then, carefully paint the bones in a white polish. (For a stark contrast, KBShimmer Nail Polish in White Here White Now over Jinsoon Nail Lacquer in Absolute Black.) If you aren’t a keen nail artist, take this inspiration to the salon with you.

Not-so-frightening French tips

Courtesy of @overglowedit

We honestly didn’t know a themed Halloween manicure could get as chic as this one created by content creator Melanie. This is a look to try at home with nail stickers. For this design, Melanie used Deco Beauty nail art stickers and carefully placed them over the top of her black-and-white French tips.

Slime and stripes

Courtesy of @nails_by_syd

If you want to partake in the spooky season festivities without it being completely obvious, take this design as inspiration. The matte black hues, monochrome stripes, and lime green slime scream Halloween (but only to those who are looking close enough). For a green that looks as chic as it does slimy, reach for Habit Nail Polish in Let’s Call It a Chartreuse.

Witchy negative-space tips

Courtesy of @thuybnguyen

These negative-space tips with a starry night pattern—created by LA-based manicurist Thuy Nguyen—are the witch glam we didn’t know we needed. For this look, head to the salon and ask for a reverse French manicure with clear, free-edge tips, a true black base, and some delicate black stars to embellish the set.

Pumpkin French tips

Courtsy of @chicaartistanails

Bet you never thought you could love pumpkins on a set of nails so much. To try this design at home, start with a neutral-toned base and then choose five other autumnal hues that will form your pumpkin, like the gorgeous shades in Olive & June’s Fall Set.

Begin creating a rounded tip (where your classic French tip would go) with those shades, making sure to create a small indent to form that pumpkin shape. Then, using a detailing brush, go in with a black polish and outline those pumpkins, adding personality with stalks.

Matte black bats

Courtesy of @nails_by_syd

Playing around with matte and shiny topcoats on a black nail polish shade is a supercool way to spook-ify a traditional Halloween symbol. Take this set by Minnesota-based nail artist Sydney, who painted high-shine spooky bat designs atop a matte black base.

Ghosts in the dark

Courtesy of @nailslpc.xo

Possibly the cutest ghosts we’ve ever seen belong to this set of nails. Playing with contrasting shades and finishes gives even the simplest designs an extra-special something.

Jelly spiderweb

Courtesy of @pinkaliennailz

Jazz up a spiderweb design by painting on a purple jelly nail base, like nail artist Gabbi did for this set. If you’ve got a steady hand and a jelly nail polish (like the Cirque Colors Ube Jelly), this is one look you might want to try re-creating at home.

Itsy-bitsy spiders

Courtesy of @nailslpc.xo

Have you ever seen a French manicure made of cobwebs? Neither have we. But you can ask your nail tech to swap out the regular French tip for a spiderweb design before adding teeny spiders, then finish the look with a matte topcoat.

Chrome green wet look

Courtesy of @califreenails

This chrome green set created by LA-based Michelle Won is both simple and bold, and proves that not all epic Halloween manicures need to be intricate to be incredible. Sometimes you just need a long canvas to work on, an epic chrome power, and some super-realistic water droplets.

Shimmery Halloween scene

Courtesy of @heygreatnails

Level up any Halloween manicure with a shimmering cat-eye base like the one in this design by content creator Aistė Plechaviciute. We cannot get enough of this velvet look with orange accents to create a night-sky scene with tiny bats and stars for a magical Halloween look.

Spotty sorcery

Courtesy of @spellboundxnails

Orange-and-black manicures are quintessential for Halloween, but you can add so much more personality to the colors with graphics like those in this look by UK-based nail artist Aimee White. The flawless orange ombré is topped with witchy illustrations in matte black and white, including a snake, a moon, and potions. Little dots and stars keep it looking more cute than creepy.

Petrified pastels

Courtesy of @ceirrasnails

From a distance, this pastel masterpiece by Orlando-area nail artist Ceirra Carlini-Smith looks like a sweet, springtime, tie-dye-inspired manicure. Look a little closer, however, and you realize the graphics are straight out of the movie Scream—but with a bit of a flower-child twist. We love this as a a super cute way to wear your enthusiasm for Halloween without in-your-face obviousness.

Black-and-white bats

Courtesy of @nailss.by.gracie

At first glance, this manicure by Welsh nail artist Grace Andrew looks like bubbly, abstract shapes on a sheer pink base. Upon closer inspection, though, you'll find that it features a spooky scene: a bat flying against the clouds on a starry night.

Neon necromancy

Courtesy of @clutchcityclaws

The use of a metallic purple to black ombré on this super long, pointy manicure evokes the gothic mood of Halloween, but Houston nail artist Christie Schobel takes the look to another level with neon green graphics. Fluorescent moons, spiderwebs, snakes, smile drips, and more pop out with incredible contrast against the moody base color.

Bony beauties

Courtesy of @ghost.nails

Anatomically speaking, these nails by Minnesota nail artist Zoe are…not correct. Nonetheless, they are creepy and perfect for Halloween. Zoe painted opaque, white bone over sheer, jelly-like, blood red nails, the length of which is not for the timid.

Ghoulish galaxy

Courtesy of @sassynailsss

This mystical manicure by California nail artist Sabrina Fagundes is a whimsically witchy way to celebrate Halloween. And it proves that any color you're in the mood for—like this dusty periwinkle—can work for a spooky manicure when you enhance it with details like eyes, snakes, and a starry sky.

Cherry skulls

Courtesy of @thecosmostudio

Chances are you've seen plenty of iterations of this French-tipped manicure featuring tiny cherry details. An artist at Cosmo Studio in Los Angeles brings an original Halloween twist to this deep French look by replacing the cherries with itty-bitty black skulls.

Glow-in-the-dark ghost nails

Courtesy of @rawrrgina

This glow-in-the-dark ghost look is cuter than it is scary. You can use Mooncat's Green Eyed Monster to get this look—or find some fun, glowing ghost stickers for a similar feel. Simply place the stickers on top of whatever black polish you have in your collection, and you'll be good to go.

Haunted hands

Courtesy of @nailsandstuff_here

There are few moments in horror movies more chilling than when the hands of the undead start emerging from the ground. Nail artist Amy captured the spooky scene in nail art using a stamping plate, multiple green nail polish shades (we like Lights Lacquer Swamp Girl and Tranquila y Tropical for a fun clash), and one black polish.

Blood drips

Courtesy of @asideofnails

Dripping nail art is always a cool look, but it takes a creepier, Halloween-ready tone when that look is emerging from your cuticles. (Eek!) This take by nail artist Brittany Nefcy captures the holiday’s scary spirit with bloody accents on a white base.

Glam glitter and ghosts

Courtesy of @nailbruja

Miami-based nail technician Laysa found another genius way to incorporate the ghost motif into a manicure. These nails were made with hand-sculpted acrylic, which she infused with a chunky orange glitter base. If you look closely, you'll see a few teeny ghost- and bat-shaped glitter pieces in there too.

Shimmery spiderweb

Courtesy of Instagram/@nailsbyyeya

Combine the classic cuteness of a French manicure with a Halloween motif like spiderwebs for something that's equally eerie and elegant. California-based nail artist ​​Mireya amps up the creep factor with color-shifting purple and gunmetal gray base shades.

Orange-and-black spiders

Courtesy of Madeline Poole

This Halloween-themed creation by Madeline Poole couldn't be easier to do. Poole used a gorgeous bright orange polish for the base. (We love Londontown Lakur Enhanced Colour in Camden Chic for this.) She then used a dotting tool to create the spiders. "Paint a random assortment of dots with a smaller dot and a slightly larger dot connected, which will be the body of your spider," Poole says. See? It couldn't be simpler.

Itty-bitty eyeballs

Courtesy of Betina Goldstein

Eyes as part of someone's face? Pretty. Eyeballs anywhere else? Pretty creepy. Betina Goldstein used Essie nail polishes to paint bloodshot blue eyes at the base of nearly nude nails: Blushing Bride for the base, Blanc for the eyeballs, Strut Your Stuff for the irises, Licorice for the pupils, and Geranium for the veins.

Orange-and-black marble

Courtesy of @chocolatewitch_

A marble effect isn't limited to shades of white and gray. Use a black and orange pair of polishes like Finnish nail artist Ira P. did to create a sophisticated yet spirited manicure featuring traditional Halloween colors.

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All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

Retinol is the G.O.A.T. of skin-care ingredients, and the best retinol serums have the most potent (and therefore, effective) concentrations of the gold-standard active. Dealing with acne or dark spots? Fussing over enlarged pores? Noticing fine lines popping up on your forehand? Retinol addresses all of these concerns (and more!) by boosting cell turnover and collagen production, which is especially important as we age and our bodies can't produce as much of its own collagen. Best of all, this "rockstar ingredient," as David Kim, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, puts it, everyone, even those with sensitive skin or breakout-prone skin, can benefit from retinol.

Before we get to shopping, let's take a step back and clarify what retinol actually is. Retinol is a vitamin A derivative and only one of several types of retinoids. "Retinoids are the general term that includes all the vitamin A derivatives, both natural and synthetic," Caroline Chang, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, previously explained. When shopping for retinol products, you'll spot any of the following ingredients: retinoic acid, retinol, retinyl esters (such as pro-retinol), and retinaldehyde (or retinal, for short). Skin-care brands offer a wide range of concentrations for said ingredients, typically between 0.1% to 1%, but the golden rule across the board is to start low and slow.

Our Top Retinol Serums

• Best Overall: Iope Retinol Super Bounce Serum, $50
• Best for Sensitive Skin: Wildfleur Pure Retinol 0.3% + Bakuchiol Renewing Serum, $26
• Best for Beginners: Medik8 Crystal Retinal 3, $65
• Best Fast-Release: Kiehl's Retinol Fast-Release Wrinkle Reducing Night Serum, $88
• Best Exfoliating: Shani Darden Retinol Reform, $75
• Best for Mature Skin: Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Retinol Serum, $98
• Best Mid-Strength: The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, $9
• Best Advanced Strength: ISDIN Isdinceutics Retinal Advanced, $185
• Best Drugstore: Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum, $20
• Best for Dry Skin: Senté Bio Complete Serum, $118

Without further ado, here are the 10 best retinol serums recommended by dermatologists and Allure editors you should consider incorporating into your skin-care routine.

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