Article Summary: Marvella Akiojano talks Marviano Cosmetics, smudge-proof beauty, fashion influences, entrepreneurship and her vision for building a global beauty brand.
In this exclusive Marvella Akiojano interview, the founder of Marviano Cosmetics talks with RUNWAY about turning personal beauty frustrations into a cosmetics brand built around long-lasting products, inclusive shades and self-expression.
Akiojano’s approach to beauty begins with solving problems she experienced herself. Smudged lip liners, sticky glosses and products that failed to complement different skin tones became the inspiration behind Marviano Cosmetics. Instead of simply adding another name to an already crowded beauty market, she set out to create products centered on performance, confidence and the realities of how women actually wear makeup.
Fashion also plays an important role in her creative vision. Akiojano cites Louis Vuitton, LaQuan Smith and Lorvae among the designers who have influenced the way she thinks about boldness, inclusivity and design. While cosmetics became the foundation of Marviano, she also sees fashion, handbags and accessories as part of the brand’s future.
In her conversation with RUNWAY, Marvella Akiojano discusses building Marviano Cosmetics, developing smudge-proof beauty products, becoming an entrepreneur without investors and her ambition to ultimately take the brand global.
Marvella Akiojano on Creating Marviano Cosmetics
Tell our readers about your brand. What brought you to developing your own cosmetic line?
Marviano Cosmetics is my bold, smudge-proof, luxury-for-everyday makeup line that makes beauty effortless and expressive. I built this brand because I was tired of lip liners that faded, glosses that felt sticky, and beauty routines that didn’t feel like me. I wanted something that stayed on, stood out, and spoke to the girls who do it all and still want their lip combo to stay put. It started with passion, turned into product, and now it’s a movement.
How does your brand differ from other brands on the market?
Marviano is a brand that actually listens. Every product is developed based on real-life beauty issues I personally experienced like lip products transferring on your man, fading too fast, or clashing with your skin tone. Our formulas are built for long wear, melanin-friendly shades, and confidence you don’t have to touch up. Plus, our storytelling and campaigns aren’t recycled Pinterest fluff it’s real, relatable, and raw.
Fashion, Design and the Future of Marviano
Who are your favorite Fashion Designers? Do they have any effect on your brand or you as a designer?
I love Louis Vuitton for the drama, LaQuan Smith for the sex appeal, and Lorvae for the culture. They’ve each taught me something about intentional design. With Marviano, I’ve taken those same principles boldness, inclusivity, and form-meets-function and applied them to the world of beauty.
What made you decide to make a cosmetic brand rather than a handbag brand? Might we see some handbag options from your brand in the future?
Makeup was my first love it was how I found my confidence. But fashion is still in my blood. So yes, handbags and accessories are absolutely on the vision board.
Building a Beauty Brand Without Investors
What is something that most people don’t know about you or your brand? And tell our readers why this important to know.
Most people don’t know I started this brand with no investors just grit, research, and a vision. Every gloss, liner, and label came from late nights and lessons learned. I’m not a trust fund baby or a retired influencer. I’m a 22-year-old Nigerian girl who built something for women like me: ambitious, stylish, and over it when things don’t work like they should.
Have you had any celebrity collaboration or support?
While we haven’t done an official celebrity collab yet, we’ve had love from influencers and personalities with real influence. But the everyday baddie is my biggest endorsement the girls who go viral in their combo, the ones tagging us in their night-out selfies. That’s who we do it for
The Beauty Brands That Influenced Marvella Akiojano
What are you favorite cosmetic brands that have influenced you or your brand and why?
I’ve always admired Danessa Myrics for shaking the table with shade range and inclusivity, and Nyx for quality yet affordability. But I built Marviano to fill the space in between sleek, luxurious, but still loud enough to make a statement. I learned from the best, but I’m not trying to be them. I’m trying to be HER.
What’s Next for Marviano Cosmetics?
What is next for your brand?
We’re working on retail partnerships, expanding our product line, and launching immersive brand experiences like pop-ups and live events. I want people to feel Marviano, not just wear it.
Where do you see your brand in 5 years from now and why?
In five years, Marviano will be global. On Sephora shelves. On red carpets. On private jets to brand trips I used to only dream about. I see that because I’m building it with vision, discipline, and divine alignment. This brand isn’t a trend it’s longevity.
Tell our readers your social media contacts and website in order to fund the latest drops on your brand.
You can shop the latest drops at www.marvianocosmetics.com and follow along on Instagram and TikTok at @marvianocosmetics. For beauty, lifestyle, and behind-the-scenes content, my personal page is @_marvella___
Independent brands like Marviano are entering a market defined by entrenched leaders, making RUNWAY’s Most Powerful Beauty Brands 2025 ranking a useful benchmark for competitive scale.
