While some people would say, “Beauty is only skin-deep,” these unique individuals are out
to redefine real beauty with the color of their skin. You’ll be mesmerized by these
10 Unusual People Born with the Rarest Skin Color! What’s up, fact-natics! This is Discovery Amuse,
serving up your daily dose of the most outrageous, outlandish, and out-of-this-world fun facts!
Stay tuned for our number one entry because you’ve probably seen her standout complexion
on a magazine spread or at a Victoria’s Secret fashion show!
On with the countdown! #10: Nyakim Gatwech
Breaking down the standards of conventional beauty is this 24-year old South Sudanese
model who has embraced the nickname “Queen of the Dark,” who has already amassed almost
1 million followers in Instagram, and has a reported net worth of $9 Million!
Nyakim says she never had any problems with her skin color before migrating to the U.S. However,
when she started middle school, she had people staring and making
fun of her, which affected her self-esteem. During an interview with Harry Connick Jr.,
Nyakim also revealed how an Uber driver once insulted her deep complexion.
Nyakim: When I got in the car, the guy seemed like he’s never seen someone
looking like me before. Ad then as we were driving to my interview, he asked me where
I’m from. I said I’m from South Sudan. And he said, Wow, you’re very dark!” And he said “if you
were given $10,000 would you bleach your skin?” Nyakim: And I told him at one point in
my life I considered bleaching my skin color, but from where I am right now,
I accepted who I am and learned to love who I am”
Keep watching because our number one entry was scouted by Tyra Banks herself!
#9: Nastya Zhidkova This Russian beauty has the
striking looks that make her an ideal high fashion model. But there’s something about
Nastya that makes her standout from the crowd. Her snow white skin is a result of albinism,
a genetic condition wherein the body doesn't produce enough melanin.
Nastya’s exquisite glow has helped her grow her IG fanbase to more than 130,000-strong. And a quick
scan of her Insta feed will bless you with photos that are equal parts enchanting and haunting.
Working under the professional name Kiker Chan or simply Kimi, she’s recently been pretty busy with
her modeling career in Taiwan and has posed for fashion magazines like Harper’s Bazaar Russia.
#8 Connie Chiu People who have
albinism like Connie Chiu are extra sensitive to sunlight. Because they lack melanin on their skin,
they are more at risk of getting skin cancer compared to other people. This posed a big
problem for Connie since she’s easily exposed to harsh sunlight in her hometown of Hong Kong.
So, her family decided to move to Sweden when she was 7. There, she had her first taste of
what it’s like to become a full-fledged model. At the age of 21, she did her first modeling
gig by helping her sister in one of her shows. Eventually, she sashayed her way into the world
of professional modeling when she got invited by French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier
to walk the runway at his autumn/winter fashion show back in 1994. These days,
aside from being a professional model, Connie has also been belting it out as a jazz musician.
#7 Nikia Phoenix
Some people often get freckles when exposed to the sun. Some are insecure about these brown spots,
while others proudly face the world—freckles and all—just like American model and founder of ‘Black
Girl Beautiful,’ Nikia Phoenix. However, her journey to self-love wasn’t exactly speckle-free.
Nikia has had her freckles since she was four. Growing up, she didn’t really think much about
it since it runs in the family. But she started getting bullied about her complexion when she
began going to school. Kids would often make fun of her freckle-ridden visage.
Nikia admits to hiding her beauty marks with makeup in the past, but she eventually
learned to embrace her unique skin, and is now inspiring other people with her empowering story.
Nikia: To this day I still get comments from random people that don’t know what freckles are
and they’re like “what’s wrong with your face?” And I’m like, “what’s wrong with your mind?”
Boom, mic drop. #6 Shaun Ross
Casper, Powder and Wite-Out are just some of the nicknames people used to called him.But this
29-year-old American model and recording artist isn’t one to let discrimination
get in the way of achieving his dreams. Shaun started his career in the fashion
industry at age 16, and by 17 he already walked the runways of New York Fashion Week. At 23,
Shaun became known as the first professional male model with albinism. He has built a name
for himself in the field and has booked runway gigs for Alexander McQueen, editorial shoots for
Italian Vogue and GQ, and he has even appeared in music videos for Beyonce and Katy Perry!
In 2017, Shaun dipped his toes in the music scene, and released his debut single that year.
He also collaborated with designer Nina Athanasiou for a clothing line called “In My Skin”,
which promotes albinism awareness. #5 Thando Hopa
2019 was a record-breaking year for this South African model when she
became the first person with albinism in history to appear in the cover of Vogue!
But make no mistake because Thando Hopa is more than just a pretty face.
Before she was talent-scouted by a South African fashion designer,
Thando was already an accomplished lawyer and prosecutor! When it comes to possession of beauty
and brains, she’s definitely guilty as charged. Making the shift from courthouse to catwalk
proved to be a successful move for Thando. In 2018, she appeared on the 2018 Pirelli Calendar,
making her the first South African person of color to do so. That same year, Thando
was also recognized in BBC’s 100 Women list for her role in promoting diversity and inclusion.
#4 Khoudia Diop Growing up,
the Senegal-born model received a lot of negative comments about her deeply-pigmented complexion
and was even pressured to bleach her skin. Khoudia: In my country, the lighter you are, the
more beautiful they find you and I think that’s something they should really forget about, because
every woman is different and we’re all beautiful Good thing she avoided skin bleaching products,
though, as she’s now making a name for herself in the modeling world because of her sultry skin
tone. She has even dubbed herself the Melanin Goddess, a moniker fit for her heavenly beauty.
She received massive attention in 2016 when she was featured
in ‘The Colored Girl Project,’ a self-love campaign that aims to celebrate diversity.
Khoudia said that she also wants to inspire and empower women of color
all around the world by sharing her story of finding beauty from within.
#3 Stephen Thompson Chiseled features and high
cheekbones—American model Stephen Thompson can effortlessly look like a Greek god.
However his albinism has made his irises translucent and caused vision problems. He is,
in fact, blind in one eye. But his ear for music more than made up for his lack of vision.
As a musician, Stephen has released a hip-hop record in 2007 under the name “Lu…Rreals.”
Stephen is quite used to having people gawk at him while he’s walking on the streets. But these
stares are not all negative, though. Someone once approached him and asked if he wanted to
try out modeling. Stephen gave it a shot and was able to book a gig for Spin. He then went
on to star in a 2011 campaign for French luxury brand Givenchy, and has never looked back since.
#2 Ralph Souffrant While most people only have freckles on
their face, Ralph Souffrant has them all over his face and body. He admits to getting self-conscious
about it in the past, but his body image changed when he started working on his physique.
His fondness for exercise eventually led to one of the most life-changing encounters of his life.
A then-13-year-old Ralph was working out at a park when he caught the eye of photographer
Aaron Taylor, who asked if he could take pictures of him. He then mentored Ralph
and even set up an Instagram page for him as he tried out modeling. Years later, Ralph was
booked for the Yeezy Season 3 fashion show and got signed by an agency both on the same day!
Before we go to our number 1 pick, do us a solid and make sure to smash the subscribe button and
hit the notification bell! Don’t forget to choose “all” so you won’t miss out on any of our latest
life-changing, boredom-busting content! And of course, be sure to turn on notifications
in your app’s settings! #1 Winnie Harlow
Jamaican-Canadian fashion model Winnie Harlow was just 4 years old when she noticed a strange
white patch on her stomach. When they decided to have it checked by a doctor,
it was discovered that she has vitiligo, a chronic skin condition wherein patches of the skin
lose color. This small patch eventually spread to other parts of her body—even her face.
But if other people think Winnie’s skin condition is a flaw, it actually became her
edge in the modeling industry. Supermodel Tyra Banks saw her on Instagram and invited her to
be part of America’s Next Top Model in 2014. After her stint in the modeling competition,
she has since appeared in magazines and ad campaigns and has even walked
the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2018. Winnie: I more so want to be viewed as me,
I now, more so than ever, try to show myself as myself because I don’t think anyone else should
be able to tell me how I should live my life. So, who among these rare beauties inspired you the
most? Let us know in the comments section below! Take home any of our exclusive gear by browsing
our merch shelf or clicking the link in the video description! And while you’re at it, take
our quiz to find out how you can earn extra cash online doing what you do best! Awesome, right?
And if these unique people left you in awe, then you should definitely
check out our list of the 10 Unusual Kids Born with Unbelievable Medical Conditions.
‘Til then, stay extraordinary fact-natics! And see you in the next video!