Model says face products ruined her skin, halted career: suit

By Priscilla DeGregoryJanuary 6, 2021 | 2:01pm 

Mariama Diallo Provided by Mariama Diallo

A Guinean beauty pageant winner and model says a line of Swiss skin care products ruined her career by leaving breakout scars all over her face, new court papers allege.

Mariama Diallo — who won Miss Guinea, Miss West Africa and was a contestant in the Miss World pageant — claims she started using products from company Makari De Suisse in January 2018, which caused severe acne on her face, she told The Post in an exclusive interview, amplifying claims from her new lawsuit.

The 25-year-old Guinean native, who now lives in Manhattan, said she contacted the company about the alleged blemishes and it sent her a new product to correct the issue. Only the new product left dark scar spots all over her face, according to Diallo and her Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit from Monday.

Soon after, she stopped using the skin care line — which she bought in the first place because she couldn’t find her go-to French brand in the US and thought a Swiss brand would have reliable products, she said.

Provided by Mariama Diallo

Diallo — who has modeled for big names like Nike and Calvin Klein — claims she has barely been able to get work in the last three years because of the way her face looks, with her agent telling her she needs to clear up her skin before she can apply for new jobs, she said.

“Diallo has lost business as a result of the injuries caused to her by the defendant’s products and as well as potential profit; and her career as a top model has been shortened and she has been unable to apply for jobs as a result of the damages to her face,” the court papers charge.

“Nobody would hire me with that face,” Diallo told The Post. “It was depressing. I couldn’t go out during the day … I didn’t want anybody looking at me.”

“I didn’t even tell my mom because I didn’t want her to see me like that. I distanced myself from everyone,” Diallo said.

Diallo’s lawsuit similarly claims she has suffered mental anguish and emotional distress as a result of the alleged product mishap.

Stefan Jeremiah for NY Post

Diallo says she has been working with a dermatologist to correct the issue with medicines, which have helped to partially reduce her alleged scarring. But she says she also plans to start chemical peels to speed up the process, which can be very pricey.

“I’m in a rush because I want to get back to work,” Diallo said.

Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty Images

Her lawyer Yoram Nachimovsky told The Post, “Somebody at the top of her game could make millions of dollars. She should have been able to make a lot of money these past several years.”

“I want to get compensated for my three years not working,” Diallo said.

Diallo and her lawyer also worry that other people could be experiencing the same thing she allegedly did when using the Makari line.

“I want to bring awareness to their products, if they can do this to other people, they may need to revise their products,” she said.

She is suing Makari parent company Victoria A Int’l, LLC, for unspecified damages.

Makari did not immediately return a request for comment.

https://nypost.com/2021/01/06/model-says-face-products-ruined-her-skin-halted-career-suit/