Photo Courtesy of Range Beauty
Calling all black-owned beauty brands to the frontlines! We’ve created a list of 19 companies that deserve to be in the front lines now and forever. These beauty brands cover all bases – from hair to makeup and skincare. Theyโre also all female-owned as well as being black-owned, and many further put sustainable beauty at the forefront of their brand. Purchase, or follow and share, will not only mean you support the black community but support female entrepreneurs and businesses working to champion sustainability. There’s everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Oui The People
When Karen Young launched Oui the People in 2015, the vast majority of other grooming brands were marketing towards customersโ pursuits of being โflawless.โ With her personal care brand, which started with a single-blade razor, she sought to change the conversation that women had about their bodies. Since then, her line has expanded, and Oui the People have proven that a grooming brand can exist on modern terms, with a foundation of inclusivity, rather than a quest for perfection.
Star Product: The Single – Matte Gold – If youโve tried every razor under the sun and come up empty-handed, The Single is here to set things straight. With just one single blade, this razor provides a close shave without all the hair-pulling and razor burn that usually follows, even for those of us with the thickest of curls. Built so that it applies just the right amount of pressure, thereโs no pressing down or re-shaving involved, eitherโโjust a future free from pesky ingrown hairs and irritation
Includes a pack of 10 blades
Hyper Skin
After founder Desiree Verdejo had gone through acne and hormonal breakoutsโdespite trying to find solutions in popular, premium skincare productsโshe was determined to create her own clean solution that was also effective and affordable. Hyper Skin was soon born and Verdejoโs first product, Hyper Clear, is the starโa vitamin C serum blended with vitamin E, kojic acid, turmeric, and bearberry that works to brighten, smooth, and treat hyperpigmented skin.
Star Product: Vitamin C Serum dramatically clears dark spots from hyperpigmentation with a combination of fruit enzymes, bearberry, turmeric, and kojic acid.
The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is a vegan beauty brand that once specialized in lip products, though the brand has since expanded its range to include other products like foundations and eyeshadow palettes. Since being founded by former Shark Tank contestant Melissa Butler, the brand has a huge following thanks to its mission to create a limitless selection of makeup options for women everywhere.
Star Product: Goddess Lip gloss. Lip gloss is our cleanest lip product! Super pigmented, 80% organic and the best part is, its silky not sticky!
Lauren Napier Beauty
These indulgent sheets from founder Lauren Napier are infused with rosewater, cucumber extract, and starfruit to soothe tired complexions without breaking them out. Plus, the resealable packaging allows you to reuse and refill them, unlike most wipe packets (even those that claim to be biodegradable) that end up in the landfill.
Star Product: La Rose facial cleansing wipes are infused with rosewater, starfruit, and cucumber extracts that balance oily and blemish-prone skin while reducing the soreness, redness, and inflammation that accompanies acne. Individually packaged cleansing wipes instantly remove stubborn makeup, environmental pollution, and impurities from the skinโs surface. Designed to fit into any pocket, clutch, or gym bag, these wipes not only sweep away makeup and dirt but assist skin perfectly in preparation before applying makeup. Skin is left looking refreshed, healthy, and energized.
UOMA Beauty
Pronounced OMA (uh-mah), the brand name literally translates to โbeautifulโ in Igbo, which is exactly how Nigerian-born founder, Sharon Chuter, wants you to feel after using the products. I personally love this brand because it champions for women of color of all shades. “Uoma was born out of my personal experiences and frustrations in the beauty industry,” she told Refinery29. “I am a proud, Black, Nigerian woman, and I’ve always felt excluded from the beauty conversation.” UOMAโs Black Magic Carnival Lipstick adds just the right amount of shimmer while delivering tons of moisture.
Star Product: Say What? Foundation. Available in 51 shades this weightless long-lasting adjustable coverage, vibrant yet hydrating finish gives that flawless finish with a blurred effect. his is the most radical foundation ever made! Yes, you heard that right. Foundation just got personal!
Briogeo Hair Care
Nancy Twine, who shadowed her grandmother and learned her natural hair recipes as a young girl, initially pursued a career in finance before making her way back to her first love. She started cooking products again โ this time in her East Village apartment in her mid-twenties โ and soon, Briogeo was born. The line, which is now sold at Sephora, caters to all hair types and has won numerous awards for its innovative and clean formulas.
Star Product: charcoal + coconut oil micro-exfoliating shampoo. This unique shampoo infuses Binchotan charcoal to draw impurities from the scalp and hair follicle to provide the foundation for optimal scalp health. Vegetable-derived micro-exfoliators remove dead skin cells and product build-up from the scalp to support a clean, balanced, and healthy scalp. A cooling blend of peppermint and spearmint oils reduces scalp itchiness and tea tree oil has anti-septic and healing properties that reduce scalp irritation and inflammation. Coconut Oil provides superior moisturization to the scalp to combat and prevent dryness and flakiness. Super-vitamin, panthenol, provides essential nutrients to strengthen the hair roots and shaft.
Ode To Self Skincare
Ode to Selfโs Kimberlee Alexandria’s mission is to support women who are on a journey of rediscoveryโand metaphysical recoveryโof self. Weโre an intentional simple range skincare brand that caters to the African-American woman’s skin as we develop products to alleviate dryness and hyperpigmentation, while remaining cognizant of our skinโs sensitivity. The entire Ode to Self collection has been formulated for the needs of Black women first, instead of being an afterthought in the development process. Our skin is different and delicate in many ways, therefore, it requires more hydration and moisture, while reducing sensitization of the skin due to an overuse of products or irritating ingredients. During our research and formulation process, we’re sure to include ingredients that are top quality and deeply penetrative, yet balancing for Black skin. As all of our needs are different, just as they’re similar, one thing remains the same: putting yourself first. It is not a selfish task as it is imperative to our overall wellness and livelihood, allowing us to recenter ourselves and stay grounded. Ode to Self has been designed to not only be just a skincare brand, but a brand that stands as a staple to put the needs of Black women & men first.
Star Product: De Palma – Hydrating and Clarifying Facial Oil. De Palma provides deep hydration and moisture to your face to help alleviate dryness of the skin while helping to fade acne scars and dark spots. Lightweight, light scent, amazingly powerful, De Palma is the facial miracle in a bottle you’ve been missing.
Pat McGrath Labs
Beauty lovers everywhere adore and pay homage to “Mother,” aka Pat McGrath, a self-made billionaire, and veteran beauty visionary. After developing a love for makeup from her mom at just seven years old, McGrath has gone on to work with Giorgio Armani, CoverGirl, and Max Factor, regularly leading over 60 shows each Fashion Week season, and paving the way for Euphoria makeup.ย
But she’s arguably most known for her namesake, show-stopping brand, Pat McGrath Labs. Her line has some of the most stunning packaging ever created and every swipe of lipstick, eye shadow, and highlighter is basically a guarantee for an iconic look. Besides the star product below, McGrath has also picked up Best of Beauty awards for Skin Fetish Highlighter and Balm Duo and Lust MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson, a perfect blue-based red.
Star product: Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Palette is so good it won 2019 Best of Beauty award. Among many fans is digital beauty editor Devon Abelman, who said if she wasn’t a beauty editor, she’d shell out the full $125 for the palette. “The shimmer options in the warm-toned palette are unparalleled,” she says. “They twinkle like a disco ball at Studio 54 at every possible angle.”
Coloured Raine Cosmetics
Coloured Raine Cosmetics made its debut in 2013, when founder Loraine R. Dowdy ditched her job in the finance industry to follow her dreams of starting her own makeup brand. Her mission was to create brightly colored, high-quality products for everyone โ regardless of skin tone, age, or gender โ and that’s exactly what she did. Today, the brand offers a wide range of products, including liquid lipsticks, eye shadow palettes, foundation, and more.
Star product: The Queen of Hearts Eye Shadow Palette consists of both shimmery and matte pigments in standout shades like cranberry, magenta, and eggplant. It also features several neutral shades too, so you can create a wide array of eye looks with just this one palette.
TPH by Taraji
We all know and love actor Taraji P. Henson, and after years of not-so-great experiences with stylists who didn’t know how to work with her Black hair, she created her own line which spans across scalp care, cleansers, treatments, and stylers for all hair types โ natural hair, wigs, installs, braids, locs, straight hair, wavy hair, and curly hair. “Yes, I’m a Black woman, and I’m always going to stick up for us first because we get left behind, but I want this to be all-inclusive,” Henson previously told Allure.
Star product: Master Cleanse was the first product Henson made for herself. “For me, hair is nothing if you don’t have a clean scalp,” she previously told Allure. It’s a refreshing formula made with witch hazel water, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil to break down buildup. Its packaging is outfitted with a tri-touch applicator, which provides deep access your fingers might not get to โ whether you’re wearing a protective style or cleansing your natural curls.
Pattern Beauty
Known as a celebrity hair icon, Tracee Ellis Ross launched her own hair-care line โ a long-time dream of hers โ called Pattern Beauty for people with curls ranging from 3B to 4C textures. Allure editors found the products to be super hydrating without leaving their curls feeling heavy or greasy and gave them definition without crunchy residue.ย
“I don’t believe that people should have to be dependent on a professional to feel their most beautiful and for their hair to be healthy,” Ross previously told Allure. Pattern Beauty spans across cleansing, conditioning, treating, tools, and accessories. Along with being reasonably priced, its shampoo and conditioners come in three different sizes (starting at $9 for three-ounce bottles).
Star Product: Jojoba Oil Hair Serum is a super lightweight, soothing treatment to keep your scalp happy and free of itching and flaking. And it only contains five nourishing oils: safflower oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, olive oil, and lavender oil. Together with the sixth and final ingredient, hydrogenated ethylhexyl olivate (which are fatty acids derived from olive oil), they support low porosity hair to stay moisturized and less prone to breakage.
Mented Cosmetics
Mented Cosmetics came to life with one question founders KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson couldn’t find the answer to Why was it so hard to find a nude lipstick for their rich skin tones?ย Thus began their quest to perfect nude lipsticks and lip liners for deeper brown skin. They created quite a zealous following of others looking for the perfect nude also. Since then, the brand has expanded to include foundation sticks, eyeshadows, blushes, and even nail polish.ย
Star product: Skin by Mented is one of their most versatile products. It’s a multi-stick that functions as a foundation, concealer, and contour all-in-one.
Luv Scrub
Unlike traditional loofahs, Luv Scrub is made of 100-percent nylon. It’s a mesh exfoliator that’s been used in West African skincare for generations. The brand’s founder, Caroline OwusuโAnsah, knew she was onto something when she gave the product to a number of friends who started raving about their smooth skin and telling her she should turn it into a business. Luv Scrub comes in five colors, including the millennial-pink shade pictured above, as well as dark purple, black, mint-green, and coral.
Star product: Luv Scrub gently sloughs away dead skin to reveal bright, smooth skin, and never causes irritation like some exfoliators do. Because it’s long and wide it’s great for getting to hard-to-reach areas, like the bottom of your back. And it won’t breed bacteria because it’s made of nylon.
Pear Nova
Created by Rachel James in 2012, Pear Nova is a super-chic collection of vegan nail lacquers inspired by fashion’s most innovative designers. The line is “5 free,” so it doesn’t contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, toluene, and dibutyl Phthalate DBP. Additionally, the brand offers gel formulas and cuticle oil, as well as fun, seasonal collections like Trip to Tulum and All Thai’d Up.
Star product: While all of the shades are stunning, we’re particularly partial to Lemon Drop Logic, a vibrant, sunny yellow that flatters dark and deep skin tones.
Ace Beaute
Niye Attang launched Ace Beaute in 2016 with a selection of cruelty-free false eyelashes and later expanded to offer eye shadow and brushes. The brand lives by the motto: “Beauty for All” โ meaning all colors, ages, genders, religions, and socio-economic status. It’s held true to that mission through its product offerings.ย
Take a peek at Ace Beaute’s Instagram feed and you’ll find countless photos of colorful eye looks from folks all over the world. In the last four years, the brand has become most famous for its technicolor eye shadow palettes that feature colors like slime green, aqua, neon yellow, and more.
Star product: The Oceanic Palette features 15 pigment-packed shadows in sea-inspired shades that are perfect for anyone who loves bold colors.
Lamik Beauty
Lamik Beauty’s Instagram bio says it all: “Clean makeup focused on the women who spend 80% more on cosmetics but get 10% of shelf โ Women of Color.” Its founder and CEO, Kim Roxie, built the cosmetics brand in 2004 based on her desire to create vegan, natural products for multicultural women.
Sixteen years later, Lamik Beauty is made up of high-quality eyebrow and complexion products โ including a foundation that they custom blend for your skin tone. Its products are made with moisturizing oils like jojoba, coconut, and castor seed, as well as botanical extracts like rosemary, which serves as a natural antioxidant.
Star product: Send a selfie taken in natural light to the brand’s email, hello@lamikbeauty.com, and a Custom Blend Foundation in your perfect color match will be made and sent right to you.
Janet and Jo.ย
After growing weary of questionable chemicals in many nail products and then watching her mother and grandmother battle breast cancer, Janet and Jo founder Kendra Woolridge wanted to create something better. She decided to make products her loved ones could use without having to worry about anything harming their health. Woolridge brought to life a line of vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic nail lacquers in colors that flatter all skin tones, with a special emphasis on shades that flatter darker skin. There are vibrant corals, poppy purples, sunny yellows, hot pinks, and many more fun shades.ย
During the month of June, the brand will donate 50 percent of all sales to the NAACP “to support their mission and fight for justice,” founder Kendra Woolridge tells Allure.
Star product: Work Wife is a creamy, peachy-coral that adds an eye-catching accent to any ensemble. It also couldn’t be more perfect for summer.
Unsun Cosmetics
View this post on InstagramItโs Friday! Get some sun today! Donโt forget your sunscreen โจ๐งก
Unsun Cosmetics was created by Katonya Breaux in 2016 after years of searching for a sunscreen that works for women of color. The brand’s three-piece sun-care collection consists of 100 percent mineral-based SPFs that don’t leave behind any weird residue or chalkiness. They’re also made with skin-boosting ingredients like hydrating glycerin, coconut oil, and olive fruit oil for added moisture.
Star product: The Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen provides broad-spectrum SPF 30 and has a subtle tint that evens out the skin and gives it a glowing finish.
Range Beauty
Alicia Scott started her career working in the fashion industry, where she noticed a lack of deeper foundation shades at runway shows and photoshoots. It’s a problem she realized went beyond the drugstores she frequented, which also had a dearth of options for the melanin-rich. On top of all that, many foundations also caused Scott’s eczema to flare up, so even if she could find her shade, the formulation might not agree with her sensitive skin.ย
So, as any self-starter would do, Scott decided to create a foundation she could actually use that wouldn’t irritate her skin. Her beauty brand, Range, offers 21 shades. As a bonus, the hydrating formula contains soothing chamomile extract and French clay to keep oil under control.ย
Star product: The True Intentions Hydrating Foundation, which gives you sheer to medium coverage and has calendula and cornflower extracts that have natural anti-bacterial properties for acne and eczema-prone skin.
