20 Black-Owned Beauty Brands You Can Support RN
Spending with Black-owned businesses is a small and immediate way to show your solidarity as an ally and give support to the Black community. As an industry that has notoriously excluded Black consumers and entrepreneurs, these pioneering brands are changing the dialogue and making the beauty industry more representative of the world that we live in. With foundation ranges that span further than medium, nudes for ALL skin tones, pigments that actually pay off, and hair care that caters to coily textures, these brands have changed the face of beauty, and it’s time to show your support.
1. Uoma Beauty
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Uoma Founder Sharon Chuter is by definition an unstoppable SHE-E-O. Recently crowned one of the most forward-thinking executives in the beauty industry by WWD, Sharon explained why she founded Uoma, “The world is beautiful because we are all different and colorful in our unique way and this is why Uoma beauty exists. To celebrate people from all ethnicities, gender, sexual orientation, sizes and of all ages together in a colorful celebration and co-existence.”
True to her word, Uoma has one of the most extensive shade ranges, in fact, their foundation line caries 51 shades in six varying formulas. Using the Fitzpatrick scale, which measures the skin’s reaction to the sun, Uoma identified six skin color groups that share very similar characteristics and needs. Therefore, not only did they create a foundation for all skin tones but a skincare hybrid that caters to the needs of your skin tone.
2. Juvia’s Place
Juvia’s Place celebrates African culture in a major way. Founder Chichi Eburu has created a brand with a cult following thanks to their beautiful shade selections and powerful pigments that work perfectly for richer skin tones.
3. Danessa Myricks Beauty
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Named after the fearless founder herself, Danessa Myricks Beauty is an artisanal brand loved by celebrity makeup artists thanks to their intense pigments and innovative multi-tasking formulas. Danessa created her beauty line not only to fill the void she found in the market, but her vision was, “to create a brand where there were limitless possibilities for women from all walks of life to create.”
4. Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath, AKA ‘the Mothership,’ redefines the term pioneer. She’s one of the world’s most in-demand and highly respected makeup artists, trailblazing a path of creativity for all women. Pat was in fact, taught makeup artistry by her mother, who would mix pigments for her own makeup as there were very limited options for deeper skin tones at that time. Of course, when Pat McGrath announced that she was starting a makeup line back in 2015, everyone knew it would go above and beyond and leave no one behind.
Pat’s new foundation carries 36 shades that she believes caters to all. She told Fashionista “It’s so important to know that you’re not left out, that there’s not any skin tone, or any of us, really, who are like, ‘Oh my goodness, only three colors in this palette work for me.'”
5. Kimberley New York
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This niche fragrance house was created out of the lack of inclusivity in the world of luxe fragrance. Founder Kimberley Walker started studying fragrance composition and chemistry in 2015 and created her own signature fragrance in May 2016 with Artsy Eau de Parfum, $99. A sweet and romantic scent with top notes of red candied apple and middle notes of sparkling violet with a creamy sandalwood base.
6. Mented Cosmetics
Finding the perfect ‘nude’ isn’t easy considering the term is often represented as a pastel peach shade rather than the multiple skin tones it by definition, should include. Founders and Harvard graduates, KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, decided to take action and fill this gap. In 2017, they released their first lipstick range featuring nine lip colors to flatter all skin tones. But the SHE-E-O duo didn’t stop there and have since dropped eyeshadow palettes, foundation, and nail polish; all in varying nude shades.
7. Pattern
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Actress, icon, and all-round lady boss, Tracee Ellis Ross created Pattern with one mission; to “fulfill the unmet beauty needs of the curly, coily, and tight-textured hair community.” Tracee recalls her struggles to find hair products that catered to her curl pattern, recounting that most products on the market are either not hydrating enough, unaffordable, or there’s simply not enough product to stretch past a fortnight’s worth of wash-and-goes. Pattern is her solution.
The line currently holds a range of shampoos, conditioners, and serums, as well as a wet brush, microfiber towel, and most recently hair grips and other accessories. On the Pattern website, it also outlines which product range will work for your curl type.
8. Briogeo
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Founder of haircare line Briogeo, Nancy Twine, created her first hair product at the age of five in her grandmother’s kitchen in West Virginia. When Nancy moved to New York in her twenties, she was forced to trade in her natural, homemade family formulas for store-bought products, and like so many others, she realized the formulas didn’t meet their performance claims. And so, Briogeo was born out of her apartment with a small team of chemists. Staying true to her beauty guru grandmother, Briogeo takes it back to basics with naturally-formulated yet powerful hair care formulas. We’re obsessed with their Don’t Despair Repair Line!
9. The Lip Bar
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The Lip Bar, created by beauty-badass Melissa Butler, was founded to “Challenge the standard of beauty.” In an interview with Forbes, Melissa recalls her previous disappointment with non-toxic, cruelty-free lipsticks, deeming the “assortment of natural lip colors, frankly just boring!” So from her kitchen, she created her own formulas. Fast-forward eight years and The Lip Bar is constantly selling out online, with their pocket-friendly formulas stocked at Target across the USA. And, of course, the shade range of their cruelty-free, non-toxic lip products are anything but boring with eye-popping hues like blue and purple.
10. Black Girl Sunscreen
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There’s a widely held myth in the Black community that wearing sunscreen is not necessary. This is not true and is one of the reasons why Founder Shontay Lundy created her sunscreen line: Black Girl Sunscreen. The other reason? She was sick of the heavy white residue that mineral sunscreens often leave behind. Black Girl Sunscreen offers the ultimate solution; a fast-absorbing, natural formula with UVA and UVB protection, and no white residue. There’s also an SPF 50 formula created for children.
11. Prime Beauty Cosmetics
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Prime Beauty Cosmetic’s Instagram bio says it all: “Women of color beauty needs are primary. Not secondary.” #Facts. The brand offers everything from pigmented lip colors and eyeshadows to bronzers and highlighters. The brand aims to “Create quality and affordable products that defy Eurocentric beauty standards, and uplifts the beauty that is being a woman of color.”
12. JD Glow Cosmetics
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Vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics brand JD Glow Cosmetics was started in 2015 by best friends, Jennifer and Deandra, and is the new beauty brand to watch. Two words: pigment pay-off – it’s off the charts!
13. The Honey Pot Company
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Founded by Bea Dixon, The Honey Pot is, in their own words: “Made by humans with vaginas for humans with vaginas.” The Honey Pot is one of the first plant-based feminine care brands on the market carrying toxic-free tampons, wipes, and sensitive washes.
14. Plain Jane Beauty
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Plain Jane Beauty offers up natural, organic clean cosmetics for all. MUA and Stanford graduate, Lake Louise launched her makeup line Plain Jane Beauty in 2011 to provide clean, sustainable products for all. Her first point of call? A non-toxic foundation that caters to the needs of deeper skin tones.
15. OUI The People
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Founder Karen Young created her body care brand with a clear goal; “Rather than pursuing flawlessness, we aim to build efficacious products, designed thoughtfully, that actually help you feel great in the skin you’re already in.” Originally launched in 2015 as Oui Shave, Karen changed the name to Oui The People to deepen the brand’s gender neutrality.
16. Rosen Skincare
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Jamika Martin founded Rosen Skincare as a result of her disdain for the lack of skin-positive brands that failed to showcase real skin and real skin concerns. Rosen Skincare aims to normalize acne while offering up soothing solutions.
17. Black Opal Beauty
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Black Opal Beauty has been creating cruelty-free cosmetics for women of color since its first product launch in 1994. Their first product was the first technologically advanced, doctor-recommended, mass-market skincare regimen for women of color, and the brand has continued to grow and expand their product offering ever since.
18. The Mane Choice
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Drugstore haircare line, The Mane Choice, carries every product you could wish for – vitamins, oils, creams, masks, gels, conditioners – they have it all. Founder Courtney Adeleye spotted a gap in the hair care community and used her medical background to build her brand from the ground up by incorporating her specialized knowledge base with her own curiosity.
19. OOO Polish
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OOO Polish aims to diversify the nail care industry. Founder Wechie-Onyechi said it all began in 2016 with her struggle to find a nail color that really flattered her skin. “I fell in love with creating unique colors that radiate on every skin tone. ‘Diversifying Beauty In Nail Care’ on every bottle means I specifically created a space for you and I want you to know that, and anyone who celebrates inclusivity and loves quality nail polish. We embrace every skin tone.”
20. Base Butter
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Since 2015, Base Butter has been creating skincare products designed for Black women that are easy to use and give the best results with simple formulas that safely improve the overall health of the skin. Founder She’Neil Johnson has not only created a cult product in the form of her Radiate Face Jelly, an aloe vera moisturizer targeted for oily and acne-prone skin, but also an online community that uplifts women of color.
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