Black-owned skincare, haircare, and makeup brands
In September of 2019, Black Opal shared that it became officially Black-owned after being acquired by Desiree Rogers (CEO) and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack (president). Despite not initially being Black-owned, the company has dedicated more than 20 years to providing makeup and skin-care products specifically for people of color, especially Black women.
We love an Instagram baddie beat, but a makeup lover needs choices, and Cashmere Nicole, founder of Beauty Bakerie, is happy to offer one. When she created her brand, Nicole wanted it to promote an alternative to the bad-girl images that young people are often exposed to, especially on social media.
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.
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.
Hairstylist Vernon François created his namesake brand because throughout his career he noticed a massive need for hair care and styling products that worked on diverse hair types — specifically natural hair, curly and textured. His line has of a full range of styling products for different hair types, as well as tools and accessories, like a protective silk cap and a microfiber towel that won't disrupt fragile curls.
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" — meaning all colors, ages, genders, religions, and socio-economic status. It's held true to that mission through its product offerings.
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 — regardless of skin tone, age, or gender — 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.
Melissa Butler hasn’t let the brutal rejection she received on Shark Tank get in the way of her dream of building a beauty brand that represents all women. Butler, a former Wall Street stockbroker, founded the Lip Bar for those seeking edgy lipstick shades with healthy ingredients. The formulas include organic shea butter, organic avocado oil, and coconut oil, and are 100 percent vegan.
When Oyin Handmade founder Jamyla Bennu wasn't able to find products with naturally sourced ingredients that worked for her highly textured hair, she decided to take matters into her own hands — literally — and formulate them herself. "I just started whipping them up in my kitchen," she said in a statement sent to Allure. By 2001, Bennu had launched a full natural hair and body-care line.
Celebrity hair icon Tracee Ellis Ross has her own hair-care line — a long-time dream of hers — 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.