Top Beauty Brands to know

As people across the country demand justice for the death of George Floyd, there are numerous ways you can take action in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Apart from donating to organizations like the George Floyd Memorial the  Minnesota Freedom Fund and Campaign Zero (find a list of resources here), you can also show support for black creators by putting money into black-owned businesses. To that end, we’re resharing our list of black-owned beauty brands that are setting the standard in the beauty industry. Shop them today—and every day.

There’s no doubt about it: The last few years have ushered in a whole new standard of diversity and inclusivity within the beauty industry. Thanks to Fenty beauty more and more brands—from new indie names and legacy brands alike—have risen to the occasion, expanding their product offerings to accommodate women of color, and black women in particular.

And while that industrywide growth is surely noteworthy, it’s also important to recognize that black folks have provided for their communities long before Fenty and continue to do so to this very day. Now there are more black-owned beauty brands than ever before addressing the specific needs of women of color, along with products suitable for anyone and everyone.

Pat McGrath Labs

Beauty lovers everywhere adore and pay homage to “Mother,” aka Pat McGrath, a self made millionaire 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 makeup artists.

Juvia’s Place

When she created the brand in celebration of the many tribes and cultures in Africa, ChiChi Eburu made it a point to deliver super-pigmented eye shadow for darker skin tones because she was so sick of being unable to find ones that already existed. The Saharan eye palette features 12 opaque shades that, in one swipe, deliver maximum color payoff.

The Lip Bar

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 Barfor 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. 

These days, the brand carries everything you need for a full beat in minutes: foundation, mascara, blush, highlighter, eye liner, and more. The brand just released its “Island Gyal” collaboration with Justine Skye, which includes two lip products, a blue eye liner pencil, and a cheek and eye palette.

The Crayon Case

We love a beauty brand that stays to theme, and The Crayon Case does in the most adorable way possible. Taking inspiration from the classroom, The Crayon Case’s products include many makeup kit staples: brushes, eye liner, eye shadow, lashes, and more, all packaged to emulate No. 2 pencils, rulers, erasers, Sharpies, and other memorable school supplies. 

Uoma Beauty 

Uoma beauty, founded by industry veteran Sharon Chuter, is all about creating a makeup range that is “forward thinking, radical and uncompromising.” The range is inspired by Chuter’s African heritage, and is fun, vibrant, and inclusive for every skin tone out there. Not only does the full-coverage but come in 51 shades, each shade group (Dark Brown Skin, Brown Skin, Rich Tan Skin, Olive Skin, Fair Skin, and Very Fair Skin) is formulated specifically for the major concerns of that skin tone. 

GloGirl Cosmetic

GlōGirl Cosmetics represents boldness, power and uniqueness. It is your inner fierceness that allows you to shine and trail blaze. It is empowerment. It’s about tapping into your inner goddess and bringing out the best of what’s inside of you because you feel good.

AJ Crimson

AJ Crimson is a rock star in the beauty industry! An Entrepreneur, Make up Artist and Beauty & Lifestyle Expert, as well as one of the most trusted names and leading authorities in the beauty industry. AJ’s established reputation as an innovative beauty solutionist has made him and his products the first choice for artists and celebrities.

AJ wanted to create a product inclusive of women of all ethnicities, a product all women could find ownership in and believe in. “So often, make up has been designed with a one size fits all mentality.” As a result, AJ’s cosmetic line contains shades for women of every ethnic background and shades.