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African Americans are trailblazers in every industry in America, including beauty. From past inventions to modern-day originality, our style is always trending. The hashtag #blackgirlmagic has over 30 million posts on Instagram, and the hashtag #blackbeauty has over 6 million.
The 2020 Netflix mini-series Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J Walker, starring Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, and Carmen Ejogo, was about an entrepreneurial Black woman who created a line of beauty products for other Black women. Madam C.J. Walker was the first self-made millionairess in the US, according to The Guinness Book of World Records.
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That shows that now more than ever, melanated beauty is being appreciated and celebrated. DC Comics recently reintroduced Nubia, who is their first black female superhero — and used Black-founded beauty brands to ensure their illustrations showcased diversity in skin tones.
The illustrator used Rihanna‘s Fenty Beauty Foundation shades as a map. This is a historic move, and according to Fenty Beauty’s Public relations, “Fenty Beauty is now celebrating the release of ‘Nubia & The Amazons’ and aims to provide a representative color palette that other colorists and illustrators can use as a guide when creating characters of color so that they are realistic and multidimensionally beautiful.”
With Black-owned beauty brands truly at the forefront, this is also a great time to add some to your beauty arsenal. Here are eight brands that should be on your radar.
Created by award-winning singer-songwriter John Legend, Loved01 is a unisex brand that prioritizes total body wellness. The line is moisture-rich, using proprietary sea buckthorn and rosehip oil blends, and caters to melanin-rich skin tones. It’s dermatologist-approved and affordably priced.
Created to cultivate beauty in the world, Common Heir is a sustainable beauty hero! Their capsules are full of love for the planet and your skin. Both their Vitamin C and Retinol capsules are plastic-free, biodegradable, and 100 percent recyclable. Founders Angela Ubias and Cary Lin share similar backgrounds and are both committed to true clean beauty.
The sustainable science lead brand is perfect for your world of curls. Key ingredients include Baobab Oil, Jojoba Oil, and Marula Oil. The combination eradicates frizz, increases shine, and prevents moisture. The brand founder Badria Ahmed grew up in Sweden, where there were no products for her textured hair. The brand was created on a humbling mission of necessity and self-discovery.
Danessa Myricks Beauty has the power to inspire ultimate creativity on every face it touches. The makeup and skincare products are multi-functional and were created with artistry and inclusivity at the helm. Founder Danessa Myricks is one of the biggest creative forces in the industry. She is a makeup artist, photographer, and published author.
Keys Soulcare is more than skin deep. It was created by grammy winning songstress and New York Times best-selling author Alicia Keys. The skincare brand was born from soul-nourishing rituals mixed with traditional and modern ingredients. It is clean, cruelty-free, and dermatologist approved.
This brand was founded by the most influential makeup artist in the world, UK native Pat McGrath. In the beauty industry, Pat is affectionately called “Mother.” The brand is known for its out-of-this-world pigmentation and collaborations.
The Pat McGrath Labs and clothing brand Supreme New York collaboration sold out in 8.2 seconds. From neutral to colorful to bold, the brand offers something for everyone. As McGrath would say, subliminal, sublime, and subversive.
This vitamin C-infused skincare line was created by Grammy-winning recording artist Ciara. The brand’s OAM is short for “On a Mission.” OAM Skin’s mission is to ensure that the needs of all skin tones are met. To achieve this, they tested every product on every skin tone listed on the Fitzpatrick scale. The brand gets results you can see and feel.
The makeup and skincare brand was created by the best-selling digital singles artist of all time, Rihanna. Fenty Beauty launched in 2017, offering an array of hard-to-find foundation shades for melanated skin. It has expanded to include a full range of makeup, skincare, and fragrance products.
