Celebrate good times and celebrate these Black-owned brands.
Black History Month celebrates the trailblazers and generations of African Americans who faced adversity throughout history. As the month ends, I rounded up some of my favorite Black-owned beauty brands that have made this month all the best. Thanks to these lovely brands, my makeup has never popped this much, my hair hasn’t stopped flourishing, and my skin is A1.
Check out these beauty brands you should pay close attention to and support, regardless of month.
Chichi Eburu with Juvia’s Place
Juvia’s Place was founded based on the lack of diversity in the beauty community, and the brand addressed the elephant in the room: why is everything so gray? At a time in beauty history, shades for deeper skin tones didn’t enhance your skin tone but did the opposite and washed you out. Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Iman have remained open about the racism and discrimination that enriched the runway in the 90s. Makeup artists did not have shades that fit them. Juvia’s Place addresses that concern as the founder, Chichi Eburu, struggled with that herself when shopping for makeup.
Danessa Myricks with Danessa Myricks Beauty
Danessa Myricks has worked with the elite of the elite on the runway and red carpet. Mostly known for her bold eyeshadow colors and powerful lips, Danessa Myricks Beauty has one of my favorite complexion products: Yummy Skin Blurring Balm. Everything Danessa touches turns to gold, and all her products are innovative and necessary in the beauty community.
Olamide Olowoe with Topicals
Topicals’ story holds a special place in my heart. They embrace skin and texture that is already there. Topicals’ approach to effective skincare is through science and making your skin look better. In an acai shade, the slick balm is one of my favorites.
Tisha Thompson with LYS Beauty
You will not find any cream contour and blush products as pigmented as LYS Beauty products. I ultimately fell in love with the brand because finding products that shade and contour deeper skin tones can be complex. I was sold when I found out that the brand is black-owned and offers clean formulas for the skin.
Shani Darden with Shani Darden Skincare
What’s most inspiring about Shani Darden Skincare is the research Shani Darden was able to observe and study while working under a trained dermatologist to bring her key insights into her brand, highlighting effective formulas. The brand is mainly known for its retinol reform serum, which Darden admits is an “alternative to harsh and traditional retinoids.”
Nancy Twine with Briogeo
Briogeo’s products are based on plant-infused ingredients, which feel like food for hair, a necessity. Nancy Twine’s story also resonates with many people in industries who are satisfied in their current roles but want more; after her mother’s death, she was inspired to start Brigeo. I am obsessed with the scalp-revival micro-exfoliating shampoo because it lifts product build-up and cleanses my scalp.
Julian Addo with Adwoa Beauty
Adwoa’s Beauty hair care brand prides itself on shifting the conversation of curly boisterous hair being difficult to “tame” into embracing natural coils and curls. Addo’s mission is to create effective, clean products that nourish your hair’s natural texture. The Baomint leave-in conditioner is a favorite and stays sold out.
Malaika Jones and Nia Jones with Brown Girl Jane
Brown Girl Jane is a new favorite of mine. The luxury fragrance brand combines beauty and emotion through scents with a story to tell. Brown Girl Jane invites non-plain Janes into an inner circle of tastemakers and fragrance lovers who celebrate scents that make you feel and smell better. The Casablanca scent is one of my favorites, with notes of marshmallow and amber.
Look at more Black-owned brands to support throughout the rest of the year:
- Octavia Morgan founded Octavia Morgan Los Angeles after falling in love with scents at five.
- Melissa Butler turned The Lip Bar into a million-dollar brand after receiving harsh and disheartening feedback from Shark Tank judges.
- Beatrice Dixon founded The Honey Pot, one of the major retailers’ only Black-owned hygiene care brands available in stores.
