Black women have been setting trends, creating innovative beauty techniques, and building businesses long before the industry recognized our worth. From haircare and makeup to skincare routines that dominate social media, our influence is everywhere. Despite this, we’re still somehow fighting for a seat at the table.
As a professional makeup artist and owner of a cosmetics line, this issue is close to my heart. In light of Black History Month, I felt as though this was an opportune moment to shed light on this ongoing problem.
It’s about time Black women are given their flowers — from the kitchen beauticians who paved the way to the beauty moguls who are redefining the industry and preserving the slay. The beauty world as we know it would look a lot different without the contributions of these pioneers, and my goal is to honour their legacy.
The Early Influence: The Kitchen Beauticians
Before beauty supply stores were on every corner, Black women had to be inventive and make do with what they had. Whether it was straightening their hair with a hot comb that was warmed up on the stove or creating DIY face masks to fight stubborn acne, these women had a solution for it all.
The kitchen wasn’t just a place for cooking; it was a salon, a lab, and a training ground for future hairstylists and beauty experts. This resourcefulness led to the rise of trailblazers such as Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in America. She built a haircare empire that not only provided Black women with products but also employment and economic opportunities.
Annie Malone, who was a mentor to Walker, was another pioneer who developed formulas that revolutionized hair care. Both of these women trained thousands of women in the art of cosmetology and sales, and their influence is undeniable. They laid the foundation for a beauty industry that, decades later, would profit immensely from Black innovation while excluding Black women from leadership roles.
Black Beauty Trends: From Rejection to Global Influence
What’s considered “trendy” in beauty often depends on who’s wearing it. Black women have rocked braids, acrylic nails, baby hairs, and dark lip liner for decades, styles which were promptly branded as “unprofessional” or “ghetto.” The moment non-Black celebrities and influencers adopted these aesthetics? Suddenly, they were high fashion.
Back in the ’90s and early 2000s, dark lip liner with a lighter lip colour was mocked, only for it to resurface as the “nude ombré lip.” Baby hairs, a staple in Black hairstyling, became a runway statement but only when done on non-Black models. Braids? This protective style was seen as unacceptable until it was culturally appropriated and repackaged. Even the full lips that Black women were teased for became desirable when lip filler hit the mainstream (case in point, the Kylie Jenner lip challenge fiasco).
One of the most frustrating erasures is the rise of the “clean girl aesthetic” on social media. This minimal look — think soft eyes, a light, glowy base, and glossy lips — was a signature look of the Black and Latina queens of the ’90s. Yet, when influencers and brands modified it as a new trend, the credit conveniently disappeared.
This is beauty gatekeeping at its finest. Certain looks are only deemed elegant or chic when worn by non-Black women, while Black women wearing the same styles are subjected to different standards. The reality is that these beauty trends didn’t start on runways or in boardrooms; they started in Black communities. The problem isn’t just that Black women aren’t credited; it’s that they are excluded from the very trends they created.
The Rise of Black Beauty Moguls
Despite all of the challenges faced, Black women continue to create and innovate. In recent years, there’s been an influx of Black beauty entrepreneurs who push the envelope and refuse to be sidelined. Case in point: Rihanna. Originally known as a hit-making, record-breaking musical artist, Rihanna has evolved into a self-made billionaire through her cosmetic line, Fenty Beauty.
Launched in 2017, Fenty Beauty changed the game with its groundbreaking 40-shade foundation range. The inclusivity of her line led to an outpouring of support, and her sales skyrocketed practically overnight. She outperformed her competitors by huge margins, forcing major brands to rethink their limited product offerings and essentially play catch-up.
Similarly, Pat McGrath, once called “the most influential makeup artist in the world” by Vogue Magazine, is another success story. She built a luxury beauty empire that shattered glass ceilings in the industry, solidifying herself as another self-made, Black female billionaire in the game.
Other entrepreneurs, like Whitney White of Melanin Haircare and Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye of Ami Colé, are creating tailored hair products for Black consumers — something mainstream brands have long ignored.
In an industry that largely overlooks the needs of the Black demographic, these women aren’t just making space for themselves. Their hard work and effort ensure that future generations won’t have to fight so hard to be seen.
The Ongoing Fight for Credit and Representation
It would be disingenuous of me not to acknowledge the strides that the industry has made toward inclusivity. However, while representation has improved, there’s still a long road ahead. Many major brands continue to profit from Black beauty culture while failing to feature Black women in their campaigns or consider them in their product roll-outs.
These surface-level contributions should not be the end-all, though. It’s not enough to just release a few deeper foundation shades or slap a Black model onto a Billboard. True inclusion means giving Black women a say behind the scenes, whether that’s through leadership, marketing, or product development roles.
As consumers, we have the power to challenge the industry’s biases by supporting Black-owned brands, acknowledging the cultural roots of beauty trends and holding companies accountable for their lack of representation and diversity. After all, black beauty is so much more than just a trend. It’s culture, history, innovation and a legacy that can’t be erased.