The Her Campus National Editors write about products we love and think you’ll love too. Her Campus has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase. All products are in stock and all prices are accurate as of publication.
| Her Campus at uOttawa’s Beauty Awards series shares the best skincare, haircare, and cosmetic product recs that our chapter has to offer. We hope that our favourites will become your favourites too. |
Supporting woman-owned businesses is more than a trend; it’s a form of social activism. Buying from brands like these empowers women to improve their financial position and helps to close the wage gap… plus, their products are really cute, too.
- UNDEFINED
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Undefined was founded by Dorian Morris, whose mission is to undefine and democratize beauty through an unapologetic, uncompromising, and unfiltered business model. The brand centres on three tenets: a “clean-ical” approach that fuses plant-based products with active ingredients; a conscious capitalism model that supports woman-, BIPOC-, and LGBT-owned partners across the supply chain; and the inclusive stance that high-quality products should be available at affordable prices. Undefined’s best-sellers include its CBD-based Glow Elixir with rosehip, plum, and vitamin E; and its R&R Sun Serum with SPF 50 and infused with niacinamide, zinc oxide, and tremella mushrooms.
- MFMG COSMETICS
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MFMG (Makeup for Melanin Girls) is an online community founded by Nigerian-born Tomi Gbeleyi in 2016 to highlight beauty influencers of colour. Recognizing the lack of representation in the makeup industry for women with deep complexions, Gbeleyi decided to launch her own brand built specifically with dark skin tones in mind. Canadians will be pleased to know that MFMG is Toronto-based and that most of its products are made in Canada. Its best-selling Taj Mahal Highlighter is frosty yet flattering on dark skin, and the MFMG Glitter Palette can be used to create a striking eyeshadow look — no glue or base required.
- Sigma Beauty
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What sets Sigma Beauty apart from other brands is its innovative and patented makeup brushes. Founded in 2009 by molecular bacteriologist Dr. Simone Xavier and civil engineer Rene Xavier Filho, the Brazilian brand boasts an 85% female team and a cult following. The duo decided to call the brand Sigma , the Greek letter for a mathematical sum, to echo their belief that each person is the sum of their passions — theirs being quality, function, and innovation. Sigma’s iconic F80 Flat Kabuki Brush promises an air-brushed foundation finish, and the brand’s award-winning makeup products include its Colour + Shape Brown Powder Duo.
- BKIND
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Microbiologist Marilyne Bouchard founded BKIND in 2014 in Montreal after struggling to find skincare products gentle enough for her sensitive skin. BKIND’s mission is to create high-quality, natural, and eco-friendly products. 2% of all profits are donated to organizations that specialize in animal welfare, and the company is certified as 100% vegan and cruelty-free. But the brand’s world-consciousness does not stop there. A portion of its packaging is made from plastic found in the ocean, all products are made in Quebec, and all online orders are shipped in cardboard boxes padded with biodegradable packing peanuts. BKIND offers a wide range of products ranging from a plant-based, biodegradable Soothing Konjac Sponge to a Superfruit Face Moisturizer made with grapefruit and bakuchiol.
- MIFA
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Founded by Michelle Lui and Fatemah Hamidi in 2017, MIFA is a line of 100% natural body care products based in Vancouver. MIFA’s products are made entirely from traditional botanicals, plant extracts, and essential oils — no synthetic ingredients, fragrances, or toxins to be found. The brand is committed to promoting self-care from the inside out and develops its products for both the skin and the soul. The Eucalyptus Coco Body Wash and Aventurine Gua Sha are among its best-sellers.
- LYS BEAUTY
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LYS Beauty is Sephora’s first Black-owned clean colour cosmetics brand. Tisha Thompson created LYS Beauty in 2019, envisioning a line of products with clean formulas, universal shades, and high-performance results. Her brand takes a skin-first approach to ensure that its cosmetics are deeply enriching for all complexions — not to mention affordable, cruelty-free, vegan, and plant-based. LYS Beauty’s Triple Fix Serum Foundation is available in 35 shades, while its fan-favourite No Limits Matte Bronzer is available in five, ranging from light to deep.
- THREE SHIPS BEAUTY
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Canadian duo Laura Burget and Connie Lo — a chemical engineer and business school graduate, respectively — created Three Ships Beauty in 2017 with the desire to know what ingredients they were putting on their faces, hair, and bodies. Three Ships is on a mission to be the most transparent beauty brand in the world, with 100% plant-derived ingredients, affordable products, and a commitment to sustainability that is carried throughout its entire supply chain. Two of the brand’s bestsellers include its Drops Mushroom Hyaluronic Acid + Vitamin C Serum and its Detox Green Tea Antioxidant Clay Mask.
- EVIO
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Brandi Leifso founded Evio after her experience in a Vancouver women’s shelter inspired her to become an advocate for change. The brand is fuelled by truth, positive impact, and people, and it helps everyone to live their authentic truth through the provision of inclusive and affordable luxury products. Evio has helped to donate more than $500,000 worth of funds and products to charitable organizations such as the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Evio offers both cosmetic and skincare products, including the Velvet Colour Sticks and Revitalizing Oil Serum.
- NATURALLY DRENCHED
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Naturally Drenched was created by Jamila Powell in response to her dissatisfaction with the lack of Black representation in the beauty world — especially when it came to hair products. Vegan, cruelty-free, and eco-conscious, Naturally Drenched was created especially for those with curly or textured hair. The brand is highly committed to climate action, offering many reusable and recyclable products and having launched Naturally Drunk, a non-profit campaign that repurposes waste products as functional tools. The brand is only two years old, but many of its products such as the Rebalance Pre-Conditioner Treatment and the Best Detangling Brush are already best-sellers.
- SADE BARON
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Canadian mother-daughter duo Sade and Rachel Baron launched Sade Baron with the goal of creating high-quality vegan products that are good for both the skin and the planet. Sade Baron’s skin and body products are made with superfoods that support the body’s natural healing process, but without silicones, parabens, sulfates, or animal by-products. Sade Baron stocks a wide range of affordable products including its La Rose French Pink Clay Bar Soap and Sky Fragrance-Free Body Souffle.
- Peach & lily
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Peach & Lily is a Korean beauty brand created by Alicia Yoon that boasts an impressive cult following. The brand’s mission is to empower individuals to transform their own skin and utilize Korean beauty for its innovation, high efficacy, and use of natural ingredients. Participate in the glass-skin trend with Peach & Lily’s Glass Skin Refining Serum, or pick up Korean best-seller Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm.
| Do you love what we love? Check out the other articles in our Beauty Awards series:
Read about our favourite haircare products. |
May your beauty shine from the inside out.