While it may feel a bit selfish to be thinking about makeup with all that’s going on in the world, purchasing from these Black-owned beauty brands is a way to highlight Black entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators, and also support historically underrepresented brands. Black beauty trends often become popular in the mainstream media, but it’s usually non-Black brands that are promoted alongside them. By buying products from these Black-owned beauty companies, you’re helping to support Black excellence, and celebrating the people who started many of today’s beauty and fashion trends. Whether you are trying to shop in ways that align more with your values or simply looking for cool new beauty products made by cool people, these 12 Black-owned beauty brands are ones you should be shopping this month, and literally every month.
From creamy lipsticks and shiny, glittery eye shadow palettes, all the way to enriching hair care lines and long-lasting nail polish offerings, these Black-owned beauty brands are some of our very favorites to keep in our makeup bags.
Plus, be sure to support Black beauty creators in your own community who may sell at local flea markets, boutiques, and on Etsy. It’s always a great day tp support artists who are also your neighbors.
- UOMA Beauty
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UOMA Beauty was created to make sure makeup was created in all shades. Each shade is specially created for the color group the tone falls into, supporting healthy and glowing skin for all. They even offer quizzes to match your current foundation brand to the one that will definitely fit you. In addition to just award-winning skin products, UOMA also has fabulous eyeshadows, lipsticks, and brow products.
- BOMO Beauty
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Support your favorite Drag Race stars by adding a palette from BOMO Beauty to your cart. Bob the Drag Queen and Monét X Change combined their hilarity and heart for their new beauty line. BOMO Beauty is currently offering the Pretty/Funny Palette with bold blue, daring purple, and elegant gold shades. We can’t wait to see what these queens share next.
- KNC Beauty
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This is one of the best all-natural lip masks on the market. KNC Beauty creates beautiful, kissable lips without the chemicals. KNC Beauty now sells eye masks to diffuse puffiness and an absolute must-have lip scrub.
- The Lip Bar
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A cruelty-free and vegan makeup company, The Lip Bar has created lip products that don’t compromise your health. Now, they’ve expanded to eye and face products to provide a non-toxic alternative to most products.
- Black Opal Beauty
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The first technologically advanced skincare and color cosmetics line for women of color, Black Opal began focusing on the intricacies of Black skin. Black Opal now provides a wide range of lipsticks, foundations, powders, and eye products, as well as a full selection of skin products for all.
- Luv Scrub
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Used in West Africa for generations, Luv Scrub brought the nylon exfoliator to the mass market, giving thousands of women soft and fresh skin. Unlike traditional exfoliators, which can irritate your skin and must be replaced frequently, Luv Scrub can revitalize your skin and be used for up to 18 months.
- Coloured Raine Cosmetics
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Founded by Loraine R. Dowdy, who left her job in finance to pursue her passion with the brand, Coloured Raine provides highly-pigmented makeup for all skin tones, ages, and genders. With her standout eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks, anyone can rock any bright color they choose.
- Pear Nova
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This “10 free” nail polish line by — meaning it does not contain the most common nail polish chemicals: toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene, phthalates, parabens, animal by-products, and fragrance — is vegan and cruelty-free. Pear Nova comes in a variety of shades, and also offers cuticle oil and gel formulas.
- NTRL by Sabs
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Celebrity hairstylist Sabrina Rowe Holdsworth made her own beauty line NTRL by Sabs in 2020, originally meant to bring high-quality care to those with textured hair. She now has a vast array of hair care for all hair types and even expanded into lip balms, lotions, and more nourishing products. Your skin and hair will thank you for using NTRL.
- Ace Beaute
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Ace Beaute originally began as a cruelty-free false eyelash brand, but has since grown to offer vibrant eyeshadows and brushes. This affordable beauty brand provides highly-pigmented colors that work on all skin tones, as well as high-quality falsies.
- Beneath Your Mask
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Founder Dana Jackson was inspired to create Beneath Your Mask following her own health struggle with Lupus. “Many people with health challenges involving the immune system such as Lupus, various cancers, and other autoimmune diseases have difficulty with the detoxification system and become very sensitive to even the most minor of synthetic chemicals,” she says. “I strive to create the highest quality, most potent, non-toxic, all natural, organic, vegan* products that actually work to hydrate the skin as well as feel and smell incredible for people all over the world. revitalizes your hair, body, and face with products that cut out the chemicals.” Beneath Your Mask provides luminous skin and healthy hair to all who use it.
- Mented Cosmetics
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Mented was founded to help women of color find nude shades that match their skin tone. Since its creation, Mented—a play on the word pigmented—has expanded to lipsticks, blushes, nail polish, foundations, and eyeshadows.
These makeup brands were created to show that beauty comes in all colors. With this list, you’re able to support this message and guarantee that Black makeup brands are able to be sustained into the future.