We've seen a huge shift in the beauty world in the past few years. Consumers have demanded better, and brands have delivered in many ways. While there's always room for the beauty industry to evolve to be more inclusive of people from all walks of life, Black beauty founders have truly been at the helm of the movement, in turn making shopping for hair, makeup, and skincare products a more valuable, rewarding experience.
Whether you're shopping to familiarize yourself with innovations from Black founders or just want to upgrade your vanity or shower caddy with good products, we've rounded up some of our favorite Black-owned beauty products to add to your list (or to gift).
Shop Black-owned beauty products we love:
Forevr Mood, a fragrance company catering to high-end candle enthusiasts, was created by beauty content creator Jackie Aina. Aina, who is deeply passionate about fragrances, also recently entered the fine fragrance space with her brand, further cementing her status as a well-versed beauty entrepreneur. While Forevr Mood’s scents appeal to a wide range of preferences, we love Champagne showers, a sweet blend of peach fizz, pineapple, and tonka beans (kind of like a mimosa).
Alicia Keys introduced her self-care beauty brand Keys Soulcare to the market with a range of feel-good skincare and cosmetics that actually works. While we have a handful of favorites from the brand, the Deeply Replenishing face oil gets an honorable mention as our current must-have for locking in moisture during cold winter months.
If you’re on the hunt for skincare that works (but still feels really chic in your bathroom) then you’ll love Epi.Logic. The brand, created by NYC board-certified plastic surgeon Chaneve Jeanniton is loved by beauty editors for its super effective formulas, like this gel cleanser with rosehip seed oil and chamomile to clean skin without leaving you feeling paper dry.
Karen Young, the founder of Oui the People, created the brand to make body care something you actually enjoy, and more than just a chore (or after thought). We love this oil formulated with squalene, rosehip seed, and avocado oil, which deeply moisturizes the skin and leaves behind a nice glow that won’t ruin your clothes or sheets.
Ask almost any beauty editor about this BeautyStat created by renowned cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, and they’ll probably have nothing but good things to say. The formula is made to address concerns like dullness, dark spots, and fine lines and it’s one of BeautyStat’s many super effective, elegantly formulated products made with science-backed ingredients.
Melyon, a skincare brand from Sweden, was launched by Roger Dupé in 2020. The brand focuses on addressing common skin concerns such as hyperpigmentation and dark spots. A personal favorite of mine? This lightweight day cream packed with niacinamide and vitamin C to hydrate and brighten, without making you feel too shiny.
The LYS Beauty lineup by Tisha Thompson is stacked with high-performance color cosmetics, and we don’t like to play favorites, but this blush stick is a go-to in our makeup bags. One swipe glides on the perfect amount of color (and a little shimmer) that you can sheer out with your finger or layer on with a sponge or brush.
We love Cay Skin for all of our sun care needs, especially this lip balm (also a Well+Good 2024 SPF Award winner), which glides on like butter, gives a nice gloss, and—surprisingly—doesn’t feel like you’re wearing sunscreen.
Eadem is a beauty brand that prioritizes concerns like hyperpigmentation and acne skin in its product innovations, like this serum, a beauty-editor fave for fading dark spots. It’s powered with niacinamide, vitamin C, and papaya enzymes to resurface skin so you feel brighter over time. Bonus: It’s also fragrance-free which is a plus if you’re sensitive in that department.
Bread Beauty Supply was launched to simplify caring for and styling your hair, whether you prefer to rock a head of coils or a slicked-back bun. I love this hair oil, in particular, formulated with kakadu plum seed oil and safflower oils (both rich in fatty acids) to add immediate shine and silkiness to your hair (almost like a lip gloss for your lengths).
Briogeo was born in the comfort of Nancy Twine’s own kitchen, inspired by her grandmother’s traditional recipes and has since grown into dozens of hair health and styling products that have become staples in our rotations. Well+Good’s senior beauty editor, Aimee Simeon, swears by it for adding definition and soft hold to her curly hair.
In 2021, Camille Belle set out to create the perfect red lipstick by starting Pound Cake, a beauty company based in Philadelphia. This led her to create a lipstick range called Cake Batter, and just like a good cake batter, the formula mixes well with a range of skin tones but also pairs well with other lip liners and glosses. If you had to pick up one shade, we’d say start with Strawberry, a bright red in a matte formula that won’t move.
With her Undefined Beauty collection, Dorian Morris created a range of plant-based skincare products made to target concerns with gentle, effective ingredients. This serum is a great option for any routine if your goal is to resurface dark spots thanks to vitamin C and licorice root extract, both powerful ingredients for brighter skin.
Christina Tegbe created 54 Thrones to pay tribute to her African roots by sourcing ingredients directly from the 54 African countries. The Body Butter is one of our favorites from the lineup, formulated with shea butter, baobab and jojoba oils to make even the driest skin look and feel plump and juicy.
Danessa Myricks Beauty has racked up buzzy awards for its color cosmetics like the Yummy Skin Serum Tint, which comes in 16 versatile shades and gives featherweight, buildable coverage that feels like second skin.
If you’re looking for elevated makeup that works look no further than Pat McGrath Labs, the namesake brand from Pat McGrath that is loved by celebrities and influencers alike. One of our favorite picks? The MatteTrance lipsticks a velvety matte formula that delivers bold pigment in one swipe.
If you’ve been hurt by greasy, ghostly sunscreens in the past, then this one (also a 2024 SPF Award winner) from Black Girl Sunscreen will restore your faith. The formula (made with melanated skin in mind) goes on totally transparent and feels buttery on the skin, so you don’t have to worry about compromising your glow for sun protection.
Dr. Rose Ingleton, a dermatologist based in New York City, incorporates her expertise and her Jamaican roots into her skincare line, RoseMD. This cleanser, for example, is formulated to brighten the skin with sugarcane extract, but it also has hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5 to hydrate and support the skin barrier. So, it’s a super gentle option for everyday use and one we return to repeatedly.
Founded in 2017, Mented Cosmetics quickly became an industry favorite with its award-winning neutral lipsticks. Not stopping there, the brand also offers affordable foundation sticks, lip liners, and eyebrow pencils that enhance your beauty without without breaking the bank.
You’ve probably seen your favorite beauty influencer post about Topicals on social media at least once (especially wearing those viral eye patches). The brand, created by Olamide Olowe was made to focus on skin conditions (like acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema), and the Faded Serum happens to be one of our favorites for brightening dark spots. It’s made of a powerful blend of tranexamic acid, niacinamide, and azelaic acid to fade post acne marks, so you also want to make sure you’re using sunscreen when you’re using this.
Juvia’s Place is famous for its super pigmented makeup that doesn’t skimp on pigment. If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer for the makeup lover in your life, we highly recommend one of these eyeshadow palettes that go on great wet or dry (and will only run you ten bucks).
When we think of celebrity beauty brands, Rihanna is usually the first name that comes to mind. Her brand, Fenty Beauty, singlehandedly transformed the makeup industry, putting a much-needed emphasis on inclusion. While we honestly love too many Fenty Beauty products to count, we tell everyone we know to try the Glossbomb lip gloss. It’s creamy, pigmented, and available in a wide range of colors for every style.
Ami Colé’s lip oil is another beauty editor favorite thanks to its glossy, moisturizing finish that won’t feel sticky. The brand’s founder, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, has done an amazing job at creating a perfectly curated lineup of makeup that works whether you’re trying to master the no-makeup makeup look or if you need a full-face for a fancy event.
Julian Addo created Adwoa Beauty to cater to curly and coily hair types. The brand’s baomint collection works wonders if you have an itchy, sensitive scalp thanks to baobab, peppermint, and wintergreen oil, all designed to soothe your scalp and restore moisture to your hair.
Abena Boamah’s Hanahana Beauty is full of body care essentials including these shea butter body butters that deeply hydrate and nourish the driest of skin. I love whipping these out in the winter months when my skin tends to be drier, and they also come in mini versions that are perfect for travel.
Brianna Arps created Moodeaux, a fine fragrance brand with bold options that suit all of your moods. One of our recent favorites is Brand New, a floral, energetic blend of pink pepper, neroli petals, peony, coconut water and musk.
Desiree Verdejo’s personal journey with hormonal acne inspired her to create Hyper Skin a skincare brand focused on brightening. The brand’s hero product, the Hyper Even Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum is so much more than just vitamin C. It’s also powered with licorice root extract and kojic acid to deeply exfoliate, while salicylic acid works to keep breakouts from popping up.
Klur, founded by Lesley Thornton, is a minimalist and multitasking skincare brand with an impressive lineup of products formulated with good-for-you ingredients. If you’re in the market for a vitamin C supported by other soothing ingredients, try this serum made with vitamins C and E plus rosehip seed oil. You’ll feel more glowy immediately after massaging this, but with continued use, you’ll notice brighter skin overall.
Shani Darden bottled up her knowledge as a longtime celebrity esthetician into her namesake skincare line that editors and experts love. While using most of the products in Darden’s lineup over time will support healthy, glowing skin, this peel is—hands down—one of our must-haves. Each pod is packed with glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acid to exfoliate and sop up gunk from your pores, while kaolin clay helps to extract dirt. This one’s spicy and very potent, but it’s definitely a good product for your collection when your skin needs a reset.
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