#BuyBlack: 5 Beauty Brands To Support During National Black Business Month
2020 has brought a number of relevant issue related to the Black community to the forefront of American media and though (unfortunately) much of it has been tragic, it has opened a door to more meaningful and progressive discussions on change.
One of those discussions has been on boosting the financial support and marketing efforts given to Black-owned businesses. This year many white-owned brands made it a point to show their support for the Black community which has included encouraging their consumers to #buyblack. And so it is in that spirit and in honor of National Black Business Month, we present 5 of our favorite beauty brands to support, well, forever.
Remember, everyday is a great day to #BuyBlack!
Pear Nova:
You may recognize her face from VH1’s Black Ink Chicago but there’s far more to Rachel James than being a reality-tv star.
Photo via @Rachilla on Instagram.
Created in 2012 by the native Chicagoan, Pear Nova is a vegan, cruelty-free, luxury nail polish line that offers a wide variety of gel and regular lacquer colors that are especially brown-girl friendly. For example, the BRWNGRLMGC collection is a line of nude tones James created because she had trouble finding nudes that looked good against brown skin. James notes her continued inspiration derives from her love of Chicago, music, fashion and Pear Nova’s work as a Domestic Violence advocate. With names like “Michelle Our Mama,” “Moss Def,” and “Cleo F*ckin Patra,” the hues are just as chic as the names. If you’re in the Chicago area you can visit the Pear Nova Studio in person or otherwise check them out on Instagram.
photo via @PearNova on Twitter.
Mented Cosmetics:
Their tag line alone won me over “Pigment is our passion".” Um, yes please!
When owners Amanda Johnson and KJ Miller found it especially challenging to find a nude lipstick that complemented brown skin they founded Mented Cosmetics (Mented is short for Pigmented) in January 2017 and for a while the brand focused exclusively on provided nude lipsticks for darker complexions.
photo via Forbes.com
Since then, the brand has expanded into a complete makeup line that is vegan, paraben-free, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and most importantly, caters to Black women. Their staple nude lipsticks come in a variety of shades from rosy to chestnut browns to deep chocolates. Both Johnson and Miller graduated from Harvard Business School in 2014 and the idea for the business began as a simple girl talk over how repeatedly hard it was to find a nude lipstick that didn’t look tacky. The women decided it was a problem they could solve together.
photo via Mented.com
Lauren Napier Beauty:
If you’re more of a minimalist and enjoy simplistic makeup, this might be the brand for you.
Lauren Napier, a former celebrated makeup artist and founder of Lauren Napier Beauty, swears by the natural approach to a look and her work has been featured everywhere from Vogue and Essence to the Oscars. What began in 2014 as one item, CLEANSE: her all-natural makeup cleansing wipes which are famously individually wrapped, then followed by her second popular product, FLAUNT, which is Napier’s pro-aging makeup remover wipes. The idea for the brand came from her frustration when traveling and finding that her makeup wipes would dry out, becoming essentially useless. Napier’s philosophy is to empower her customers to embrace what’s underneath the makeup and that there is beauty in taking it off.
photo via Melanglow.com
The brand’s third staple item LA ROSE is a cleanser infused with rose water and srafruit meant to balance oily and sensitive skin types. Lauren Napier Beauty which was originally financed solely from Napier’s savings can now be purchased in 22 countries and are available in high-end retailers like NET-A-PORTER, Bloomingdale’s, Anthropologie and Harvey Nichols.
photo via Forbes.com
The Lip Bar:
I’ll admit, it is extremely hard to visit The Lip Bar’s website or social media and start clicking “add to cart.” Again, the philosophy is what sold me on this brand first: “Every day people are being told how to beautiful - so we’re here to remind you that you don’t have to change. You are enough.”
In 2012, founder Melissa Butler, who’d already begun creating her custom-made, vegan lipsticks in her kitchen while keeping her financial analyst 9-5 position on Wall Street, initially presented her business idea in 2015 on ABC’s Shark Tank and was turned down. For a woman who’d already begun creating a solution for the lack of diversity in the beauty industry, naturally, she turned the pain of that very public rejection into a stronger passion.
photo via TheLipBar.com
Butler, who is often featured in the brand’s marketing campaigns, has never slowed down on her hands on approach with her line. Consumers will be delighted to find the line is all-inclusive, made through organic formulas, and features all shades and styles that will suit the needs of a subtle makeup lover to an eclectic soul. Despite being practically laughed out of the room on Shark Tank , The Lip Bar is now available for purchase online, has been worn by celebrities like Taraji P. Henson, and can be found on shelves in over 450 Target stores nationwide.
photo via TheLipBar.com
Fenty Beauty:
I would be completely remiss not to take this moment to praise one of the most beloved makeup lines founded and branded by a Black woman.
Rihanna continues to dominate the beauty business 3 years after Fenty’s September 2017 introduction, during which it was already named one of TIME magazine’s best inventions of the year. The brand has garnered almost $600 million in sales in 2019.
After having already partnered with MAC Cosmetics and released 10 fragrances, Rihanna ventured into releasing her own brand which debuted alongside the 2017 New York Fashion Week. Sephora’s parent company LVMH reportedly paid $10 million to produce the line that would offer an extensive and diverse palette of products that would fit any shade and skin-type. After just one month on the market, Fenty Beauty was valued at $72 million in sales. From the brand’s highly praised Pro Filt’R foundations (available in 50 shades) to her vibrant Lip Paints (Stunna anyone?), the body luminzer, and who could forget the brand’s stunning highlighters— it’s safe to say Fenty Beauty has set a new standard in the cosmetics world.
Fenty has featured trans models, male models, albino models, models with unique features (such as gaps or hijabs) and Rihanna has stood strongly behind every decision to do so, always promoting the brand’s purpose of empowering all looks. This year Rihanna launched Fenty’s skincare line, Fenty Skin, which has also already garnered unprecedented sales after just a few months on the market. There’s no surprise there.
