If you’re like us, you’re always hunting for the best products to add to your beauty collection. From the best shades of foundation to the most popular nail-polish colors, being a beauty stan comes with a lot of patience, a lot of research, a lot of coins, and, of course, trial and error. What’s better than trying products and seeing the benefits and results unfold before your eyes, you may ask? Well, the joy of finding new emerging brands to shop from, especially Black-owned brands that are leading the charge in the beauty space and opening doors for other founders to innovate.
We love supporting brands that are pioneers in the beauty space, so to kick off Black History Month, we’ve rounded up 14 of our favorite emerging Black-owned beauty brands that are 100 percent worth your hard-earned money. From makeup and hair to skin-care essentials, check them out below.
Bread
The Australian brand with simple yet attention-grabbing packaging and hair products caters to the often forgotten 4A–4C textures, Bread Beauty Supply is an emerging brand that should remain on your radar all year long. Founder Maeva Helene, a L’Oréal alum who also has 4C-textured hair, set out on a path to create a brand that not only has products that care for and maintain the tightest of curls, but also to redefine hair care as a whole, with an emphasis in getting back to the fundamentals of hair care. If your curls are in need of some TLC, this brand is available online and at Sephora.
Mama’s Sundry
This beauty and wellness brand puts self-care above all—even going as far as creating products with healing elements to cleanse your inner and outer self. Mama’s Sundry’s Herbal Healing Hydrosol distilled flower water is made with locally sourced flowers and herbs and can be used not only to soothe irritated skin and balance the skin’s natural pH balance, but also as a scalp cleanser to reduce oil buildup on the scalp and in the hair. This brand is definitely one to keep in mind if your hair is in need of some repair.
Baby Phat Beauty
Expanding on the legacy that Kimora Lee Simmons originally built, Baby Phat Beauty launched in September of 2020. Simmons and her daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee Simmons, developed a collection of shimmer and shine glosses, along with an exquisite body shimmer and lotion for a total head-to-toe glam effect. If you know Baby Phat, you know exactly what to expect from this brand—nothing but unprecedented and undeniably fabulous beauty looks. We can’t wait to see what this emerging beauty brand creates in 2021.
Nuele Hair
When it comes to hair care, every wave, curl, and coil deserves the best of the best. Meaning if you’re in search of hair products that will give your hair an extra bit of oomph, it’s time to check out Nuele. Founded in 2020 by Dr. Christine Martey-Ochola and Anne Cheatham, this brand’s main goal is to create products that allow you to switch between hairstyles without harming your delicate strands. Martey-Ochola and Cheatham searched far and wide, even researching traditions in places like Ghana and Morocco to find ingredients necessary to grow and maintain strong, healthy hair. With packaging that looks as good as their products smell, this brand is definitely one to keep your eye on.
Vango Mirror
Say goodbye to your old compact makeup mirror, and say hello to this new brand. With Vango, your beauty looks can follow you wherever you go without having to hold a mirror or searching for counter space. This product comes with a portable mirror and an accessible stand all in one. Below the mirror is a tray for you to store accessories, contacts, makeup brushes, and more. You don’t even need a wall or suction cup to hold it up! It’s not magic, it’s magnets—and it’s giving this emerging Black-owned brand the attention it merits.
Motsi
Founded in 2020 as a skin-care brand for both men and women, Motsi is turning heads in the industry for sure. It’s independently owned and emphasizes self-care and self-love for all its customers. Plus, the formulations are entirely vegan, paraben-, sulfate-, silicone-, carcinogen-, gluten-, talc-, and cruelty-free! Owned by entrepreneur and entertainment industry heavyweight Courtney LeMarco, Motsi’s emphasis in bringing Black beauty to the forefront (coupled with exceptional formulations, of course) means we’ll be making space on our bathroom shelves for a few new skin-care staples. They’re even launching swimwear later on in 2021, so stay tuned.
Brown Girl Jane
Brown Girl Jane products are not only clean and safe, but they were created by women of color who vowed to bring plant-based beauty products to the masses while maintaining its luxury aesthetic. Founded by Malaika Jones, Tai Beauchamp, and Nia Jones, this company bridges CBD beauty with potent, non-intoxicating ingredients that will keep your skin glowing. Consider them a perfect bridge between your skin-care and wellness routines. Since launching in December 2019, this brand has proved to be a pioneer in the CBD space and continues to push the envelope for what is possible within clean beauty.
AfroPick
Styling your natural hair doesn’t have to be difficult—all it takes is the right products and tools. Instead of using your standard comb or brush that you pick up from the beauty supply store, why not use styling tools that tell a story? Created in the summer of 2020 by two brothers, AfroPick’s ethos is all about the deeper meaning of hair tools and their ability to tell a story. This family-owned business used their culture and creativity to design afro picks that not only look cool, but have a sense of history. You won’t regret styling and fluffing your natural hair with a pick like this!
Pàrtum My Beauty
This brand launched this year but has already sparked meaningful conversations about postpartum wellness and mothers’ mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. They currently offer a range of tea blends and one bath soak, all plant-based and designed with healing properties to support the needs of new mothers. There is also no shame in the not-so-great aspects of pre- and postpartum, which is why they’ve created blends that marry tea and beauty, redefining the idea of wellness and self-healing.
Hyper Skin
Hyper Skin was founded in late 2019 and quickly became a fan favorite for women of color, who often suffer from scarring and hyperpigmentation. Created by Desiree Verodejo, who also battles hyperpigmentation, the products offer powerful ingredients to target common BIPOC skin concerns like discoloration, dryness, and dullness. The vitamin C serum in particular has made its permanent home on our beauty shelves.
Crownsentials
Crownsentials is emerging into the beauty landscape with a collection of hair oils designed for natural hair and containing a multitude of ingredients that are 100 percent organic and target itchiness, irritation, dry scalp, and hair flaking. Your crown is a treasure—who wouldn’t want a hair oil that helps to make each strand, kink, and curl glisten with shine and health? Whether you’re looking to maintain your scalp health or grow your natural hair, Crownsentials will ensure that your hair stays gorgeous and damage-free.
At Last A Lash
We love a dramatic lash set for an affordable price. At Last A Lash, founded in 2020, has a range of winged lashes with prices ranging from $6 to $9. This brand can keep you looking fierce, feisty, and flirty on a budget, without sacrificing quality.
Topicals
After launching last summer, skin-care brand Topicals gained much-deserved attention on social media for their commentary surrounding George Floyd’s murder. While brands scrambled to find the words to stand in solitude with their audiences, this brand took to their channels to share advice on how to care for your skin and eyes in extreme measures or when coming into contact with tear gas while protesting or joining demonstrations. The brand’s co-founder and CEO, Olamide Olowe, originally sought to create products that spark a larger conversation and call attention to chronic skin conditions and diseases and the disproportionality of access to skin care. The brand has since become a cult-favorite for its products (of which there are only two—a hydrating mask and an acne treatment gel). They also have a scientific advisory board who has vetted the ingredient research.
The Glowcery Shop
Hailing from the United Kingdom, this brand has one major goal—to feed your skin with a healthy diet of ingredients and vitamins the way you do your body. Each product is developed using 100 percent natural, nutrient-dense superfood ingredients. Your skin deserves the same love and attention you give to your body, and this brand makes sure of that.
Photo: Courtesy of Instagram/@gethyperskin
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