Buying a drugstore foundation used to be an eternal struggle for me. Most drugstores don’t carry my favorite black-owned beauty brands, so the pickings were slim. I’d find myself standing in makeup aisles staring hopelessly at bottle after bottle of mainstream cream-coloured foundation trying to decide which one was least likely to make me look like "Casper The Not-So-Friendly Ghost." And then a friend put me on to Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless. Their second darkest color was perfection on my skin. An island girl in "Coconut" seems like fate, and the $8.99 price tag doesn't hurt either.
As if I wasn’t already a huge fan of Maybelline for enhancing my glo up, they would have won me over with the release of 8 new foundation shades last week, including 4 gorgeous deep browns. Knowing dark-skinned girls like my baby sister could now slay for under 10 bucks made my day. I thought, "There's a company getting diversity right." Diversity has been a good trend in the beauty industry of late. White-owned brands like Maybelline and Pantene are finally realizing that black women exist. Nobody complains. Nobody feels affronted or abandoned. Everybody wins.
Except, if last month's Shea Moisture debacle showed us anything, we see that it's really easy to screw up this diversity thing, especially for black-owned brands. It's a carefully played game of product formula and marketing. One wrong move and the Twitterverse will hashtag, meme, and thinkpiece your brand to death.
So, are there any black-owned brands that are serving a broader audience while staying true to their roots? A whole bunch, it turns out. Check out these five black beauty brands that are getting diversity right.
1. Up North Naturals (@upnorthnaturals, upnorthnaturals.com)
For curly girls who hit Shea Moisture with the “Girl, bye!” and are looking for a new product line to bless their tresses, Up North Naturals is the easy answer. Their products are cruelty-free and don’t have any of the artificial colors, fragrances, parabens, and silicon that are so bad for your hair. They’re made with natural ingredients like olive oil and aloe leaf juice. And the best part? If the beauties of every race and texture on their Instagram are any indication, Up North Naturals has perfected a formula that works for all curly girls.
2. OMGLO (@omglocosmetics, omglocosmetics.com)
Think a popping cheekbone highlight is all the glow you need this summer? OMGLO begs to differ. After a video of the founder, Joelle Phillips, mixing glittery pigments with a MAC finishing spray went viral, she turned the DIY hype into a business and launched OMGLO, a range of hydrating finishing mists. The mists come in five colors, ranging from a silvery iridescent to a deep rich gold. The marketing on her website proves her products pop on every woman from the fairest beauty to the darkest chocolate queen. The glow does not discriminate.
3. Juvia’s Place (@juviasplace, juviasplace.com)
Listen, I would buy a Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palette for the packaging alone. Those African queens on the cover of their palettes are everything! This black owned company pays homage to its roots with the Africentric art and vibe, and honor their customer base with eyeshadows that swatch amazingly on dark skin. But Juvia’s Place has also highlighted the beauty of women of every color and feature makeup artists of every shade and race on their blog and social media.
4. Scotch Porter (@scotchporter, scotchporter.com)
Many beauty brands are focused on the ladies, but Scotch Porter is doing it for the men. Calvin Quallis has provided a line of products for the modern man who wants to have an impeccably groomed beard and head of hair. The products strengthen and nourish the hair, and as a bonus, they smell absolutely amazing. But what’s really impressive is that while the brand has an authentic urban vibe, their marketing leaves no man behind. From the gorgeous pamphlet that comes with every delivery to their flawless website, Scotch Porter features men of every race and hair type.
5. M.U.A. Central (@muacentralonline)
Unlike the other brands I’ve listed, M.U.A. Central doesn’t bring a physical product to the table, but offers a platform that makes getting the look you want a breeze. M.U.A. Central connects women looking for the perfect makeup, hair or nail artist with the best beauty experts in their area. The booking platform allows users to create detailed profiles meaning they’ll get an artist that’s a great match for them. While black-owned and proud to feature black make-up artists, M.U.A. markets itself to boss babes of every race and complexion.
Ready to get your glow on? Feel free to take all your black beauty and support one these brands that recognize that diversity is magic when it’s done right. With any luck, we’ll soon be seeing these products on the shelves of local drug stores.
