Black History month has just ended but this does not mean that the conversation is over. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, people have been keen to buy black-owned and have increasingly supported black-owned businesses which were shown to have suffered because of the pandemic.
In recent months, many retailers such as Sephora have pledged to the 15 Percent Pledge campaign created by Aurora James. This aims to ensure that the percentage of black-owned business on their shelves represent the black population percentage (in the US).
If you wish to increase your support towards black-owned businesses, your beauty routine might be a good place to start. Here are some incredible black-owned beauty brands worth spending your money on.
Black Girl Sunscreen
Black Girl Sunscreen is an amazing brand created by powerful women of colour who wished to educate and protect people with darker skin.
The description for their product says it all: it is a “sunscreen made by women of color for people of color, because we get sunburned too.”
The sunscreen is incredibly moisturizing and it will not leave a white cast on your skin. They have two options you can choose from: The original Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 or the BGS Kids SPF 50 (which you can obviously use if you’re not a kid and just want higher protection).
Inua Naturals
While it may be a bit pricier than your average skincare products, you are paying for the indisputable ethical and sustainable standards behind the brand. Their Organic Nourishing Baobab Oil is a great product to get acquainted with Inua Naturals.
It smells and feels incredibly luxurious and is perfect to nourish your skin or your hair and will leave you with an incredible glow.
Mented Cosmetics
While many brands focus on diversifying their foundation and concealer shades, Mented Cosmetics has expanded to lipstick, blushes, and eyeshadows with the aim to create products that would work for a range of skin tones.
What’s more – all of their lipsticks are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and paraben-free. Their top seller Everyday Eyeshadow Palette will be a perfect addition to your makeup bag.
Pat McGrath
This brand is the brainchild of makeup artist Pat McGrath. While it is not exactly student budget-friendly – this is a great one to treat yourself or to gift for the upcoming holiday season.
They even have a sale going on at the minute where you can try a lipgloss trio for as a little as £10!
Their products have a really good reputation amongst the beauty world and their packaging is so good it can double as room decor.
Beauty Bakerie
Beauty Bakerie’s products are probably the cutest on the market with their overall baking theme. Their Eyescream Paint Job makeup brushes or their Lollipop Liner will definitely bring a bit of spark to dull winter days.
Besides their products, Beauty bakery is adamant in their need to make a positive impact which is why they created Sugar Homes which collaborates with The Hopeworth Children’s foundation that supports a female-led orphanage in Uganda.
The lip bar
As you may have figured out by their name The Lip Bar specialises in everything lips, although they do also offer eye and face products. If you were hoping to try some less conventional shades like a faded mauve or an electric blue, TLB will probably have it, but they also offer a wide range of more conventional shades. Plus, you can enjoy all of their products in good conscience since all of The Lip Bar’s products are vegan and cruelty-free!
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Being famously renowned for its lead in the fight for a more inclusive beauty industry, this is by far the biggest and most obvious brand on this list.
Still, Fenty Beauty does have an incredible range of makeup products: from the glosses to the foundation which comes in 50 shades, you will definitely find something for you.
It also recently launched a skincare line from which the Total Cleans’r Remove-it-all Cleanser seems to be a huge hit.
