More and more Blacks or people of color are venturing into the beauty industry in the U.S. but research shows that there are still challenges when it comes to equity. McKinsey has said that even though Black Americans spend $6.6 billion on beauty, they represent 11.1% of the total U.S. beauty market.
It said Black beauty brands “capture only 2.4 percent of revenue in the overall beauty market, lagging far behind the 11.1 percent of the Black consumer spend on beauty products, and the 12.4 percent of Black people in the U.S. population.”
The following Black-owned beauty brands that have been endorsed by celebrities are making a difference in the sector. Some of the brands are even owned by Black celebrities and they are actually worth buying.
Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin
Rihanna started Fenty Beauty in 2017. It is a cosmetic company she owns 50%. She founded Fenty Beauty in her bid to create a cosmetic company that made “women everywhere (feel) included” in partnership with luxury goods company LVMH.
The cosmetic line initially sold foundation shades and later expanded to include lipstick, lip gloss, body glitter, and more. In its first year of operation, Fenty Beauty generated more than $550 million. In addition to Fenty Beauty, she also has a stake in Savage x Fenty, a lingerie company.
Vernon Francois
Vernon Francois is a celebrity hairstylist. He has a series of affordable hair products that are the taste of celebrities. Francois’ haircare line is certified cruelty-free and vegan with an emphasis on curly and coily textures. Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o relies on celebrity hairstylist Francois for her magnificent hair.
Pattern Beauty
Pattern Beauty was co-created by Emmy-nominated actress Tracee Ellis Ross. The beauty brand nourishes coily, curly and tight-textured hair and its line of products includes its blow dryer, shampoo, oils, deep conditioning treatments and more.
KINLÒ
Naomi Osaka is behind the beauty brand KINLÒ, derived from the Japanese and Haitian words for “gold.” She created the product in partnership with Ghanaian-born dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye. The brand was made for everyone, especially athletes as it offers sun protection. Osaka, like many dark-skinned individuals, struggled to find what works for her skin. That is why she decided it was about time to launch an affordable one that does the job right.
Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath is behind Pat McGrath Labs. McGrath is a makeup artist who has worked across the globe with various icons such as Oprah Winfrey, Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, and multi-million fashion brands making up models for the runways and high-ranking fashion magazines.
Flawless by Gabrielle Union
In 2021, Gabrielle Union re-launched her haircare line, Flawless by Gabrielle Union. The “Bad Boys 2” star teamed up with her personal hairstylist, Larry Sims, to re-launch the haircare line, this time better, “majority Black-owned” and affordable.
She originally launched the line in 2017 to help those with textured tresses, after several rounds of IVF left her dealing with premature balding.
Some of the products available for purchase include Hydrating Detangling Shampoo, 3 Minute Restoring Conditioner, Hydrating Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner, and Repairing Deep Conditioning Masque.
