These Are 6 Makeup Brands Made For And By Women Of Color You Should Know.

Change is on the horizon, ladies! The good news is that it doesn’t matter whether you keep your ear to the beauty industry streets or are simply a casual Sephora or Ulta shopper. It doesn’t take much to realize that many new brands have been popping up, marketing themselves as being makeup created specifically for dark skin tones.

For women of color specifically, this feels like a somewhat past due decision. We’ve observed decade after decade of being excluded from beauty marketing and product launches, ultimately being forced to create our own solutions or be left with ashy-looking skin. 

The disparity in beauty has been glaring for a long time. For the sake of experimentation: a simple trip to your local drugstore may expose that the products made with specific ethnic groups in mind are stashed away under lock and key. If you still feel a bit curious and want to continue this experiment, stroll over to the makeup aisle. Depending on the neighborhood that you live in, you may find that your local drugstore hasn’t been coded as “ethnic” (terminology I’ve heard firsthand). The result of this may be that deeper makeup shades will be available in limited stock.

We’ve established that we are diverse as people. Even within racial and ethnic groups, we all have different needs. So why has beauty taken such a standard, one-size-fits-all approach?

With the recent increase in support for brands created by People of Color, it is a proud moment for women everywhere to know that they can fill their makeup bags with products that are Black-Owned or made by another woman of color. Though many heritage brands have responded in their own right with shade expansions, the connection to the founder story is what truly makes a difference. Seeing a woman that looks like you take the time and care to create a product line with you at the center of its mission makes swiping your credit card feel like a personal win.

Gone are the days when we have to wonder which makeup brand is best for dark skin tones. So if you’re looking to fill your cart with brands whose story you feel like you align with, look no further. Today I’m sharing six darker-skin friendly brands created by Women of Color for Women of Color.

Ami Colé

Pronounced Ah-Me Co-Lay

Ami Colé is a clean Beauty brand creating products for the skin tones that often get left behind by the beauty industry (dark, rich, and deep tones). This brand was created by Diarrha N’Diaye, a Harlem Native of Senegalese descent who learned the ins and outs of the beauty industry first hand. N’Diaye has a resume of industry heavy hitters such as Loreal and Glossier under her belt. In addition, she has worked in social media strategy and product development at both companies, respectively. Having this experience meant that she gained a 360 view of what it takes to make a beauty brand work. In her experience at these companies, she gained mastery of industry trends and the existing gaps in the market. This knowledge allowed her to offer shades that are flexible and powered by ingredients from her family’s home country of Senegal. 

One of the star players is Boabab oil. This oil has a rich source of omega fatty acids that fight inflammation, making it a powerful ingredient for conditions like eczema and psoriasis. I’m sure you remember that there was a time when the “your skin but better” makeup was all we could speak about. N’Diaye noticed that darker skin tones were often left out of this conversation. So she took it upon herself to create a brand that makes its buyers feel seen, understood, and beautiful.

Related: 6 black woman-owned fashion brands to add to your wardrobe asap

Live Tinted

Live Tinted is a brand that stemmed from a viral video from its founder Deepica Mutyala. In the video, she shares how to cover dark circles using red lipstick. The buzz surrounding her tutorial made it clear that she had found her audience. It was clear that a community of women of color all facing similar needs exists and that she could create a space to unite them.

She then launched Live Tinted platform that focuses on inclusive beauty. She leveraged this space as a storytelling platform that focuses on the stories of people who remain underrepresented by the beauty industry and their journeys surrounding their respective identities.

This online space has since expanded and acts as an education hub that teaches readers who use the brand or who may be curious about improving their makeup skills. While Live Tinted’s products are often at the forefront, readers can learn valuable skills such as How to Cover Tattoos or Pro tips for How to Mask Dark Circles.

Shortly after this community was founded, Deepica launched her first product called The Huestick. This multipurpose product can be used as a color corrector to address hyperpigmentation and dark spots under your foundation. The Husetick can also serve as an eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush. The brand’s product offerings have continued to grow from there, with the same value at its core: serving the needs of a growing multicultural community and using honest conversation as a vehicle to drive change.

The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar is the brainchild of former Wall Street Stockbroker Melissa Butler. You may recognize Melissa from the popular TV show if you’re an avid Shark Tank fan. After facing harsh rejection from the judges, Melissa used the experience as fuel. Her motivation later led to her brand being stocked in stores like Target and Walmart and even becoming a household name.

Melissa created The Lip Bar for the woman who wants to create a look beyond the everyday. The Lip Bar provides edgy and bold shades in a 100% vegan formula crafted right in Melissa’s Brooklyn kitchen. The Lip Bar describes itself as “maximum impact, minimal effort beauty founded and owned by women of color.” Each Lip Bar lipstick includes critical ingredients such as shea butter, organic avocado oil, and coconut oil.

What once started as a lipstick brand now includes a broader range of products. The brand carries complexion products like foundation, powder, and concealer. It also offers mascara, blush, highlighter, and more.

UOMA Beauty

Pronounced uh-mah (meaning beautiful) 

Uoma Beauty is a brand founded by Sharon Chuter, a former beauty executive listed by WWD as one of the 50 most forward-thinking executives shaping the future of the beauty industry. Sharon has worked at companies like Revlon, L’Oreal, and Benefit Cosmetics. Sharon was born in Nigeria and is currently based in LA & London. All of Chuter’s life experiences blended to craft UOMA beautifully. This disruptor brand is backed by her time in prestige beauty and deeply inspired by the African Diaspora.

One can say that Sharon came out the gate swinging. From her very first launch, she offered 51 shades of foundation, an act that some might call ambitious for a “newbie” to the product world.

UOMA, however, cannot be compared to other brands. As extensive as the line may appear to some, not only is it necessary for inclusive practices, but the Fitzpatrick scale also backs it. The knowledge provided by this scale means that for every shade range within the line, the consumer is receiving a product that meets the exact needs that typically surface for their skin tone.

On top of its functionality, UOMA also provides every product needed to execute a complete makeup look. Sharon prides the brand on being “rebellious, innovative, and created for all.” UOMA translates this vibe in its imagery, marketing, and bold and edgy colors. Everything from the branding to the product titles tells you that this is for the woman who wants to express herself unapologetically.

Take this Black Magic Lipstick, for example!

Pat McGrath Labs

Most long-time fashion and beauty lovers know Pat McGrath as a visionary, an icon, “Mother,” and a host of other superlatives. Pat McGrath has executed the editorial makeup vision for almost any Prestige house that you can imagine. Names include Prada, Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Versace, etc. 

McGrath’s talent is so renowned that she executes the beauty vision for more than 60 shows each Fashion Week season. The creation of her eponymous line Pat McGrath Labs, was music to every Beauty Lover’s ear. The brand’s arrival meant that a bit of the runway magic became accessible to all of us! 

Everything from PML has an elevated feel, from the packaging to the pigmentation. You are sure to feel the luxe vibe no matter what product you try.

Mented Cosmetics

KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson are two Harvard Business School grads who founded Mented Cosmetics. These two women set out to create a solution to the million-dollar question many of us are STILL asking: “why is it so hard to find the perfect nude lipstick shade as a woman of color?”

On their journey to creating the most perfectly formulated nude shades and winning multiple accolades along the way (like the Best of Beauty award in 2020), they also managed to generate a cult following. Supporters of Mented continue to stand by their beautifully formulated lipsticks, glosses, and lipliners for darker brown skin tones. 

Mented also carries complexion products, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, makeup brushes, and vegan nail polish. More subdued than some of its counterparts on this list, Mented focuses on creating the perfect nude shades for Buyers of Color. If you are looking for makeup that will provide you coverage but still offers a natural finish, this will be the brand for you.  

Extra points for their product bundles curated to offer the best color combination for the buyer’s skin tone.

Conclusion

We know how challenging it has felt in recent years to find high-quality products that cater directly to women of color and our unique needs. We hope this list can serve as a springboard in your shopping journey. By the end of this post, you should be at least one step closer to finding your new favorite product (or if you’re bold, get started on building your collection!) Do you have any favorite brands that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comment section below.