It's incredibly frustrating to find a beauty product, especially one presented as universal, and find out that there's an implied "unless your skin is dark" or your hair is "kinky" that somehow got left off its label. Sure, that may be sarcasm, but it's still (sadly) something people of colour experience more often than they should.
And, while there are major beauty brands founded by corporations and non-minorities who are taking on these issues, sometimes it just takes the determination and firsthand experience [1] of someone who has genuinely LOL'd at a product labeled nude, or squeezed out nearly one-fourth a bottle of conditioner to even get hair feeling slightly soft, to know what should happen next.
In order to celebrate beauty brands founded by minorities [2] that address not only issues of their own race [3] but also help out others, we've looked into some of the best Black-owned product lines sold at Sephora just to make sure everyone is up to speed. They say knowledge is power [4], so read on to learn a bit more about these Black-founded beauty brands you can easily find at the retailer — and expect to see even more in the future [5].
Briogeo
If you don't know the name Nancy Twine [6] yet, you should. When she launched her brand Briogeo [7] at Sephora in 2014 at age 29, she was the youngest African-American to introduce a product line at that store. [8] The products were inspired from her own family recipes and started in her East Village kitchen in 2013 [9]. (Meanwhile, we can barely make coffee . . . [10])
Even though Twine is African-American, her natural products can be used by people with all hair types and textures. Many treatments are inspired by nutritious (to eat) items like the Be Gentle, Be Kind Banana + Coconut Superfoods Nourishing Hair Value Set [11] ($56), and other healthy combos including kale and apple [12] and avocado and kiwi [13].
Briogeo's products have also earned rave reviews from shoppers at Sephora and from editors at POPSUGAR [14], including one who said the Scalp Revival shampoo [15] "transformed [her] hair into the healthiest it's ever been." Well, colour us sold, too.
Shani Darden Skin Care
At one time you could only get your hands on Shani Darden's powerful formulas if you were lucky enough to be in the know about this famed aesthetician [16] and skin-care expert who counts dozens of celebrities among her early clients. However, in 2019, she opened a studio in Los Angeles — and, as of May 2020, had her line stocked right at Sephora.
Shani Darden Skin Care [17] products include a lightweight, oil-free moisturiser [18] and a sake toning essence [19], but the brand's most iconic — and especially popular with POPSUGAR readers during quarantine — is the Retinol Reform [20] ($30-$88), a results-driven, retinol and lactic acid blend that handily takes on dark spots, fine lines, and blemishes. Or, if you're not quite ready to try that potent serum, there's also the incredibly gentle Texture Reform [21] ($88) which one editor dubs [22] "the perfect retinol for beginners" and "magic for [her] skin."
Pat McGrath Labs
Legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath [23] launched her eponymous beauty line back in 2015 to incredible buzz that, quite frankly, has yet to die down. Pat McGrath Labs [24] has been sold at Sephora since 2017 where the same products we see on the red carpet [25] can be picked up by us regular folk watching at home.
Raised in England by her Jamaican immigrant mother, McGrath even admitted to having to resort to applying cocoa powder [26] on her face due to limited colour options for darker-skinned people. Unsurprisingly, now her products include a wide range of foundation shades, concealers, and other beauty essentials including a brand-new mascara (coming on July 16 [27]).
What she's really known for are her bold lipsticks and lust-worthy eye-shadow palettes — like the Mothership VIII Artistry Eyeshadow Palette - Divine Rose II Collection [28] ($125) seen here — which are totally wearable [29] by all complexions. Yep, these high-end, highly pigmented Pat McGrath products aren't leaving our own personal wish lists [30] anytime soon.
Adwoa Beauty
Launched in 2017 by Dallas-based entrepreneur (and former hair salon owner) Julian Addo, Adwoa Beauty [31] has been stocked at Sephora since May 2020 [32], earning top ratings from other shoppers [33] ever since. The clean products cater to multicultural hair textures [34] including kinky, curly and wavy, and feature natural ingredients like shea butter, nettle extract, and grapeseed oil.
Founded out of the knowledge that nourishing scalps will result in healthier styles, the line is named "Baomint" as all products also include baobab and peppermint oils to treat dryness and promote growth. Both damaged and thriving hair can benefit from the wide range of oils including sweet almond, rosemary leaf, and lavender found in the Baomint Leave In Conditioning Styler [35] ($24), and in their other moisturising products like this shine-inducing oil [36] and a rich deep conditioner [37], too.
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Ah, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna [38]. It's probably safe to assume that this brand requires no formal introduction to beauty-lovers — after all, the Bajan singer-turned-entrepreneur did make $100 million in the first 40 days [39] after Fenty Beauty [40] launched back in 2017.
It's likely a household name because the line is truly inclusive — with 50 (!) shades of foundation — and offers up bold colours that even prompt someone who sticks to earth tones . . . to suddenly sport gold highlighter [41] and frosty pastel eye shadow [42]. (Speaking from personal experience here.)
We know it's not only the team at POPSUGAR who gets excited for new products like this Slip Shine Sheer Shiny Lipstick [43] ($22), or who repeat-buys the same gloss because it's just so flattering [44] (but read about some of our personal faves here [45], here [46], and here).
Now here's hoping the brand won't stop releasing new goodies [47] any time soon because we're not sure we could live without [48] being able to watch Rihanna [49]'s mesmerising makeup tutorials [50] in the future.
KNC Beauty
Founded by Kristen Noel Crawley [51], KNC Beauty [52] is the company we have to thank for those cute lip masks that have popped up all over Instagram [53]. The biracial former beauty columnist actually got the idea for this product while on a trip to Tokyo where she noticed a ton of lip masks but a lack of natural options . . . and thus the brand was born back in 2016.
The collagen-rich lip masks — like the All Natural Infused Lip Mask- 5 Pack [54] ($25) — help prep for lipstick (or fight the elements) while the All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask- 5 Pack [55] ($25) works on those pesky under-eye circles (with an equally Instagrammable shooting-star design).
Stocked at Sephora since 2019, the brand already counts POPSUGAR editors [56] and celebs like Selena Gomez [57] and Emma Stone [58] as fans — if you're not already, are you next?
Qhemet Biologics
Launched back in 2004, the plant-based haircare brand Qhemet Biologics [59] was "inspired by African, Mediterranean, and Ayurvedic hair care traditions." You see, the brand's founder, Felis Butler, is a historian, and she was hoping to help her own kinkier, 4C hair [60], but with cleaner products rooted in ingredients trusted for centuries.
Now the line — stocked at Sephora since 2014 — offers a range of creams, balms, and ghee to help nourish and strengthen a wide range of hair types and textures, and keep it healthy, too. Their products often sell out, but a good place to start is the Egyptian Wheatgrass Cleansing Tea [61] ($16) that gently washes dirt, product buildup, and oils from hair while also improving scalp health at the same time.