29 Black-owned beauty brands beauty editors love
From big dogs like Fenty to our fave indie offerings, these are top tier
If you're looking to support Black-owned businesses, or to discover the latest genius from Black beauty product creators, your options are juicy. Despite challenges, Black-owned beauty brands are thriving across the categories, with successes that are doing Madam CJ Walker proud. Did you know the first self-made female millionaire in the world was a Black woman? With a beauty brand no less. But despite early success as the OG beauty boss, it's never been easy for Black-owned businesses, including in beauty.
A US report by McKinsey Institute noted that, Black cosmetic brands raise a median of $13 million in venture capital funding, substantially less than the $20 million that non-Black brands raise. Despite the median revenue of those Black brands being 89 times higher than what non-Black beauty brands return over the same period. Black beauty consumers and brands face deep challenges when it comes to equity, despite demand and success.
And from a simple consumer perspective, cosmetic companies are often extremely lacking in colour innovation, product offering, and even in efforts to cater to all. It's not just about supporting Black businesses, it's also about having customer needs met, and while there's been a lot of improvement, still it often falls to Black brands to properly cater to Black consumers. But if that means more money going into Black businesses we're all for it.
And turns out, the Black beauty brands that have broken through the barriers, are making some of the most exciting and cult products for everyone. So, we've rounded up our favourite Black-owned beauty brands that are delivering incredible products for the community and for all races. And we're touching on the creative and entrepreneurial minds behind them.
Some of them you will have most definitely heard before (I mean, how could we not include Pat McGrath Labs and Fenty Beauty?) but others, like Uoma, Ruka and Liha Beauty may be new to you. Not to mention the likes of Briogeo and Bouclème who have gained a cult following online, thanks to their dedication to every curly haired girl out there.
Topicals
Topicals' super-girl Gen Z founder Olamide Olowe launched the fireball brand right out of Uni, aiming to transform the ointments category after growing up suffering from chronic skin conditions. And we'd say she's done a pretty good job so far. The super-successful brand has somehow managed to make treating eczema, hyperpigmentation and acne playful.
The fun, young, culture-rich branding connects on such a personal level, and brings mental health into the brand identity not just its ethos; understandable given the two-way interaction between skin and mental well-being.
Ruka
Founded by a duo of British Africans, Ugo and Tendai, hair extension brand Ruka is made by Black women, for Black women, creating what's been missing from the market by consulting... Black women. It's no wonder the brand has bloody nailed it. Here's to hitting an unserved spot in the market, and hitting it with relentless quality.
They started with true-to-life textured human hair extensions for kinky, coily, curly and wavy hair, and now offer bundles, wigs, ponies, braiding hair and more, in a range of natural textures, as well as pressed or relaxed afro textures, and adding synthetic to their bow along the way.
You can see my review of their curly clip-ins here.
Bread Beauty Supply
Bread is all about stripping hair care back to the simple essentials; the opposite of a 10-step wash day. And that's evident in the products. Honestly, I can use the hair cream by itself with no other leave-in product and my curls sing.
Founder Maeva spent her childhood in her mum's braiding studio in Perth, Australia, while also navigating a head of hair well outside of her small town's beauty standards. Launching Bread after a career working for big beauty brands, her path from those days underfoot in the salon feels destined.
Juvia's Place
Not only is Juvia’s Place an affordable drugstore brand but it's also made up of highly-pigmented eyeshadow palettes, foundation and concealer bases and a range of lip products, too. That's a win-win [win, win win...] if you ask me.
Not only are her colour choices inspired by African culture, but her heritage is also reflected in her packaging across the entire range.
Flora & Curl
Like many women, Rose Ovensehi discovered that returning to her natural hair after years of chemically straightening it, wasn't that simple.
Not happy with the poor quality ingredients in existing products, she started Flora & Curl after experimenting with plant-based ingredients from around the world.
Cécred
Do we need to say more than that this is Beyoncé's brand? Queen Bey launched haircare line Cécred with the Queen Mother, Aunty Tina Knowles, and while both have shown their passion, Tina is clearly in her absolute element. This is no throwaway celeb cash grab, you know there would be nothing but excellence from the world's most iconic Virgo aka perfectionist.
Though the luxe packaging may lean more towards style than ease... the products? Genuinely excellent.
Fenty Beauty
At this point, Rihanna's line doesn't need any introduction. Launched in 2017, Fenty Beauty changed the entire industry standard with their line of 50 foundation shades.
If, like us, you can't get enough of the brand, just know that after conquering cosmetics, RiRi's skincare is bomb too. And the Eau de Parfum? Art.
Camille Rose Naturals
This affordable brand started when CEO and Founder Janell Stephens couldn't find products for her five small children's eczema, so she made her own using food-grade ingredients and then started selling them. She moved on from body creams to products for their severely dry hair (caused by eczema) and those products blew up.
Within a few years the brand was huge, a retail smash. Here in the UK you can shop the brand at LookFantastic, Boots and Superdrug, and even Sainsbury's. Hell, you can get the products on ASOS next-day delivery with your new jeans. It's come along way since her kitchen table.
Side note... they all smell soooo good.
Shani Darden Skincare
You may know Shani Darden as Jessica Alba and Kim Kardashian's Esthetician. But what's also worth noting is her award-winning range of clinical skincare products.
If an LED light mask is what you're after or even a trusted retinol reform, Shani's luxe line provides all.
Emolyne Cosmetics
Embracing the vintage love of matching your nails to your lip, founder Emolyne created sets of colour-matched products to make it easy for busy women to grasp that feeling of being put together. Rethinking colour to master nudes and reds for all skin tones, each shade is inspired by and named after a city or place in Africa.
By Joy Adenuga
Founded by celebrity makeup artist Joy Adenuga – in case the name didn't give it away – this brand makes next-level makeup brushes. We can't promise they'll turn your skills to Joy levels, but they'll help. Among other accessories and cute makeup bags, she also makes clever solid brush soaps you'll love so much you'll *actually* wash your brushes.
Okiki Skincare
Founded by Ade Ogunsola and Antonia Ogunsola, a mother-daughter duo based in Kent, Okiki Skincare sells a range of gorgeous skincare and self-care products inspired by their Nigerian and Ghanaian roots.
Scroll through the brand's shop for nourishing soap bars, relaxing bath salts and incredible scented candles, all made using recipes passed down through generations.
Clean Curls
Founded by British TV presenter Sarah-Jayne Crawford, Clean Curls is a family-focused hair care brand designed for all ages, with a focus on effective products without toxic or dangerous ingredients. Personal medical experiences led Sarah to look into the toxic ingredients used not just in chemical relaxers but also many hair products designed for Black beauty consumers, and the harm to your future health and your hormones.
For her own needs and for her two babies, Sarah-Jayne set out to develop products without the nasties, but more effective than the 'clean' products already on offer.
Danessa Myricks
When Danessa Myricks finally dropped on Cult Beauty & Sephora, hurrahs bellowed across the beauty industry.
The high quality range was masterminded by makeup artist Danessa Myricks and every formula is created with inclusivity as its core. Once you get your hands on the products – we recommend the Dew Wet Balm, Colorfix 24 Hour Cream Colour and Vision Flush – you'll wonder how you went without it.
Dizziak
Former UK beauty writer, Loretta De Feo, founded Dizziak after noticing that there was a gap in the afro hair market for deep hair conditioners.
In fact we love their Deep Conditioner so much, we awarded it a Cosmopolitan Beauty award in 2019.
Oré mi
Founded by Nigerian Londoner Karen Olla in 2019, and named after the Yoruba expression Oré mi – meaning 'my friend', this wellbeing brand sells a range of body butters, candles and mists focusing on warm, grounding and restorative scents from her life.
The goal? A three-pronged approach to help with Black mental health, by A) creating culture-infused products with calming properties, B) using content and dialogue that strives to break the community's taboo around the topic, and platforms positive narratives, and C) through a percentage donation of all profits to Black mental health charities.
Briogeo
Before founding natural haircare brand, Briogeo, Nancy Twine worked in wall street. OK, financial Queen.
However, after feeling unfulfilled with her career, she went back to her roots, inspired by her grandmother who made and sold her own haircare whilst she was growing up. And what a beautiful journey she has had with Briogeo.
Liha Beauty
Fusing their "African roots and quintessentially British attitudes", Liha Beauty was founded by Liha Okunniwa and Abi Oyepitan.
Their beautiful glass products – including our favourite, the Gold Shea Butter – are inspired and come from natural Nigerian ingredients.
Derma Warrior
This natural, vegan skincare brand focuses on dry skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis & topical steroid withdrawal. It was born out of founder Abeola's own painful skin condition, and her discovery of the harm her prescribed topical steroids were causing when they were meant to be helping.
Pattern Beauty
Back in 2018, the legendary Tracee Ellis Ross founded Pattern Beauty and it's safe to say that ever since, it's been soaring.
The brand promises to nourish your hair with effective products and rich ingredients that as a result, will create healthy and hydrated locks. To note, in order to achieve said health, they use (but are not restricted to) argan and jojoba oil. SOLD.
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
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