7 Innovative Black Women-Owned Beauty Brands to Shop and Support

Wednesday, June 24, 2020



With the so many worldwide demanding justice for the deaths of innocent black lives and inspired to spark change, many resources contributing to the cause and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement have become available on all platforms. From donating to impactful organizations like the NAACP and the Minnesota Freedom Fund, to signing and sharing vital petitions, another way to continuously support black entrepreneurs is shopping black-owned businesses. 

While many brands are still catching up and creating new ways to be more inclusive and diverse, these 7 black female creators developed unique brands offering innovative beauty and wellness products which not only address the needs of the women in their communities but are suited for all seeking high-quality cosmetics, skincare and wellness solutions. Ahead, the 7 Black women-owned beauty brands I'm loving to shop and support. 

I had the opportunity to meet the wonderful creator of the brand, Janell Stephens at the brand's NYC launch and was excited to hear how the vegan, health-focused mom and successful beauty entrepreneur planed to expand her booming natural hair and body care brand, Camille Rose to skincare. The skincare arm of the brand, face by Camille Rose, is a garden-inspired line which features a 360-concept to skin care. From pore refining and clearing, to hydration and radiance, face by Camille Rose, offers effective botanical-infused (white peony, mallow flower, aloe) products that can be used alone or paired to suit specific skin needs. Impressively, Janell began her wildly successful beauty business from her humble kitchen with a commitment to creating natural, and harsh chemical-free products which delivered real results. With plans to expand into home and beyond, I can't wait to see the greatness to come from the Camille Rose brand.

"This is not multicultural beauty; this is simply beauty, and all are welcome to this beautiful tribe" 
A beauty brand that goes beyond cosmetics, Uoma Beauty emphasizes the community aspect of makeup and invites all beauty-enthusiasts to join their celebration of feeling beautiful through color. Founded by Nigerian-born Sharon Chuter, the LA-based former beauty executive was on a mission to create an innovative beauty range that broke the traditional beauty mold catering to select groups. The final result was Uoma, a stunningly empowering brand that inspires its users to be authentic, vibrant, outspoken, and included, all with the wonderful unifying essence of African culture. From complexion to shadows and every colorful cosmetic in between, it's hard to highlight only one product in the growing brand's vast makeup offerings. Thankfully, Uoma's lively and bright cosmetics help create a multitude of unique looks fitting all moods and personalities. 

When talking about breaking the traditional boundaries of beauty, Oui the People and it's exciting reconstiution of beauty instantly comes to mind. This modern razor company, founded by Karen Young, is rooted in sustainability and creating a feel-good solution to shaving without the fluffy expectations and packaging of the unattainable, perfect standards we're all used to seeing across media. Oui offers luxe, single-blade razors that not only get the closest shave for all but are sure to tackle the sometimes tough thicker hairs that skip on classic multi-blade disposable razors. Upsettingly, those same plastic disposable options end up in landfills by the millions and add to growing environmental concerns. Expanding on their philosophy to help users feel good in their skin, Oui also launched skin enhancing products like oils and masks which work in tandem with their signature steel razors. From soothing sensitive areas post-shave (DEEP V - Bikini Line Sheet Mask) to nourishing and replenishing parched skin (Featherweight - Hydrating Body Gloss), Oui is changing the way we address hair removal and body care. 
In a transition to a more holistic and health-focused lifestyle, Mary-Andree Ardouin-Guerrier found a vacancy of beneficial regrowth and revitalizing needs in the hair care space and was inspired to create an effective, natural hair product which both rejuvenates hair and stimulates hair growth. Interestingly, when researching ingredients to formulate this hero product, she turned to her rich West Indian heritage and vowed to incorporate the aromatic spices of this richly cultural region. Mary soon perfected the blend of her now successful and fan-favorite Revitalizing Organic Hair Oil which has a muti-use quality and suitable for all hair types. 


Addressing beauty from the inside, Nadege Lewis tapped into the beneficial properties of the mighty bamboo plant and developed a wellness brand highlighting this natural treasure. She found that bamboo silica, which lends to the plants rapid growth and strength, is a potent ingredient which contains a vital nutrient needed  for healthy hair, skin and nails. A true superfood, bamboo silica is the foundation of Beautiful Bamboo's wellness products. Coupled with much-needed collagen and antioxidants, the brand helps provide a beauty boost from within. From soothing teas to supplements, Beautiful Bamboo is creating a natural wellness solution packed with beneficial nutrients which supports healthy growth of hair and nails while keeping skin balanced and firm. 

Stubborn acne was the catalyst for Jamika Martin's creation of Rosen Skincare, a clean solution to remedying our worst skin woes. Handling acne with a new approach, Rosen is not only healing acne-prone skin but helping with the skin damage and scarring left behind. A struggle with which many are familiar, Rosen offers a multi-tier fix for various ranges of acne familiar skin that helps users read on ingredients and their efficacy. From taming to treating and overall prevention, Rosen's clean and understandable concept to skincare removes the intimating aspects of healing and helps you target your issues with lasting solutions. Best of all. Rosen's potent products are all modestly priced. 



Images Courtesy of Brand Instagram


National Nail Polish Day with JINsoon

Monday, June 1, 2020

A sweet, sunny summer yellow
JINsoon Nail Lacquer in Tweety


As the weather warms up, I feel the need to lighten up my manicure shades and opt for brighter, more poppy polishes. What better way to celebrate a fresh, summer-inspired manicure than on National Nail Polish Day. A full day reserved for the simple pleasure that is nail polish, National Nail Polish Day was a celebratory day founded in 2017 by Essie, a popular polish brand loved by both professionals and nail enthusiasts alike. 

During the spring and summer seasons, I tend to lean towards lively pink shades and thought it was time to venture outside of my manicure comfort zone. Now is the time to boldly sport some new (to my hands) tones like soft yellows and flattering oranges. To get started, I turned to nail authority Jin Soon Choi for some summer nail inspiration and was welcomed by her beautiful, richly-hued polish collection which features vibrant colors perfect for any season. 

When creating her own lacquer range, Jin Soon, a professional nail powerhouse, wanted her brand to exemplify the essence of an exceptional polish line. One that was equally eco-friendly, toxin-free (10-free) and formulated with high-performance elements which ensure a lasting wear with a lustrous finish. The result is a vastly-colored collection of vegan-friendly, chip-resistant, and chemical-free lacquer that sets beautifully on nails. 

JINsoon Hope | JINsoon Pop Orange


Best of all, Jin Soon's unique polish formulation features a UV filter which protects the polish from frustrated fading or yellowing of the actual color. Nothing upsets more than a fresh manicure chipping quickly or fading in color. Thankfully, with these chic nail lacquers, I get a lasting, shiny application which isn't prone to the usual chipping or peeling I experiences at the tips with usual polish. 

Excitingly, Jin Soon's nail range has grown beyond their award-winning vivid array of shades. From intricate nail art decals to beneficial nail tools, Jin Soon is committed to evolving her nail brand and continuing to offer the best in every aspect of nail care. Most recently, she's launched her HyperCare collection which concentrates on not only speeding up the polish process in a professional fashion but provides care for the nail itself through HyperRepair, a unique, double-patented nail product which works towards restoring the nail to a healthy state. 

Whether your natural nails need a rest from polish or you're looking to provide additional nourishment to your nails, the vitamin-heavy and AHA-infused HyperRepair treatment is a one which tackles the nails in an effective three-sided approach - hydrate, nourish and strengthen. A unique revival product that is recommended to be used on its own, HyperRepair is a quick remedy to replenish stressed and over-polished nails. 

JINsoon HyperRepair











Images Courtesy of JINsoon

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