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Black-Owned Beauty Brands You Can Shop At Sephora Right Now
Frequent Sephora shoppers have probably noticed its near-daily refresh of newer, more diverse brands. Last year, Sephora adopted the 15 Percent Pledge policy to serve the dire need for representation in beauty, business, and the intersection of both industries. Under this initiative, the retailer promises to dedicate 15 percent of its shelf space to Black-owned brands — and so far, it's made progress in the right direction.
Since Sephora's official announcement in 2020, it's taken steps to increase its initial seven-brand portfolio of Black-owned businesses to 21. Though that number isn't 15 percent of the overall 322 brands Sephora offers, it's certainly a significant increase. Each and every one of these brands bring something refreshing to your vanity, whether it's a high-strength retinol serum from Shani Darden Skin Care, an indulgent leave-in conditioner by Briogeo, or a dewy skin tint la Fenty Beauty.
There's more work to be done, but Sephora's taking a step in the right direction through its diversity efforts. These moves set a higher standard for other retailers to follow while allowing consumers to be able to shop Black-owned brands at one of the biggest beauty shops on the planet.
Now, keep reading to learn more about every Black-owned beauty brand on Sephora's roster so far.
Fenty Beauty
Does Fenty Beauty even need an introduction? Rihanna's groundbreaking cosmetics line shook the beauty world to its core when it launched in 2017 with a 40-range foundation collection. This marked the beginning of the Fenty Effect, a beauty phenomenon that raised the bar for other brands to supply a wider range of skin tones in complexion products.
Since its initial launch, RiRi was able to release more innovative hits in the beauty industry like the Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder and the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer. This year alone Fenty Beauty was able to nab an ishonest Best of Beauty Award for its latest iteration on the latter, the Cream Color Drip Lip Cream — but we're still waiting on that album.
Fenty Skin
Rihanna changed the makeup industry with Fenty Beauty, and in 2020, she decided to dive into skin care with Fenty Skin. Rih's collection of transparent sunscreen, whipped body cream, and a hydrating toner instantly became just as popular as Fenty's cosmetics — enough to win an ishonest Best of Beauty Award during its first year on the market.
Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath isn't just a makeup artist, she's a makeup legend — and her beauty products are just as iconic as the looks she's created. Her namesake line of buttery eye shadows, rich lipsticks, and velvety blushes are show-stopping, which is why they're constant ishonest Best of Beauty winners (the Skin Fetish: Ultra Glow Highlighter just won this year).
Adwoa Beauty
No matter what curly hairstyle you're prepping and setting, Adwoa beauty has got you covered. This hair-care brand focuses on curl hydration and maintenance through its array of hair-moisturizing products like the Blue Tansy Reparative Mask, which seals in moisture while providing protein from quinoa to assist in damage control and refresh the vibrancy of your hair color.
Briogeo
Briogeo has been a go-to for Sephora shoppers of all hair types for quite some time — seven years, to be exact. Though the brand has a slew of leave- in conditioners, hair masks, and oils to choose from, the award-winning Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask will always be the one product we keep slathering on our hair. It has a mix of moisturizing rosehip oil and B vitamins to create softer, fuller, and shinier hair until your next washday.
Shani Darden Skin Care
Aesthetician Shani Darden has an A-list roster of clients, including (but definitely not limited to) Jessica Alba, Kourtney Kardashian, and Shay Mitchell. Darden's namesake skin-care brand is also beloved by celebs, and our editors, too. The ishonest Best of Beauty Award-winning Retinol Reform is one of the brand's most popular products for its mix of the fine line-smoothing ingredient with exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids.
Fashion Fair
Pre-Fenty Beauty, Fashion Fair was one of the few mainstream beauty brands that had cosmetic options for melanin-rich skin — until it shut down in 2016.
The brand relaunched exclusively on fashionfair.com and sephora.com in 2021 with reformulated versions of its most popular products, like the Iconic Lipsticks, as well as some new products, including the Fabulous Face Priming Serum.
Bread Beauty Supply
Bread Beauty Supply focuses on providing all curl types (but especially 3A to 4C hair) with fortifying products that make your hair feel smooth, moisturized, and clean without weighing it down.
The brand's hair oils have become an internet favorite, but we're particularly fond of a more recent launch, the Scalp-Serum: Cooling Greens Exfoliating Scalp Treatment. This tingly serum is infused with a mix of exfoliating alpha and polyhydroxy acids to break down buildup and excess oil sitting on your scalp, providing sweet flake- and itch-free relief in the process.
Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross
We'll say it: We love celebrity beauty brands, especially this one from Tracee Ellis Ross. The actor graced us all with a hair-care brand that'll revamp your curls, kinks, and waves. Now you can shop Ross's under-$50 line of moisturizing leave-in conditioners, hair tools, and strong-hold curl gels at the beauty retailer.
Danessa Myricks Beauty
This is a gentle reminder to please stop sleeping on the amazing cosmetics that Danessa Myricks Beauty has to offer — which recently launched in Sephora stores, FYI. Makeup artist Danessa Myricks made sure each and every product under her namesake cosmetics line performs with high-quality pigments that won't fade, smudge, or sweat off of your face during the day. The brand's Colorfix Eye, Cheek & Lip Cream Pigment is so versatile that it won an ishonest Best of Beauty Award in 2020.
54 Thrones
If you're on the hunt for the most indulgent moisturizer, then allow us to introduce you to 54 Thrones. This brand was founded six years ago and pays homage to the rich culture of Africa's 54 countries, where it also exclusively sources its ingredients. 54 Thrones has a full array of skin-care products, but its most popular products are the array of African Beauty Butters. Each has such a rich, creamy texture and moisturizing feel that even Oprah considers it one of her favorite beauty products.
KNC Beauty
KNC Beauty popped off the minute its founder, Kristen Nicole Crowley, launched the brand in 2016 with its Collagen Infused Lip Mask. Ever since, her business has become a beauty influencer-favorite, and KNC Beauty's All Natural Retinol Infused Eye Mask nabbed an ishonest Best of Beauty Award in 2020.
Chapped lips will love the Supa Scrub lip exfoliating duo. It's made with a trio of shea butter, castor seed, and sunflower oils to moisturize while sugar crystals gently scrub away dry patches, leaving behind smoother and plumper lips. If you're feeling especially flaky, then use the scrub with its accompanying silicone pad for added physical exfoliation.
LYS Beauty
LYS Beauty has a curated selection of under-$25 makeup products that are gentle on your skin and your wallet. Founder Tisha Thompson wanted to create an affordable line of makeup products that actually make your skin look and feel better every time you use them. The results are cosmetics with skin-nourishing ingredients, like moisturizing avocado oil, mattifying kaolin clay, and soothing vitamin E, which you can find in its Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush.
Eadem
Eadem, which launched earlier this year, is a new kid on the block that's caught our attention. It was a member of Sephora's Accelerate program and winner of Glossier's Grant Initiative for Black-Owned Businesses — pretty impressive, right?
Currently, this brand has only one product, the Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum, a brightening mixture of niacinamide and vitamin C to make dark spots and hyperpigmentation marks fade. As an added skin-care treat, exfoliating pineapple and papaya enzymes gently slough away dead skin and induce cellular turnover for an allover even tone.
Forvr Mood
If you'd rather put your Beauty Insider points towards some scents for your home, then take a whiff of Jackie Aina's collection of candles, Forvr Mood. Instead of going the celebrity beauty brand route, Aina crafted a line of luxe coconut oil- and soy wax-based candles. Expect each one to fill up your space with, tropical, delectably sweet, or straight-up sex-inspired notes.
Grace Eleyae
Grace Eleyae decided to create her namesake brand after her hair broke off after rubbing against a headrest during a bumpy car ride in Kenya. Her first hair- protecting bonnet, the Original Slap, is a satin-lined beanie that can go with just about anything in your closet.
Since its initial launch, Eleyae's brand has expanded to include a full line of hairbrushes and protective caps, including one of our favorite styles, the Satin-Lined Knot Turban.
Topicals
This Gen-Z brand's packaging is oh-so-cool, and its products are as great as they look. Founders Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng decided to inject a fun, more playful aesthetic into the usually serious world of skin care. The results are a handful of products that have garnered praise from all over the internet, including our very own editors.
One of the brand's most sought-after picks is Faded, a serum that's popular in the online beauty community for its ability to minimize the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation. What's in it: a trio of pigment-fading tranexamic acid, acne-fighting azelaic acid, and brightening niacinamide, for an even- toned, radiant complexion.
Hyper Skin
Hyper may have only two products, but that's all the brand needs to make its mark in skin care — while it fades our dark spots, of course. Its Brightening Dark Spot Serum's main ingredient is vitamin C, which brightens your skin while reducing the look of hyperpigmentation, but you'll also notice the hydrating effects of hyaluronic acid and anti-inflammatory turmeric.
Rose Ingleton MD
Rose Ingleton MD, a dermatologist-founded skin-care brand, takes inspiration from the namesake founder's Jamaican heritage through ingredients native to the land, like exfoliating sugarcane and vitamin C-rich oranges and lemons. Ingleton also infused each and every one of its five products with hyaluronic acid for a hydrated feel no matter which product you pick up from her line. Ingleton's skin-care collection includes a lightweight moisturizer and four different serums to address a variety of texture and complexion concerns.
Sunday II Sunday
Think of Sunday II Sunday's hair-care offerings as a pair of your favorite workout leggings: They're lightweight and great for extra-sweaty days. Most of the brand's products have a focus on absorbing excess oil and sweat and giving your scalp a fresh, cleansed feel without having to shower.
For no-wash days, try using Sunday II Sunday's Revive Me Daily Moisturizing Spray, which is supposed to act as a moisturizing treatment for your curls. Its refreshing feel comes from antioxidant-rich green tea, which fights dryness and inflammation. Meanwhile, your hair feels soft, frizz-free, and glossy, thanks to the moisturizing addition of argan oil, also known as the closest thing we have to liquid gold in beauty.
Qhemet Biologics
Dry hair types, look no further than Qhemet Biologic's moisturizing hair- care blends. Each product pulls inspiration from African, Mediterranean, and Ayurvedic hair-care traditions to address moisture concerns for drier, damaged hair and 4C curl patterns.
If your hair is starting to feel more like a tumbleweed, the brand's Amla and Olive Heavy Cream is its most hydrating product. This leave-in conditioning treatment has a moisturizing trio of castor, olive, and Indian amla oils for softer, glossier hair with a delightful orange scent to top it off.