Every first Saturday of the month is Black Pound Day, an initiative started to support and raise awareness of Black-owned businesses. The aim is to encourage customers to switch up their shopping habits and spend with Black-owned brands to further grow the Black community. And with Black-owned beauty brands like the ones below, this is a relatively easy thing to do.
This is our roundup of the brilliant Black-owned beauty brands that we like to shop year-round. From incredible haircare brands that cater to curls and coils, to a make-up brand from one of the industry’s most influential make-up artists, this list has got it all.
The haircare brand that cares for the natural hair that you were born with. It’s packed full of plant extracts, with no sulfates or silicones, that cleanse, condition and define your curls. Founded by Michele Scott-Lynch, she launched the brand to fill a gap in the market: ‘I started Bouclème to create the range I couldn’t find: quality products, rooted in nature and serious about curls. I wanted to redefine what it means to be curly and help everyone find the confidence to be who they are.’
If you’re after chic bathroom essentials, look no further than Soapsmith. Created to reignite the lost art of craft soap making. Based in Walthamstow, London each scent is inspired by different parts of the capital.
Briogeo wants to empower every person to succeed on their healthy hair journey, by embracing their hair type, texture and colour. Nancy Twine, the founder and CEO, was inspired to create the brand because she wanted to ‘make a larger impact on the natural beauty world. Which inspired me to embark on a journey to develop my own line of carefully-crafted, clean and plant-based hair care.’
Charlotte Mensah has been crowned ‘Afro Hairdresser of the Year’ three times at the British Hairdressing Awards, so the woman knows her stuff. Her salon on Ladbroke Grove is a heaven for natural hair types. Go for the hair, stay for her famous pound cake.
Do we even need to tell you much about Rihanna’s award-winning beauty brand? Probably not, but we should give thanks to Fenty Beauty for shaking up the make-up industry and holding a mirror up to the disappointing shade ranges that the majority of brands were offering.
You have probably fawned over a make-up look created by Pat McGrath many times. She has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion – from famous photographers to the original supermodels. When she launched her make-up range, we were all given access to her incredible artistry.
Born out of the desire to find high-quality products with healthy ingredients, during a successful fight with breast cancer, Beauty Bakerie was founded by Cashmere Nicole. It is now sold in 1000 locations worldwide. The brand has also launched a charity that supports the needs of orphaned children worldwide.
Uoma, pronounced Oma (uh-mah), is the brainchild of Nigerian-born and LA & London-based Sharon Chuter. It’s a rebellious and innovative make-up range for all. All genders, races, humans are invited into the Uoma tribe.
Flo believes that everything we put into our bodies should be as natural as possible and kind to the planet, which is why it has a range of bamboo sanitary towels and organic cotton tampons that are an impressive step for sustainable periods. If that wasn’t lovely enough for you, 5% of Flo profits go to charities supporting girls and women in need.
What started as a super useful blog that dispelled skincare myths and predicted emerging trends, has become a reliable and effective skincare brand. Created by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, he found a technology that stabilises vitamin C and has built his brand around it.
Liha mixes natural African roots with a quintessential British attitude. Its iconic body oil became a cult classic beauty product incredibly quickly and is now a firm favourite in the cupboards of beauty editors across the country.
Airfro is the brand for those who love sport and don’t want to compromise on their haircare. They’re on the go products that support curls at all times.
Loretta De Feo – a Marie Claire UK Hair Awards judge – had always wanted to start her own haircare line and it took redundancy and a lot of determination to pull it off. It was worth it, the brand is now stocked at Cult Beauty, Liberty and Space NK.
