Written by The Strategy
February marks Black History Month. We’re ending the month with our favourite Black-owned beauty brands. These brands are ones that belong on your top shelf and are brands that have created products Team TS simply cannot live without.
They’ve filled niches’ in the beauty industry, like radically improving shade range standards, and changed the conversation around natural hair and haircare. We don’t want to spotlight them during just one month of the year. These are brands that deserve your attention (and shelf space) all year round. And we suggest you continue your support of Black-owned beauty brands, by shopping at one of our favourite beauty stops, Thirteen Lune.
Topicals
Created By: Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng
When two pre-med students with plans to become dermatologists decide to pivot and start a skincare line of their own, you know it’s going to be good. Designed to help people of all skin tones and conditions, Topicals has a skincare solutions for everyone.
Our Hero Products: One of Topicals’ first products and still one of their best sellers, is one of our favses – the Faded dark spot serum and we’ve come to love the Faded Brightening & Clearing Mist.
Fenty Beauty/ Fenty Skin
Created by: Rihanna, obviously
Rihanna’s Fenty beauty brand has taken over our beauty cabinets. From our makeup to our skincare and now even to our fragrance, there is a spot for Fenty on every surface. The brand was one of the first to introduce foundation in 40 shades with Pro Filter (now available in a whopping 52 shades). That means no more colour mixing and matching for those of us who don’t match the traditional colour palette – a notion that’s actually so silly because no two people are made the same.
Our Hero Products: Fenty Skin Butte Drop Vanilla Dream Whipped Oil Body Cream, which has elevated our self-care experience, and the Fenty Beauty Pro Filter Hydrating Primer.
Pat McGrath Labs
Created by: Pat McGrath
One of the most influential makeup artists of our time is Pat McGrath. She has worked with every major designer and model in the business and was the mastermind behind Dior’s DiorShow mascara. Naturally, when she announced she would be entering the beauty world with her own makeup line, everyone went wild.
We still remember the thrill of receiving Pat McGrath’s inaugural beauty pouch in the mail all the way back in 2015. Cased in a metallic pink pouch and filled with pink sequence we still have on display to-this-day, it was one of the most exciting things we ever received.
Our Hero Products: FetishEyesTM Lengthening Mascara and the brand’s signature product, MatteTranceTM Lipstick.
Ami Colé
Created by: Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye
Ami Colé is a beauty line formulated specifically for those with melanin-rich skin. The brand first launched with three items: skin tint, highlighter and lip oil, but has since expanded into more beauty with mascara, powder and concealer that is available in sheer hues. Ideal for creating a no-makeup makeup look.
We were first introduced to the brand through Chrissy Rutherford. As huge fans of her beauty looks, naturally, once she claimed it was a favourite, we had to try it out.
Our Hero Products: Of course the lip tint that Chrissy originally introduced us too, and the skin-enhancing tint.
KNC Beauty
Created by: Kristen Noel Crawley
We would be utterly surprised if we were to learn you have not yet heard of KNC Beauty. Instagram’s favourite lip mask is everywhere, from social media to your favourite high-end beauty retailers like Net-A-Porter and Violet Grey. We always keep a packet or two of the lip mask handy in our bathroom top drawer in case our lips are ever in need of some softening and light plumping.
Our Hero Products: The brands lip masks and famous retinol-infused eye masks are TS must-haves. The Supa Balm has gotten our lips through even the coldest of winters.
Oui the People
Founded by: Karen Young
If you haven’t figured it out by now, we are all about self-care here at TS. Oui the People is a brand that is all about indulging in body care and some me-time. With bath soaks, razors and amazing candles, a quick shop at Oui the People will have you cancelling plans and opting for a night in.
Our Hero Products: Hydrating Body Gloss that is getting us through this dry winter, used in conjunction with the Cream Body Polish.
Briogeo
Created by: Nancy Twine
Briogeo is a brand of clean haircare products we never realized we were missing. To say we can’t live without our Briogeo hair products would be an understatement. The brands never fail to disappoint, and we can’t walk by a new product we have yet to try – you better believe we are going to try it.
Our Hero Products: The B.Well Organic + Cold-Pressed 100% castor oil that has changed our hair texture for the better, the Briogeo scalp brush.
SheaMoisture
Created by: Richelieu Dennis
On the topic of haircare, we do credit our hair revolution to SheaMoisture. The SheaMoisture brand is the legacy of Sofi Tucker, a mother of four and entrepreneur from Sierra Leone. Today, the brand continues to formulate with Shea Butter handcrafted by women in Africa, and promises no sulphates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, animal testing or petrolatum in their products.
Our Hero Products: The brands shea butter shampoo and conditioner has made our curls much more controlled, and the curl cream is the first step to hair styling post-shower. We also are huge fans of their 100% extra virgin coconut oil for our skin in these harsh winer months and for our hair when it’s in need of a little extra love.
Pattern Beauty
Created by: Tracee Ellis Ross
In our books, Tracee Ellis Ross can do no wrong. With Pattern Beauty, the actor aimed to create a hair brand that was not about ‘taming’ or ‘controlling’ curls, but enhancing them. The brand has achieved this through super hydrating shampoos, wide tooth combs and their newly released blow dryer, all sold at an affordable price point.
Our Hero Products: The Heat Protectant that is weightless, and keeps our hair healthy against heat styling, as well as the Detangling Nectar and the Tortoise Tool Kit that looks chic AF sitting on our counters or spilling out of our handbags.
Adwoa Beauty
Founded by: Julian Addo
One of the more current trends in hair care is scalp care. Hair care brand, Adwoa Beauty has been championing scalp care long before. All formulations are clean and gender-neutral and aimed specially to the care of kinky, curly and wavy hair textures. Their inaugural Boamint Collection starts with a healthy scalp to sustain healthy hair growth.
Our Hero Products: Our absolute favourite item from the brands lineup is the Baomint Protect + Shine Oil Blend.
