The black beauty and hair industry is experiencing an exciting renaissance. Now more than ever, black women are stepping up and taking on the role of CEO of a global beauty brand centered around black women. We also offer a range of effective color-her palettes and hair products for women of all shades and hair types, from kinky-her curls in super-z formations to bone-her-straight. bunch. Black women are creating beauty brands centered around products free of harmful toxins and focused on skin and hair health.
The holidays are the perfect time to upgrade your beauty products. Black Girl Nerds have you covered. Here are five of our favorite makeup and hair companies owned by black women.
mented cosmetics
Mented Cosmetics is, in a nutshell, great. My favorite item, the foundation stick, has a nice light consistency, provides full coverage, and is vegan and cruelty-free. I have. I love the bronzer and when applied with a large brush it gives a nice golden finish that brightens up the natural highlights of my skin. The lipstick is amazingly moisturizing and makes lips look luscious. The eyeshadow palette has colors that can be used from work to the club. This makeup line is high quality and affordable.
Mented also has nice and adorable individual blushes, eyeliners, and mascaras, all of which are lightweight and naturally enhance your features. And best of all, Mented Cosmetics products wash off cleanly with no residue. If you’re ordering online from Mentedcosmetics.com, you get free returns if you order anything that doesn’t work.
Mented Cosmetics was founded in 2017 by KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson. Miller and Johnson met at her Harvard Business School, hit it off, and decided to work together when they came up with a great retail idea. Miller and Johnson talked about how the beauty industry left black women out. That’s what inspired me to create Mented Her Cosmetics, which offers a makeup line with products for all skin tones and tones. Mented Cosmetics is now my favorite makeup brand, so I appreciate what they have done for me.
Known to natural-haired blacks in the Houston area for years, Uncle Funky’s Daughter was created in 2009 by Tonya Goff.
According to an interview with NaturallyCurly.com, Uncle Funky’s Daughter was acquired by Renee Rhoten Morris in 2014. Interesting story, she was considering a career change and stopped by Uncle Funky’s daughter’s retail store to buy butter to twist her hair, eventually ending up with one of her co-owners. Tonya, who is chatting with her Goff husband. The couple divorced and considered closing the business, but Roten Morris bought the brand, and she shared original recipes for the brand’s most popular products, including the Original Curly Magic Curl Her Stimulator. We have revived and added additional products to our product line.
When I ran out of hair products in Colorado, I discovered Uncle Funky’s Daughter. My hair is very dry and when I went to Walgreens in Denver, they had one of hers travel size Ultimate Her Curly Girls her kit. This includes Midnight Train Leave-In Conditioner, Curly Magic Curl Stimulator, Thirsty Curl’s Leave-In Curl Revitalizer, Super Curl Miracle Moisture Cream and Extra Butter Brilliant Shine Cream in travel sizes. I bought it because it was the only travel size for black hair at the drugstore. I was not disappointed. All the products smell divine, my dry hair was satisfied with the conditioner and butter, leaving my hair soft and supple.
You can find Uncle Funky’s Daughter on Amazon and various drug stores nationwide, but we love to buy it online directly from Unclefunkysdaughter.com. Website prices are a bit lower. Get exclusive discounts and travel-sized gift packs of a variety of products from each line. Uncle Funky’s Daughter has products for all hair types.
BLK/OPL & fashion fair
Black Opal Cosmetics was acquired by Desiree Rogers and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack and rebranded to BLK/OPL. Rogers and McKissack are co-owners of the iconic brand.
First, let’s talk about BLK/OPL. After 25 years of non-black ownership, I love that Black Opal has been acquired by her two Black female CEOs. Rebranding is fire. BLK/OPL not only has a full line of cruelty-free, dermatologist-approved makeup, but also a skin care line. All for less than $15. The BLK/OPL makeup line is affordable and features a diverse color palette for different skin types. This line is perfect for anyone wanting quality makeup and skincare at an affordable price.
Rogers and Mayberry McKissack are talented co-owners who combine decades of experience in the black beauty industry. When they bought a fashion fair, they had to put together a team to meet the needs of the 21st century consumer. Fashion fairs are now completely vegan and cruelty-free. Fashion fair prices are slightly higher than her BLK/OPL, and all the iconic colors her mother and grandmother wore are back. The Fashion Fair make-up has been upgraded to feel more stately than the original brand and is well worth the price if your budget allows.
nourishment and shine and curl to go
Nourish & Shine is a hair care line formerly known as Jane Carter Solutions. This brand is worth seeking out. Free of drying parabens, sulfates, and cruelty-free, Nourish & Shine is a line of natural hair and skincare that makes hair look and feel amazing.
The Curls to Go line is great for tightly curly curls. A small amount will moisturize the entire scalp. Favorite products include Restorative Butter, which smells like hair heaven, and the ultra-rich Curl Cocktail Styling Cream. A little use of these products will leave your hair silky, light and nourished.
This holiday season, treat yourself with the gift of beauty while supporting five black woman-owned fab businesses.
