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13 Black-Owned Makeup Brands Team Byrdie Can’t Get Enough Of
Courtesy of Brands / Byrdie
When Aurora James launched the Fifteen Percent Pledge in 2020, the rationale was straightforward: Black people comprise 15% of the U.S. population. So shouldn’t Black-owned brands occupy 15% of the shelf space at major retailers? It became the question that launched (several) billion dollars—literally. According to the Fifteen Percent Pledge website, since James’ initial Instagram post, over 28 retailers have taken the pledge, resulting in $14 billion of revenue for Black-owned brands.
If you’re looking to adopt the pledge on your own vanity, you’ve got plenty of options. Black-owned makeup brands including Fenty Beauty, Pat McGrath Labs, Danessa Myricks, and many others consistently move the industry forward with game-changing offerings. Looking for some recommendations? I asked my fellow beauty editors to help me compile a list of must-have picks from their favorite Black-owned makeup brands. Read on for what they shared.
Ami Colé
Ami Colé
Founded by Senegalese-American beauty industry vet Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye in 2021, Ami Colé quickly garnered an enthusiastic following, thanks to its effective, easy-to-use products housed in sleek, minimalist packaging. “Ami Colé’s Lip Treatment Oil is one of the brand’s first products, and I’ve been in love with the formula since I first swiped it on my lips years ago,” says editor Olivia Hancock. “This lip oil is incredibly conditioning, as it’s made with baobab seed oil, camellia seed oil, and passion fruit seed oil. Plus, it leaves my lips with a gorgeous gloss and wash of color (Excellence and Bliss are my favorite shades).”
Black Opal
Amazon
Black Opal is one of the first companies I think of when people ask me about affordable, accessible brands for experimenting with makeup. The Precision Eye Definer, with shades including purple and cobalt blue, is great for graphic eye looks. The True Color Skin Perfecting Stick Foundation comes in over 20 shades (definitely on the higher end for drugstore brands)—perfect for contouring and highlighting tan-to-deep skin tones.
Danessa Myricks
Sephora
The eponymous brand created by makeup artist Danessa Myricks might be best known for its pigment-packed multi-use products, but trust us: The complexion offerings are pretty next-level, too. “If you asked me about Danessa Myricks Beauty I would say, ‘It’s a great beauty brand.’ If you asked me on a deeper level, I’d say, it’s one of the most innovative, deep-skin-tone-, beginner- (and advanced-) friendly makeup brands I’ve come to know and love,” says social media editor Jasmine Phillips. “There’s a reason why the products go viral-and trust me, the hype is real. I live by the entire Yummy Skin collection, but there’s something so special about the Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder. It blurs the skin and leaves a beautiful finish unlike any other product I’ve ever used. Danessa deserves all of her flowers.”
Fashion Fair
Fashion Fair
Fashion Fair’s legacy is about as heritage as it gets: Created by Eunice Johnson—founder of the iconic Ebony Fashion Fair and co-founder, with her husband, of Ebony magazine—in 1973, it was one of the first cosmetic brands specializing in darker tones to go international. Former Johnson Publishing execs Desiree Rogers and Cheryl Mayberry-McKissack took the reins about six years ago and gave the brand a 21st-century revamp. But they knew better than to mess with a great thing; specifically, the lipstick with such a strong reputation, it’s literally called Iconic. The beloved shade Chocolate Raspberry, a shimmery blue-based magenta, is a must-try.
Fenty Beauty
Courtesy of Sephora
The brand that broke the internet, Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty wasn’t some flash in the pan—eight years after launching, fans still stock up on faves like Gloss Bomb and clamor for new drops. When the brand debuted, the Pro Filt’r Foundation and its expansive shade range made headlines; in the years since it’s become a veritable classic. “This is hands down the best full-coverage foundation I’ve ever tried. It provides the perfect amount of buildable full coverage in just a few pumps with a perfect natural matte finish. It comes in 50 shades that offer a range of hues for warm, cool, and neutral skin tones,” says social media director Star Donaldson. “I always get the most compliments when wearing this foundation, and as an acne-prone person, I can also happily attest to the fact that it is non-comedogenic—so I can wear it day after day without worrying about breakouts. If there’s a better foundation out there, I haven’t met her.”
Juvia’s Place
Amazon
Another brand perfect for experimenting with color without breaking the bank, Juvia’s Place offers products that just scream “joy.” While I personally love playing with the eyeshadow palettes, the internet is particularly fond of the Blushed Liquid Blushlighters, and we get it. “After seeing a ton of TikTok reviews, I knew I had to try this product,” says Phillips. “The level of pigment and blendability this blush offers is unmatched: I remember going a little overboard when I first used this product because I had no idea a little would go such a long way on my deep skin tone. This blush blends beautifully and gives my skin extra radiance.”
Keys Soulcare
Amazon
While Alice Keys’ Keys Soulcare might be best known for its skincare, the makeup is an absolute must for anyone looking for natural, effortless ways to enhance their glow. “Keys Soulcare’s Sheer Flush Cheek Tint is an award-winning product for a reason. The creamy formula is buildable, blendable, and downright beautiful,” says Hancock. “Applying it to my cheeks gives them such a dewy, gorgeous pop of color. But aside from delivering pigment, this cheek tint imparts moisture into your skin: It’s made with soothing sunflower seed oil, vitamin E, and castor seed oil. I love all the shades (there are eight!), but I use Enigmatic, a brick hue, and Powerful, a raspberry red, the most.”
Pat McGrath Labs
Sephora
After years of creating iconic beauty looks for fashion shows and editorials—truly pushing the boundaries of what makeup can be—Dame Pat McGrath launched Pat McGrath Labs about a decade ago. “It’s impossible to fully articulate Pat McGrath’s impact as a makeup artist, and her creativity and singular vision make her a personal hero of mine,” says news editor Bella Cacciatore. “Pat McGrath Labs packages her signature glowing skin and opulent touches. The Divine Cream Blush: Legendary Glow Color Balm is a daily favorite for a dewy flush of color, and if I’m in the mood for glitter there’s no beating her gorgeous eye palettes.”
Range Beauty
Sephora
Alicia Scott’s Range Beauty, launched in 2018, is a complexion-oriented brand designed with sensitive skin in mind. “Anyone who is acne- or eczema-prone knows that finding makeup products that won’t irritate your skin is no easy task—that was until Range Beauty, of course,” says editor Adelaide Giesey. “The derm-approved brand keeps those with sensitive skin in mind in every formula. My personal favorite product is the True Intentions Hydrating Primer. It has the perfect thick consistency that calms and hydrates the skin and is packed with hero ingredients such as vitamin E, glycerin, and sodium PCA.”
The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar
“Team Byrdie loves a good lip combo, and I am no exception. The Lip Bar has stellar products for your every need in this regard,” says associate editor Ali Webb. “Founder Melissa Butler started her brand in response to much of the industry’s shades not being inclusive enough, and the result is a line of products that pop on a wide range of skin tones without skimping on quality. I’m a big fan of the glosses, which come in sheer and color-rich versions and keep lips moisturized as they add shine, but the brand offers everything from lipsticks to oils to liners. Plus, it’s expanded across skincare and makeup over the years.”
WYN Beauty
WYN Beauty
Founded by Serena Williams in 2024, WYN Beauty specializes in under-$30 makeup designed to provide sweat-proof, smudge-free wear, on the court and off. The line offers a variety of eye, lip, and face products, all housed in tennis-ball green packaging. Standouts include the Big Vision Lengthening & Defining Tubing Mascara and the Glideline Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner; in her review of the brand, Hancock said of the latter: “I’ve used this liner several times to create sharp cat-eye looks like Williams—and I’m in awe of the results each time.”
LYS Beauty
LYS Beauty
Founded by makeup artist and beauty industry vet Tisha Thompson, LYS Beauty is associated with convenient, easy-to-use color cosmetics products—particularly its instantly recognizable complexion sticks. “I was first introduced to LYS Beauty through their viral No Limits Cream Bronzer Stick. The triangle packaging and creamy formula blended like a dream, unlike some other contour sticks,” says Giesey. “But it’s the Triple Fix Blurring Skin Tint Foundation Stick that found its way into my permanent routine. It has all the same redeeming qualities of the bronzer but with an all-in-one serum, primer, and foundation formula. It’s perfect for swiping on touch-ups throughout the day and feels weightless on the skin.”
Tonal Cosmetics
Tonal Cosmetics
Cosmetic chemist Christal Alert snagged a spot in the 2025 Sephora Accelerate program for her sun protection-centric brand. The Sunveil Skin Defense Foundation is its first product drop, and if future offerings follow suit—we’re intrigued. “I never saw SPF-infused makeup as particularly sexy, until I tried this foundation from Tonal Cosmetics,” says associate content editor Derek Deng. “It’s hydrating, it’s buildable, and it provides just enough coverage—not to mention the packaging is gorgeous.”
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