In the fall of 2019, Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng decided to forgo their plans of applying to medical school and instead sought out to build a skincare line catering to BIPOC consumers with chronic skin issues. Topicals, a science-backed skincare brand features products such as the Like Butter Kit ($83), a hydrating mask and mist which helps soothe sensitive, stressed-out skin and treats eczema. They also have their High Roller Ingrown Tonic ($31) which is the perfect solution for anyone dealing with irritation caused by pesky razor bumps.

Founded by Tisha Thompson, LYS Beauty is proud to be Sephora’s first Black-owned clean colour cosmetics brand. Following a skin-first approach and a strict formula guideline, Thompson has dedicated years of intimately studying beauty consumers with a focus on people of colour and an intent on filling gaps in the market of clean products, shade offerings, undertones, marketing representation and more. To enhance the skin’s natural complexion, try their Triple Fix Serum Foundation ($29). It also pairs well with the Secure Skin Gripping Serum Primer ($33), which is packed with niacinamide, ginger root, lemon and grapefruit extracts to visibly minimize the look of pores and excess oil for a flawless base.

Founded by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, Beauty Stat Cosmetics is a science-driven and result focused skincare brand committed to creating the highest-quality and most effective beauty solutions for all skin types. The brand’s all-star product Universal C Skin Refiner ($102), is a stabilized Vitamin C formulated to provide brighter, firmer and more even-looking skin.

Dr. Gio Cosmetics is a Korean beauty brand who centres their makeup around consumers with darker skin tones. The brand was founded by Nigerian woman, Grace Ijeoma Okafor, who moved to Korea in 2015. During her stay, Okafor noticed a lack of diversity in complexion products. Leading her to kick off her own K-beauty brand with the Ultra 7 Brightening Foundation Cushion ($45), a buildable light-weight foundation that comes in six brown-friendly shades.

Shanea Forbes created Neabeauty because she struggled with dry skin. After many trials and tribulations, she found shea butter to be the only thing that relieved her skin issues. Now she uses this and other natural ingredients as the foundation for her colourful and decadent body-care line. Sample Forbes’ products individually or all at once with the Big Daddy Body Bundle ($84), which features a foaming sugar scrub, a nourishing body butter and a sweet body oil – all handmade in Canada using simple ingredients like shea butter, jojoba and coconut oil.

Renowned hair care expert and founder of Shouts Natural Hair Care, Nahomy Shouts created her innovative hair care brand as a solution for women to save time while looking their best. Their Hair Growth Pomade ($35) is a quick fix to keep your hair detangled while encouraging hair growth. Double down with the Tamanu Growth Serum ($38), loaded with vitamins and proteins like cold-pressed tamanu oil, hibiscus, tea tree oil, marshmallow root leaves and vitamin E to stimulate healthy hair growth.

While this Black-owned Australian hair care line was created by Maeva Heim in 2020, Heim traces the beginnings of her curl-care brand back to the 90s—when she would watch her mom plait various curly textures at her salon. To soften your strands while adding a semi-defined hold, we suggest adding BREAD’s hair-cream ($36) to your next wash day routine.

Self-taught makeup artist Danessa Myricks, founded her namesake makeup line with the principle that race, gender, age and personal style shouldn’t prevent anyone from experimenting with makeup and discovering their signature look. For instance, the Waterproof Cream Palettes ($46) featuring six bold pigments can be used alone for eyes, cheeks, lips or be mixed with complexion products, shadows, pigments or with liners. Similar methods can be applied towards their bestselling Colorfix 24-Hour Color ($23), a glossy transparent hybrid cream glaze typically used on the lips or on the eyelids.

This brand is created by Dr. Anne Beal, a physician researcher whose effective formulas for skin health leave consumers with ageless looking skin. Absolute Joi’s products calm and nourish skin while helping with dark marks, aging and sensitivity. For a total skin care treatment addressing anti-aging needs for your complexion, add the Skin Refining Night Oil with Retinol ($73) to your night time routine.

Karen Young, founder of the conscious razor and personal care brand, initially developed Oui The People to create a more enjoyable shaving experience for women. This came after Young spent years of her life dealing with her own unpleasantries of razor burns and ingrown hair. For a smoother shaving experience, try The Bare With Me Set ($191) which includes a rose gold razor, a moisturizing shave gel-to-milk and cheat sheet – a resurfacing body serum.

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