I wish I could say I achieved VIB status at Sephora by building the most perfect makeup collection
one could ever ask for, but alas—as a mixed-race, medium-toned Latinx, a lot of time and money
was spent on buying lipstick that I’d only ever seen swatched on white women. Needless to say, they
either washed me out or made me look like a fool, and that’s when I knew it was time to find some
quality makeup brands aimed at people of color. So if you’re reading this, today is your lucky day,
because I’m passing along some of my favorites so that you can save yourself from the heartbreak
that is spending $22 on the wrong shade of Urban Decay.
Founded by none other than international model Iman, Iman Cosmetics is probably the
most well-known makeup line intended for women of color. They have a really thorough
way of finding the perfect makeup for your skin tone, and you can find their line in
drugstores at affordable prices.
Speaking of affordable, COVERGIRL has a line specifically aimed at women with darker skin. You can mostly find it in Target, drugstore.com, and some Walmarts.
One of my personal favorites, Black Opal was created by people of color for people of
color. Not only is the line affordable, but they have a “Find Your Shade” section similar to
Iman Cosmetics’, as well as shaving products for men. It looks like they’re developing an
affordable haircare line aimed at—you guessed it!—the haircare needs of people of color. As
if all of this wasn’t cool enough, Black Opal also awards scholarships to young women.
Sacha carries some of the most extensive beauty products I’ve seen, and the prices range
from below $10 to $50 depending on what you’re looking for. Their skincare products are also known for being long-lasting and weather-resistant, and their lipsticks have intense color
payoff.
Although Colourpop isn’t exclusively aimed at people of color, I thought I’d include it
because it’s one of my absolute favorite makeup brands. Not only are all of the lipsticks sold
alongside matching lip liners, but most of them are swatched on both light and dark skin, and their color payoff is strong and long-lasting. There’s also about a million different shades
of lipstick and eyeshadow you can try. The best part? Everything is cruelty-free and only $5.
On the higher end side of makeup, black|Up cosmetics was created specifically with Black
and mixed women in mind. With over 18 shades of foundation, ultra-pigmented
eyeshadows, and 30 shades of matte and glossy lipsticks, I can see why their prices rival
Sephora’s.
Fashion Fair is another line with a wide range of beauty and skincare products for a variety
of skin tones, although it was created with the needs of Black women in mind. Two of my
favorite products are the oily and dry skin travel kits, perfect for when traveling on airplanes
takes a toll on your skin. Their prices are also comparable to most of the brands sold at
Sephora.
Cruelty-free, all-natural, hypo-allergenic, and non-comedogenic (meaning your skin won’t
break out). They don’t have a lot of products listed on their site, but the ones they do have are magic.
I love the inspiration behind Hue Noir—the CEO, Paula Hayes, is a Black woman who
worked as a product development chemist and loved makeup. After having difficulty finding
makeup for darker skin tones, she established Hue Noir, a higher end makeup line that is
also organic and biodegradable. You can save the environment and look hot af while doing
so. Again, you’re welcome.
