Sensing a way to use this trend (and their large online following) to boost an important social cause, YouTube makeup artists Alyssa Forever, Alissa Ashley, and Jackie Aina decided to start the “Black-Owned Makeup Brands (BOMB) Challenge” on each of their channels, and are daring other YouTubers to join in. As Aina said in her video, “If you can slather on a hundred different highlighters on your face…I don’t really see how far-fetched it is to ask someone who’s not black to support black beauty brands.” Aina encouraged non-black YouTubers in particular to participate in the challenge, so that the challenge could bring awareness of black-owned beauty brands to as broad an audience as possible. As she and fellow BOMB creators mentioned in their respective videos, people of all ethnicities use makeup from white-owned brands every day; why can’t using products from black- and minority-owned lines become a part of the norm too? If you are interested in participating the challenge, or you’re just looking for some bomb black-owned beauty brands, keep reading.

Coloured Raine Cosmetics

Coloured Raine Cosmetics is a cruelty-free line with a focus on eyes, lips, and nails. Their eyeshadows are frequently featured in YouTube makeup star NikkieTutorials’ videos, but the company is best known for their bold liquid lipsticks. The whole collection boasts highly pigmented shades in an array of high-shine and ultra-matte finishes. Coloured Raine was founded in 2013 by Loraine, who used her business-savvy background to “create a cosmetic line that encouraged self-expression and diversity.” You can find the brand on their website and in select beauty stores, as well as on their increasingly popular (and pretttttttyjj)  Instagram and Twitter.

 

MDMflow

MDMflow combines makeup and ‘90s/early ‘00s hip-hop into one glamorous collection. The line currently includes a carefully curated variety of matte liquid lipsticks, traditional bullets, and a volumizing mascara. Florence Adepoju, now 24, started MDMflow at 22, after graduating from the London College of Fashion with a specialized cosmetic chemistry degree. The brand was named after Adepoju’s nickname, Madame Flow, and started out as a small but promising project in her parents’ shed. Now, though the lipsticks are still handmade by Madame Flow herself, the brand is stocked by massive fashion retailers such as Topshop, Colette, and Nasty Gal.

Ginger + Liz Colour Collection

If you’re not into makeup, but you love to paint and pamper your nails, you may want to give the polishes from Ginger + Liz Colour Collection a go. The line is “hypoallergenic, toxin free, and vegan friendly,” and created by two friends, Ginger Johnson and Liz Pickett, in 2010. The ladies’ inspiration for the brand came about when they realized the lack of unique and fully opaque colors in their personal polish collections, as well as the allergic reactions they’d suffered from all the harsh chemicals in standard polishes. Ginger + Liz nail products are now sold online and in a variety of beauty stores, including retail giant Ulta Beauty.

 

KA’OIR Cosmetics

KA’OIR Cosmetics is best known for their bold, punchy lipsticks, which are available in virtually every color and finish you could imagine, from stark white and glittery gold to baby blue and rich red. The line was created by model Keyshia Ka’oir, who used her knowledge of the fashion and entertainment industries, as well as her love of bold colors, to build a makeup brand that “stand[s] out from the rest.” KA’OIR Cosmetics is not tested on animals, and is sold exclusively through the brand’s website.

Whether or not you choose to participate in the BOMB beauty challenge, you or any cosmetic devotees in your life can show these black-female-owned businesses some support. For more black-owned beauty businesses, check out this list.

Have you ever used any of the above brands? Share your favorite products, or drop the names of other black-owned cosmetic companies below!

Cover image courtesy of Getty Images.

By Ariel Wodarcyk on August 4, 2016
Ariel is a contributing writer for Helloflo. She is currently studying journalism at the Newhouse School of Syracuse University, and is an intern at Arts Council Napa Valley, a nonprofit arts adovacy agency. Her writing has been feautured on the Arts Council Napa Valley blog, FLURT, Naturma, and in the Napa Valley Register. You can find Ariel’s shameless self-promotion and newsy shares on Twitter.