The fashion and beauty businesses ignored black beauty for many years. About the only foundation matches you could find were “mocha” and “chocolate,” and both of them made you look gray.
But things are changing now. In fashion and makeup, “Black beauty” is more than just adding a few more shades to a shelf or putting one model on a runway. It’s about changing everything about what people think of as “standard.”
The Roots: The “Black is Beautiful” Movement
Let’s take a moment to honor the past before we talk about Sephora stores. The idea of Black beauty as an ideal didn’t come up in a boardroom. In the 1960s, it began in the streets.
- Political Statement: The “Black is Beautiful” movement wasn’t just about vanity. It was a rejection of Eurocentric standards that had been forced on the community for centuries.
- Kwame Brathwaite: You cannot talk about this without mentioning the Grandassa Models. They wore their hair naturally and skipped the skin bleaches that were popular at the time.
- Identity Reclamation: It was about saying, “My nose, my lips, and my skin are valid.” This set the groundwork for everything we see today.
The thing is, fashion magazines didn’t pay attention to this for a long time. They thought it was just a trend and not a real thing. But the society didn’t give up.
The “Fenty Effect”: A Wake-Up Call for Cosmetics
Let’s jump ahead to 2017. You already know what happened if you read beauty news. When Rihanna released Fenty Beauty, everyone in the business went crazy.
Why? Since she didn’t just put out a “dark” shade. She dropped 40 shades.
- The 40-Shade Standard: Before this, brands claimed it was “too expensive” to make a wide range. Fenty proved that it was a lie.
- Undertones Matter: It wasn’t just about darkness; it was about undertones. Red, olive, neutral—Black skin is complex.
- The Scramble: Suddenly, every major legacy brand was scrambling to expand its lines. We call this the “Fenty Effect.”
To be clear, this has been done for decades by Black-owned businesses like Fashion Fair. But the big business world needed a $1 billion slap in the face to wake up.
Hair Politics
When talking about what “Black beauty” means in fashion and makeup, hair has to come up. The bar for professionals for a long time was “straight.” People who had coils or bands were “unkempt.”
That is changing, but the battle isn’t over.
- The CROWN Act: Legislation is actually being passed to stop discrimination based on hair texture. That tells you how deep this issue goes.
- Textured Hair Education: Stylists are finally learning how to cut and style afro-textured hair in school. Before? You had to bring your own products to a set.
- Versatility: We are seeing braids, locs, and afros on red carpets. It is no longer just for the weekend; it is high fashion.
Some models had to do their own hair in the bathroom before a show because the “top stylists” didn’t know what to do with it. This is something I read. That’s not okay, and thankfully, it’s happening less often.
Representation in High Fashion
All of us have seen the “token” Black girl in the ads. Most of the time, she has light skin and curls in the back of her hair. Brands used to feel safe when they did that.
Now, people all over the range want real representation.
The Shift in Casting
- Darker Complexions: Models like Anok Yai and Adut Akech are dominating. They aren’t being lightened in post-production.
- Features: Broad noses and full lips are being highlighted, not contoured away.
- Behind the Camera: This is crucial. We are finally seeing Black photographers and makeup artists. You can tell the difference in the final photo.
It’s not the same when a Black photographer shoots a Black figure. It doesn’t look flat; the skin glows. That technical understanding is part of how the standard of beauty is changing.
The Economic Reality
Don’t be too trusting. Brands aren’t doing this because they want to. They checked the amounts.
- Buying Power: Black consumers outspend other groups in hair and beauty products by a significant margin.
- Brand Loyalty: If a brand matches your shade perfectly, you stay with them for life.
- Social Media Influence: Black creators on TikTok and Instagram drive trends. If they boycott a brand, that brand feels it.
When it comes to fashion and beauty products, “Black beauty” also means “economic power.” It’s going from “begging for inclusion” to “demanding respect for the dollar.”
Colorism
This needs to be fixed. Colorism is still a big problem in fashion, even though things have changed.
- The “Safe” Black: Brands still prefer lighter-skinned models for commercial beauty campaigns.
- Featurism: You will often see darker-skinned models, but only if they have Eurocentric features (thin nose, small lips).
- Filter Culture: Social media filters often lighten skin and slim noses, reinforcing old standards.
This is still where the business fails. To truly include everyone, you have to celebrate all of their colors and traits, not just the ones that white people like.
Ingredients and Formulation Science
What’s inside the jar is more important than the color of the fruit.
- Hyperpigmentation: Skincare lines are finally addressing issues common in melanin-rich skin without using harsh bleaching agents.
- Sunscreen: For years, sunscreen has left a purple or white cast on Black skin. Now, we have clear and gel-based formulas, shoutout to Black Girl Sunscreen.
- Moisture: Hair products are moving away from mineral oils and towards natural butters that actually penetrate the hair shaft.
This is the study of including everyone and seeing that different types of hair and skin have different chemical needs.
Why This Matters for Everyone?
You might be wondering, “Why does the meaning of Black beauty in fashion and cosmetics matter to me if I’m not Black?”
Here is the answer: It raises the bar for everyone.
- Better Formulas: When brands focus on high-performance products for specific needs, the quality goes up across the board.
- Cultural Richness: We get to see a wider variety of art, style, and expression.
- Empathy: It forces us to look at our own biases and what we consider “beautiful.”
Conclusion
In fashion and beauty products, “Black beauty” has changed from a call for visibility to a desire for fair treatment. Don’t think this is just a movement that will go away in a year.
Is the business world perfect? Without a doubt, not. There is still a performative protest going on. During Black History Month, some brands still only post photos of black models.
However, if we compare where we were ten years ago to where we are now, we can see that we have made progress. More people are meeting the new standards of beauty, which lets everyone in.
FAQs
Why is the “Black is Beautiful” campaign important?
In the 1960s, there was a change in culture that made Eurocentric ideas about beauty seem less valid. As a political and physical statement, it told Black men and women to love their natural hair, skin, and features.
What changes have happened in the cosmetics business for Black people?
Since 2017, the number of shades of foundations and concealers has grown by a huge amount. Also, skin care products are being made just for melanin-rich skin problems like acne and dryness.
What does the “Fenty Effect” mean?
This word refers to the effect that Rihanna’s release of 40 foundation shades had on the whole business. Other brands had to broaden their lines to include more products or risk being taken off the market.
What’s the deal with hair discrimination in fashion?
In the past, Black hair that was grown out was seen as “unprofessional” or “messy.” Laws against discrimination, like the CROWN Act, and a trend toward natural hair are helping to fight these kinds of attitudes in the workplace and on the catwalk.
