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It’s no secret that the beauty industry has a long history of overlooking women of color, especially Black women. It’s still newsworthy when a beauty brand unveils a truly inclusive shade range — something that should simply be the industry standard.
No amount of concealer can cover up the fact that many beauty brands owned by people of color are missing from major retailers. But Sephora hopes to change that.
Right now, Sephora sells 36 beauty brands owned by people of color — seven of which are Black-owned and founded, according to a Sephora spokesperson. In total, Sephora carries nearly 300 beauty brands.
“We know we can do better,” the spokesperson told HuffPost Finds in an email.
The beauty retailer is putting its money where its lip-lined mouth is, becoming one of the first brands to commit to the “15% Pledge” — a movement that calls on major retailers to commit 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses because Black people make up 15% of the U.S. population.
The ”15% Pledge” social initiative was spurred by Aurora James, founder of the sustainable footwear brand Brother Vellies.
Sephora is just one of many beauty brands dealing with calls to action over Black Lives Matter, including Glossier and Ulta.
Earlier this month, Sephora announced it had donated $1 million to organizations that fight racial injustice. Sephora also gave Beauty Insiders — those devout beauty shoppers who accumulate points with every Sephora purchase — the ability to turn those points into a donation to the National Black Justice Coalition.
If you’re a beauty lover and want to do your part in supporting the Black community, buying from Black-owned beauty brands is an easy way to redistribute the wealth.
Though many beauty brands founded by folks of color carry products that cater to the needs of women of color, they also carry products that can — and should! — be used by anyone and everyone.
You might already be familiar with a few Black-owned beauty brands such as Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Pat McGrath Labs, but what are the other ones you should follow?
To find out, we spoke with Sephora Beauty Director Myiesha Sewell, who shared some of her favorite Black-owned beauty products at Sephora. (Spoiler: She shares the secret to your quarantine-skin struggles).
Below, Sephora Beauty Director Myiesha Sewell’s favorite Black-owned beauty products at Sephora.