If 2020 has taught us one thing about the beauty space, it’s that we’re still a long way away from true inclusivity and representation.
The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement this year saw protesters take to the streets globally to pledge themselves to the fight of dismantling systemic racism and white supremacy.
Black and Indigenous People of Colour were also given the space to address how racism inevitably trickles into the beauty industry and the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses.
Watch: Children in the Indigenous communities of the Kimberley, Western Australia, tell us what they aspire to be. Post continues below.
When it comes to continuing and preserving the Black Lives Matter conversation, the fight needs to happen way beyond a hashtag or a #BlackoutTuesday Instagram post on your feed.
An actionable way to support the Black Community is by buying black and adding black beauty brands to your repertoire.
If you’re unsure where to start, here’s a list of some of my favourite Black-owned beauty brands. Bookmark them as you go and next time you run out of a product and think about heading to your local Priceline, remember some of these gems.
Bush Medijina
The Warningakalina women behind this business say it was born from the desire to address the need to build culture and positively impact the livelihoods of women and children in their Groote Eylandt communities.
Governed by an all-female board of which 80 per cent are Indigenous Australian, the amazing women harvest native botanicals just as their ancestors did to meticulously handcraft a range of body butters, balms, soaps and more.
By purchasing Bush Medjina products you’re directly investing into Aboriginal culture, preserving cultural knowledge and also supporting the wellbeing of Warningakalina women.
Follow their Instagram for behind the scenes content and shop their range of beauty products via the Bush Medjina website.
Bread Beauty Supply
This brand was founded by Melbourne's Maeva Heim, whose passion is to combat lack of representation and diversity in the beauty industry. Her determination got Bread Beauty Supply noticed by Sephora USA (we love an Aussie success story)!
Specialising in making hair care basics for “not so basic hair”, the range of hair wash, hair mask and hair oils are categorised in curl types 3a (looser curls) to 4c (tighter coils).
“I fundamentally believe that if we all recognise and acknowledge our own biases and act to correct them, it will open the door for incredible change,” says Maeva in an interview with Business Chicks.
Bread and Beauty Supply is currently sold exclusively by Sephora USA, but the team is working diligently on offering international shipping so watch this space. In the meantime, follow their Instagram to diversify your feed.
Lowanna Skincare
If there's one thing Lowanna Skincare specialises in, it's products that sell out super fast! South Australian woman Sinead Vandenbroek, the brand's owner and founder, is a proud descendant of the Narungga people of the Yorke Peninsula region. Her brand is only four months old, and it's already been met with loads of love.
Lowanna Beauty currently offers four skincare staples: their Everyday Cleanser, Everyday Moisturiser, Everyday Eye Cream and Green Clay Exfoliating Mask. You can also purchase sample sizes of all the above products - a perfect way to try the entire range.
The products, each with a unique composition and benefits, are formulated with natural, plant-based, native ingredients including ylang-ylang for oil-balancing, lemon myrtle for antioxidants and rejuvenating green clay finished with beautiful scents of natural essences including rose, cedarwood, blood orange, and rosemary. What’s not to love?
Follow Lowanna Skincare on Instagram to stay up to date with restocks. You can try the five-star reviewed products yourself by shopping via their online store.
Lip Crush
You could say the pandemic birthed Lip Crush. A couple of weeks into lockdown, Ghanaian-Australian uni student and retail worker Lamiokor Wellington decided to start a lip gloss business and make the most of being stuck at home.
Lip Crush produces a range of handmade flavoured lip glosses, lip balms, lip oils and lip scrubs to keep your lips soft and shiny all day. You can shop online via the Lip Crush website.
UOMA Beauty
Founded by Nigerian born beauty executive Sharon Chuter, UOMA Beauty is a black-owned beauty brand made for “all who have been left out”. UOMA (pronounced uh-mah) exists to re-write the rules of inclusivity and diversity.
“I could never understand why we live in an age of prescriptive beauty, a monolithic existence where individuality and uniqueness has been left by the wayside”, Chuter has said.
“This is why UOMA beauty exists. To celebrate uniqueness, to bring people from all ethnicities, gender, and sexual orientations.”
Scrolling through their site, you WILL want to chuck everything into your shopping cart. UOMA carries foundation, concealer, contour sticks, and bronzer in inclusive shade ranges. That’s just in the face category, I haven’t started on lips, eyes and brows yet. Thanks to international shipping, you can purchase UOMA Beauty products online.
This list is by no means exhaustive! Check out Blak Business, Black Pages Australia and The Plugd on Instagram for your digital directories showcasing Black and Aboriginal-owned businesses you can support.
Feature image: Instagram @lvmley @lowannaskincare
For more from Naa-Lamle, follow her on Instagram.