Happy Women’s History Month, Ladies!

I cannot believe we are already in March, but that’s what happens when you’re adulting: days go by faster than you expect. 

I figured that because it is Women’s History Month, we should highlight a few Black women who have paved the way in the industries to which we pay much attention. 

For example, this month, we will talk about Black women who have paved the way in literature, social media, business, and even beauty!

So, to kick off this month, I thought we should discuss beauty and the impact Black women have left on the industry. 

From influencers like Aaliyah Jay and Jackie Aina to makeup business owners like Rihanna and Pat McGrath, Black women have always applied pressure to the makeup game.

As a result, in the words of the infamous Lil Mama, I think it’s time we discuss why our lip glosses are poppin’ so much! 

A Little History: The Imprint 

When I think of the beauty industry, the first woman that pops into my mind is the pioneer, Madam C.J. Walker, but I’ve come to realize there are so many pioneers that schools don’t teach us about. 

If your school taught you some of these individuals, please send me their contact information. I’d like to send all my future children there so they know their history!

Therefore, we must start with the undeniably fabulous Eunice Johnson! 

Now, maybe you have never heard of Mrs. Eunice before but I know you have heard of her family’s publishing company, Johnson Publishing, which was the home of Ebony & Jet Magazine!

And, while many pioneers came before Eunice Johnson in the beauty industry, not many had the influence she had on the makeup world. 

Creating Fashion Fair, once known as the largest Black-owned beauty company in the world, Johnson used her brand to make the Ebony Fashion Tour in 1958, a charity event that allowed Black women to find cosmetics that suited their skin tone (Peck, 2022).

From this fashion tour, Johnson carried on the torch and, in 1973, created Fashion Fair Cosmetics, the first international cosmetic brand suited for darker skin tones, in stores like Neiman Marcus (Fashion Fair, 2024)

But, even more than being sold in fabulous stores, Fashion Fair was worn by superstars like Aretha Franklin and Natalie Cole. 

Johnson captivated the beauty world for decades, paving the road for individuals like Rihanna, Pat McGrath, and Chichi Eburu. 

And, if you want to purchase Fashion Fair, girl please head over to Sephora. Although Mrs. Johnson passed away in 2010, her brand was bought by Desiree Rogers and they relaunched in 2022.

Now, that we’ve learned a little bit about the history of us in the beauty game, we have to talk about those who are continuing on Mrs. Johnson’s legacy in their own unique way. 

Carrying on The Torch: The Legacy

Juvia’s Place

With Mrs. Johnson leaving such an imprint on the beauty world, successful makeup artists and celebrities followed in her footsteps. 

Starting in 2014, Chichi Eburu offered the world pigmented eyeshadow palettes that worked for various skin tones. Inspired by her Nigerian roots and wanting to see more representation of women who looked like her, Eburu created a brand that could help black women be their authentic selves (Juvia’s Place, 2024).

Juvia’s Place expanded beyond eyeshadow palettes, delivering products like “Magic Lip Oils, I am Magic Natural Radiance Foundation and Shade Contour Sticks,” Eburu illuminated the internet with her affordable prices and lit a new spark in the beauty game (Juvia’s Place, 2024). 

Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of her products. If so, what do you think? Would you recommend it? 

Pat McGrath Labs

But it didn’t stop with Eburu. Pat McGrath, a British makeup artist who started working with designers like Alexander McQueen, launched her highly successful cosmetics line, Pat McGrath Labs. 

Providing the world with products like the “Eye Shadow Quad, the Lust Gloss Trio, and the Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation,” McGrath left her stamp on the beauty world, showing Black women that you can always find diversity in the makeup world (Pat McGrath Labs, 2024). 

 McGrath didn’t stop creating her line; she continued influencing the beauty world in many ways, like becoming the Beauty Editor-at-Large for British Vogue. 

       Fenty Beauty

However, Black women took it further and dug deeper to find products that could work for any skin tone or texture. 

In 2017, Rihanna launched her cosmetics brand, Fenty Beauty, which offered 40 shades of foundation and concealers. Talk about variety!

Selling off the rack at rates no one expected, Rihanna launched products like the Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer, Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, and the Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter (Fenty Beauty, 2024). 

Who Will Come Next: The Newbies on the Block!

These three women have created makeup lines and ensured our lips have been poppin’, but they have also paved the way for new generations and placed their stamp on the makeup arena. 

With more YouTube and Instagram influencers receiving brand deals and opportunities to work with top makeup brands, I can only imagine who will rise as the next leader in the Black beauty industry.

Thanks to pioneers like Eunice W. Johnson, the makeup arena is no longer a dream; it is a guaranteed space where Black women can be their authentic selves. 

We no longer have to worry about not having brands to shop with that fit our skin shades; we can proudly walk into stores like Sephora or Ulta and ask for brands we know will deliver. 

Shout out to the Black women makeup artists and influencers who teach us about these brands, enlightening us on the things we can buy for ourselves that allow us to accentuate our natural features. 

Out of all the women we discussed tonight, who would you consider buying from? Who have you purchased from in the past?

Please leave us a review of what you purchased from the company and rate it for our community. 

Therefore, they know where to shop and where to not!

I’ll see y’all next Thursday for a new post!

Peace & Prosperity, as always!

Jadis DeShong-Venay

References:

Fashion Fair. (2024). Our Story. Fashion Fair. https://fashionfair.com/pages/our-story

Fenty Beauty. (2024). About Fenty Beauty. Fenty Beauty. https://fentybeauty.com

Juvia’s Place. (2024). About Juvia’s Place. Juvia’s Place. https://www.juviasplace.com/pages/about

Pat McGrath Labs. (2024). About. Pat McGrath Labs. https://www.patmcgrath.com/pages/about

Peck, P. Fashion Fair Dit It First: The Reboot of Your Auntie’s Favorite Black Beauty Brand. The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2022/02/fashion-fair-is-back.html