The word BIPOC is defined in the industry as a group of Black, Indigenous and People of Color and it is a code for dark skinned people including Latinx, Middle Eastern, South Asian and any mix that provides this sumptuous color.

Now, finding makeup that suits our skin tones correctly is like looking for unicorns. Sometimes it feels like you have to take a magic map to find the right foundation with olive or neutral undertones, or to locate a face palette dark enough to sculpt your cheeks, or an eyeshadow or a lipstick. lips pigmented enough to show on your lips or skin.

Makeup is mostly made by white designers for white skin and most of these makeup brands have not grown to meet our needs. They want our money, don’t doubt that for a second, but they don’t want to do the work. So what should the BIPOC community do about it? I say cancel them all one by one. It’s business and our money is ringing — ding/ding/ding — your cash register won’t ring if you don’t make changes.

So, I can’t help but thank those brands that make money in their sleep like Fenty, but here are some brands you might not know and should know.

Many of us are mixed with Indigenous/First Nations peoples in North America. As my grandmother, a member of the Miccosukee tribe of the original inhabitants of Flordia, explained, the “Africans fled from the white devils” and found us. Our people are poorly funded and supported by the United States, which should never come as a surprise since they genocided the people who lived on this land. For more, check out this interactive time map that shows how the United States took/stole over 1.5 billion acres from the natives. Click here.

I hope the PR teams of these brands will do the right thing and contact me so that I can explore all the products, but in the meantime and with the need to always spread the love, here is my list, part one , for fall 2022 BIPOC Beauty brands you should explore.

PART ONE – INDIGENOUS AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN BEAUTY BRANDS –

Mother Earth Essentials Founder, Carrie Armstrong, has the DNA of Cree Medicine Women who respect Mother Earth. The brand offers hair care, skin care and soap. Loving and respecting Mother Earth is a way of life and this brand also offers candles, tea and essential oils.

https://motherearthessentials.ca/

Niawen mixes science and ancient indigenous traditions, the creation of esthetician Tara-Tekahentakhwa. The brand literally means “thank you” or “give thanks” and was inspired by Tekahentakhwa’s own skincare journey with acne.

https://niawen.com/

Blended Girl Cosmetics founder Shí-Fawn hasn’t seen a lot of diversity growing up in LeChee, Arizona, so forget about Indigenous representation in the beauty industry. So she started Blended Girl which offers lipstick, eyeliner, accessories, beauty tools and liquid lipstick that they can’t keep in stock.

https://blendedgirl.com/

Prados is a queer, Xicana/Indigenous-owned brand that gives back because founder Cece Meadows strives to create products that include everyone. The brand also gives back, donating clothing, shoes and PPE to reserves in the United States.

Cheekbone Beauty is owned by beauty veteran Jenn Harper and stays true to her Anishinaabe roots through her core beliefs of sustainability and giving back to the Indigenous community.

https://www.cheekbonebeauty.com/

Ace Beauty, founded by Niye Aniekan-Attang, offers a range of products from nails to eyelashes to eyeshadow and offers a variety of eyeshadow bases that are perfect for our skin tones.

https://www.acebeaute.com/

Bossy Cosmetics founded by Aisha Fatima Dozie was founded because she realized that companies weren’t focusing on how their customers felt. These are ethically produced products that she hopes will make the user feel fired up. Their products include lipsticks, eyeshadows, eyeliners, and more, and a portion of their profits are donated to a number of their nonprofit partners.

https://bossybeauty.com/

Undefined is a plant-based skincare and wellness brand that focuses on inclusivity at an affordable price.

https://undefinedco.com/?sscid=81k6_nsl6j&

4.5.6. Skin was created by Noelly Michoux and inspired by her mother’s talent for finding rare beauty products. Company prioritizes empowerment

people with darker skin.

https://456skin.com/

Katini Skin

Katini Skin was founded by Katini Yamaoka and blends her Japanese, African and Australian heritage. Raised plant-based from birth and educated in a neo-humanist school, Katini was gifted with an understanding of natural healing from an early age.

https://katiniskin.com/

The co-founder/CEO of Pound Cake saw the need for a revolution in the way cosmetics companies produce and market color cosmetics. In a tweet that went viral a few years ago calling on the beauty industry to make lipsticks, the tweet resonated with her because she struggled with lipsticks, and Pound Cake was born.https ://poundcakecosmetics.com/

Hyper Skin, founded by Desiree Verdejo, focuses on the look of clean skin for people of color by creating a clean, vegan beauty brand. https://hyperskin.com/