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Black-Owned Beauty Brands You’ll Love

Posted on February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 by Maddie

February is Black History Month, and – though we try to support BIPOC-owned businesses all year round – we wanted to profile a few of our faves for the occasion! Keep reading to find out more about some Black-owned beauty and skincare brands you’ll definitely want to explore!


{Black-Owned Beauty Brands You’ll Love}

Disclaimer: Many of the following products were provided to us at no cost for editorial consideration. All opinions are my own. Gifted products are indicated with an asterisk (*).


While the beauty world has made positive strides in ensuring that their collections and marketing materials are increasingly diverse, the sad reality is that companies owned by people of colour make up a very small percentage of the brands stocked in major stores. Things are changing for the better, but there’s a very long way still to go to ensure equitable distribution and opportunity. By sharing some of our favourite Black-owned brands with you, we hope to shine the spotlight on some amazing products and inspire you to diversify your makeup bag!

The Black-owned brands we’ll be talking about in this post are:

  • Fenty Skin
  • Madeup Beauty
  • Beauty Bakerie
  • Sade Baron
  • Lys Beauty
  • Pat McGrath Labs
  • Danessa Myricks
  • PrettyKind
  • Uoma Beauty


Skincare & Beauty Tools

Fenty Skin: When she’s not busy absolutely crushing the SuperBowl halftime show, Rihanna is a major player in the beauty game. Her Fenty Beauty products are legendary, but I also love her Fenty Skin line. The Cookies N Clean Whipped Clay Detox Face Mask ($42) is a bit of an investment, but it leaves your skin feeling incredible. The combo of charcoal and kaolin clay purifies skin while the salicylic acid refines skin tone. It’s also cruelty-free, fragrance-free, part of the Clean at Sephora collection, and an Allure Best of Beauty Award Winner!

Madeup Beauty: Madeup Beauty is one of the relatively few Black-owned brands available at Shoppers Drug Mart. This Canadian brand offers a range of product types, but their focus is on lip care. They’ve got lip pencils ($14), lip glosses ($18), cream lipsticks ($20), liquid lipsticks ($22), lip oils ($21), and lip plumper ($32)!  My favourite product is their Lip Conditioner* ($15): a silky, hydrating formula that helps repair and nourish chapped lips. This baby is practically mandatory in Canadian winters! Madeup Beauty products are cruelty-free, paraben-free, and made in Canada.

Beauty Bakerie: This brand has gone viral for their adorable patisserie-inspired makeup and skincare, as well as for their commitment to raising money for children experiencing poverty through their Sugar Homes initiative. Their Flour Setting Powder ($29) is legendary, but my personal favourite has to be their Blending Eggs* beauty sponges (package of 6 for $23). These latex-free sponges are incredibly soft and help my foundation look flawless. Beauty Bakerie products are vegan, cruelty-free, paraben-free, and sulfate-free.

Sade Baron: This mother & daughter-founded brand is all about inclusivity. Their products are unisex and vegan, with a focus on nourishing skincare and bodycare that addresses specific conditions. If you suffer from contact dermatitis, eczema, dry or sensitive skin, you should definitely check out their lineup. I’ve raved before about their multipurpose Moi Balm* ($24), but I also use their Body Mist* ($14) as a nourishing alternative to traditional fragrance.


Makeup Brands

Lys Beauty: Founded by makeup artist Tisha Thompson, Lys Beauty was the first Black-owned Clean at Sephora brand! Their products are affordable, inclusive, and effective, packed with skin-nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, green tea extract, avocado oil and turmeric. I love the No Limits Matte Bronzer in Motivate ($24): the perfect contour-y bronzer that looks natural on the skin and isn’t too warm-toned. Lys Beauty products are cruelty-free and vegan, and the bronzer is a Byrdie Eco-Beauty Award winner.

Pat McGrath Labs: All hail the queen of sparkle! Most beauty lovers will be no stranger to Pat McGrath’s iconic Mothership eyeshadow palettes and their dazzling metallic shades. They’re quite expensive (often $170+), but they do have quads that are more reasonably priced, and the palettes do sometimes go on sale. I recently got my Celestial Nirvana palette for $67.50 at Sephora. These shadows are extremely pigmented, so you won’t be hitting pan anytime soon – though if you’re anything like me, the tantalizing colours will be so tempting you won’t be able to help yourself from using them daily! Pat McGrath products are cruelty-free.

Danessa Myricks: If you’re looking for a multipurpose base product, you can’t go wrong with Danessa Myricks’ famous Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder ($48). This innovative product comes in 11 shades and can act as a primer, foundation, spot concealer, or setting balm depending on how you apply it! It takes a few tries to get the hang of the application (there’s a demo video if you need some guidance), but once you do, you’ll be hooked. I love that I can apply this without a setting powder and that it blurs my texture and covers redness without looking cakey. Danessa Myricks products are cruelty-free and vegan, and the balm is an Allure Best of Beauty winner!

PrettyKind: This Canadian brand was born out of necessity and a sad lack of diversity in drugstore products. After moving to Canada from her native Nigeria, founder Toyin Okezie-Mba was unable to find makeup products that matched her skin tone and products that nourished her textured hair. Never wanting her daughter to feel the same sense of embarrassment and frustration that she did at not finding products that reflected her needs, Toyin created PrettyKind. This brand now includes a range of skincare, haircare and makeup products for all skin tones and hair types. I particularly love their Dark & Pretty Matte Liquid Lipstick in Shine* ($15): it’s the perfect rose-mauve and has major lasting power. PrettyKind products are cruelty-free, and free of parabens, sulfates, and paraffins.

Uoma Beauty: This is another brand that you’ve likely seen all over social media, and for good reason! (You’re probably mispronouncing it, though: it’s “uh-mah” not “oo-oh-ma”!) Their eyeshadow palettes ($56) are a budget-friendly alternative to the Pat McGrath ones, and they have some truly fabulous lipsticks. I also love that the founder has created the Pull Up for Change and Make It Black initiatives to empower and support Black entrepreneurs. My must-have Uoma product is their Drama Bomb Mascara* ($25). Holyyyy does this baby pack a punch and mega volume! Uoma products are cruelty-free.


When it comes to ensuring increased diversity and inclusion in the beauty world, we all have a part to play. And with so many amazing products from incredible brands, it couldn’t be easier to find Black-owned alternatives to your general drugstore products. We hope you check out some of these (and other!) Black-owned beauty and makeup brands, during Black History Month and beyond.

Which Black-owned beauty brands will you be adding to your makeup bag?

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Welcome!

Welcome to Toronto Beauty Reviews!

TBR is a space for us to share reviews of beauty products we love, easy makeup tips, and insights into our personal wellness journeys.

We believe that beauty and wellness are for people of all genders, all skin tones, hair types, backgrounds, and ways of being.

We hope you’ll find something here that helps you feel beautiful, inside and out!

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Maddie Monroe (TBR)

torontobeautyreviews

Editor of #TorontoBeautyReviews.
Sharing our beauty & wellness faves ✨
📍Toronto, ON
maddie@torontobeautyreviews.com

Just some casual, everyday makeup 🙃🔷 Wearin Just some casual, everyday makeup 🙃🔷

Wearing @colourpopcosmetics Ultra Matte lip in Jellies and @annabellecosmetics Free Spirit eyeliner in Black*

*gifted 

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #bluelipstick #boldmakeup #tbrcontributors #beautyforeveryone #colourpopme
Looking for long-wear eyeshadow with colours that Looking for long-wear eyeshadow with colours that show off every hue of you? Check out @annabellecosmetics new Big Show Multi-Use Eyeshadow Pen! 🎨

✨ Canadian 🇨🇦
✨ Cruelty-free
✨ 12+ hr wear
✨ affordable ($10!!)

#ad #Annabellecosmetics, #AnnabelleUGCTeam #torontobeautyreviews #tbrcontributors #mytbrfave #natapr #canadianmakeup #crueltyfreebeauty #easymakeup
Looking to pamper yourself with something unique? Looking to pamper yourself with something unique? ✨ Swing by @touchmassagebar for a seated massage!

Here’s a quick peek into my experience with the « I Want it All » foot, hand, neck, and shoulders massage with the « Free Your Mind » scalp massage add-on. Heaven! 😍

#torontobeautyreviews #tbrcontributors #mytbrfave #massagetoronto #footmassage #scalpmassage #touchmassagebar #treatyoself
Putting these on the grid so I can look at them lo Putting these on the grid so I can look at them long after they’ve gone 🥰💐 

@wellingtonfleur did an amazing job creating this custom bouquet! (And @adam__malek did an exceptional job picking things out!)
💙🩵🩶 Wearing: @hauslabs Triclone skin te 💙🩵🩶 

Wearing:
@hauslabs Triclone skin tech concealer in 03
@milkmakeup sculpt stick in Toasted 
@annabellecosmetics kohl eyeliner in black* + Sky Limit mascara*
@tower28beauty GetSet powder + OneLiner in Paint My Number (as blush)
@rarebeauty lifting brow gel 
@lysbeautyofficial bronzer in motivate 
#QuoBeauty Love Is Love palette
@patmcgrathreal Celestial Nirvana palette 

*gifted products 

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #boldmakeup #blueeyeshadow #makeupinspo #drugstoremakeup #beautyforeveryone #canadianbrand
Little pop of color to brighten the grey day 💚🖤

Wearing:
@annabellecosmetics Kohl eyeliner in Balsam Green*+ Sky Limit mascara* + Perfect Fit setting spray*
@colourpopcosmetics Just My Luck palette
@hauslabs Triclone Skin Tech concealer in 03
@milkmakeup sculpt stick in Toasted + cooling water jelly tint in Splash 
@rarebeauty lifting brow gel
@tower28beauty GetSet powder in translucent + Oneliner in Paint My Number 
@kjh.brand Hyper Shine Highlight kit in Lite Pink 

*gifted products 
#mytbrfave #torontobeautyreviews #tbrcontributors #beautyforeveryone #greeneyeshadow #easymakeup #makeupinspo
Life (and lack of shipping options) get in the way Life (and lack of shipping options) get in the way of your holiday shopping? 😬 Not to fear - TBR’s elves have got you covered! 🙌🏼

Check out our last-minute holiday gift guide highlighting local stores where you can get amazing presents for everyone on your list! ✅🎁

Featuring: @thedetoxmarketcanada @aaniin.hello @goodintentions.to @soccoliving @juxtaposeannex @shoppersdrugmart @canadiantire @wildcraftcare @sharkbeauty @sodastreamcanada @annabellecosmetics @marcellecosmetics (and a pro tip from @calenmikenzie!) 

*some products were gifted for editorial consideration 

#lastminutegifts #holidaygiftguide #torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #shoplocalcanada #torontobusiness
🐛🍎🍐🍓🍉🧀🥓🍭🍰🦋 Hallowee 🐛🍎🍐🍓🍉🧀🥓🍭🍰🦋

Halloween as a librarian who used to be an MUA 🙃

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #halloween2024 #theveryhungrycaterpillar #makeupinspo #easycostume #bookstagram
Happy Autumn, from me & the books 📚 🍁🍂 # Happy Autumn, from me & the books 📚 🍁🍂

#torontobeautyreviews #librarian #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #dailymakeup
Looking to shift your skincare routine as the weat Looking to shift your skincare routine as the weather changes? Learn more about why LoLa loves @byoma - and why you should definitely check out this drugstore powerhouse - in her latest piece for the blog. 

🔗 in bio! 🙌🏼

*products kindly gifted

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #byoma #villabrill #brillcom #lexpr #shoppersbeauty #drugstoreskincare
Prague! 🇨🇿 1 - Charles Bridge 2 - St Vitus Prague! 🇨🇿

1 - Charles Bridge
2 - St Vitus Cathedral (took 600 yrs to build; I cried because it was so stunning in person)
3 - Cute lil gargoyle 
4 - Palace gardens
5 - Beer Spa + beer chocolates in Tycho Brahe’s former home! (Check out my recent reel for more on this)
6 - Truffle gnocchi in champagne foam @cafeimperial_praha 🤤
7 - Klementinum Baroque library 
8 - from the top of the Astronomical Tower! 
9 - Astronomical Clock 
10 - Wunderkammer at Strahov Monastery 
11 - Philosophical Hall at Strahov Monastery
12 - c. 1800 Dendrological Library at Strahov (books carved from trees, covered in their bark and lichen & filled with their leaves and seeds!)
13 - 800 yr old natural sandstone water spring underneath Strahov Monastery, now housed in what they call “Hell” restaurant. 😂 @napekle 
14 - Travel friends! @kendranh 
15 - *Immediately* losing at pinball at @joystick_bar_prague 👾
16 - Getting *very* into the all-you-can-drink wine bar (!) @nasklenicku 🍷
17 - obligatory trashy snacks after the wine bar 
18 - peacock chilling on the hotel grounds @hotelupava 
19 - Fun restaurant where you pay by the skewer (sooo tasty) @bistrospejle 
20 - the views were ok, I guess 🙃

#torontobeautyreviews #prague #tbrcontributors #mytbrfave #praha #europetrip #visitprague
Throwback to the incredible @arianaandtherose show Throwback to the incredible @arianaandtherose show in July ✨❤️ The Lonely Hearts Club tour was an absolute banger. CANNOT WAIT for the next album! Get your glitter ready, friends. 🙃

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #lonelyheartsclub #lonelyheartsclubtour #arianaandtherose #torontoevents #synthpop #indieartist
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1 - gelato
2 - stunning architecture everywhere 
3 - snacks 
4 - the original horses from St Mark’s Basilica
5 - Ponte dell’Accademia 
6 - 🍝
7 - the staircase of books at the Libreria Acqua Alta 
8 & 9 - canals 
10 - Torcello
11 - Burano 
12 - 1300 yr old church 
13 - casual ceiling in Doge’s Palace
14 - glass art from Murano
15 - St Mark’s
16 - tiramisu cannoli. Italian food turducken!
17 - Vivaldi concert w orchestra in Baroque costumes
18 - 🍕

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #venice #italytrip #summertravel
Come with me to pick up the art piece created from Come with me to pick up the art piece created from the flowers in my bridal bouquet! 🥹❤️

Getting my flowers preserved and turned into this incredible piece was one of the best decisions I made during my wedding planning. ✨

Amanda and her team are extraordinary artists (and wonderful humans!) who give your flowers a new life and preserve memories. Every time I walk past this piece on my wall, my heart glows with flashbacks of my wedding day. 

If you have an important event that includes flowers, do yourself a favor and book with Parched to get them preserved. They accept flowers from across Canada, and have worked on blooms marking all occasions of life, from graduations, baby showers, weddings, and memorials. They can even create pendants using flower remnants! 

Bouquet: @coolgreenandshady 
Wedding photographer: @alexa.studios 
Wedding planner: @karinalemkeweddings 
Preservation artists: @parchedfloral 

#torontobeautyreviews #tbrcontributors #mytbrfave #smallbusinesssupport #floralpreservation #torontowedding #weddinginspo #parchedfloral #weddingflorals
Come visit a Beer Spa with us in Prague! 🤯🍻🛁

This was definitely a unique and fun experience during our vacation. And our skin felt soooooo soft after! 😍

#Beer #torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #prague #europetrip #tripideas #spaday 

Would you try this?
Recent looks 💁‍♀️💋 I just came back fr Recent looks 💁‍♀️💋 I just came back from a trip and challenged myself to switch up my makeup throughout. From pops of color to a more neutral look to a glam evening, I definitely had lots of fun. 😊

Hero products include: 
@annabellecosmetiques skinny mascara* & kohl eyeliners in Balsam Green* + Wood Charcoal*
@tower28beauty swipe concealer in BU
@milkmakeup cooling water jelly tint in splash 
@lysbeautyofficial bronzer in motivate
@kjh.brand hyper shine highlight in lite pink

*gifted products 

#torontobeautyreviews #easymakeup #beautyforeveryone #tbrcontributors #mytbrfave
If you’ve followed me for any length of time (or If you’ve followed me for any length of time (or met me in person for like 5 mins!), you’ve heard about my love for @lezethelabel 🤩

This brand is phenomenal. I love every piece of theirs that I own and wear a Lezé item almost every day. 

@lezethelabel is:

✅ WOC founded 
✅ Canadian
✅ Ethically produced 
✅ Sustainably made using innovative fabrics (like 🌽 or material made from recycled fishing nets!) 
✅ THE COMFIEST 
✅ Designed for real bodies! (Big pockets, lots of stretch, extended sizing)

The humans in charge are also incredibly kind and generous. ❤️

➡️ Since it can be hard to figure out sizing when purchasing online, I put together this little lookbook for you. Basically, I wear a L in their items made from their recycled fishing net fabric, but an XL in the corn, since they’re a little closer to the body and I like a baggier fit in that fabric. I typically wear a size 14. 

If you’re interested, check them out! And feel free to use my discount code (TORONTOBEAUTYREVIEWS15) for 15% off! 🔗 in bio. 😊

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #sustainablefashion #canadian #canadianfashion #comfycrew #lezethelabel
Dark circles? I don’t know her. 🙃 If you’r Dark circles? I don’t know her. 🙃

If you’re in the market for a new eye cream, I highly recommend checking out @sahajanskincare’s Golden Glow Eye Balm. ✨ It’s formulated with ghee (!) and feels sooooo silky and gorgeous. This powerhouse ingredient has been used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, and for good reason! This eye balm is mega hydrating but feels light and melts right into your skin 🤩 

In addition to ghee, it also includes rose oil and eyebright - these high-performance ingredients work together to reduce puffiness, fine lines, and dark circles. 

This Canadian brand is WOC-founded, and products are cruelty-free as well as eco-friendly. 🇨🇦🐇🌍

Have you tried @sahajanskincare yet? 

 *Gifted @1milk2sugarspr 

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #ghee #canadianbrand #cleanskincare
I loved my long hair, but I was ready for a change I loved my long hair, but I was ready for a change. 💇‍♀️ @leeoc_hair at @thecellarsalon is the only person I would trust when chopping off this much! (I think it was around 10”!) If you’re looking for a hairstylist who is knowledgeable, talented, and the absolute sweetest, give her a call! ❤️

This bob is going to take some getting used to after my messy mane of long hair, but I already feel sooooo much lighter ✨

What do you think of the new look? 🙃👩🏻‍🦰

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #torontohair #bobhaircut #hairtransformation #thecellarsalonto
If you know me IRL, you know I’m a cleaning frea If you know me IRL, you know I’m a cleaning freak. 🙈🧼But, since I’m allergic to everything (fragrance, harsh chemicals, etc 😖) and also care about the environment, I try to find options that are natural as well as effective. 🌍🫧 That way, they’re gentle on my skin and the world, but tough on germs and dirt!

We’ve been using @nelliesclean dish sticks, stain stick, laundry soda for the past few months and LOVING them. ❤️ I even purchased Nellie’s Oxygen brightener recently, which is a bleach alternative that boosts color and keeps whites white. They WORK. (And look very retro chic!)

If you’re looking for effective, naturally-derived cleaning products from a Canadian company, I highly recommend that you check out @nelliesclean! 🇨🇦

*gifted products 

#torontobeautyreviews #mytbrfave #tbrcontributors #cleaninghacks #naturalcleaning #cleaningproducts #nelliesclean #lucidpr
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