Beyoncé Knowles-Carter recently announced Cécred, a haircare brand priced from $30 to $52. Her resume supports her haircare expertise, as she has worked in her mom’s salon and has personal experience with leading stylists. She joins Tracee Ellis-Ross and Taraji P. Henson as celebrities with lineups for textured hair.
Serena Williams is the latest celebrity to try her hand at cosmetics. Her brand, Wyn, is a collection she said she’s been working on for six years. The range includes ten products: tubing mascara, soft-matte concealer and hybrid lip and cheek color. Wyn is sold on its own website and at Ulta Beauty.
[Read more: Multicultural mindset: Retailers, suppliers grow their focus on diverse needs]
Carol’s Daughter recently signed on another tennis star, Coco Gauff, to represent the brand. “We like the idea of seamless partnerships like Coco and partnering with movies like The Little Mermaid and The Color Purple,” said Nathalie Gerschtein, president of L’Oréal Consumer Products Division.
What’s New on Shelves?
There is a lot of newness greeting shoppers on the shelves. Keeping ingredients at the forefront, Camille Rose has a new collection of products for braids. The lineup includes the Mint Condition Braid and Scalp Spray, Style and Set Foam and Nourishing Braiding Gel.
Target recently added Dermasuri, an exfoliating mitt inspired by its founders’ Middle Eastern and Japanese heritage. The brand, according to cofounder Melody Akhavan, fits Target’s efforts to broaden its assortment of brands to meet diverse customer needs. Target also just added Black-owned CurlyChic Haircare, which includes items for kids.
Urban Hydration just introduced a 10-oz. Aloe Vera, an addition to its skincare range that harnesses the power of aloe vera with micellar technology. Sky Organics has five new hair care products at Walmart that offer tailored solutions for textured tresses.
“At Sky Organics, we are committed to making certified organic beauty accessible to everyone and educating consumers that living a natural, sustainable lifestyle can be easy with the right clean essentials,” said co-founder and chief sustainability officer Dean Neiger.
Support for Emerging Brands
Retailers and brands are working to level the playing field for BIPOC founders. According to Crunchbase, Black-founded startups received less than 0.5% of the $140.4 billion in venture funding all U.S.-based startups received last year.
Ulta Beauty’s MUSE accelerator program has helped brands learn more about navigating the retail landscape. Pound Cake, a Black-founded lipstick brand, graduated from the program and launched last year with its Cake Batter lips shades for all skin tones.
Kazmaleje was a Shea Moisture’s Next Black Millionaires Fund awardee and secured Target distribution. The brand features a comb designed for textured hair.
Target and Walmart also have their own accelerators to help upstart BIPOC-founded brands get the tools they need to flourish.
Kiss Colors & Care is investing in future trailblazers. The brand recently announced its 2024 Next Generation Leaders Scholarship program, which will award up to $15,000 to deserving students to help with post-secondary education.