Black women have always been magical, and 2018 was no exception for the slays the black women graced the world with.
Many celebrities are living their best, beautiful lives through embracing their hair, curves, intelligence, and their voices.
This year, black women made their mark on the beauty industry like never before- reaching million and billion dollar business milestones, stepping outside of their beauty comfort zones, and calling out injustices in the industry.
While there were so many memorable moments, take a look back at some headlines and highlights we’ll remember for years to come.
Tamar Braxton Shaving Her Head
The diva known for the glamorous makeup and hair, which would include long blonde locks, Tamar Braxton stunned the world when she began to rock a shaved head. Expressing that she needed a change and the process was freeing, we loved how Tamar’s bright and bold personality remained the same, showing that the beauty and glamour is not only on the outside, but the inside as well.
Black beauty influencers calling out a global beauty brand for their omission of black women in their foundation launch
As the global beauty community continues to expand, black women still struggle to see their faces represented in campaigns, and also struggle finding products that cater to the needs of their hue. Tarte releasing a foundation line that basically excluded women of color was the final straw for many black beauty influencers, who used the platform to call out the brand on the blatant lack of thought put into their product. After influencers Jackie Aina and Alissa Ashley teamed up on a video to call out the brand on their embarrassing lack of range in the collection, many other influencers followed suit and called the brand out as well. It was those two voices that made others speak up as well.
Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle’s mother Doria Ragland wearing her natural locs and a nose ring to the Royal Wedding
The Royal Wedding was one of the most talked about moments in 2018, and even moreso because of the radiant black beauty of the mother of the bride, Doria Ragland. Rocking her locs and a nose ring, we loved that black beauty in all of it’s natural essence was being put on a global platform. Very rarely is blackness of any kind showcased or put parallel to royalty, and to see Doria sitting so confidently and elegantly was truly magical. Millions of young black girls across the globe could see themselves, their mothers, their aunts, their cousins, and other black women in their life in Ms. Ragland. Another step in representation of black women in the media.
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A black-woman owned beauty business making $1 million in 90 minutesSupa Cent’s viral, continuously sold out The Crayon Case collection scored some major numbers on Black Friday when it raked in the $1 million in 90 minutes. The brand had been buzzing in 2018, with beauty influencers ranting and raving over it’s rich pigments, luxury quality, and innovative designs. Shoppers took advantage of the black friday sales offerings and helped the brand achieve an awesome feat.
Beyonce dressing as Toni ‘Phoni’ Braxton for Halloween and rocking a fierce pixie
Known for her epic costume designs, we loved Beyonce paying homage to Toni Braxton for her Halloween costume in 2018. While Bey also dressed as Flo Jo, we loved seeing Bey as Toni as it was a truly a moment in which she paid homage to a living legend. Also, any time we see Beyonce rock a look other than her signature blonde tresses is always one that gets us hype, and seeing her short, dark pixie had The Hive going nuts.
The ESSENCE Beauty Carnival is Hitting the Road
Usually reserved for the ESSENCE Festival, the ESSENCE giant beauty carnival is going on tour. Consumers can expect to experience black beauty magic through pop-ups, product sampling, salon offerings, and beauty chats with the waymakers in black beauty. Make sure you catch the carnival in your city to get your fill of the latest products, and get to meet some of your favorite influencers.
Hear from your favorite beauty influencers and wellness experts live on stage, indulge in curated shopping experiences and more! This ultimate celebration of black beauty will get you ready to step into the world with an inner calm and an outer glow!
Black twitter raised funds to help create this animated short that empowers young black women to embrace their hair and beauty
We love to see the black community rallying behind artist and creators, and Black Twitter surely showed up and showed out with this one. Filmmaker Matthew Cherry was on a mission to bring an animated short to the small screen to help young black girls embrace their natural beauty, and also to show that black father’s are very much present and impactful on their young daughters lives.
Serena Williams becomes the first black woman to rock cornrows on the cover of Teen Vogue
Our favorite girl Serena faced a lot of scrutiny and criticism in 2018, but we loved how she ended the year in all of her magical black girl glory. The iconic athlete made history as the first black woman to sport cornrows on the cover of Teen Vogue. We love this moment because while black women have been rocking more of their natural ‘fros or wearing braids on covers, cornrows still haven’t been accepted on black women as a haute style. We love the Serena made history with the style that has strong roots in black culture, bringing that beauty to a mainstream audience.
Pat McGrath makes history as a self made billionaire with her Pat McGrath Labs global empire
When eyebrows were raised after Kylie Jenner was called a “self made billionaire”, legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath truly did become a self made billionaire in 2018. Aside from creating masterpieces you’ve seen on the faces of models in your favorite fashion editorial mags, Pat also has a booming cosmetics line, featuring eyeshadows, lipsticks, and other richly pigmented products. We love that Pat’s quality products helped earn her a smooth billion.
