Four Black women are rewriting the rules of beauty, and they’re doing it from inside one of the industry’s most competitive programs.
That program? Sephora Accelerate, a six-month program that includes mentorship, merchandising support, grants, and investor connections (plus the possibility of launching at Sephora North America when they graduate).
Now in its tenth year, Accelerate has changed a lot since 2021, when Sephora made a smart pivot to support founders of color exclusively (a pretty great move, if you ask me). And of the 41 brands that have completed Accelerate since the pivot, more than half from the 2021-2024 cohorts are now selling at Sephora, which if you know anything about being a Black beauty brand founder, is pretty major. This year’s group includes eight BIPOC brands spanning everything from fragrance to scalp care, and more specifically — four of them happen to be Black women.
Meet the founders behind your next favorite Sephora haul.
INFLUXIOUS by Funmi Monet
The queen of #FragranceTok, Funmi Monet fell in love with fragrance as a beauty creator and longtime perfume lover, but it’s her new brand INFLUXIOUS that is taking her love affair to a whole new level. “I created INFLUXIOUS because I wanted fragrance to feel like more than just a scent,” she explains. “I wanted to create a brand that honored scent as self-expression: luxurious, but intuitive—indulgent, but intentional.”
The brand celebrates maximalism and treats fragrance like an accessory and for Monet, this philosophy traces back to middle school. “When I was in middle school, it was Fantasy by Britney Spears. I was obsessed with the idea that one scent could make me feel that pretty and powerful. It taught me that scent is storytelling. That’s why every INFLUXIOUS fragrance is rooted in emotion first.”
Getting accepted into Accelerate changed how Monet thinks about building her business. “It’s truly game changing. Having Sephora’s insight early on helped me make smarter supply chain decisions and refine my unit economics,” she says. “Their merchandising support gave me the blueprint. The grant gave me breathing room.”
Looking ahead, Monet has her sights set on a Sephora.com launch. “The next 12 months are major. We’re working on eyeing a potential Sephora.com launch, building out our discovery experience to bring more people into the brand.”
The Potion Studio by Aziza El Wanni
Sometimes your next big idea doesn’t come from a want, but out of a necessity. And for Aziza El Wanni, The Potion Studio started because she had to. “I grew up with textured hair in environments that didn’t celebrate it, and most products I had access to either didn’t work or were full of harmful ingredients,” she explains. What began as mixing products in her mother’s kitchen eventually became a mission to create “clean, climate-adaptive haircare that doesn’t compromise on performance or simplicity.”
Her approach to product development comes from a very personal place. “I was obsessed with hair moisturizers and leave-in conditioners, Luster’s Pink Oil Moisturizer specifically! I loved the ritual of applying them, the smell, the texture, and the feeling of care that came with it. That shaped how I approach product development today: I want every Potion Studio formula to feel like a love letter to your hair.”
Like many who have come before her (and likely for those who will come after her), the Accelerate program gave El Wanni the strategic guidance she needed. “The support from Sephora Accelerate has been game changing. The mentorship and strategic insight into merchandising gave me clarity on how to scale in a way that’s both intentional and sustainable.”
The Steam Bar by Judy Koloko
Working in fashion and traveling with high-profile artists, Judy Koloko’s inspiration for The Steam Bar came from a pretty specific frustration. She was staying at luxury hotels and eating at incredible restaurants, but when it came to her hair experience, she says,”it never quite felt on par with everything else in my life.”
As a British-born Nigerian who had experienced the benefits of steaming treatments herself, Koloko saw an opportunity to address what felt like a massive gap. “I observed how limited the options were for those wearing wigs or managing natural and textured hair, and how little attention was given to the unique challenges and stresses faced by the community.”
The Steam Bar’s approach centers on what Koloko calls “skincare for the scalp—Skinification meets the art of Steaming.” Her formative beauty memory actually shaped this entire philosophy. “It might sound surprising, but the first product I truly obsessed over was a TSB hot oil treatment I bought at Boots in London as a child. This became a special ritual for me every month, usually on a Sunday evening in front of the TV watching ‘Heart to Heart.'”
Years later, when damage from wearing wigs and weaves took a toll on her scalp, she realized “something had to change.” Next year, Koloko plans to bring The Steam Bar pop-up salon to the US. “Our campaign will be ‘Coming to America,’ inviting customers to enjoy an immersive haircare experience — think Bridgerton meets steam.”
TONAL Cosmetics by Christal Alert
Christal Alert started TONAL Cosmetics because she was tired of makeup that couldn’t handle actual life. And honestly, who can’t relate to that? I know I can. “Most makeup is created in boardrooms or labs that have no idea what it means to actually wear makeup outside of perfect weather conditions. No one was thinking about the woman who must look good at 8 AM and still look good at 8 PM.”
TONAL’s approach is straightforward: if it can survive the Caribbean, it can work anywhere. “TONAL is different. It’s Caribbean developed and tested to hold up in heat, humidity, stress, sun, you name it—because if it can survive here, it can thrive anywhere.” But performance is only part of what Alert wanted to create. “Our packaging is like objects d’art you actually want in your makeup bag—sculptural, joyful, and designed to bring back the delight in getting ready.”
Alert’s beauty philosophy came after receiving Estée Lauder Pure Color lip gloss in Guava Light when she was a child. “My mom gave it to me, and I remember how grown-up I felt. It was this perfect, juicy coral-pink, and from that moment I understood how a single product could change how you carry yourself.”
Growing up in the Caribbean also shaped how she thinks about inclusivity. “You’re surrounded by beauty. And because our culture is so diverse, there’s no one version of what’s ‘beautiful’. You see every skin tone, every texture, every shape, and it all coexists. That shaped how I see beauty today: inclusive by nature, not by marketing.”