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Toni Bravo grew up playing with makeup and is now finding success as a beauty creator. The Long Beach, CA, native’s foray into the industry was not an overnight switch. She attended the University of California, Irvine, to pursue film and media studies and at the time she did not have a big interest in beauty, she told AFROTECH™. However, she did begin ramping up content and sharing it online during her sophomore year, which she attributes to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. She moved home from college in spring 2020, per Buffer. Her family has played a major role in her interests as well, from her dabbling in her mother’s makeup with her fraternal twin sister to roller skating. In 2020, she started sharing videos of her roller skating on TikTok. “As I became an adult and got into roller skating and documenting it for the internet, that was fully my thing,” Bravo recalled. @bonitravo Replying to @Mel Oliva yes i am a sagittarius who has lived a million lives!!❤️ #rollerskating ♬...
Rihanna’s impact on the beauty world continues to grow, and now it’s earned a place in history. Time Magazine has named the billionaire’s Fenty Beauty Foundation to its 2025 Best Inventions Hall of Fame list. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FENTY BEAUTY BY RIHANNA (@fentybeauty) Since debuting in 2017, Fenty Beauty’s Foundation has been credited with helping to reshape the cosmetics industry. At a time when many makeup brands offered only a narrow selection of tones, Fenty Beauty launched with 40 shades, giving people with deeper complexions more options that matched their skin. Time noted that the foundation “set a new standard for the industry” and inspired other companies to expand their offerings. “Makeup is like a secret weapon. It can go from very subtle to a complete transformation,” Rihanna told Time in a 2017 interview. She said it was “important that every woman felt included” and added that she was fully involved in the product’s development, working...
In January, President Donald Trump claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was “nonsense,” reports The Hill. e.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin disagrees. In an interview with CNN on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, Amin said diversity is a key driver of the company’s financial success. He added that many CEOs he speaks with also strongly support greater diversity and inclusion in the workplace. “I’ve never met a CEO who didn’t want the best possible workforce they could get. And we see lots of data, there’s a lot of rhetoric, but without the actual facts,” which he notes tell a different story. Amin cited a press release highlighting research from North Carolina A&T State University — the nation’s largest historically Black university — showing that, from 2018-2024, companies with greater than average gender diversity on their boards outperformed those with below-average gender diversity by a staggering 256% annually. The press release spotlighted e.l.f.’s Change the Board Game...
Scarlet by RedDrop, an Atlanta-born puberty care company, recently expanded into more than 350 Ulta Beauty stores nationwide. The expansion, as the Atlanta Business Chronicle reports, followed a $1 million award in 2024 from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition, a nonprofit initiative providing resources and guidance to help underrepresented entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses. The funding allowed the company to focus on building its brand and scaling operations. According to the outlet, Scarlet by RedDrop was also named to Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School list of “Most Fundable Companies” in 2025. The annual list highlights high-growth startups, and this year selected 14 winners from over 2,300 applicants. Monica Williams, M.D., and Dana Roberts founded Scarlet by RedDrop in 2019. The idea started earlier, when Roberts taught at an Atlanta charter school and a student experiencing her first period thought she was going to die. That experience inspired the...
Behind the scenes, disruptions have hit Serena Williams’ Wyn Beauty. Wyn Beauty As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Williams founded the beauty brand in 2024, but it had been in the works for nearly six years. The idea stemmed from her tennis journey, as she constantly searched for products with long-lasting wear. She even created her own tinted moisturizer; now the company’s lineup is designed to cater to those with an active lifestyle. Additionally, representation was a key factor in its product lineup. It launched with 10 products in 91 shades to exemplify “beauty in all its forms,” said Monica Arnaudo, former chief merchandising officer at Ulta, according to Beauty Independent. As for how the brand is faring today, it has faced several challenges. Its sales at Ulta Beauty are reportedly on the decline, and some executives have exited their posts, such as former president Shawn Haynes, former VP of global product development Christina Ximenez, and former director of product and...
Louis Vuitton has officially announced the launch of La Beauté, the brand’s first-ever cosmetics collection. The debut was unveiled on Instagram, highlighting the collaboration with Pat McGrath, a Black British makeup artist and founder of Pat McGrath Labs, who will serve as creative director for the new collection. “Working backstage for over 20 years at Louis Vuitton fashion shows, I am thrilled to now play such a key role in the launch of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, which is the result of extraordinary craftsmanship, creativity, and innovation,” McGrath said in a Pat McGrath Labs press release. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the La Beauté line features 55 lipsticks — called LV Rouge — formulated with hyaluronic acid, shea butter and scents derived from rose, jasmine, and mimosa. They are available in satin and matte finishes. The LV Baume collection offers 10 tinted balms designed for buildable color and up to 48 hours of hydration. Like the lipsticks, these balms include hyaluronic...
Two powerhouses in tech and beauty — Black Girls Code and The Doux — have launched the Black Beauty AI Challenge, a new competition empowering Black girls and young women to shape how AI understands Black beauty, according to a news release. With cash prizes, national recognition, and a New York City gallery showcase up for grabs, the competition blends innovation with cultural impact. Black Beauty AI Challenge Details And Prizes The challenge invites U.S.-based girls and young women, ages 13 to 25, to produce 60–90 second AI-generated videos showcasing their unique perspectives on Black beauty, style, and culture, per the release. Participants can enter through two age tracks: Youth Track: 13–17 Young Adult Track: 18–25 To ensure accessibility, prize-eligible entries must use free AI tools like Kaiber.ai, Runway ML, Luma Labs, Pika, CapCut, or Canva. Entries made with paid tools can earn honorary recognition but not cash prizes. No prior experience with coding or tech is necessary...
After four years, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, founder of the clean beauty brand Ami Colé, announced on Instagram on Thursday (July 17) that she’s winding down the company. What began as a mission to create makeup that truly works for melanin-rich skin, grew into much more. It became a movement and a metaphorical home for many, just like the salon her mother once built, she noted. In the heartfelt post, N’Diaye-Mbaye called this moment “another love letter, not a goodbye.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ami Colé (@byamicole) “We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are,” she wrote. “Let’s not forget bomb ass products!” From the earliest sketches in her Brooklyn, NY, apartment to seeing Ami Colé’s products on Sephora shelves across North America, she noted, N’Diaye-Mbaye turned a vision into reality. “This moment is bittersweet… Thank you for everything you’ve taught me about living your dreams out loud,” she wrote. She also...
JaNa Craig knows how to get to the bag! Craig was among the cast members on Season 6 of Peacock’s “Love Island USA,” which spurred an “unprecedented audience boost” for the franchise, notes Deadline. While Craig was not the overall winner, she is still winning in the business world. Following Craig’s time in the villa, she has landed a slew of brand deals, particularly in the beauty space, which includes: Flamingo Axe Maybelline Shea Moisture Revolve Lemme Covergirl Shark Beauty @jana.craig GRWM for a top-secret mission! 😉🔎 #MaybellinePartner New episodes of #LoveIslandUSA every day except for hump day – 9/8c only on Peacock. ♬ original sound – NayNay However, even before her time on reality television, she had a knack for spotting business opportunities. During an interview on the “Baby, This is Keke Palmer” podcast, she joked about living nine lives. It all started when she was in high school and was selling 50-cent chocolate bars from the corner store for $2. “I just told...
Cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson is part of the team at recently acquired beauty brand Rhode. According to Beauty Matter, Robinson has been creating top-selling skincare products for over 30 years, despite not being very familiar with the beauty industry while growing up. Initially, he aspired to become a doctor and studied biology and chemistry at Adelphi University. His plans took a pivot after he completed one year of medical school when he joined Estée Lauder as a product development manager in the Clinique division. He held that role for eight years starting in 1990, his LinkedIn mentions. “My mom was disappointed about me dropping out of med school, but she forgave me because I was a cosmetic chemist gifting her products that I made,” Robinson told Beauty Matter. “The delight and joy that she saw in getting those products and using them has been fuel for me to keep me constantly looking to develop new and exciting products that really delight consumers.” Robinson would go on to...
Dove wants increased representation in the digital world, leading the global personal care brand to launch a guide to help designers create characters with Black hair textures and protective styles for video games. “Code My Crown” — created with the help of Black game developers, artists, academics, and stylists — features instructions, personal insights, detailed references, and complete open-source code. “In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” said Lead Guide Contributor and Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl) A.M. Darke in the guide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prof. A.M. Darke (@prettydarke) Recent research indicates that 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent Black hair textures, according to Dove. Additionally, around 80% of Black gamers report feeling excluded, discriminated against, or inadequate when they do not see accurate...
Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
Through diligent effort, Black Girl Sunscreen has achieved substantial earnings. As AFROTECH™ previously mentioned, the company was launched by Shontay Lundy in 2016 through a personal investment totaling $33,000. She was inspired to venture into entrepreneurship after suggestions from friends to wear sunscreen while hiking in Los Angeles, CA, led her on a search for products — with few catering to Black skin. Recognizing a gap in the market, she worked to create a hydrating product that would not leave behind the unfavorable white residue often listed as a complaint in the Black community. “There is a little bit of Shontay in all of my products,” Lundy told AFROTECH™ at the time . “What was important for formulating these products was considering what is important for women of color and Black women. We don’t want anything to dry out our skin so while creating Black Girl sunscreen, this and no white residue were the most important factors.” View this post on Instagram A post shared...
Jackie Aina has inked the first co-branded collaboration for her lifestyle company, Forvr Mood. Aina’s Forvr Mood and Canadian whisky brand Crown Royal have created a limited-edition Crown Royal Blackberry x Forvr Mood candle, which will be available for purchase online and at the Crown Royal Blackberry Stand (a lemonade stand, but make it adult ), per a press release. Throughout her career as an influencer, Aina has amassed more than 3.5 million YouTube subscribers. She has also worked with major beauty brands, from Anastasia Beverly Hills and Sephora to Fenty Beauty. Aina’s made a name for herself as a Black woman within an extremely competitive industry. However, she will rarely turn down the opportunity to use her platform to amplify and support other Black women, and this recent partnership is no different. While attendees sip Crown Royal Blackberry and shop the Forvr Mood candle, Crown Royal is also collaborating the nonprofit Black Girl Ventures Foundation by providing a...
Anikitia Abram leads the first Black- and woman-owned candle-making studio in Middle Georgia, according to the Macon. She accomplished this feat in July 2023 with the opening of Pretty Lux Co., which offers candle, skin, and hair products that are “100% vegan, cruelty free, and created with minimal ingredients,” per its website. For Abram, that means using locally-sourced materials and remaining environmentally conscious during production. “Pretty Lux Co. is not just a business; it’s a movement toward greater wellness and understanding, providing a nurturing environment that supports both personal and communal growth,” Abram told the Macon. “This foundational inspiration continues to drive every aspect of Pretty Lux Co., guiding our mission to enrich lives through both our products and our educational initiatives.” Those initiatives encompass a focus on engaging the community in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through candle and skincare development. “By...
