“I’m gonna do that in my house one day.” These were the words I said to my dad back in 2015 when we were visiting my aunt in Dubai. I’ll never forget standing in one of her rich friends’ homes, looking at the Tom Ford fragrances taking over the walls—moonlighting as art. It was so tasteful, classy, and different from my home, where the only art that surrounded me was the embarrassing middle school photos my mom plastered all over.

When I got back to the States, I started my first beauty magazine internship and while organizing the shelves in the beauty closet, I stumbled on Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino. Needless to say, I wanted it so badly—not even because of the smell (it wasn’t my favorite) but to emulate that rich lady from Dubai. Once I asked my boss for permission to take it home, and she said yes, my Tom Ford collection took its roots.

Let’s get this out of the way: I’m not big on fragrance. Call me a bad beauty editor, but the notes tend to confuse me and I don’t have emotional ties to scent (though I wish I did). I was always the type of girl to douse myself in Victoria’s Secret Love Spell (I’m still obsessed with those scents) before leaving the house. I have, however, always had a thing for packaging and the thoughtfulness designers and product developers put into fragrance bottles—and well, that’s what I found so unique and cool about Tom Ford. With its chic, square packaging, every bottle aesthetically resembles the next—just with a different name, color, and formula.

That first bottle of Neroli Portofino quickly turned into a collection of two bottles, then ten, and now 23. It’s an immediate conversation starter when people come to my house, just like it was in Dubai roughly 10 years ago. The question I get asked the most is, “Do you wear all of them?” I’d be lying if I said I sprayed all of them all the time. But there are a select few that I’ve emptied and hope to replace—this time not for my aesthetic, but for the stunning scents themselves.

This is the fragrance I get the most compliments on. It’s sweet but not cheap-sweet like a cherry scent that’s so sweet it gives you a headache, rather, rich-sweet like a crispy cherry pie in the oven on Thanksgiving morning. You’re hit with notes of tart black cherry and bitter almond at first but as it lingers, you’ll start noticing a deeper cherry liquor scent in addition to Turkish rose.

This perfume lasted me a mere three months. That’s how quickly I went through it. Soleil Neige’s luxury-meets-cozy approach drew me in: Citrus-based notes of bergamot and carrot seed give “I have a red carpet event” vibes but the vanilla leaves a comforting feeling that screams, “I just wanna cuddle up at home,” which embodies my personality. Oh, it also won a 2020 Best of Beauty Award if you needed another selling point.

Is it my favorite scent? No. Does it have the coolest name that makes me want to wear it regardless? Duh. The notes are as bold as its name: Lavender and almond hit your nose first but after a while, the scent shifts to a spicy finish that includes tonka bean and musky cashmeran. I’ll tell you, it takes a fucking fabulous individual to rock this scent and I think I’m pretty fucking fabulous.

Editor’s tip: The petite size also makes this a great vibrator for people who want to try a rabbit-style vibrator but have been wary of other ones on the market, which generally have larger shafts.

Type: rabbit vibrator | Material: silicone | Modes: 7 | Waterproof: yes | Battery: 40 to 80-minute runtime depending on settings used | Lube compatibility: water-based lube

Most Affordable: PlusOne Vibrating Bullet

Why it’s worth it: Sometimes, you just want to keep things simple. The PlusOne Vibrating Bullet is easy to travel with and easy to use during partnered sex, thanks to its super compact size. It has 10 different vibration settings and is rechargeable, which isn’t always the case with vibrators at this affordable price point. Plus, you can get it at CVS or Walmart, so it’s easy to grab when you’re doing the rest of your last-minute trip shopping.

Editor’s tip: This toy is completely waterproof, so go ahead and indulge in some solo self-care in the hotel bathtub.

Type: bullet vibrator | Material: silicone | Modes: 10 | Waterproof: yes | Battery: up to 2 hours runtime | Lube compatibility: water-based lube

Best Dildo: CalExotics Boundless 4.5-Inch Slim Dildo

Why it’s worth it: If you’re anxious about bringing a vibrating toy through the TSA security line in your carry-on, there’s a simple solution: Bring a toy that doesn’t vibrate. The CalExotics Boundless 4.5-inch Slim Dildo is compact and compatible with harnesses if you want to use it as a strap-on. It also has a strong suction cup base, so you can stick it to the shower wall for hands-free fun. While many of the toys on this list are meant for external use, this one can be used to stimulate the G-spot.

Editor’s tip: If you’re using this anally, don’t forget to pack some lube.

Type: dildo | Material: silicone | Modes: N/A | Waterproof: yes | Battery: N/A | Lube compatibility: water-based lube

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Frequently Asked Questions

What features make a sex toy travel-friendly?

For this article, Allure editors looked for sex toys that met our criteria of being compact, quiet, and discreet. We also looked for toys that have travel lock options or other features that make them particularly travel-friendly, such as a hard-shell charging case or a long-lasting battery.

Can I put sex toys in a checked bag? What about a carry-on bag?

Per the TSA website, adult toys are allowed to go in your checked luggage or your carry-on. TSA agents have seen it all before, so there’s no need to feel weird about having a vibrator or other sex toy in your luggage.

What’s the best way to store your sex toys in your luggage?

You’ll likely want to carry the toy in some kind of bag or small box to keep it separate from the rest of your stuff. Many sex toys come with a storage pouch when you buy them, and they’re great for travel. Other toys come with a charging case that keeps it protected. You could also use a clear Ziploc bag, which helps ensure that if your bag does get pulled for a security screening, the TSA agent can see the item without having to touch it directly.

You should also do your best to make sure the toy doesn’t turn on in your bag. There are a few ways to do this. Obviously, you can use the travel lock feature if your toy has one. If the toy is battery-powered, remove the batteries from the toy and pack them separately. If you’re traveling with a rechargeable toy that doesn’t have a travel lock, you can do your best to make sure the toy is dead when you pack it, and then recharge it when you get to your destination. Alternatively, if all of this makes you too nervous, you could bring a non-vibrating sex toy, like a silicone dildo or a penis sleeve.

What if airport security searches my bag?

It might be embarrassing, but that’s pretty much it. Unless you’re dealing with very unusual circumstances, you’ll be allowed to continue with the toy in your bag. Plus, you’ll have a funny story to tell your friends when you return from vacation.

“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime”—she snapped her fingers—“they turn on you?” Duvall told the New York Times earlier this year about her retreat from public life. “You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”

Shelley Duvall was unforgettable. She was particular. She was a beauty. But she was those things as a 20-something star and as a 75-year-old survivor of the Hollywood machine.

What are the photos I hope show up at my funeral? The ones where I’m young and hot? Isn’t that kind of how I still think of myself, even though a surprising glimpse in the mirror tells a different story? I can think of many photos from my youth I’d like to be remembered by—there’s one portrait in particular my daughter shared to her Instagram story just last week with the caption “got it from my mama,” and you know I gleefully reshared it. But just those photos wouldn’t tell the whole story. The me as I was as a new mom, nursing my baby, the me now, gamely trying a two-piece at the beach for the first time in 15 years and feeling ridiculous but saltily free, the me, I hope, of 40 years from now, with a face I can’t imagine.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free,” Dan Gilroy, Duvall’s partner since 1989, said of her death. I think of all the photos he surely has of his love, all the moments captured between the days when we celebrated Duvall for being a “saucer-eyed, rail-thin waif” and the day, decades later, when she had to leave him.

“Fly away, beautiful Shelley,” he said.

There are some phenomenal public photos of Duvall in the last years of her life; The Hollywood Reporter made some portraits of the actress against the backdrop of her home for the last 40 or so years, the Texas hill country. But the one I love most is in that Times profile: Duvall is looking over her shoulder, straight at the viewer. Her gray hair is swooped into a messy topknot secured with multiple scrunchies, her face is lined and bare, and her eyes are huge and clear. She looks like a 74-year-old woman. She looks aged. She looks intelligent, a little weary, but like she might be about to laugh, like she’s in on a joke. She looks like herself.

If you have certain areas that need extra attention, we recommend spot-concealing with the Kosas Revealer Concealer—these two are a base match in heaven.

Key ingredients: copper peptides, sodium PCA, zinc | Who it’s for: people with mature skin or those who want a plumping effect | SPF: 0 | Shade count: 24

Best Blendable: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Soothing Serum Skin Tint

Why it’s worth it: What makes the Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Soothing Serum Skin Tint so yummy? So glad you asked. The ceramides, cactus extract, and peptides paired with the rich-but-not-too-rich, skin-like pigments are a total treat for your face. It blends like a dream, and the hydration hangs out for up to 24 hours. Rather than rub, tap the tint onto your skin for the most natural-looking results.

Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, ceramides, squalane, cactus extract | Who it’s for: people who want a second-skin look | SPF: 0 | Shade count: 16

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Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between foundation and skin tint?

Foundations and skin tints are differentiated by their levels of pigmentation and purported skin-care benefits. “Foundation has higher pigment levels—8 to 12%—while skin tint can be 1 to 5% depending on shades,” cosmetic chemist Ginger King tells Allure. Skin tints “offer some glow and buildable coverage unlike traditional foundation, which can be heavy and sink to fine lines due to the amount of powder in their formulas.” Skin tints often include nourishing skin-care ingredients you might not find in standard foundation or concealer, which we’ll go more in-depth, below. Because skin tints tend to be lighter and more hydrating than foundation, people with dry skin or mature skin are great candidates.

That’s not to say the two base products can’t work in tandem. “I can easily see myself using a tint as a priming step to even the skin, and adding coverage with foundation and concealer where needed,” makeup artist Tommy Napoli told Allure. In the case of fuller coverage, a translucent setting powder is crucial to lock everything in place and minimize shine.

What ingredients should I look for in a skin tint?

When something is advertised as a skin tint, according to King, you’ll see more skin-loving actives like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin C, and squalane at work. “[Hyaluronic acid] is great at holding water and giving skin resilience and firmness,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Doris Day, MD, previously told Allure. Squalane, conversely, “aids in skin-care problems wherein the skin barrier is disrupted and transepidermal water loss is an issue,” according to Florida-based board-certified dermatologist Samantha Fisher, MD. Everyone, including sensitive skin (squalane is odorless, by the way), can benefit from this emollient.

Halle Bailey’s nails could honestly be made of pure gold, they’re that shiny and metallic. The actor and singer was drenched in golden tones for the 2024 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, starting with her molten gold manicure.

Bailey, who presented at the awards show, looked like a summer goddess in a black minidress with a gold floral bodice. That metallic gold also showed up on her long nails, which were filed into a classic square shape and painted with a metallic golden shade from top to bottom. The color shifted slightly as she moved in the California sunshine, but make no mistake: this is pure, luscious, molten gold. Simple, but so luxe.

Getty Images

Bailey also wore golden shades on her eyes, with bronze shadow on her lids and a warm gold dusted on her inner corners, framed by fluffy, fluttery false lashes. Peachy blush and a champagne gold highlighter on her nose and cheekbones added to her all-over glow, as did her super shiny lip gloss. The actor wore her hair pulled up in a high ponytail with curls cascading down her back and accessorized her minidress with a delicate gold “HALO” necklace in honor of her baby son, plus big gold earrings.

A gold manicure is the easiest and most gorgeous way to bring the glitz on the red carpet or a regular Tuesday at your desk. Stars like Kerry Washington, Dua Lipa, and Cardi B have all chosen the molten metallic for past manicures, while Tracee Ellis Ross tried a more muted take on the shade. To try it yourself, we like Chanel’s Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour in Phénix, a shimmering precious metal; Static Nails’ Liquid Glass Lacquer in 24K, with added glitter; or Essie’s Metallics in Good as Gold, which is exactly what it sounds like: gorgeous gold! Hollywood glamour is yours in just a few coats.

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More celeb nails we love:

Why is it so much fun to see what people carry around in their bag? I love a good “What’s in my bag?” feature or video, and it seems like the rest of the world does too—especially when it involves Cardi B. The rapper just gave us a peek inside her truly massive silver quilted Chanel flap bag and what’s inside may surprise you.

Though you’d think someone of Cardi’s level of famousness would fill their bag with super-fancy makeup and expensive accessories, that’s not always the case. When a fan asked Cardi to share what she kept in said enormous Chanel (or as they phrased it, “big ass purse”) she replied on Twitter/X saying “The typical really … nun special,” then blessed us with a pic of said purse’s contents. Guess what? Celebs really are just like us, toting around some slightly less glamorous but equally essential drugstore products on those private jets to Paris.

We spy a Native Deodorant in the Girl Scout cookie Trefoils scent hiding at the bottom of her bag, nestled near a hairbrush and a Target Up & Up brand toothbrush holder. She’s got a classic bar of Dove Beauty Bar soap on hand, as well as a jar of Pond’s Dry Skin Cream Facial Moisturizer. Also included in the Chanel bag is a St. Ives grapefruit product, a can of Arm & Hammer Simply Saline Nasal Care Daily Relief Mist Spray, a bottle of Excedrin, and what appears to be a set of hazel contact lenses.

Cardi is also a mom of two, so all these essentials, especially the hairbrush and P.M.B. Para Mi Bebe baby cologne, make a lot of sense for Kulture and Wave’s potential needs. She and Offset just took the kids to Disneyland Paris for Kulture’s birthday, and you truly never know what you might happen on such a big day out! “If this isn’t the bag of a prepared mother idk what is,” one Twitter/X user commented. We all have a friend like this, who carries around absolutely every product just in case, and you know what? It always comes in handy!

Shop Cardi’s bag here:

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More from Cardi:

Before a towel comes near my body, I hydrate even more with the First Aid Beauty After-Shower Nourishing Body Oil. I pat the oil onto my semi-damp body to lock in moisture. The slightly citrusy scent of mandarin is a refreshing end to my body care. After carefully stepping out of the shower and onto my mat while everything is still absorbing into my skin, I continue with lotions and potions… but that’s for another story.

Annie Blay, associate beauty editor

In the shower, the concept of time stops. After cranking the knob to a temperature just short of scalding, I wet my African net sponge—a long, netted piece of nylon that my mom often brings me back from Ghana—and lather it up with my favorite body wash of the moment, which is currently Necessaire The Body Wash in Santal. After gently scrubbing my whole body, I grab my Gillette Venus Deluxe Smooth Sensitive Razor and, if I’m in a fun mood, Athena Club Whipped Shaving Cream ,which has a whipped, foamy texture, or Eos Cashmere Shaving Butter if I want something more toned down but equally fragrant. I shave my legs and pits then rinse off, letting the vanilla scent fill my shower.

I follow up my shave with the Dove Brown Sugar Exfoliating Body Scrub which smells like deliciously sweet brown sugar cubes and does a great job of exfoliating my body. Lastly, I go back in with the body wash, lathering in my hands and rubbing all over my body to reinforce the scent. By the time I exit my shower, my skin is baby smooth with a soft, smokey vanilla smell.

Sarah Hoffmann, commerce producer

I’m a notoriously fast showerer, so even my everything showers aren’t that intensive.

I rarely shave my legs—no judgment, just not my thing—so a luxurious shower is when I get to add a couple of extra body care steps that usually get cut on days when I’m rushing. A nicely-scented body wash is non-negotiable, and I love how soft L’Occitane’s Almond Shower Oil makes my skin when I massage it in after cleansing.

And I’ve been a fan of the Soft Services Buffing Bars for years. I previously wrote a story on my love letter to this low-maintenance solution to keratosis pilaris. A couple of swipes of this bar across my KP-affected areas left my skin softer and more even-toned for days at a time, with minimal effort added to my shower routine. The new Green Banana scent reignited my obsession with this easy-to-use KP treatment. That’s it!

Nicola Dall’Asen, senior news editor

When I know I’m about to do an everything shower, the first thing I do—hours before I even step foot in my bathroom—is load up my scalp and hair with rosemary oil so it has time to soak in. Once it’s time to shower, I wash that out first with Briogeo Rice Shampoo Concentrate. As its name suggests, this reparative formula is much thicker than your average shampoo; it has a consistency like petroleum jelly. I squirt out a quarter-sized amount, lather it up in my hands, then gently work it through my roots before rinsing and doing it all again. Then I slap on some conditioner before throwing my hair back in a claw clip while I take care of the rest of my business: exfoliating, shaving, doing one last final rinse, and moisturizing, in that order.

Editor’s Tip: To increase its hydration, mix this into your serum or moisturizer (but not sunscreen).

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, panthenol | Who It’s For: People who want to streamline their a.m. routine

Best for Sensitive Skin: CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum

Why It’s Worth It: In addition to its hero ingredient, CeraVe’s Hydrating Hyaluronic Serum contains the brand’s classic trio of ceramides (ceramides AP, NP, and EOP, a.k.a. lipids naturally found in the skin barrier) as well as pro-vitamin B5 to help maintain skin’s moisture levels, and, in turn, amp skin’s hydration levels even more. Dr. Marchbein likes that it’s fragrance-free, which helps minimize redness and irritation.

Editor Tip: It’s substantial enough that you don’t always have to follow it with moisturizer (unless you want to). Alternatively, in the morning, you can go straight to sunscreen or a double-duty moisturizer with SPF.

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, vitamin B5 | Who It’s For: Anyone with reactive or sensitive skin

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does a hyaluronic acid serum do?

Known as a humectant, hyaluronic acid is “great at holding water and giving skin resilience and firmness,” New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Doris Day, MD, tells Allure. “We can inject hyaluronic acid into the deeper layers of the skin to help restore lost volume, but used in creams, lotions, and serums, it can also do wonders for rejuvenation and hydration.” (In fact, you can quite literally get hyaluronic acid fillers at your board-certified dermatologist’s office, but we’re just talking about the topical formulations in this story.)

You’ll likely notice an immediate improvement in the hydration of your skin with use, Jacquelyn Sink, MD, a Chicago-based board-certified dermatologist, tells Allure. “Long-term benefits are seen as early as two weeks with continued improvement through several months,” she adds. All year round, our skin craves moisture to counteract a rainbow of skin-care concerns, such as sun exposure, signs of aging (like fine lines), loss of elasticity, and dehydrated skin.

Is hyaluronic acid safe for all skin types?

With their non-irritating nature, hyaluronic acid serums are generally usable across multiple skin types, including sensitive skin, according to Dr. Sink. To get the most benefits out of your serum experience, she shares her preferred application method. “Hyaluronic acid serums are best applied to slightly damp skin and before applying other products,” Dr. Sink explains. “Moisturizing with a thicker cream or serum afterward can help lock in hydration.”

This pretty, earth-tone purple takes inspiration from creamy clay and evokes a sense of calm. This can be a tricky color to nail (pun intended). Some mauves lack a luster that can make them rather drab, while others are a little too pigmented, making them a basic purple. But Manucurist Nail Polish in Rose Mountbatten gets the shade just right, with a mixture of pink and brown undertones. We also love Dior Vernis Nail Polish in Dansante, a lush mauve with pink undertones.

Merlot

Annie Blay

“I love a dark nail year-round, but this one is especially important this fall,” says Jay Arnold, co-founder of CND. The cherry cola color trend dominated last fall and winter, but as we look toward this coming fall, we anticipate merlot nails taking over. Like cherry cola, merlot has a dark red base but replaces the plum undertones of the soda-inspired color with brown ones. “This shade is dark and mysterious, yet exudes energy and richness,” says Arnold.

Our favorite merlot shades include Addiction Tokyo Beauty Bloody Merlot (for its vibrant color and fast-drying formula) and Sienna Sacred (for the luxe, creamy finish). If you’re strapped for time, reach for press-ons like Olive & June Glue Press-Ons in Obsessed. The slightly pointed almond shape and deep burgundy color will give you the perfect vampy manicure.

Glossy black

Jin Soon Choi

Black women have been setting trends for ages. That whole “Instagram Baddie” look everyone’s been emulating? Gelled-down baby (and in some cases full adult) hairs? Neon-colored wigs blended to perfection? Mile-long acrylic nails? Heavily lined lips? All of these are rooted in Black aesthetics, and makeup is just one area in which Black people are certified trailblazers.

Pat McGrath and Danessa Myricks have created a new standard of artistry, while brands like Fashion Fair and Blk/Opl have provided a wide range of makeup shades to enhance the beauty of all brown skin tones. To help you find some of the best of the best, we’ve compiled a (by no means exhaustive) list of Black-owned and -founded cosmetic brands that deserve a spot in your makeup bag.

Ami Colé

Ami Colé’s debut product, the Skin-Enhancing Tint, was immediately a crowd favorite, probably because the shades have neutral, golden, and yellow undertones to suit melanin-rich skin tones (rather than skewing red, which is a common issue for Black beauty lovers). The brand kept the momentum going with its following launches, including the Skin-Enhancing Concealer, the Skin Melt Loose Powder, and the Lash-Amplifying Mascara, which won a 2022 Best of Beauty Award for best dramatic mascara.

Star Product: The Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Stick launched in January, quickly becoming one of our favorites. Based on feedback from the brand’s community, Ami Colé updated its original skin-tint formula to better suit oily skin types. The complexion stick comes in 16 shades and, as Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein puts it, “has a buttery, melt-on-my-skin texture that immediately dries down to a light, powdery finish.”

Danessa Myricks Beauty

Danessa Myricks Beauty, the namesake brand of iconic makeup artist Danessa Myricks, is no stranger to the Allure Best of Beauty Awards, largely thanks to its impressive use of highly pigmented and uniquely textured products: Colorfix, Twin Flame Liquid Eyeshadow, and Yummy Blurring Balm Powder are all groundbreaking formulas that will take your makeup game to a new level of artistry.

Star Product: Following in the footsteps of the Best of Beauty-winning Yummy Blurring Balm Powder, the blush version of the formula, Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder Flushed, is another hit. This flexible, soft matte cream (which won an Allure 2023 Best of Beauty award) can be as intense or sheer as you want it to be since it is formulated with sebum-absorbing upsalite (an ultra-porous form of magnesium carbonate), and olive-derived squalane and hyaluronic acid for added hydration. All six shades look gorgeous on the cheeks and lips.

WYN Beauty

The tennis community’s loss was the beauty industry’s gain when Serena William launched WYN Beauty in April. After being an athlete for most of her life, Williams wanted to create makeup that looks good even while you’re breaking a sweat, so the brand is anchored in the idea of active beauty. Despite celebrity beauty-brand fatigue, the Allure team tested all 10 products in the WYN Beauty line, which includes lipstick, mascara, concealer, and the product that won over Allure editors, the Hydrating Skin Enhancing Tint SPF 30.

Star Product: The WYN Hydrating Skin Enhancing Tint is a lightweight formula that dries down with a semi-matte finish. “I was shocked at the level of coverage this skin tint provides,” says Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel. “I was expecting tinted-sunscreen vibes, but it’s more along the lines of a light-coverage foundation. I’m really impressed that there is SPF 30 and even the darkest shades don’t look ashy.”

LYS Beauty

LYS Beauty founder and CEO Tisha Thompson, who trained as a makeup artist, dedicated her business to creating and formulating high-performing “clean” beauty products that take a skin-care-first approach and cater to deep shade ranges—and all at affordable prices (everything is under $30). LYS Beauty, which stands for Love Yourself, made headlines in 2021 when it became the first Black-owned clean makeup brand at Sephora, and LYS has been pumping out editor-loved launches ever since.

Star Product: LYS Beauty’s latest product, the Higher Standard Cream Glow Blush Stick, is a crowd favorite at the Allure office. The shimmering blushes come in seven shades, vibrant enough for all skin tones. Says social media manager Bianca Richards, “The shade Bubbly gives me a pretty pop of pink on my cheeks, seamlessly blending with the rest of my makeup for the natural, radiant finish that I love.”

Juvia’s Place

Before founder Chichi Eburu started Juvia’s Place in 2016, she (rightfully) felt that the makeup options for her deep skin tone were limited and didn’t fully enhance her natural complexion. Inspired by Eburu’s African roots, Juvia’s Place offers show-stopping eye shadow palettes, liquid eye shadows, lashes, and lip glosses that are as colorful and innovative as the kingdoms that inspired them.

Star Product: It’s notoriously hard to find bronzers for deep skin tones—most shades skew too cool and end up being more of a contour shade, if you can see them at all. Juvia’s Place Bronzed Duos are the perfect remedy for this issue. Available in five shades, the three dark palettes include shades that are deep enough and warm enough to add a visible bronzy glow to dark complexions.

TLB (The Lip Bar)

Melissa Butler didn’t let the rejection she received on Shark Tank get in the way of her dream of building a beauty brand that represents all women. Butler, a former Wall Street stockbroker, founded TLB in 2012 for those seeking edgy lipstick shades with nourishing ingredients. The formulas include organic shea butter, organic avocado oil, and coconut oil. In 2020 the brand expanded beyond lip products, launching the Fast Face System, a bundle that includes a skin tint, concealer, and blush/highlighter palette.

Star product: The Lip Bar’s answer to heavy foundations that clog your pores is the Just a Tint 3-in-1 Tinted Skin Conditioner. It provides buildable, light-to-medium coverage that hydrates the skin, thanks to the addition of rosewater and glycerin.

Pat McGrath Labs

Beauty lovers everywhere adore and pay homage to “Mother,” a.k.a. Pat McGrath, a self-made billionaire and veteran beauty visionary. McGrath — who, when she was just seven years old, developed a love for makeup from her mom — has worked with Giorgio Armani, CoverGirl, and Max Factor, regularly leading more than 60 shows each fashion month season. McGrath is now known for her namesake, show-stopping brand, Pat McGrath Labs. Her line has some of the most stunning packaging ever created and every swipe of lipstick, eye shadow, and highlighter is a guarantee for a gorgeous look. In addition to winning for the star product below, McGrath has also picked up Allure Best of Beauty awards for her Skin Fetish Highlighter and Balm Duo and Lust MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson, a perfect blue-based red.

Star product: The Permagel Ultra Lip Pencil is an editor favorite for good reason: “It’s the only product I’ve used that really lasts on my lips,” says assistant fashion editor Tascha Berkowitz. The pencil comes in seven shades from a cool pink neutral to a warm dark brown.

Fashion Fair

With Cheryl Mayberry McKissack and Desirée Rogers at the helm, Fashion Fair first launched in 1973, with foundations specifically formulated for dark skin tones, long before brands like Fenty Beauty were doing it. Fashion Fair made a comeback in 2022, lining shelves at Sephora with complexion products that lean into golden and olive shades, as opposed to red and orange, and lipsticks that achieve the perfect nude for darker skin tones.

Star Product: Available in 20 shades (so far), FF Iconic Lipstick is unapologetically bold. Shades like Olé Orange, Chocolate Raspberry, and Coy, a warm rose brown, have beautiful color payoff while sunflower seed oil and rosemary leaf extract keep your lips hydrated and plump.

Blk/Opl

In September 2019, Blk/Opl officially became Black-owned after being acquired by Desirée Rogers (CEO) and Cheryl Mayberry McKissack (president), who also own Fashion Fair Cosmetics. Though not initially Black-owned, the company has dedicated more than 20 years to providing makeup and skin-care products specifically for people of color, especially Black women. The brand currently offers an array of complexion products, cosmetics in vibrant colors, and a few skin-care goodies to supplement your existing routine.

Star product: The creamy True Color Skin Perfecting Stick Foundation SPF 15 glides like butter onto skin to cover up dark spots and provide a flawless base for the rest of your makeup. These foundation sticks come in 23 shades that can also be used as concealer and contour to sculpt your face.

Mented Cosmetics

In 2017, KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson launched Mented Cosmetics with a mission to create neutral lipstick shades for dark skin tones—a mission they accomplished with the brand’s first product: the Semi-Matte Lipsticks. Since then, the line has expanded to include foundation sticks, eye shadows, blushes, and even nail polish. Mented was recently acquired by private equity firm West Lane Capital, though Miller will continue to be involved with the brand.

Star product: The Semi-Matte Lipsticks (a 2021 Allure Best of Beauty winner) come in nine shades and are deeply nourishing. Spiked with castor seed oil and vitamin E, the formulas add a satin-like finish to the lips that will last throughout the day.

Bossy Cosmetics

Aishetu Fatima Dozie started her career in finance, but she always dreamed of veering into the beauty space. After taking a sabbatical from her nine-to-five, Dozie took a leap and, in 2018, started Bossy Cosmetics. The brand is known for its highly pigmented, long-lasting lipsticks, of which there are 10 shades of the signature bullet lipstick and liquid lipstick. Bossy recently dropped a blush (a first for the brand) in three brown-skin-friendly shades: Perseverance, a deep pink with red undertones; Grit, a bright fuchsia, and Dynamic, a purplish brown.

Star Product: The Bullet Lipstick in the shade Fierce, a deep burgundy, looks stunning on darker skin tones. It’s infused with watermelon seed oil and vitamin E, which make the creamy formula feel buttery on the lips the whole time you’re wearing it.