This time last year, The Glow Up was but a babe, just learning to strut these beauty and fashion journalism streets in our brand new heels. One awards season, two fashion months, countless beauty and fashion drops, collabs, controversies and awards later, weโve had ample time to consider our favorite moments, products, and influencers of 2018.
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With that in mind, weโve compiled several lists of our personal favorite black-owned beauty and hair brands, fashion lines, red carpet moments, influencers, and Glow Up goddesses of the year, which weโll be running for the remainder of the week, as we prepare for the last two holidays before ushering in some new energy in 2019. To start? Some of our favorite beauty products, innovations and lines of 2018. (Note: These are not necessarily products or lines that originated in 2018โjust our favorites of the year!)
No shade (or 40), but for us, itโs not Fenty. While this brand may not have 40 shades (yet), Hue Noirโs 25-shade range definitely keeps the darker end of the spectrum coveredโfrom โCashewโ to โCarob.โ Their lightweight, complexion-enhancing, crease-resistant, powder matte finish lasts all day long, controlling oil without transferring or killing your glow (and no glass bottles to worry about breaking or sacrificing product to).
If youโve got dark circles, you want a concealer thatโs going to last all day without drying or creasing...and work great on the go, if necessary. Danessa Myrickโs Vision Cream Cover Perfecting & Sculpting Wand takes the ease and fluidity made famous by YSL cult favorite Touche Eclat, and makes it available in a variety of shades made for us.
Who says black girls donโt blush? Ayele & Co. (formerly Bahi Cosmetics) offers highly pigmented shades that give even the deepest skin tones a healthy flush of color.
This was a difficult one, because Fenty Beauty won our hearts this year with their indelible โUncensoredโ Stunna Lip Paint (a perfect red), but alas, the rest of the shades are still pretty limited in scope (weโre waiting for a strong fuchsiaโand yes, we know about Mattemoiselle). On the other hand, Pat McGrathโs highly pigmented and long-lasting yet emollient shades bring us back again and again for every finish. Look no further than her perfect red, the Mattetrance โElson.โ
With so many glosses on the market now, this was a particularly hard category to choose, but we had to give it to The Lip Bar, which has become a handbag staple, and has recently gone big time with their super-wearable, super-affordable array of lip shades, now also available at Target.
Pat McGrath, we wish we could quit you! But โMotherโsโ pigments are a serious (and seriously expensive) habit we just canโt quit, and her palettes are curated to perfection. And who doesnโt want a gilded lid? That said, we do love a bargainโwhich is why the ever affordable Juviaโs Place is our very, very close runner-up for the title.
Betcha thought we were going to say Pat McGrath again, but from foundations, to glitter, to lashes, to brushes, Danessa Myricks Beauty has our hearts for making professional-grade products available to makeup lovers of all skin tones. Her textures are incredible and her pigments ring true, making this our runaway favorite for full-service beauty.
Everyone knows that great makeup needs a great canvas, and while Ayele & Co. has a pretty stellar makeup line (including lashes!), their comprehensive line of skincare is where the transformation begins. Oils, serums, creams, toners, sunscreens...you name the skin type, and theyโve got the cruelty-free, acid-free, affordable solution.
Want skin that feels like butter? We fell hard for a Skin Buttr sampler set that we copped ($45)โso much so that weโre still deciding on our favorites. Intended to simplify the beauty routine, this line of shea-based body butters and scrubs comprise a hydrating step-by-step system that gave our skin an all-natural glow up.
The black-owned nail polish industry continues to expand, which is exciting for those of us who love an impeccable set of talons. From celebrity stalwart Bernadette Thompson to on-trend Pear Nova, (both of whom deserve shoutouts), black-owned beauty is literally at your fingertips. But original vegan-friendly and 7-free brand Ginger & Liz ultimately got our vote this year for their gorgeous shade range and conscientious ethos.
In the search to find the online destination most likely to give Sephora a run for their money amongst black girls, the market is still relatively narrow (but hey, thereโs only one Sephora). But as much as we love new beauty emporium Marjani Beauty, we ultimately had to credit three-year-old Vivrant Beauty for being a one-stop shop for brown girl beauty, body and hairโdown to hair type and concern! Weโve also heard rumors that the New York-based brand is launching their own line of skincare... and we canโt wait.
Regardless of whether youโre natural or relaxed, a great co-wash always comes in handy, and there are plenty on the market. But one we kept returning to again and again this year was Eden Organicsโ Natural Co-Wash, which leaves hair incomparably soft and silky, no matter the texture. But you neednโt stop there; their entire line is pretty phenomenal.
Okay, we love a protective style as much as the next person, but unless itโs a wig, you might still be in danger, girl. Girl + Hair takes care of your scalp too, making sure that those follicles youโre trying so hard to protect are really thriving underneath. And fun fact: Itโs great scalp care for those of us without protective styles, too.
Briogeo is one of those rare products that is worth every single dime you spend on itโand worth buying in a 32-ounce pump version ($115). Their Donโt Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask is meant to be used weekly, and has been lauded by Allure, Essence and now, The Glow Up for its almost miraculous hydrating and strengthening results on all textures of hair.
From root to tip, edges to split ends, we had to give it up to Mielle Organics for creating everyday luxury for everyone, at every stage of growth and texture. Our favorite? The Avocado Moisturizing Hair Milkโbut the whole line is pretty stellar, and meant to work togetherโand you really canโt beat the price range.
It seems like such a simple thing, but us 2Cs to 4Cs know full well that getting a flourishing ponytail or puff going is a challenging task, to say the least. Enter the Puff Cuff, which took the traditional banana clip and redesigned it for our curls. The result? A styling tool that gives maximum volume with minimal stress on the hair.
We admit that we were skeptical about the Oui razorโafter all, ingrown hairs ainโt nothing to fโ with (especially with a $75 price tag). But this rose-gold, single-blade razor is more than gorgeous; itโs effective, especially when paired with the brandโs body care products. Equally as good as getting a close shave without irritation? Being environmentally sound; we can kiss those triple blade disposables goodbye and unschedule those painful waxing appointments. Weโre worth it.
Bevel has had the market cornered for years on black menโs grooming, but this year, a contender came for the crown, and won our vote. Scotch Porter came through with grooming solutions not just for beards, but face, body, hair and even โman meatโ (yes, you heard that right). And far from just being a gimmick, this ever-expanding line of products also garnered rave reviews from the testosterone-heavy set.
Is that all in the black-owned beauty and grooming space? Of course not, but they were our favorites of 2018. Stay tuned for more of our best picks of the yearโand for much more to come in 2019!
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