beauty Archives - Page 2 of 2

Published on August 7, 2018December 1, 2021

4 mins read

Black Owned Nail Salons You Should Know

I was scrolling through our Instagram page @shoppeblack and saw a video of a Black woman being attacked at an Asian nail salon in Brooklyn. Someone filmed employees of a nail salon attacking a customer with a broom and throwing liquid at her while she tries to fight them off.

The video which has since gone viral has led to multiple arrests, public outrage, and protests calling for the salon to shut down.

I’m going to file this incident under “Another reason to Support Black Owned Businesses.” In this case, Black owned nail salons.

While I know that there were training and entrepreneurship programs set up in the US for Asian immigrants, particularly Vietnamese women who still dominate ownership in the eight billion dollar nail industry, I still question why there are so few Black owned salons and/or why we choose not to go to them if we know about them.

That said, in response to some of your comments about us needing and wanting Black-owned nail salons to patronize, we’ve compiled a list around the US and internationally. (#BlackBusinessesInTheDiasporaMatterToo).

I’m sure we left out a few, so feel free to add another Black owned nail salons that do good work in the comments. And note, we’re not just talking about just any Black owned nail salons, but those that are clean, aesthetically nice, where they do good work and where customer service matters.

Black Owned Nail Salons

Marché Rue Dix (Brooklyn)

Free Edge Beauty Studio (Brooklyn)

Dera Ebele’s Nail Boutique (Franklin Square, NY)

SHIC by Soketah’s (Brooklyn, NY)

Palms Nail Bar (Arlington, TX)

Shine Nails (Chicago, IL)

A Polished Work Nail Spa Lounge (Chicago, IL)

Beautiful Sisters Nail Spa (Chicago, IL)

Simply Panache Nail Bar and Pedi Spa (Hampton, VA)

Nails by Tiara (Atlanta, GA)

Poochiez Pawz Nail Studio (Atlanta, GA)

Divine Designz (Jacksonville, NC)

Alicia B Nail Bar (Columbia, SC)

Artisan Nail Studio (Charlotte, NC)

Studio 7 The Salon and Spa (Baltimore, MD)

Cre8tions Nail Spa (District Heights, MD)

Scrub Nail Boutique (Baltimore, MD)

Ms.Glitter Nail Lounge and Spa (Oakland, CA)

Powder Beauty Co (Los Angeles, CA)

Blessed By Beedy Nails (New Orleans, LA)

Z Luxury (West Hartford, CT)

Cher-Mère (Ontario, Canada)

Colour Riot Nails (London, UK)

Class Act Nails (Marietta, GA)

Nails by Keda (Cleveland, OH)

The Nail Tailor (San Pedro, CA)

Nola Organic Spa (New Orleans, LA)

Klassy Koats (Houston, TX)

-Tony O. Lawson

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Published on October 8, 2017February 7, 2022

1 min read

Black Owned Skincare Brands You Should Know

A few years ago, Dove released a skincare ad that quickly received backlash for being racist and offensive. They have since pulled the ad but not in time to stop calls for a boycott of their products.

Since SHOPPE BLACK is all about highlighting Black businesses, we created a list of Black owned skincare brands that would love to have your business.

Black Owned Skincare Brands

Josephine’s Creme

Naked Bar Soap Co

black owned skincare

Pooka Pure & Simple

Temple Zen

black owned skincare

Cream & Coco Skincare

black owned skincare

Skinfolk

Kyra’s Shea Medleys

Butter Me Up Goods

Ayele & Co.

black owned skincare

Best Life Organics

Nyah Beauty

M by LW

Sixela Skincare

Sogona Sacko

ReLiv Organics

Shea Radiance

Urembo Asili

Angie Watts

black owned skincare

Emollient

black owned skincare

dermHa

black owned skincare

Jacq’s Organics

Chanvere Naturals

IYOBA

Brosily Bath and Body

Oyin Handmade

black owned skincare

Self Keep Co.

Scotch Porter

ITADI

black owned skincare

Nature Boy

Solo Noir

Herb’N Eden

Tony O. Lawson

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Published on June 14, 2017June 22, 2020

9 mins read

Sister Scientist: Helping Entrepreneurs Create & Develop Beauty Brands

Most Black entrepreneurs in the Beauty industry are involved in the retail part of the supply chain.

Because it’s important that we also manufacture and sell wholesale, I wanted to speak with Erica Douglas, aka Sister Scientist.

Not only is Erica a cosmetic chemist, but she is also the co-founder of mSEED Group, a team of specialists that offer services that are vital to the successful launch and strategic growth of brands in the beauty, cosmetics, and personal care space.

SB: I’m pretty sure that most scientists aren’t entrepreneurs. What inspired you to turn your interest in science and chemistry into a business?

ED: The inspiration came from recognizing a need. Over the last 5 – 10 years, there has been an unprecedented number of new businesses and brands entering the beauty and personal grooming space.

Although the number of brands have exponentially grown, the number of manufacturers servicing these brands has not. Specifically, manufacturers with the ability to provide full-service options to budding entrepreneurs that are just getting started or growing rapidly.

New brands require specialized expertise and professional support even when it comes to office operations for example Hosted Telephony. My team and I have the experience, knowledge and network to help these ideas come to life.

I became an entrepreneur to support other entrepreneurs. I try to help entrepreneurs succeed, just like accountants try to take care of businesses financial affairs in order to help them focus their energy on what they are passionate about. In fact, LA’s best certified public accountants are well respected for their track record with numerous businesses including black and women entrepreneurs who are driving the growth in the beauty category.

SB: Most Black businesses in the beauty industry focus on the retail phase of the supply chain. What made you decide to focus offer manufacturing services?

ED: The landscape of the beauty industry is changing rapidly and I believe that the future of innovation in this space more so lies in the fate of the entrepreneur.

I have encountered so many people with great ideas who didn’t have the right resources or access to get started.

This especially applies to minority and women entrepreneurs. People would come to me for help and all I could do was point them in the right direction, which often wasn’t enough.

A number of companies don’t want to work with the “small guy” because their infrastructure is built to support large volume orders.

It dawned on me that if I wanted there to be a change in how beauty startups were serviced, then I had to create the change.

SB: One of the services you offer is Private Label manufacturing. Can you explain what private label means?

ED: Private label manufacturing is when a retailing brand outsources the product development and production of their brand’s products to a third-party manufacturer as a paid service.

Brands come to us (mSEED group) with an idea and with their input, we develop it, design it, bottle it, and then sell it to them as a finished product with their branding, that they then sell into a retailer or direct-to-consumer.

SB: What industry relationships have you built that would benefit an entrepreneur that chooses to use your consulting service for retail placement?

ED: Between my team and I, we have served in roles on all sides of the beauty business. Along the way, we have had the opportunity to work for or rub elbows with some very successful, powerful, and influential people in the beauty space.

We maintain solid relationships with brokers, distributors, category buyers, suppliers, etc. They often refer some of their clients to us because we have experience building brands in mass retail and know what it takes for a brand to succeed at the shelf.

When a client under the mSEED umbrella is looking to take things to the next level we don’t just make the introductions to decision-makers in the industry, but we make sure the client is prepared and polished so that she has all the right answers before anybody even asks.

SB: On your YouTube channel you have a Fact or Crap segment. What are some of the most popular beliefs about natural hair and hair products that aren’t necessarily true?

ED: There are so many! The myth that irritates me the most is about silicones…silicones have gotten a bad rep in the natural hair community, but when used properly in formulations, silicones can be one of the most effective lines of defense for breakage, moisture retention, and heat damage.

SB: What is the biggest challenges you face as an entrepreneur?

ED: I have so many challenges day-to-day, but most of those challenges fall under one category which is balancing and managing growth.

This is why I’m up at all hours of the night…for 10 hours out of the day I am reacting to time-sensitive matters of the day, and for the other 10 hours, I am trying to find ways to implement smart and efficient solutions that ensure scalability.

The other 4 hours of the day are usually a blur or I have blacked out. 😉

SB: What is the most fulfilling part of what you do?

ED: I love helping people fulfill their dreams and live in their passion. Seeing the look on somebody’s face when they see their vision come to life for the first time and get that first sale is priceless. I will never get tired of seeing that look.

SB: What advice do you have for entrepreneurs that want to start a beauty or personal care brand?

ED: The space is very saturated right now, so if you’re going to come with it, you need to have a compelling story and brand identity that entices consumer loyalty and products that live up to their claims. Also, building the proper foundation is key.

Just don’t wait too late to get serious. It’s better to fail fast and pivot, otherwise you can stay on the wrong path for a long time.

SB: Where do you see your business in 5 years?

ED: I want mSEED group to be a valuable part of a thriving ecosystem of minority and women-owned businesses. mSEED group is a beauty entrepreneur’s one-stop-shop to success and we would like to see that grow into a supportive community of entrepreneurs celebrating one another’s successes.

-Tony O. Lawson

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Published on April 27, 2017August 20, 2021

4 mins read

The Politics Behind the Black Beauty Store Industry Dominated by Koreans – MPR

Karen Coffey opened Bella Beauty and Hair in January with lots of optimism and a stylist’s eye for hair extensions and other products tailored to Black women. She thought that would be enough to succeed.

She didn’t realize the game would be stacked against her before she even opened her door.

Like Black entrepreneurs before her, Coffey quickly discovered that behind the beauty supply storefronts that dot the nation’s urban neighborhoods and suburban shopping plazas sits a multibillion-dollar industry for black hair products that’s run largely by South Koreans and does not cede its power or market share without a fight.

Korean-Americans cornered the market decades ago by controlling the manufacturing, distribution and retail sale of hair extensions — the moneymaker of the industry. Black owners believe Korean wholesalers shut them out and only supply Korean retailers.

Korean American beauty supply industry leaders at a meeting in the Northeast U.S. – The Korean Times

Coffey says she’s seen that firsthand. Some Korean wholesalers, she said, have denied or ignored her requests for products. Meanwhile, a new Korean-owned store that opened across the street a month before her has some brands she can’t get.

“All of it is run by Koreans,” said Coffey, 32. “A lot of them don’t make it easy for Blacks to get in. I didn’t know it would be this challenging.”

National Federation of Beauty Suppliers (NFBS) Board Members – The Korean Times

Korean wholesalers deny any preferential treatment. Shake-N-Go, which supplies Coffey’s nearby competitors, said it works with retailers based on local competition and other exclusively economic factors, and the choices are “far from being discriminatory.”

Coffey, though, says those statements run contrary to what she and other Black beauty supply owners experience daily.

Coffey’s part of a growing number of Black women here and around the country determined to persevere even if it means bypassing the Korean supply chain. They’re going to extreme lengths, employing innovation and grit, to do so.

“There’s been a really concerted effort to get Black people to enter the retail side of this business,” said Lori Tharps, Temple University journalism professor and co-author of “Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America.”

“There are success stories,” she added. “Somehow black people are finding alternative suppliers and moving past this idea that Koreans are keeping them out of this very lucrative space.”

Read full article by Emma Sapong at MPR News

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Published on March 23, 2017June 23, 2020

6 mins read

How This Intimate Apparel and Beauty Brand Got into Major Retail Stores Across the Country

As an entrepreneur, getting a major retailer to carry your brand can be a challenge. Getting several top retailers to carry your brand is even harder. However, that’s exactly what UI Global Brands LLC did. We chatted with one half of the Texas-based husband and wife duo, Psyche and Vontoba Terry, to find out more about their journey and success.

SB: What inspired you to start UI Global brands?

VT: We started UI Global Brands because we wanted to give people products that would make them happier and healthier. Psyche was taking an entrepreneurship course in her MBA program and I was wrapping up an M.A. in Economics at UNLV.

Psyche was always trying different business ideas and testing her concepts on our friends in Las Vegas. We started with great-smelling body butters that were natural and made for people who were tired of dry skin. A month later we added lingerie for women who wanted fashionable products at an affordable price.

Shortly after launching, we were pregnant with our first son, and Psyche’s body changed. Psyche saw a need that wasn’t being met for women like her (she went from a B cup to a G cup) and launched a new plus-size collection for women who wanted fashionable intimates that flattered their curves.

SB: Describe the “Workshop at Macy’s” and explain how it changed the game for you?

VT: The Workshop at Macy’s was life-changing. We were a small e-commerce shop before meeting the Macy’s team. The Workshop gave us a crash course on how to sell our intimate apparel collection to a major retailer like Macy’s.

We met game changers like Lisa Price and Daymond John and learned the ins and outs of strategic retail marketing and retail math. We used that knowledge to expand our skincare business as well, and within two months of the workshop, we had our first wholesale skincare customer, TJMaxx. Psyche visits the Workshop at Macy’s regularly to share her experience and inspire new participants.

SB: What has been the most challenging experience on your entrepreneurial journey so far? What has been the most exciting?

VT: The most challenging experience has been making more people aware of the great products that we produce and where they can buy them. We make natural body products and natural hair care products that are as good as or better than a lot of products on the market.

We also produce quality bras at affordable prices and size-inclusive lingerie made with attention to detail. The most exciting aspect of our journey has been traveling around the country to Macy’s stores and Sally Beauty stores, and hearing from customers who have fallen in love with our Inspire Psyche Terry, Audrey Olivia, and Urban Hydration products.

SB: How do you handle being a business partner with your spouse?

VT: It was difficult for the first few months. We have been in business for 8 years, and for the first 6 years, I was working at a bank full-time and doing what I could in the evenings and weekends to support the business as it grew. In 2015, I left corporate and joined the company full-time.

We learned how to communicate better and “stay in our lanes” by understanding what we do best and trusting each other to handle our side of the business. We meet every day about different topics and there are no secrets. If we make a mistake, we own it, and then we grow from it. But it isn’t easy. It takes effort every day.

SB: What is the biggest business related risk you have taken?

VT: In 2015, we opened a factory within 30 days of finding out that a factory couldn’t make our natural Urban Hydration sugar scrubs for an order that was going to 3 national retailers the next month. Psyche was 35 weeks pregnant and we had no capital to finance the opening.

We received 30 day terms from our suppliers, received the first month free on a warehouse, and called every church member, friend, and relative we knew to work on the assembly line. Three weeks later, we delivered more than 15,000 units to our customers and saved those relationships.

SB: Where do you see the business in 5 years?

VT: In 5 years, we will have expanded our natural hair and bath business, Urban Hydration, into more retail doors, and we plan to grow our Audrey Olivia bra collection into more sizes and expand our Inspire Psyche Terry luxury lingerie collection into more store locations and boutiques.

SB: What advice do you have for aspiring entrepreneurs?

VT: Know why you want to be an entrepreneur and what makes you special. There are many products and services vying for the attention of buyers and you must stand out in a crowded marketplace. Learn your competitors and highlight what makes you different and better.

Find out more about UI Global Brands LLC here.

– Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

Published on December 1, 2016July 3, 2020

1 min read

Black Owned Food & Beauty Businesses in the UK

We’re back with more Black-owned businesses based in the UK! These offer something for your taste buds and your personal style. Check them out and support!

Black Owned Food & Beauty Businesses in the UK

Colour Riot Nails is a cool girly nail haven specializing in bespoke nail treatments and nail art.

TreasureTress is the UK’s first monthly subscription box for women and girls with kinky, curly, coily, or frizzy hair.

Love Chin Chin is the company responsible for introducing ‘Chin Chin’, a sweet snack popular in West Africa, into the UK market.

Dark Sugars Cocoa House offers the culture of West African cocoa production. At the Cocoa House, you can sway your hips to the sound of the Senegalese sabar, or taste some pitch Black Hot Chocolate.

Chikas offers a delicious range of West African inspired snacks.

-Tony O. Lawson

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Published on November 7, 2016December 20, 2018

2 mins read

8 Black Owned Natural Hair Care Brands from the UK

As more Black women around the world continue to embrace their natural hair, the demand for quality products that make it easier to care for Black hair has increased. Here are some Black owned natural hair care brands that are based in the United Kingdom.

Black Owned Natural Hair Care Brands from the UK

I Love Afro is a family owned company specialising in handmade hair care products using the finest quality ingredients that nourish and encourage soft manageable curls.

Shear & Shine is the UK’s first Black owned grooming brand for Black men. They are committed to redefining the perception of Black men and inspiring them to be the best they can be.

Big Hair Beauty is a natural hair care range for curly, kinky, multi-textured hair. Their products are formulated using natural ingredients and are free from harsh chemicals and ingredients.

SimplyMoi offers a range of natural hair products including their our line. Their oils are 100% organic and are extracted via cold-pressed methods to safeguard their valuable antioxidants and other nutrients.

TLC Naturals offers products, which are made made in small batches, using simple blends of nutrient-rich & antioxidant-rich plant and fruit ingredients and minimal processing.

The Naturally Made For You products are made from 100% natural ingredients. Their mission is to promote and encourage the use of natural body products to achieve healthy, vibrant looking hair and skin.

Hug My Hair provides premium handmade natural hair products that are organic, Fairtrade and made from unrefined shea butter. 100% Vegetarian.?

Curly by Nature produces naturally derived hair care treats for genetically curly hair to enhance its health & beauty. Their mission is to serve people with natural solutions that revive the beauty of their hair and dispel the myths associated with curly hair.

Feature image is of Whitney White: Founder of @MelaninHaircare

-Tony Oluwatoyin Lawson

Published on February 21, 2016November 30, 2023

1 min read

20 Black Owned Makeup Brands You Should Know

According to a recent report by McKinsey & Co., Black consumers spent $6.6 billion on beauty products in 2021, 11 percent of the total $60 billion beauty industry.

I’m sure you would agree that Black owned beauty brands should be getting these coins. Here are a just few.