Madam C.J. Walker transformed hair care for Black women when she released "Madam Walker's Wonderful Hair Grower," a scalp conditioning and healing formula. As the first female self-made millionaire in America, she was known for her revolutionary hair and skin care products sold worldwide.

Pat McGrath, a British makeup artist, was proclaimed “the most influential makeup artist in the world” by Vogue. From 1990s dewy skin to today's no-retouching-necessary foundation, McGrath has been an innovator in makeup artistry. Her company valuation was reported at $1 Billion dollars, worth more than Kylie Cosmetics. 

Reynell Steward, better known as “Supa Cent”, is the founder of The Crayon Case, a makeup brand that went viral during her Cyber Monday sale that grossed $1 million in venue in under two hours. She continues to break her own record year after year. 

Jackie Aina is a YouTube makeup and beauty guru. As an influencer, she uses her platform to advocate for African Americans in the beauty industry, arguing that people of color are poorly represented and often ignored.

Eunice Johnson created Fashion Fair cosmetics in 1973 for women of color to find makeup that matched their "unique hues." It grew to become the world’s largest black-owned beauty brand.

Iman is a model who became a pioneer in the cosmetics industry and has constantly challenged the definition of mainstream "beauty." She launched Iman Cosmetics in 1994 which remains one of the most successful beauty brands for dark skin worldwide. 

Annie Malone, a chemist and entrepreneur, developed a hair product in the twentieth century to straighten Black women's hair without damaging it like most products at the time. This led her to create an entire line of hair care and beauty products specifically for Black women.