The Black Beauty Roster Beauty Show 2026
The Black Beauty Roster Beauty Show Brings Out The Biggest Names In Beauty
- The event featured demos, masterclasses, and panels, showcasing diverse beauty talents and brands.
- Black consumers' massive spending power in beauty is driving industry changes and opportunities.
- Black Beauty Roster provides education and hiring support to address longstanding diversity gaps in the industry.
The Black Beauty Roster Beauty Show brought out the biggest names in beauty Monday. Danessa Myricks, Derek J, Jesseca Dupart, Sabrina Dhowre Elba and more hit the event ready to celebrate the power of inclusive beauty.
The trade event brought founders, stylists, makeup artists, and creators to New York’s Chelsea Industrial venue. It included demonstrations from expert beauty professionals, master classes, product testing opportunities, and panels.
There was even a traditional beauty hair battle where stylists competed for a cash prize. Susy Oludele, who created the breathtaking finale look for Sammy B’s 2023 runway show, served as one of the judges.
The interactive environment let beauty professionals, entrepreneurs, and creators ask experts direct questions about their journeys.
A Truly Welcoming Space
The Black Beauty Roster Beauty Show was open to the public. It sold out completely. Beautiful Black women lined 28th Street filing into the building to experience some of their favorite brands up close. They had high spirits as they toddled out with gift bags full of goodies from Armani, Oribe, Lask and Bather, Fenty Beauty, Design Essentials, and Ulta.
Anok Ya, Bevy Smith, Azariah Cartagena, and Jeanette Ryes were in attendance.
“The BBR Beauty Show is where business, artistry, and culture intersect,” said Maude Okrah Hunter, Founder of Black Beauty Roster. “Our vision is to create a world-class destination where beauty professionals, brands, and industry leaders can connect, learn, discover new opportunities, and help shape a more innovative and inclusive industry.”
Their creativity was on full display. Dupart wore an elaborate updo that gave old-school Bonner Brothers energy. Jae Gurley turned heads in a short pastel pink cut. Karla Tobie rocked romantic curls. Syeda Boom reminded us Black girls invented yellow.
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Attendees’ style extended beyond their beauty choices. They rocked flowing sundresses with girlish bows, fitted jumpsuits that screamed body tea, preppy ties, sherbet colored sets, snake print crop tops, and patterned frocks.
Brands Know Black Beauty Brings Coins
Salon Centric was a major sponsor for the event. Cantu sponsored a coffee bar. Attendees buzzed around complimenting each other’s flawless beats and lengthy bust downs. Ruchi Beauty handed out popsicles to help guests beat the July heat.
These companies recognized the opportunity to connect with the girls and their buying power. Black consumers spend billions on beauty, according to a 2022 study published by McKinsey. Nielsen reported that “In 2023, Black consumer spending on Beauty products amounted to $9.4 billion, with dollar, unit, and household growth outpacing growth for the US at large.”
With the beauty sector growing, that figure could be swelling. Elba told HelloBeautiful how the changes she’s seeing in the industry bring her hope.
“When we started our brand, A-beauty was not a thing, people didn’t really know about it, and now it’s coming out and I love seeing everyone do their thing,” she said. A-beauty refers to beauty steeped in traditions of the African continent. Elba’s brand S’ABLE Labs is a leader in the space.
New brands and legacy brands set up stations throughout the space. Panels touched on how blush can be a game changer.
Founders at the event chatted with attendees, but they also embraced each other. At one point, Myricks held Karruche Tran, giving her words of encouragement and a huge smile. They posed together at the Ruchi Beauty booth, their smiles beaming at the photographer.
Related: Meet Ruka, The Black-Woman Owned Braiding Extensions Brand Heading To Sephora
Chanell Sykes spoke on the way Myricks inspired her. “It lets me know that as a founder myself, I can really go far,” she told HelloBeautiful. Skyes founded Dainty Girl Beauty. Creator brands are gaining market share. Fumi Monet and Jackie Aina launched fragrances.
Education Meets Opportunity
Black Beauty Roster offers educational resources to beauty professionals. They launched with the mission “to bring meaningful beauty inclusion into the industry through opportunity, advocacy and education.”Their work allows hairstylists and makeup artists to show up to photoshoots, red carpets and movie sets ready to work with any skin tone or hair texture. Lacy Redway, Tippi Shorter, Vernon François, Christol Williams, Myricks and other professionals showed off the techniques that helped them become hotly requested commodities on call sheets at the beauty show.
Black Beauty Roster also provides hiring insights to projects that are in need of stylists that can do diverse talent. Stars like Yvette Nicole Brown, Gabourey Sidibe, and Gabrielle Union have called out productions for failing to hire stylists that can cater to their hair types. Models have been speaking out about the lack of backstage makeup artists for years.
“Being African-American, it’s really hard to find stylists that can accommodate our look and work with my hair texture,” Myori Granger told HelloBeautiful in 2018.
Intervention from events like The Black Beauty Roster Beauty Show is a step towards changing that.
