I grew up as a teenager in the 80’s – a magical decade of music videos, school dances, sleepovers, colourful clothing, big hair, and really bright make-up. I would use all my babysitting money to buy teen magazines for the pictures of models wearing make-up from all the big brands. As I got older, the internet took over, and social media influencers were the ones promoting beauty brands. It has only been in the last decade or so that we have seen an explosion of Indigenous representation in beauty and fashion. Here is a list of some of my favourite brands.
Please note, I am not an owner, director or employee of any of these companies and do not warrant their products. Any questions or concerns should be sent directly to these companies.
Cheekbone Beauty
Cheekbone Beauty is a 100% owned Indigenous beauty brand founded by Jenn Harper, an Anishinaabe Ojibwe woman from Northwest Angle #33 First Nation in Treaty 3 territory, Ontario. She gained popularity after appearing on CBC’s Dragon’s Den and turning down one of the Dragon’s offers which would have seen her give up a 50% interest in her company. Jenn believed strongly in herself, her company, and her mission, and was committed to maintaining traditional Indigenous values – Indigenous spirituality is not for sale. One of the reasons why I love this beauty brand so much is because of their commitment to sustainable, vegan, and cruelty-free products, as well as the fact that they give back to the community – nearly $250,000 has been donated to date – including to the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. But the best reason? They used to have a “Warrior” line of liquid lipstick and one of them named after me!!
Sequoia
Sequoia was founded in 2002 by Michaelee Lazore who is Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) from Akwesáhsne and Northern Paiute from Nevada. Not only do they do they do the design, production and packaging locally, but they are also committed to sustainability and ethically-sourced ingredients. I think it’s absolutely amazing that Lazore was an engineer and gave it up to found her own company that was inspired by her grandmother. The fact that she includes scents like sweetgrass, cedar and sage is pretty cool too. I was gifted one of their canoe candles by a friend years ago, and have been addicted to their products ever since. Their Harvest Moon collection smells incredible and they have a new “Pink” line – including Strawberry Moon!
Satya Organic
Satya Organic was founded by Patrice Mousseau who is Anishinaabe from Fort William First Nation. I first heard of Patrice when she was an investigative journalist and news anchor on APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network). Her business started out of her kitchen in a crock pot experimenting with natural, organic ingredients, looking for something to relieve her baby’s eczema. Her products are one of a kind and are fragrance free, cruelty free, and steroid free, as well as hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, and pediatrician approved. How many companies can say they are suitable for all ages? The fact that her company is carbon and plastic neutral shows a real commitment to the environment as well. What’s unique about her products is that they are used for people with eczema, but can also be used for regular dry skin, and even tattoo aftercare!