April 2025

To listen to social media tell it, the sweetness industry is full of success stories. From TikTok-viral product launches turning up on daily basis to multimillion-dollar brand acquisitions, it often looks like superstardom happens overnight for beauty entrepreneurs. In spite of everything, what’s more guaranteed than having a product that customers need and love, right? Well, not so fast.   Behind the aesthetically pleasing marketing campaigns and influencer cosigns lies a far less glamorous reality. For each beauty brand that becomes a household name, there are countless others struggling to survive in some of the competitive industries on the planet—and Black-owned brands struggle most of all.  Becoming a beauty founder has never been easier—or harder, depending on the way you take a look...