Black Is Beautiful; The 60s to 70s

Before the 1960s, most societal beauty standards for women centered on white women. However, with the Civil Rights movement also came outspoken Black people who proclaimed they were beautiful, too. That they didn’t need to straighten their hair or bleach their skin to be considered such, both things some individuals did before the Black is Beautiful movement. According to the article, ‘Making Black More Beautiful,’ the Black is Beautiful movement led to a temporary “decline… of the black hair-care industry,” [^source1] which largely centered around straightening curls to fit the Eurocentric beauty norms of the time period. Beyond the embrace of curls and coils, there was also an increase in cosmetic products specifically for Black women. Most of these cosmetics, however, were tailored towards light-skinned Black women. Regardless, magazines began to also shape their makeup tips around inclusivity. Redbook magazine put out an article describing what makeup Black women should use, and even praising Black skin, stating “Dark skin is a versatile background for make-up, and it affords a great opportunity for experimentation with color.” [^source2] A magazine that was aimed towards women of all races and marital statuses, giving tips for Black women specifically, was an important step in the right direction, though it seems small by today’s standards. Considering the article also mentions that there are “over 30 skin-tone variations” [^source3] for Black women when just a decade prior, only one makeup company catered towards dark-skinned Black women, this was monumental for the time. This makeup brand was specifically launched by a woman named Flori Roberts in 1965, and “was a step toward inclusion and Black consumers rejoiced.” [^source4]