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Bolden

Source: Bolden / OSEI PR

Last year we were thrilled to see The Lip Bar and UrbanSkin RX on Target shelves and now we have a third brand to keep an eye out for when strolling down one of our favorite retailer’s aisles: Bolden.

Bolden

Source: Bolden / OSEI PR

Founded by Chinelo Chidozie and Ndidi Obidoa, Bolden is a premium skincare line, not only created with Black women in mind but to address one of our biggest skin issues: hyperpigmentation. And Target will carry the brand’s full line of products, which include a Clarifying Cleanser, Brightening Toner, Brightening Moisturizer SPF 30 (only on Target.com for now), a Nightime Serum, and the new Clear Skin Clay Mask that combines Sulfur with Kaolin and Bentonite clays to fight blemishes, reduce sebum production and inflammation, and purify skin. As of January 27 of this year, Bolden has been available on Target.com and 194 select Target stores nationwide.

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In 2012, Melissa Butler launched The Lip Bar, a line of non–toxic, vegan, cruelty-free vibrant lipsticks, from her kitchen in New York City. Not long after, Butler left her job on Wall Street and relocated to her hometown of Detroit to continue to build and grow her business. Six years and half-a-million dollars later, to say that switch has paid off handsomely would be an understatement. Starting this Sunday, The Lip Bar will be available in Target stores throughout Philadelphia, New York City, Charlotte, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta.

Butler’s line is actually already available on Target.com and will be in 44 locations throughout the above-mentioned cities.

“I’ve always loved lipstick,” Butler told Forbes in a recent profile. “Lipstick is feminine and powerful and with one stroke, it can completely transform your mood. I was also looking for lipstick products that weren’t chemically laden. I noticed that it was easier to find natural hair and skin care alternatives, but the assortment of natural lip colors were frankly just boring.”

Butler said in the midst of researching and experimenting with ingredients she was troubled by many things she learned were in beauty products and asked herself, “Why can’t I be the solution?” Now she most certainly is, in more ways than one, by not only creating a line of lip colors that’s both socially and health conscious, but by also catering to women of color who are still notoriously underserved in the beauty industry.

“The Lip Bar defies beauty standards not just by the products we produce, but also through the voice we provide to our customers,” Butler said of her brand’s tagline, “Challenge the Standard of Beauty.” “We tell their stories. Our imagery reflects diversity because that’s reality, beauty isn’t a singular look. The way we approach beauty and the way we want our customers to look at beauty isn’t linear. It’s inclusive of women who are a variety of shades, hair textures, shapes and sizes.”

A liquid matte red shade called “Bawse Lady” is The Lip Bar’s bestseller, though the brand offers glosses, lipsticks, and liquid lipsticks in a variety of colors and finishes with an average price of $13.

Urban Skin Rx

Source: Urban Skin Rx / Urban Skin Rx

Also newly launched at Target is Urban Skin Rx, the skincare line celebrities like Eva Marcille and Fantasia swear by. Though not Black-owned, the brand created by aesthetician Rachel Roff caters specifically to melanin-rich skin and at the end of January Target began carrying her 3-in-1 treatment Cleansing Bars which cleanse, exfoliate and treat the skin with a mask in one step.

The bars come in three different formulas:

  • Urban Skin Rx Even Tone Cleansing Bar – a complexion perfecting cleansing treatment that improves the appearance of uneven skin tone and dark marks. This highly effective formula includes Kojic Acid,Azelaic Acid, Black Tea Leaf Extract and Niacinamide.
  • Urban Skin Rx Clear Skin Cleansing Bar – this gentle yet effective cleanser is made for oily and/or blemish prone skin. It softens skin while deep cleansing pores and gently exfoliating to help prevent breakouts, as it promotes healing. Key ingredients include Salicylic Acid, Eucalyptus Leaf Oil and Sulfur.
  • Urban Skin Rx Anti-Aging Cleansing Bar – a hydrating cleansing treatment that smoothes and improves the appearance of aging skin and eczema prone skin using Hibiscus Flower, Resorcinol and Salicylic Acid to help fight inflammation and promote even skin pigmentation.

The Clear Skin and Even Tone Cleansing Bars are favorites of mine — I switch between the products depending on whether I’m breaking out or my skin looks a bit dull. At $12.99 for each 2 oz jar, the bars, which are available in more than 230 stores and on Target.com, are a good bargain.

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