The beauty industry loves to talk about growth. About how far it’s come since the early 2010s, when YouTube tutorials cracked open an industry that once felt inaccessible. Instagram refined the visuals. TikTok accelerated discovery. But for all this talk of evolution, one truth remains stubbornly intact: Black male beauty creators are still rarely granted the same access, monetization, or celebration as their peers, even in 2026.
This isn’t about visibility alone. Black men have always been present in beauty spaces. This is about placement. About who gets invited, who gets invested in and who gets positioned as worthy of long-term opportunity.
Black male creators didn’t arrive late to the beauty conversation. They’ve been practicing artistry on living, breathing canvases for decades, faces that went on to define eras of fashion, music and film. Their work has lived on magazine covers, red carpets and global stages. Yet somewhere between artistry and influencer culture, their value became harder for the industry to acknowledge.
Artists First, Always
Before the creator economy had a name, there were makeup artists whose work spoke through their subjects. Way Bandy transformed editorial beauty into high drama, using models as vessels for fantasy and emotion. Reggie Wells brought refinement and intentionality to the way Black women appeared on national television, shaping public perception through restraint and precision. Sam Fine mastered the art of skin and tone, creating looks that elevated supermodels and celebrities without ever overpowering them. And Sir John has helped define modern beauty through collaboration with musicians and performers whose images circulate globally.
These men weren’t chasing trends. They were responding to the faces in front of them. To bone structure. To lighting. To movement. To narrative. Their work was never about domination or authorship over beauty, but about interpretation. About enhancing the presence of the model, the musician, the actor.
That lineage matters.
From Artistry to Algorithms—and the Drop-Off
Fast forward to today and Black male beauty creators are still doing that work, just through a different medium. They explain undertones. They demonstrate technique. They experiment with texture, color and form. They speak fluently about skin care science and makeup history. Their audiences are loyal and engaged.
Yet when brands assemble campaign rosters or pack itineraries for brand trips, Black men are often absent. Not because they lack skill or reach, but because the industry still struggles to place them comfortably within its marketing imagination.
There’s a persistent hesitation around Black men who work in beauty. A discomfort that shows up as silence. As “maybe next time.” As vague explanations about audience alignment or brand fit. Rather than interrogate those biases, brands sidestep them.
The result is a system where Black male creators are encouraged to contribute culture without being granted the same commercial pathways as others.
Recognition Shouldn’t Be a Negotiation
What makes this gap more glaring is that Black male beauty creators are rarely asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for acknowledgment that their work is already influencing how people buy, wear, and understand beauty.
Monetization shouldn’t be treated as a reward for palatability. Celebration shouldn’t be contingent on proximity to whiteness or masculinity that feels “safe.” And artistry shouldn’t be discounted because it challenges the industry’s narrow ideas of who beauty is for.
If beauty brands can profit from diversity in theory, they can invest in it in practice.
Giving Flowers With Intention
As we move into 2026, EBONY is clear on where it stands. This is not about nostalgia. It’s not about rewriting history. It’s about recognizing that Black male beauty creators have always been artists working in collaboration with others, shaping images that move culture forward.
Below are a few of many Black male beauty creators who deserve their flowers, not as a gesture, but as an acknowledgment of the labor, creativity and influence they bring to the industry every day. We want to see them booked, paid, celebrated and positioned at the highest levels of beauty, not as exceptions, but as essential contributors.
Because the future of beauty isn’t just about who is seen. It’s about who is supported once they are.
Roth
@lordcaribbean Everyday men’s makeup that has gotten me tons of compliments, easy and clean! #mensmakeup #beauty #makeup #makeuptutorial @Fenty Beauty @Pat McGrath Labs @Haus Labs @MERIT Beauty @YSL Beauty @Benefit Cosmetics @Kosas ♬ original sound – Rolph
Tevin
@tevitevv Got some request for my toasted makeup. For clean Sun-kissed Skin. Toasted look with Skin tint, Faux Freckles and Blush. #sunkissedmakeup #fauxfreckles #makeuptutorial #cleangirlmakeup #boymakeup ♬ African beat – Made By J
Stixx Matthews
@stixxinthecity boy makeup is the best — all i need is 15-20 minutes and then i’ll turn into THA DOLL! #makeuptutorial #makeup #blackmakeup #beautyboy #beauty ♬ Love Hangover – Diana Ross
Prince Omotosho
@crowned__prince Replying to @Black man Full Boy #MakeupRoutine Products From: @Naturium @Urban Decay Cosmetics @Milani Cosmetics @Kint Cosmetics @Rare Beauty @Saie @elfcosmetics @Maybelline New York @Revlon Cosmetics #beauty #skincare #selfcare ♬ original sound – Prince
Bear Deans
@beardeans Idk yall… do u guys like this one?? #loreal #lorealskinink #drugstoremakeupmusthaves #drugstoremakeup #deinfluencing ♬ original sound – bear_deans
Gary Thompson
@garythompson Concealer placement @hudabeautyshop ♬ original sound – ⋆｡ﾟ ︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡ Vee
Kareem Maliek
@itskareemmaliek running back my #BlackFridays series today i’m highlighting #BlackOwned Makeup Brands @thread beauty @LYS Beauty @DanessaMyricksBeauty @mented cosmetics have you tried any of these brands yet? if so what’s your favorite product from the brand? If not, what products would you like to try? #softglammakeup #blackownedmakeup #melaninmakeupdaily #blackfriday ♬ original sound – Kareem Maliek
GUHDEHPHILLIP
@guhdehphillipp SET YAHHH FACEEEEE @CeraVe UKI @rhode skin @elfcosmetics @danessamyricks_europe @danessamyricksbeauty.uk @tomfordbeauty @NARS Cosmetics @Huda Beauty @Charlotte Tilbury @Benefit Cosmetics @DanessaMyricksBeauty @ONE SIZE BEAUTY #grwm #transferproofmakeup #makeup #softglam ♬ original sound – GUHDEHPHILLIP
Yaw
@way_of_yaw Had to recreate this look from @jaden and love that @Christian Louboutin Beauty are stepping things up! Products used: @Glisten Cosmetics LTD red foundation @Mehron Makeup translucent powder @BEAUTY BAY @nikkietutorials palette @MaybellineUK super fluff brow mousse @nyxcosmetics_uk lift & snatch brow pen @Haus Labs hybrid lip oil @bennye Ebony powder #jadensmith #louboutin ♬ original sound – Way Of Yaw
