After announcing in April that they would close down in an Instagram post, the Beauty Bakerie was acquired by private equity firm West Lane Capital.
Beauty Bakerie has been a favorite of many since it was founded in 2011 by Cashmere Nicole, a breast cancer survivor, with a “baked goods” theme.
The much-loved brand is dubbed ‘Activists in Makeup’ and is known for cruelty-free, vegan-friendly, and gluten-free inclusive beauty products for all skin types.
The brand decided to sell instead of close after requests from customers to look for a new home for the brand.
Some popular beauty favorites include Raspberry Tiramisú Matte Lip Whip, InstaBake Aqua Glass Foundation, Oat (Translucent) Flour Setting Powder, and Midnight Truffles Matte Lip Whip.
Reactions to Beauty Bakerie Acquisition
Given that the brand was celebrated as a black woman-owned business, there is some outcry in the community.
The usual concerns when a black-owned business is acquired include:-
- Dilution of the brand’s mission and authenticity.
- Discontinuing customer favorites.
- Reformulating ingredients.
- Introducing inferior products in favor of profits.
- Phasing out products for WOC.
These are all legit concerns that have been faced during previous acquisitions of beauty favorites such as SheaMoisture, The Mane Choice, and Mielle.
r/BeautyGuruChatter on Reddit has quite a few posts discussing the acquisition.
Overall, we can hope that West Lane Capital’s acquisition of Beauty Bakerie will lead to continued innovation while still honoring its roots and mission.
Other West Lane Capital portfolio brands include Mented, Seven Haircare, and Simply Organic.
In summary, Beauty Bakerie is no longer black-owned but may likely be black-managed.
What Are Black-Owned Alternatives to Beauty Bakerie?
If you’re a purist and only wish to support black-owned beauty brands and small businesses, some alternatives to Beauty Bakerie include:-
- The Lip Bar – founded by Melissa Butler and offers vegan and cruelty-free beauty products.
- Pat McGrath Labs – founded by makeup artist Pat McGrath and known for luxurious, high-performance products.
- BeautyStat Cosmetics – founded by Ron Robinson and is known for science-driven results with clean ingredients.
- Lamik Beauty – founded by Kim Roxie with a focus on eco-friendly and clean beauty, and inclusivity.
- Range Beauty – founded by Alicia Scott and creates products for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
- Maréna Beauté – founded by Senegalese-Swedish makeup artist Diarry Maréna, this brand offers products formulated for deeper skin tones.
There’s also Fenty Beauty, founded by Rihanna but partially owned by LVMH.
Final Thoughts
Wherever you land on the spectrum of Beauty Bakerie, there are always alternatives, or you can choose to continue supporting the brand with the hope that quality and purpose are maintained.
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on the Beauty Bakerie acquisition in the comments section.
Abi is a curly hair expert, researcher, product tester, and author of the highly-rated Healthy Hair Care Series. She is also the founder of Ade Ori Hair Care, Healthy Natural Hair Products, and Natural Oils for Hair & Beauty. HNHP has strict editorial standards and ensures all the information on Healthy Natural Hair Products is the best for natural hair care. Learn more about our Editorial Policies
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