This Brand Is Building A Powerful Makeup Wardrobe For Working Women

Beauty Buzz: Black-Owned Brands

In true Bossy Cosmetics fashion, the $26 apiece lipsticks come in five different shades — Wisdom, Faith, Courage, Bravery, and Hustle — titled for what brand owner Aishetu Fatima Dozie believes are "five essential attributes that power women — bosses — need as we navigate our personal and professional journeys." And if the word "professional" has you thinking these shades are muted or subtle, the brand is here to remind you professional doesn't necessarily mean boring. 

For starters, two of the shades — Wisdom, a bright orange, and Hustle, a deep purple — include iridescent and shimmer finishes on top of their already daring colors. While the other three have standard matte finishes, their hues speak for themselves: Courage is a pop-y coral; Bravery is an electric fuchsia; and Faith is a classic, bold red.

I recently was introduced to Bossy Cosmetics – a beauty brand that for one has amazingly packaged, overall visually appealing, and high quality products.

Their latest collection titled Power Woman Essential is a collection that every beauty lover needs in their life. 

Self-described "lipstick junkie" Aishetu Fatima Dozie founded Bossy Cosmetics to help empower women to go out into the world and be their best selves. When formulating her brand's color cosmetics, the former investment banker drew on her own experiences in the boardroom and the power she felt when wearing a bold lip color. Bossy's Bossy Lip Gloss comes in a range of colors from nude to classic red. The ethically-made formula contains plant-based ingredients that stimulate collagen production and protect against UV light damage.

As a beauty editor it's my job to know about everyone's beauty. And I do. But as a Black woman I also take pride in celebrating brands that are for people of color and/or by people of color. Right now it's time to focus on the brands that are by us. And don't get it twisted--sure, many of the these brands are crafted specifically for melanin-rich skin and textured hair, BUT not all of them!

Just because a company is Black-owned doesn't mean it's just for Black people. There are plenty of brands here that serve everyone!

THE DETAILS:

Time: Who has it? I can't even think of when I last used a lip liner in the morning. In an ideal world, I'd prep my lips with liner before applying a matte liquid lipstick, but life just isn't set up that way. The pointed applicator of this liquid lipstick makes precisely outlining my lips a breeze. I fill in the rest of my mouth in 10 seconds flat because this is gorgeously pigmented. The velvety texture dries down in another 10 seconds, and doesn't move. I'll always vouch for a long-lasting liquid lipstick I can apply in 30 seconds or less. 

WHY I'M OBSESSED:  

Besides the fact that I'm in love with the orangey-red hue, which is perfect for off-duty activities (i.e. a boozy brunch or a day party), the charitable mission of this brand is what really drew me in. Bossy Cosmetics is committed to uplifting young girls and women worldwide.  The proceeds of every purchase are donated to a charitable organization for women. A lipstick that gives back is the type of beauty product I can get behind. 

A self-proclaimed lipstick junkie, Aishetu (Aisha) Dozie was an investment banker with a "serious" job when she ventured into the world of beauty. Equipped with a mission to empower women to look, feel, and do good while using cruelty-free products, she's also fueling her passion to give back through her brand.

Valentine’s Day is just a day away, and ladies (and gents) are putting the finishing touches on their looks and their plans. We’ve been talking about exploring the array of colors available to us to spice up our beauty looks for the day of love, but of course red is always an option for those who can’t give up their crimson hue.

It’s a color that looks great on everyone, and red lipstick particularly can make your appearance more polished no other makeup. So we’ve got 15 red lipsticks that complement melanin-rich skin and don’t leave lips chalky and dry. These long-wear formulas will stay put through the 9-5 and the 5-9 with little reapplication, and in some cases, none at all.

This "sexy" liquid lipstick made by a bossy black entrepreneur has all-day staying power and smells so good you'll want to lick it off.

For the beauty lover who changes lipstick like they change clothes, Bossy Cosmetics should be in your arsenal. The cruelty-free cosmetics company was founded Aishetu Fatima Dozie, a self-proclaimed lipstick junkie. The complete lineup includes a range of lip products, including nude glosses, saturated liquid lipsticks, and glitters that work on lips and eyes.

Celebrity makeup artist Jamie Dorman keeps this Bossy Cosmetics liquid lipstick in her kit to use when her clients need bold pigment with lots of staying power. "This is flattering on all skin tones, but I especially love it on medium-to-deep complexions," she says. "It saturates your lips with a velvet wine shade, stays on for hours, and makes your teeth look whiter."

Founded by former investment banker Aishetu Fatima Dozie, the cruelty-free makeup brand Bossy Cosmetics donates a portion of all sales to various female-focused charities, including Girls Inc of St. Louis, which provides support for girls aged 6 to 18 in the St. Louis area, and Women’s Link Worldwide, a nonprofit organization that uses the power of the law to advance the human rights of women and girls across the world.

The brain child of Aisha Fatima Dozie, Bossy Cosmetics stands by the motto, "I’m not bossy, I’m the boss!" The brand's signature formula, available in endless shades is the matte liquid lipstick that won't dry out your lips and doesn't require any liner.

Former Wall Street Powerhouse Aishetu Dozie made the bold leap into the beauty realm, and it’s been a success ever since. The cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified brand boasts high-end ingredients and vibrant colors.

Prior to creating Bossy Cosmetics, Aishetu Dozie was an investment banker and "lipstick junkie" at heart. Her mission is to empower women to look and feel amazing in lip products that are cruelty.

The vegan, cruelty-free Bossy Cosmetics Luscious Matte Lipstick in Flirt ($17) gives your lips comfortable, vibrant color with a velvety-matte finish. It's also infused with an orange creamsicle and sugar cookie scent so it smells delicious while you're wearing it.

In addition to continuing to tell their stories individually, we've shared a list of Black fashion editors, bloggers, influencers, designers, stylists and models that we think should be on your radar, if they aren't already. We've also compiled a list of 300+ Black-owned and founded beauty brands and 100+ Black-owned fashion brands to shop. Now, we're focusing specifically on creatives in the beauty space, highlighting Black beauty editors and writers, hairstylists, makeup artists, brand founders, executives, nail artist, influencers, as well as dermatologists, cosmetic chemists and estheticians doing major things in the industry. Follow them, listen to their stories, amplify them, support their projects, tell your colleagues and employees about them and hire them, if you can. 

With lipsticks though, it’s not like you’re looking for your exact skin tone when you color match, as you do with foundation. Perfecting your lip shade match can be a little tricky, so here are Dorman’s tips for finding the one that works for you.

For light skin tones: “These skin tones look great in peach colors like Bossy Cosmetics Velvet Lip Liner in Queen ($14),” says Dorman.

Bossy Cosmetics founder Aisha Dozie—who also leads African Herstory, a platform that showcases Black women—created a robust line of makeup products made to look good on all different skin tones.

Bossy founder and CEO Aishetu “Aisha” Dozie reportedly created the brand by drawing upon her years spent working in the boys’ club known as the finance industry, where she’d wear a bold lip color to feel empowered—and according to the brand’s mission statement, she’s now empowering others.