Brilliant black beauty brands to buy now, in the UK

Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour by Funmi Fetto (Hodder & Stoughton, £25)

This book not only opens the discussion of inclusivity but is the absolute beauty bible for women of colour everywhere.

Funmi Fetto says in The Guardian: 'Despite the current talk of diversity and inclusivity, I am constantly reminded we are not there yet. While it's wonderful that I can now find a base that won't turn me deathly grey or cantaloupe orange, in order to really move forward, the beauty industry needs to start having conversations that go deeper than the shades of foundation.' Hear, hear.

Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour by Funmi Fetto (Hodder & Stoughton, £25) – buy here

​Epara

Epara means 'to cocoon oneself' in the Nigerian dialect of Ebira. It is a collection of handcrafted, luxury skincare products tailored to the underserved needs of women of colour.

'Epara is a brand born out of a need to provide luxury skincare products to women with dark skin tones. The skin issues women have present differently in women of colour.'

Ozohu Adoh, founder and CEO

Balancing Face Oil, £105

Moringa, marula and argan oil soften, while the 100% natural line-up also helps to brighten and soothe skin.

Epara Balancing Face Oil, £105 – buy here

​Pat McGrath Labs

She is legendary – Vogue's Anna Wintour proclaimed her 'the most influential make-up artist in the world.'

For more than two decades, Pat McGrath has been concepting, launching and developing luxury cosmetic brands, countless runway shows, breakthrough advertising campaigns and editorial spreads, and her artistic creations can be found at Selfridges.

Sublime Perfection Foundation, £60

Formulated to help smooth skin, blur lines, offer radiance and in 36 inclusive, expertly formulated tones.

Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Foundation, £60 – buy here

​Liha Beauty

A mixture of African roots and a quintessentially British attitude, Liha Beauty makes for a lovely luxurious product range that everyone should have on their radar.

Liha Beauty Idan Oil, £39

The multi-use oil nourishes skin, hair and body and has the irresistible scent of tuberose.

Liha Beauty Idan Oil, £39 – buy here

Bea Skincare

An award-winning cosmeceutical brand from London by Bianca Estelle, British-born with Nigerian roots, she's a Harley Street-trained skin specialist, clinical trainer and clinic director at the Vitamin Injections London Clinic, and her encyclopaedic knowledge of skincare and wellness is second to none.

'I'm well versed in treating all skin types but my USP is that I'm skilled in treating darker skin tones which, sadly, many clinics and brands neglect. I'm extremely passionate about inclusivity within the skincare industry because I've faced the issues that many black women continue to face today (it’s a myth that women of colour can’t have skin peels) and as such, I've ensured there are products and treatments specifically tailored towards those with darker skin tones.'

Bea Skincare 2% Retinol Serum, £54

A beauty editor's secret skin weapon – this hard-working retinol formula is super-lightweight, sinks in quickly, and is kind to all skin textures and tones.

Bea Skincare 2% Retinol Serum, £54 – buy here

Fenty Beauty

This brand is valued at £2.3 billion and generated £450 million in its first 15 months – this really needs no introduction: Rihanna's Fenty Beauty has differentiated itself in every way.

'It challenged the standard convention that you only needed a very defined set of shades to satisfy a market,' says Stephanie Wissink, a research analyst at Jefferies, told Forbes. 'Not only did [Fenty Beauty] achieve meaningful sales, but it potentially changed the industry permanently.'

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer, £28

The latest launch from the make-up entrepreneur is a range of believable bronzers. It's available in seven sheer shades so we're pretty confident there's one for all to be found here.

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer, £28 – buy here

​Beauty Bakerie

Beauty Bakerie is known for its extensive foundation shade range and hero setting powder and the cheery products inspired by baking. Get a slice of happiness right here with the award-winning products.

Cashmere Nicole, the founder and CEO, spoke to Refinery29 about being a black entrepreneur in beauty: 'I've learned that being black and running an indie brand is extremely tough. As a child, I remember hearing that you have to work twice as hard when you're Black – and now I know that it's true.'

Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder, £22.50

Hard-working powder that means make-up stays put through sweat, humidity and stressful situations.

Beauty Bakerie Flour Setting Powder, £22.50 – buy here

​Afrocenchix

Afrocenchix believes the little things in life should be simple. It blends natural and organic ingredients with the expertise to make haircare as straightforward as possible.

After years of rejection from wholesalers saying black women's needs are 'niche', it was great to see the brand voted BBFA Best Natural Hair Brand 2018 and to be the first product for afro hair in Whole Foods UK.

The Moisture Surge Set, £40

This care set nourishes, softens and revitalises afro hair.

Afrocenchix The Moisture Surge Set, £40 – buy here

​Uoma Beauty

Uoma (pronounced 'ooma') means beautiful, and the brand believes that beauty starts the moment you decide to be yourself.

Make-up artist Sharon Chuter created the ‘Afropolitan’ make-up brand with hard-working and pigment-rich formulas that use the Fitzpatrick scale to ensure each shade caters to the unique needs of the skin, based on the specific colour category.

Chuter says: 'I could never understand why we live in an age of prescriptive beauty, a monolithic existence where individuality and uniqueness have been left by the wayside and instead a singular idea of what beauty should look like is the status quo. The world is beautiful because we are all different and colourful in our unique way and this is why Uoma beauty exists. To celebrate uniqueness, to bring people from all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, sizes and ages together in a colourful celebration and co-existence.'

Uoma Beauty Double Take Sculpt and Strobe stick, £34.50

Instant definition and illumination in one easy-to-use stick for colour on the go.

Uoma Beauty Double Take Sculpt and Strobe stick, £34.50 – buy here