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When she launched the #PullUpOrShutUp challenge, Uoma Beauty founder Sharon Chuter asked for numbers and, a few days later, some brands have delivered.
Following the widespread #BlackOutTuesday in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and to protest the killing of George Floyd, Chuter stepped up and addressed the underlying race problems present in the fashion and beauty industries. Posting a performative black square and a Martin Luther King Jr. quote is easy, but the real work happens on the inside, and Chuter's #PullUpOrShutUp challenge addresses that.
On June 3, Chuter prompted beauty brands to publicly share how many Black employees each company has working at a corporate level and in leadership roles, highlighting that only 8% of people employed in white-collar professions are Black. A lot of beauty brands profit off of the Black dollar and work with many Black influencers to target that audience, but we don’t really know what the internal teams look like. Chuter gave brands 72 hours to “pull up” and reveal the percentages of Black representation; within 24 hours the results started to roll in.
Whether it's major corporations acknowledging there's work to be done or Black-owned brands rightfully boasting a 100% Black workforce, here are 76 brands who have pulled up thus far:
Uoma Beauty
Leading by example, Uoma Beauty released its percentages first, sharing that 58% of the company's employees are Black. As a Black-owned brand, Uoma stated the brand was “incredibly proud to have a diverse team of individuals who each bring a different perspective to the team.”
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E.L.F. Cosmetics
E.L.F. originally released only numbers for the percentage of “diverse” people working for the company, but the brand later specified that 7% of its employees are Black. The brand also shared photos of its leadership team, which is 14% Black.
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Milk Makeup
Not only did Milk Makeup pull up with numbers (which revealed the brand has 9% African Caribbean and African American employees), but it also included action steps to do better in the future. The company said it has begun a partnership with Scope of Work, a talent agency for underrepresented young people that aims to establish more equality in creative industries.
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The Crayon Case
Black-owned makeup brand the Crayon Case pulled up with 100% Black employees across the board. Owner Raynell Steward, best known as “Wuzzam Supa,” is well-known on Instagram for working closely with family members and always highlighting Black creatives. Safe to say, this 100% didn't come as a surprise.
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PÜR Cosmetics
Cosmetics brand PÜR, part of Astral Brands, announced 30% of its employees are Black; 17 out of 57 people working for the brand are Black.
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Mented Cosmetics
As a go-to lipstick brand for Black women, Black-owned Mented Cosmetics pulled up with high percentages of Black employees. Mented's executive team is 100% Black and its leadership board is 75% Black.
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Versed
Versed admitted to only having 6% Black team members and 14% Black people in leadership and executive team roles. While acknowledging that these numbers aren't enough, the brand shared some steps it will take to reach proportionate representation, including building education and sustained support across all teams.
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Makeup Addiction
Makeup Addiction is another Black-owned brand that pulled up with 100% Black employees. Similar to Chuter's message, Makeup Addiction's founder also sent a message to other brands, saying, “Now is the time to speak up. To those big corporations with the bold statements, back it up with a diverse workplace."
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Beauty Bakerie
Beauty Bakerie’s “small but mighty and passionate” team consists of 75% Black employees. The cosmetic brand is also Black-owned and Black-led.
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Shop Miss A
Shop Miss A revealed through a pie chart that it has 14.7% Black employees.
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P Louise Makeup Academy
P Louise Makeup Academy reported having 15% Black people working at the company.
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Farsáli
Farsáli’s CEO Sal Ali released a statement that acknowledged a goal of his when he started the company was to bring jobs to visible minorities. The brand currently has 25% Black employees.
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Huda Beauty
Out of a total of 116 employees, 13% of Huda Beauty’s employees are Black.
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The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is another Black-owned beauty brand known for creating products tailored to Black women. They pulled up with receipts and photos of their employees, and 85% are Black people.
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Inkbox
Temporary-tattoo brand Inkbox was transparent and admitted that it has 0% Black people in executive and leadership roles. The brand also shared that 11% of its current team members are Black.
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Sleek Makeup
Sleek Makeup provided no data for the percentage of Black employees on its workforce, but acknowledged that the number is insufficient.
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Cover FX
Out of 23 employees, only one employee is Black at Cover FX. “We acknowledge that we must do better in order to make meaningful change to end systematic racism in our society," the brand stated.
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Makeup Revolution
London-based beauty brand Makeup Revolution announced that only 3% of the company's employees are Black. “We do not employ enough Black people. We know that Black representation is the single-most meaningful step towards change," the company stated.
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Ulta
Ulta pulled up to the challenge revealing that 18% of its board members and 13% of its executive team leaders are Black. On top of that, 6% of its corporate associates are Black.
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Lime Crime
Lime Crime admitted to having no Black people in its corporate headquarters. The brand acknowledged its community is full of Black supporters and apologized for the lack of representation while expressing a commitment to grow.
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Kosas
Kosas revealed that 18% of its team, including in-store artists and brand specialists, is Black; however, only 5% of Black employees work at the corporate level.
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Rizos Curls
Rizos Curls announced that 55% of its employees are Black.
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Boxycharm
While no Black people work at the executive level at Boxycharm, the company has 8% Black staff at its headquarters.
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L’Oréal
L’Oréal serves as an umbrella company for many beauty brands, includeing Kiehl's, YSL Beauty, SkinCeuticals, and Urban Decay, to name a few. As a collective company, L’Oréal has 9% Black employees in manufacturing, 7% in corporate, and 8% in executive positions.
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ColourPop
Despite often collaborating with Black influencers, only 3% of ColourPop's employees are Black. The brand released its numbers with a statement saying, “We have work to do and we know it. The first step is accountability.”
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Ouai Haircare
Out of 38 employees, only one person on the Ouai Haircare team is Black, holding a role in the executive leadership team. The brand has announced the steps it will take to change this, including creating a Black advisory group to help add more insight and perspective in key areas like product development.
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Glow Recipe
Despite posting a photo of its team a few weeks ago, Glow Recipe declined to reveal any percentages. The brand did announce some action steps for the future, including launching a mentorship program for Black and POC entrepreneurs who wish to pursue a career in beauty.
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Milani
Milani pulled up to reveal that out of 63 employees, 4 of them are Black, making up for only 6% of employees. Fans were shocked by this since Milani caters to a Black audience. Some Instagram commenters even thought the brand was Black-owned.
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Coloured Raine
Coloured Raine is fully Black-owned and pulled up with 100% of Black employees.
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Tatcha
J-beauty skin-care brand Tatcha revealed that it has 4% Black employees and admitted it will focus on Black representation as the brand grows into North America.
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Sunday Riley
Sunday Riley reported having 11.5% Black employees and 9.1% in management roles.
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Orly
Family-owned vegan nail brand Orly admitted to having only 4% Black employees.
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Supergoop!
Out of 38 employees at Supergoop!, only two people are Black; both are in leadership roles.
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Briogeo
Hair-care brand Brigeo has a total of 19% Black employees at HQ and 50% of its board and board observer is Black.
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Mark Wins Beauty
Mark Wins Beauty is the umbrella company of brands like Wet N Wild, Black Radiance, Physicians Formula, and more. It has a total of 12.5% Black employees and 25% at the board level.
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Glossier
Internet-favorite brand Glossier reported that 9% of its 250 employees identify as Black.
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Dominique Cosmetics
Hispanic- and family-owned brand Dominique Cosmetics revealed 11% of its employees are Black.
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Bliss
Bliss reported that it has no black people in leadership roles, but 10.3% of the company employees are Black.
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Sol de Janeiro
Sol de Janeiro revealed 10% of its employees are Black; of those, 6% are in management roles.
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Morphe
Morphe pulled up with an extremely low 3% of Black employees. Like many other brands, Morphe acknowledged that there is work to be done. Some commenters were not surprised by Morphe's numbers, given the brand's past support of Jeffree Star, who has made headlines for racist incidents.
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Honest
Honest Beauty reported that 10% of its team members are Black.
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Flower Beauty
Flower Beauty announced having 0% Black people on its executive team, but has 12% Black employees overall.
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Paula’s Choice
Paula’s Choice reported only 2% Black employees. The brand announced it has plans to move toward a more diverse team.
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Procter & Gamble (P&G)
P&G is the home of some of your favorite beauty brands, including Olay, Pantene, SK-II, Secret, and more. Across all brands, P&G reported 13% Black employees at a leadership level.
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Natasha Denona
Makeup brand Natasha Denona announced its team consists of 34% Black people.
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The Balm
Cosmetic brand the Balm, which doesn’t show many Black people in its feed, reported having 9% Black employees.
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Farmacy
Farmacy’s 23-person team is 13% Black; the leadership team is 14% Black.
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Sugarpill
Sugarpill pulled up to report 20% Black representation at the brand.
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Shiseido
Shiseido is an umbrella company for brands like Drunk Elephant, Laura Mercier, Bare Minerals, NARS, and more. Ten percent of its team members identify as Black, with 5% representation in management roles and 9% at the director level and above.
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Revlon
Revlon revealed 27% of its employees are Black; of those, 5% are on the director level.
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Tarte
Tarte acknowledged it has to do better, with 6% Black representation on its team and 5% in leadership.
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Shea Moisture
Shea Moisture, owned by Unilever, has 58% Black executives.
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Beauty Blender
Beauty Blender showed up to the challenge by announcing 9% of its corporate team members are Black; 6% are in leadership.
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Ilia
Out of 28 employees, Ilia reported having 4% Black representation; there is no Black representation in leadership roles.
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Urban Skin RX
Urban Skin RX reported having 64% Black representation; 69% of Black employees hold positions in management, and 40% on the executive leadership team.
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Lush
Lush responded to the challenge and admitted to having no Black employees at the executive level in North America, and limited Black employees at management level.
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OBV Beauty
London-based and Black-owned beauty brand OBV Beauty reported a 100% Black team. OBV Beauty boasts a small team of 10 people.
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Unilever
Unilever — home of Dove, Shea Moisture, Axe, and more — announced having 8% Black representation among its employees and 17% Black people in leadership roles.
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Wander
Wander Beauty reported 4.8% Black representation and 14.3% on its leadership team.
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Thrive Causemetics
Thrive Causemetics revealed that there are currently no Black people at its executive level. Its team is made up of 6% Black employees, with one Black person holding a leadership role.
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Sephora
Everyone’s favorite store pulled up for the challenge: Sephora reported having 14% Black representation across the U.S. and 6% in leadership roles, including stores and warehouses.
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Kylie Cosmetics
Kylie Cosmetics reported having 13% Black representation.
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NYX Cosmetics
NYX Cosmetics pulled up with receipts for its entire team. While the brand's percentages were included in L’Oréal’s metrics, NYX posted a photo of its employees to show there are five Black people on its leadership team.
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Kaja Beauty & I Dew Care
Kaja Beauty and I Dew Care announced that they employ no Black people. “We are disappointed in ourselves and we take full accountability for not cultivating a more diverse and inclusive workplace,” the brand announced alongside some action steps.
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NuFace
Skin-care brand NuFace pulled up to report 2% Black representation among its employees; 4% are in corporate HQ.
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
A lot of Pull Up for Change’s followers were waiting for Anastasia Beverly Hill’s response since the brand targets so many Black women. The company has 6% Black employees, with 6% in leadership.
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Devacurl
Out of 188 employees, Devacurl reportedly has 19% Black team members, with 8% in leadership.
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Murad
Skin-care brand Murad shared that they have 5% Black representation across corporate and 10% representation in leadership roles.
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Kate Somerville
Kate Somerville Skincare reported having 11% Black team members and none in executive roles.
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Ipsy
Ipsy reported 4% Black employees across corporate and 7% in leadership roles.
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Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder represents brands including MAC Cosmetics, Too Faced, Dr. Jart+, La Mer, and more. Overall, they have 12% Black team members, with 4% at the executive director level and 14% executive officers.
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Mielle Organics
Black-owned hair brand Mielle Organics announced it has 100% Black representation.
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Beautylish + Good Molecules
While none of the executive or board level members are Black, Beautylish and Good Molecules documented 8.5% Black employees and 10.5% in leadership roles.
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Biossance
Biossance has 5% Black people employed. The brand also reported that 17% of its influencer partnerships have been Black.
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Kora Organics
Kora Organics reported no Black people on its leadership team, but 12% on its corporate team.
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Krave Beauty
While being “committed to doing better,” Krave Beauty reported that it has 25% Black and “multicultural” representation on its team.
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