Thirteen Lune Centers Black and Brown-Owned Beauty Brands

In recent years — and especially in 2020 — we’ve seen an overdue uptick in BIPOC-founded beauty brands getting the visibility and availability they deserve from retailers. Between Sephora pledging 15 percent of its shelf space to Black-owned brands and Target creating a badge to indicate and celebrate beauty products by Black-owned brands, things have been moving — albeit slowly — in the right direction. And now, there’s a new shopping experience that focuses on Black and Brown beauty brands that not only are aimed at the unique needs of BIPOC shoppers but also resonate with people of all colors.

Debuting this week, Thirteen Lune is the beauty e-commerce brainchild of Nyakio Beauty’s Nyakio Grieco and 11 Honoré’s Patrick Herning, who are leading a diverse team that’s pushing toward “creating financial parity for beauty and wellness brands serving the Black and Brown community, swiftly, strategically, and effectively,” according to a press release from the new retailer.

Thirteen Lune’s mission is made up of three key pillars. First, it will sell products made for all people by BIPOC-owned brands, prioritizing clean and effective formulas. Second, it will offer a thoughtfully curated selection of products made specifically for Black and Brown people; although the products may not be made by Black-owned brands, they have been highly vetted to ensure they meet the needs darker skin tones and Black hair. And third, they will emphasize ally brands that have made a measurable effort to create an inclusive product lineup.

“The next iteration of beauty retail involves authentic allyship,” Herning said in a statement. 
“Thirteen Lune is a retail platform that is redefining inclusive beauty and speaking to all audiences to invite allyship in its truest form.”