Black Beauty Spokeswomen: Is the Industry Changing?

Top beauty brands have begun to embrace major black celebrities as their beauty ambassadors. Could this be a sign that companies are starting to figure out that black celebrity spokeswomen can bring big bucks to the beauty biz?

The leading black celebrities who have scored multiyear, multimillion-dollar contracts in recent years have been: Beyonce for L'Oreal, Rihanna and Queen Latifah for CoverGirl, Halle Berry for Revlon, Gabrielle Union for Neutrogena and, most recently, Zoe Saldana for Avon. There is rhyme and reason to how these major companies choose their celebrity faces.

Avon's recent selection of Saldana is a good example. With the success of 'Avatar' and 'Star Trek,' she's Hollywood's new "It" girl. Avon saw the potential in Saldana and offered her an amazing contract to represent the company's new fragrance, Eternal Magic, which debuts in April. In addition to representing Eternal Magic, Saldana will also be featured in the company's brochure as the face of Avon's color cosmetics collection.

CoverGirl is another example. The brand isn't looking for the "the girl next door," but it is looking for a celebrity face that is more accessible. Queen Latifah is the quintessential CoverGirl. She is beautiful and can be glamorous, but she can also be very every day.

Risi-Leanne Baranja, editor-in-chief of the Palacinka Beauty Blog, has spent years studying the actions of beauty brands across the world. She recently shared some insider info with Black Voices.

"Queen Latifah is a great example of what CoverGirl looks for in a celebrity ambassador. She has been in TV, film and she's an accomplished singer and rapper," Baranja said. "She is very appealing to the CoverGirl customer because she is believable; you can believe Queen Latifah would wear a $9 mascara and make it fabulous."

Abiola Abrams, pop culture writer and VH1/BET TV personality told Black Voices, "When I see Queen Latifah as a CoverGirl, it makes it harder for me to say 'I can't.'" CoverGirl and Lancome set their sights on different celebrities. CoverGirl is a mass-market brand, whereas Lancome is a higher-price-point brand and available at retailers such as Lord & Taylor, Saks 5th Avenue and Sephora.

Rihanna has also been a huge money maker for CoverGirl, drawing in more consumers after her highly publicized domestic abuse incident of 2009. It had made her more appealing to an even bigger and broader consumer base.

"Rihanna is more attractive to beauty consumers because her brand has become that of a survivor and overcomer," Abrams said, "and the average woman can relate to that."

With the passing of cosmetics pioneer and founder of Fashion Fair Eunice Johnson this month, it is poignant to review the strides black women have made in the beauty industry. Johnson brought civil rights to the cosmetic counters by creating Fashion Fair, a makeup brand for women of all shades. Johnson had the strong intention to not only create a thriving business but to also make effective changes in the way black women are portrayed. As the fresh faces of Saldana, Sosa, Latifah and Rihanna grace billboards, magazine ads and makeup commercials, her legacy definitely lives on.