(From left) Ayesha Curry, Issa Rae and Janelle Monaé represent unique aspects of CoverGirl’s brand. (CoverGirl)
Ayesha Curry is the latest Black woman to become the face of CoverGirl, firmly cementing #BlackGirlMagic in the drugstore makeup aisle. The announcement follows news that “Insecure” creator/star Issa Rae will also be joining the brand and it has us wondering how other cosmetic lines stack up compared to the “easy, breezy, beautiful” line.
For one, CoverGirl seems to have a thing for trailblazing Black women. Ayesha Curry is known for sticking up for her values as well as whipping up the goods in the kitchen.
“My philosophy is all about seeking joy and creating balance in life,” Curry said in a press release to various media outlets. “I’ve shared a lot about how I do this with food, family and faith, and now, through my partnership with CoverGirl, I want to share how makeup helps create those moments of happiness, confidence and self-expression.”
In the last few years, CoverGirl has counted Janelle Monaé, Rihanna, Paula Patton and Queen Latifah — who has her own line for dark skin — as models. That doesn’t include models like Lana Ogilvie, who was the first Black CoverGirl after signing a contract in the 1990s, and Tyra Banks. The latter is responsible for many diverse faces of the brand like “America’s Next Top Model” winners Eva Marcelle, an accomplished actress, and Krista White, the fashion director for Deluxe Version magazine.
That’s 10 in the last two decades, with the brand seriously ramping up representation in the last few years.
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But it’s not just CoverGirl that is spreading the #BlackGirlMagic. L’Oreal Paris has seen some famous women rep their brand, too. Beyoncé, Kerry Washington, and Zoe Saldana have all been spokeswomen for this brand. This year, groundbreaking Victoria’s Secret model Maria Borges, who famously sported her natural hair at the fashion show in 2015, became a L’Oreal spokesperson. Meanwhile. Revlon snagged Halle Berry just before she made history as the first Black woman win the Best Actress Oscar.
So while these brands don’t have quite as many famous Black faces as CoverGirl, strides are still being made. High-end brands have also joined the movement. Estee Lauder signed Joan Smalls in 2010 after Liya Kebede became the first Black model to represent the brand in 2002, according to Yahoo Beauty. And the ever-fashionable Lupita Nyong’o made history as the first Black spokesmodel for Lancôme.
Now it’s Ayesha Curry’s time to shine as the rep for CoverGirl’s new Peacock Flare Mascara, which launches in November.
“Because CoverGirl is such an inclusive brand that values diversity, there isn’t any one set of characteristics that defines a CoverGirl,” Ukonwa Ojo, senior vice president at CoverGirl, told The Huffington Post in a statement Wednesday. “We love to celebrate what makes each of us unique.”
