Chicago has one of the most diverse beauty markets in the United States.
The city includes people from many racial, cultural and economic backgrounds. Consumers also have different skin tones, hair textures, beauty routines and accessibility needs.
Inclusive beauty tries to respond to these differences.
It may involve wider foundation shades, products for textured hair, accessible packaging or stronger cultural representation. It can also mean creating products for concerns that traditional beauty companies often overlook.
The eight brands discussed in this article are:
- Juvia’s Place
- BLK/OPL
- tgin
- CurlMix
- Fenty Beauty
- Rare Beauty
- PATTERN Beauty
- Live Tinted
This is not an official sales ranking.
The brands were selected because of their inclusive identities, retail presence and influence on beauty consumers in Chicago.
1. Juvia’s Place: Bold Colour Made for Deeper Skin Tones
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, Pulaski Promenade, 4140 South Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60632.
Juvia’s Place is known for highly pigmented cosmetics and strong African-inspired branding.
The company was created by Chichi Eburu. She wanted to develop makeup that worked well on deeper complexions while still serving customers across different skin tones.
Its collections include:
- Foundations
- Concealers
- Eyeshadow palettes
- Blush
- Bronzer
- Lip products
- Skincare
Juvia’s Place became especially popular for its colourful eyeshadow palettes.
Highly pigmented colours can be important for people with deeper skin. Weakly formulated makeup may appear dull or fail to show clearly.
The brand also expanded its complexion range.
Customers can find products designed around different depths and undertones. This helps reduce the need to mix several foundation shades.
Juvia’s Place makes an impact in Chicago because it reflects the city’s large and influential Black beauty community.
Its products support both everyday makeup and stronger creative looks.
A neutral palette may work for the office. A brighter collection can be used for parties, photographs or performance.
The brand shows that inclusive makeup can be bold, artistic and affordable. (Juvia’s Place)
2. BLK/OPL: Decades of Experience with Melanin-Rich Skin
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, The Gateway Center, 16 South Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
BLK/OPL has served consumers with melanin-rich skin for many years.
The brand focuses strongly on complexion products.
Its range includes:
- Foundations
- Concealers
- Powders
- Setting sprays
- Face primers
- Lip products
- Skincare
BLK/OPL understands that deeper skin tones are not all the same.
Two people may have a similar skin depth but completely different undertones. One may have warm or golden tones. Another may have neutral, red or cooler tones.
This is why shade variety matters.
The brand’s products are developed to reduce common problems such as ashiness and poor colour matching.
BLK/OPL also combines makeup with skincare features in selected products.
This appeals to consumers who want their foundation to provide coverage without feeling heavy or uncomfortable.
The brand has maintained its identity while responding to modern beauty trends.
Its products are suitable for customers who prefer full makeup as well as those who want a simpler finish.
BLK/OPL is making an impact by proving that expertise in melanin-rich skin should be treated as a central part of beauty, not a specialist afterthought. (blackopalbeauty.com)
3. tgin: Chicago Haircare Built for Texture and Moisture
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, Wicker Park Commons, 1300 North Ashland Avenue, Front J, Chicago, IL 60622.
Thank God It’s Natural, commonly called tgin, has strong Chicago roots.
The company was founded by Chris-Tia Donaldson. It became known for hair and skincare products created with textured hair needs in mind.
The brand offers:
- Shampoos
- Conditioners
- Deep treatments
- Leave-in products
- Curl stylers
- Scalp care
- Hair serums
Moisture is central to many tgin collections.
Curly, coily and tightly textured hair may become dry when natural oils do not travel easily along the hair strand.
Consumers may therefore look for products that improve softness and make detangling easier.
tgin also provides collections for concerns such as damage, breakage, scalp imbalance and humidity.
This is useful in Chicago.
Cold winters, indoor heating and changing weather can affect both the hair and scalp.
The brand does more than sell products. It also promotes community, confidence and natural beauty.
Its Chicago connection gives the company a special place within the city’s beauty industry.
tgin shows how a locally rooted brand can grow while continuing to serve textured-hair consumers. (Thank God It’s Natural)
4. CurlMix: Community-Owned Curl Care Made in Chicago
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, Clark and Wellington Shopping Center, 3015 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60657.
CurlMix is a Chicago-based company focused on curly hair.
The brand was created by Kim and Tim Lewis. It later gained attention for its community ownership model and local production.
CurlMix develops products for simple wash-and-go routines.
Its collection includes:
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Moisturisers
- Flaxseed gels
- Hair serums
- Curl creams
- Styling tools
The company’s approach is based on education as well as products.
Many customers struggle because they buy several items without understanding how to use them.
CurlMix encourages consumers to learn the correct order, amount and application method for each product.
Its gels are especially important to the brand.
A suitable styling gel can help curls remain defined while reducing excessive frizz.
However, the result depends on hair density, texture and technique.
CurlMix also places strong attention on community.
The company describes itself as Black-owned and Chicago-based. It has received support from thousands of community investors.
This model allows customers to feel connected to the company’s progress.
CurlMix is making an impact because it combines local employment, curl education and inclusive product development. (CurlMix)
5. Fenty Beauty: Expanding the Meaning of Foundation Choice
Chicago retail address: Sephora at Kohl’s Bucktown, 2140 North Elston Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614.
Fenty Beauty changed consumer expectations around foundation shades.
The brand was created by Rihanna with the aim of producing cosmetics that performed across different skin tones.
Its product range includes:
- Foundation
- Concealer
- Powder
- Bronzer
- Blush
- Lip colour
- Eye makeup
- Skincare
Fenty Beauty’s foundation collection became known for offering a broad selection of shades and undertones.
This placed pressure on other companies to improve their own complexion ranges.
The brand’s impact is especially important in a diverse city such as Chicago.
Consumers should not have to visit several shops before finding a foundation close to their skin tone.
Fenty also offers complexion products with different finishes.
Some customers prefer a soft matte look. Others want lighter coverage or a more natural appearance.
The brand does not limit inclusion to deeper shades. Its range also considers very light tones and undertone differences across the full colour spectrum.
Fenty Beauty shows that inclusion can be commercially successful.
It helped make broader shade ranges an expectation rather than an optional feature. (Fenty Beauty)
6. Rare Beauty: Connecting Makeup with Self-Acceptance
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, Clybourn Square, 2754 North Clybourn Avenue, Space A2, Chicago, IL 60614.
Rare Beauty was founded by Selena Gomez.
The company presents makeup as a tool for expression rather than a way to hide every natural feature.
Its products include:
- Foundation
- Concealer
- Liquid blush
- Highlighter
- Lip products
- Eye makeup
- Makeup tools
Rare Beauty is known for lightweight products that can be built gradually.
This makes the brand useful for beginners.
A customer can apply a small amount and add more only where needed.
The brand also speaks openly about mental health and unrealistic beauty standards.
Its Rare Impact programme supports mental-health awareness and access to resources.
Rare Beauty has also considered accessibility in its packaging and product development.
Easy-to-hold shapes and simple applications may help customers with limited hand strength or mobility.
Inclusive beauty should not focus only on skin colour.
People may also experience physical, emotional or sensory barriers when using beauty products.
Rare Beauty is making an impact by widening the discussion around who cosmetics should serve and how beauty should make people feel. (Rare Beauty)
7. PATTERN Beauty: Putting Curly and Coily Hair First
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, The Gateway Center, 16 South Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
PATTERN Beauty was created by Tracee Ellis Ross.
The brand focuses on curly, coily and tightly textured hair.
Its collection includes:
- Shampoos
- Conditioners
- Leave-in products
- Curl creams
- Styling gels
- Hair oils
- Brushes
- Combs and heat tools
PATTERN’s strength is its texture-first approach.
Many traditional haircare companies develop general products and later add one small range for curls.
PATTERN begins with textured hair.
The brand considers differences in curl shape, density, dryness and styling method.
A person with fine curls may need lightweight moisture. Someone with dense coils may prefer a richer conditioner and stronger styling product.
The brand also offers tools designed to move through textured hair more comfortably.
The right comb or brush can reduce pulling during detangling.
PATTERN Beauty matters in Chicago because the city has a large community of consumers wearing natural curls, coils, braids and protective styles.
The brand gives these customers products that treat their hair as normal, valuable and worthy of specialist design. (Pattern Beauty)
8. Live Tinted: Beauty Developed for Underrepresented Skin Tones
Chicago retail address: Ulta Beauty, The Gateway Center, 16 South Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60661.
Live Tinted was founded by Deepica Mutyala.
The brand grew from conversations about beauty concerns affecting people with medium, deep and melanin-rich complexions.
Its products include:
- Colour correctors
- Complexion products
- Sunscreen
- Highlighters
- Eye products
- Skincare
Colour correction is an important part of the brand.
Dark circles and uneven pigmentation may appear differently across skin tones.
A corrector designed for lighter skin may not work properly on deeper complexions.
Live Tinted offers warm shades that can help balance darker areas before concealer or foundation is applied.
The brand also addresses the white cast that some sunscreens leave on melanin-rich skin.
This is an important inclusion issue.
Everyone needs sun protection, but people may avoid a product that leaves a grey or chalky layer on the face.
Live Tinted makes an impact by turning overlooked concerns into central product ideas.
It also brings stronger South Asian representation into the American beauty market.
The brand demonstrates that cultural experience can lead to useful product innovation. (Live Tinted)
What Inclusive Beauty Really Means
Inclusive beauty is larger than foundation shade numbers.
A brand may offer many colours but still ignore undertones, accessibility or textured hair.
Real inclusion may involve:
- Products for light, medium and deep skin tones
- Accurate undertone choices
- Textured-hair expertise
- Accessible packaging
- Cultural representation
- Different price levels
- Useful education
- Respectful marketing
No brand is perfect.
Consumers should examine actual products and company practices rather than accepting every inclusion claim without question.
How to Choose the Right Inclusive Beauty Brand
Start with your personal need.
A person looking for foundation may focus on undertone and finish.
Someone buying hair products should consider texture, density, dryness and scalp condition.
Before purchasing, ask:
- Does the product address my concern?
- Is my shade or hair type represented?
- Can I test it first?
- Is the packaging easy to use?
- Does the product fit my budget?
- Are the claims realistic?
- Will I use it regularly?
Inclusive beauty should make shopping easier.
It should not require customers to settle for a poor match simply because few alternatives are available.
Conclusion
Chicago’s beauty market is strengthened by diversity.
Juvia’s Place and BLK/OPL provide colour cosmetics developed with melanin-rich skin in mind.
tgin and CurlMix bring strong Chicago roots into textured-hair care.
Fenty Beauty has raised expectations for foundation shade variety.
Rare Beauty connects makeup with accessibility, mental health and self-acceptance.
PATTERN Beauty gives curls and coils specialist attention.
Live Tinted creates solutions for concerns often overlooked by mainstream beauty companies.
Together, these brands show that inclusion can improve both products and customer experiences.
Retail stock and store details may change. Shoppers should confirm product availability before travelling.