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June is the best month of the year for two very important reasons. It marks the official start of summer and an annual Pride celebration that also serves as an opportunity to get familiar with more queer-owned beauty brands. As expected, there’s a slew of Pride-themed collections that you’ve probably already seen at your favorite store or on Instagram (we’re looking at you Urban Decay and Morphe!).
And while most of these capsule lines are courtesy of more popular brands, we’re taking the time to show love to some smaller or lesser-known businesses. All of them are queer-owned (and employed!) and chances are you may have never heard of some. Whether you’re a lipstick hoarder or a skin-care fanatic, there’s something for everyone on this list. From self-care essentials to cannabis candles to highlighting palettes, below are some must-have items from top-notch beauty businesses you’ll want to support beyond this month.
Some of our favorites include about-face, Studio Tanaïs, Snif, and more.
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Malin+Goetz
Image Credit: Courtesy of Malin+Goetz This luxurious line of clean beauty products (candles, fragrance, hair) was founded by partners Andrew Goetz and Matthew Malin in 2004. And if whether you’re fruity or not, you might want to consider their Strawberry EDP!
Malin + Goetz Strawberry Eau de Parfum
This perfume has top notes of sparkling bergamot, mara strawberry, pink pepper, middle notes of jasmine petals, jasmine lactone captive, woodland greens, and base notes of cedarwood, oakmoss, captive musks, orris root.
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about-face
Image Credit: Courtesy of about-face. Singer-songwriter Halsey came out with a best-selling makeup brand, about-face, in 2021. Since then, they’ve come out with tons of colors of their eye paints, new product launches, lashes, face products, glitters, you name it. It is a brand that prioritizes artistry in makeup first, beauty second.
Volume Up Faux Embellished Lashes – Star-Studded
These lashes from about-face are the perfect party look. They’re so unique, and they come in a ton of styles, from pearls, to stars, to butterflies.
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Studio Tanaïs
Image Credit: Courtesy of Studio Tanaïs. Studio Tanaïs is a beauty brand founded by New York-based writer, artist, and perfumer Tanaïs. They are an American Bangladeshi Muslim, and the names and colors of their products are inspired by and in the tradition of South Asian beauty and rituals.
This dark scarlet lipstick is modeled by best-selling author, Fatima Farheen Mirza.
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BioGlitz
Image Credit: Courtesy of BioGlitz BioGlitz is a queer-owned sustainable glitter brand. If you didn’t know that glitter is terrible for the environment and a pain in the ass, well now you know. This glitter is biodegradable. The brand began when Saba Gray began developing the glitter in 2014. She had an aversion to glitter at first because she was a figure skater, and it was traditionally used to play up femininity, but she found an arts scene in New York that was using it fashionably and artistically in a way that resonated with her.
This glitter is a mix of silver and gold biodegradable glitter.
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Haus Labs
Image Credit: Haus Labs. Lady Gaga launched Haus Labs in the fall of 2019, and it’s now one of the clean certified brands at Sephora. The brand’s foundation won the Allure Best of Beauty award in 2023.
HAUS LABS Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip + Cheek Blush Balm Stick
This sheer cheek and lip balm comes in eight bright shades that blend into a light, dewy finish.
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Snif
Image Credit: Snif. Snif is a scent company that offers a really cool try before you buy service. All the fragrances are $65, which is a pretty affordable price point for the quality of perfume.
This perfume is meant to smell like a pizza, with notes of black currant, basil, tomato sauce accord, and more.
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Boy Smells
Image Credit: Courtesy of Boy Smells. Boy Smells is a fragrance and lifestyle brand that tries to take the gender essentialism out of fragrance. Gone are the days of feminine and masculine scents. TG. At this point, if you don’t know about Boy Smells, a peruse through their shop will do you better than anything we can say.
Vanilla Era comes in a candle and a perfume, and it has notes of Vanilla Absolute, White Tulip, Black Amber.
