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Comcast NBCUniversal and FaceForward Productions announced their partnership for the upcoming docuseries The Black Beauty Effect, releasing this fall exclusively on the Black Experience on Xfinity channel, the first-of-its-kind destination of Black entertainment, movies, TV shows, news, and more.
From creator and executive producers Andrea Lewis (Degrassi: The Next Generation, Black Actress), Emmy-nominee CJ Faison (Giants & Junebug), and Jackie Aina and Kahlana Barfield Brown, the docuseries will closely examine the social change, past and present, within the beauty industry, through the lens of the successful Black women who have led the charge.
The Black Beauty Effect is a three-part docuseries capturing the current evolution, revolution, and disruption taking place within the beauty industry. Black beauty influencers, celebrities, and entrepreneurs have taken up the torch passed down from their pioneering predecessors. Each hour-long episode examines a different aspect of beauty — hair, skin, and makeup — through the lens of some of the beauty industry’s most iconic game-changers. The Black Beauty Effect peels back the gorgeous glow we see in advertisements to tell the ugly truths that have plagued the beauty industry for far too long.
Featuring candid conversations with brand executives, celebrity makeup artists, beauty editors, and more, the docuseries focuses on the impact influencers have had on the industry’s changing perception of beauty. Participants include beauty influencers and EPs Jackie Aina and Kahlana Barfield Brown, former Editor-In-Chief of ESSENCE Mikki Taylor, influencer and Co-Founder of Melanin Hair Care Whitney White, Executive Vice President and COO of North America Beauty and Personal Care at Unilever Esi Eggleston Bracey, NY Times bestselling author, journalist and the second youngest editor in Condé Nast history Elaine Welteroth, Chief Executive Officer of Sundial Brands Cara Sabin, Beauty Director of Cosmo Julee Wilson, Senior Beauty Editor of InStyle Kayla Graves, Beauty Director for InStyle Maya Allen, actress, singer, author and activist Amber Riley, Editor-In-Chief of Allure Jessica Cruel, Digital Hair Editor for Allure Jihan Forbes, Creative Marketing Manager at Instagram Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli, makeup artist, author and the first Black spokesperson and ambassador for Revlon and Covergirl Sam Fine, Vice President of Marketing at Thrive Causemetics Tiffani Carter, celebrity hairstylist, beauty expert and entrepreneur Kim Kimble, visionary hairstylist Ursula Stephen, celebrity hairstylist Chuck Amos, influencer Shalom Blac, beauty vlogger and activist Nyma Tang, beauty influencer Ellarie, model, influencer, and entrepreneur Choyce Brown, drag queen and comedian Bob The Drag Queen, Founder of The Lip Bar Melissa Butler, Co-Founder of Topicals Olamide Olowe, Founder of Marsha’s Makeovers and Make Up Artist Marsha Page, Vice President of Marketing at Ulta Beauty Karla Davis, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Ami Colé Diarrha N’Diaye, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Mented Cosmetics KJ Miller, Creative Director of L’Oreal Sir John, Director of Face and Multicultural Beauty at L’Oreal Balanda Atis, Chief Executive Officer of Black Opal Cosmetics Desiree Rogers, Founder of Carol’s Daughter Lisa Price, Owner of Aglow Dermatology Dr. Dina Strachan, Professor in the Department of American Studies at California State University, Fullerton Kristin Rowe, Associate Professor of Sociology Sabrina Strings Ph.D., board certified award-winning dermatologist and AAD fellow Dr. Jeanine Downie, and more.
“The Black Beauty Effect is one of my dream projects,” said series creator Andrea Lewis.
“As someone who grew up in the television and film industry, I’ve sat in more makeup chairs than I can count, and I have experienced the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it’s like being a Black woman and navigating the beauty space. I’ve always wanted to create a story that captured the fullness of our impact in the beauty industry, from the celebrity makeup artists, the Black beauty editors, and the countless beauty content creators. They’ve all been a part of bringing light to our impact. Comcast Xfinity has been amazing, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner who not only believes in our story but also put their full support behind Black filmmakers.”
“We’re thrilled to work with creator Andrea Lewis and FaceForward Productions to bring the exclusive premiere of The Black Beauty Effect to the Black Experience on Xfinity channel, furthering our company-wide mission of investing in authentic Black stories and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard,” said Keesha Boyd, executive director, Multicultural Video and Entertainment, Xfinity Consumer Services and executive producer of The Black Beauty Effect.
“Through this partnership, we hope to highlight and celebrate the contributions of the Black community to the beauty industry, while also shine a light on the stories of the women who pushed for necessary change.”
The Black Beauty Effect is directed by Kwanza Nicole Gooden and produced by FaceForward Productions. The series was created by Andrea Lewis, who serves as Executive Producer along with CJ Faison, Jackie Aina, and Kahlana Barfield Brown. Emmy-nominated Takara Joseph and Summer Griffiths (Scale Productions) serve as producers, alongside Andrena Hale as showrunner.
Attendees of this year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF) enjoyed a special sneak-preview screening and intimate discussion around The Black Beauty Effect on Thursday, June 16. During the panel, series creator Andrea Lewis, beauty expert Kahlana Barfield Brown, natural hair entrepreneur Whitney White (aka@Naptural85), and Emmy-nominated executive producer CJ Faison highlighted Black women and their tremendous impact on the beauty industry, despite history’s erasure of their stories.
“The FaceForward Productions team jumped at the opportunity to executive produce and bring The Black Beauty Effect series to life to continue uplifting and amplifying the majesty and ingenuity of Black women. This series sets the stage to create a cultural movement worldwide, honoring Black women’s contributions and deeply embedded influence in the beauty industry. In the spirit of our company’s mission to capture the shared human experience through one forward-facing, culturally-nuanced lens, we knew joining forces with Andrea Lewis and Comcast would offer the perfect partnership,” said CJ Faison, founder/chief executive officer, FaceForward Productions.
Black Experience on Xfinity is a first-of-its-kind destination of Black entertainment, movies, TV shows, news and more. Available at home on Xfinity X1 and Flex, and on-the-go with the Xfinity Stream app, the Black Experience on Xfinity features original and high-quality content from Comcast NBCUniversal and other major studios, in addition to content from many of Xfinity’s existing network partners, at no additional cost to Xfinity customers. The channel is the only one of its kind endorsed by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the world’s largest group of Black film critics that gives annual awards for excellence in film and television.
Xfinity customers can access the Black Experience on channel 1622 or simply say “Black Experience” into the Voice Remote to instantly enjoy the ultimate in Black storytelling. Visit https://www.xfinity.com/learn/digital-cable-tv/black-experience to learn more about the Black Experience on Xfinity and other Black programming available on X1, Flex, and the Xfinity Stream app.
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