Ulta celebrates Black voices in beauty with launch of Muse 100

By

Robin Driver

Published
Sep 22, 2021

Bolingbrook, Illinois-based cosmetics retailer Ulta Beauty has unveiled the Muse 100, an initiative that recognizes and awards grants to 100 trailblazing Black voices working in different fields of the beauty industry.

 
Representing the next step in Ulta’s “Muse: Magnify, Uplift, Support, Empower” platform, which aims to honor and amplify Black voices in the beauty sector, the Muse 100 recognizes 10 champions each in 10 categories, with titles including “Makeup Magicians,” “Hair Raisers,” “Luminous Leaders,” “Executive Excellency” and “Fearless Founders.”
 
Honorees include beauty brand founders, makeup artists, stylists, activists and authors, among other professionals. Each honoree will receive a grant of $10,000, intended to help them “accelerate their continued impact and influence.”

Grant recipients were selected by the Ulta Beauty DE&I Counsel, who also worked alongside Ulta diversity, equity and inclusion advisor Tracee Ellis Ross, Cosmopolitan beauty director Julee Wilson, Melanin Haircare co-founder Whitney White, and celebrity stylist Mecca James Williams, to consider nominees’ respective merits. Honorees were judged on a range of different qualities and achievements, including vision, leadership, and their ability to stimulate change, defend their values and promote inclusivity.
 
“We understand our responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry,” said Ulta Beauty Dave Kimbell in a release. “The Muse 100 champions those who have succeeded in making so much beauty possible, those who represent the future and those who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared and supported.”
 
The initiative is part of Ulta’s wider commitments to promoting diversity in the beauty industry, which also saw the retailer make $25 million’s worth of DE&I commitments in February of this year.
 
“I’m excited and consistently encouraged by Ulta Beauty’s continued commitments,” added Ellis Ross. “The Muse 100 demonstrates a significant evolution of Ulta Beauty’s mission to uplift Black voices.”
 
A complete list of Muse 100 honorees can be found on the initiative’s dedicated website. Ulta will also be sharing stories from honorees via its social channels in order to further amplify their voices and inspire others.