Fashion Fair -the prestige beauty line inspired by the EBONY Fashion Fair shows curated by the late Eunice Johnson – turns 40 this year! 

From EBONY Fashion Fair:

“…Johnson noticed models, in the Ebony Fashion Fair show were mixing foundations to create the right blend to match their hues. Initially she approached existing cosmetics companies and urged them to create a line to meet the specific needs of Black women. Unfortunately, this request was met with great resistance.

Mrs. Johnson and her late husband John H. Johnson, publisher of Ebony and Jet magazine, went to a private lab that developed formulas out of the mixtures the models created. After successfully applying this makeup on the models in the fashion show, the Johnsons produced Capsule Collection, a mail-order package in 1969. Based on the overwhelming response, it was clear there was a demand for a Black cosmetics line.

Fashion Fair Cosmetics was born in 1973, named after the fashion show that inspired it. With its feminine pink packaging and a wide range of shades, Fashion Fair Cosmetics was strategically marketed to high-end department stores. The line continued to expand by introducing skin care, fragrance and hair care products that addressed black women’s needs.”

I remember this cosmetics line fondly; I grew up on it! Many little girls of a certain age remember the glamour, mystery and great freebies) at the Fashion Fair counter, and it’s exciting to see it flourish under the direction of legendary makeup guru Sam Fine. To celebrate four decades of glamour, EBONY Fashion Fair is offering a special capsule collection for $48 each.  The four limited edition sets  – “Foxy, Fresh, Sensuous, and Divine” – include “nail lacquer, lipstick, lip teaser and beauty blush in one of spring’s hottest pink hues…for women who celebrate life with a touch of luxury.”

Enter to win a set from the capsule collection by clicking HERE.

And catch the behind-the-scenes fabulosity here: