Why We’re Called Maquillage Detroit

A Story of Connection, Culture, and Legacy

Detroit was founded by a Frenchman, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, in 1701. Among his men was a cartographer who, standing at the river’s edge, named this place le détroit — the strait. A narrow body of water connecting two larger ones. A passage. A bridge. A beginning.

Centuries later, that same idea of connection lives at the heart of Maquillage Detroit.

We are more than a beauty brand. We are the strait that connects Black creatives, professionals, and everyday beauty lovers to the full expanse of the beauty industry — a space that has historically overlooked or underestimated us.

On one side: a vast, powerful body of Black talent, culture, and creativity.

On the other: an industry full of opportunity, innovation, and economic power.

In between? Us. A narrow, intentional channel built with love, history, and purpose.

The word maquillage is French for “makeup,” but in our hands, it becomes more than cosmetics. It becomes ritual. It becomes memory. It becomes voice.

Maquillage Detroit is where legacy and opportunity meet.

We exist to educate, affirm, and elevate Black beauty in all its forms. Through curated products, editorial storytelling, and pathways into beauty careers, we open the door and hold it open — for others to walk through.

Our city’s name was born from water. So is our mission: to be a river of access, remembrance, and reflection. We are not here to fit in — we are here to connect. To bridge. To beautify what was broken. And to make sure the current of Black beauty never stops flowing forward.