31 Beauty Icons Who Are Powerful And Brilliant

The Kardashian-Jenner influence is as undeniable as the power of representation.

1. Constance Wu

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Fresh Off The Boat and Crazy Rich Asians actress Constance Wu was not only on the 2017 Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world, but she's a fearless beauty leader who uses her platform to have important discussions around visibility and personal growth.

2. Ibtihaj Muhammad

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Ibtihaj Muhammad is the first American athlete in history to compete in a hijab at the Olympics, and the first to win a bronze medal in fencing.

3. Dominique Jackson

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Born in Tobago, Pose actress Dominique Jackson came to America in the '90s to pursue a modeling career. On an episode of Queer Money podcast, the model and actress admits that her family and community in Tobago couldn't accept her gender identity, and that once in the U.S, she fell victim to homelessness and drug and alcohol abuse. But since recovering, she's walked in Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and starred in reality series Strut!

4. Winnie Harlow

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Winnie Harlow is a fashion model who got her start on America's Next Top Model after Tyra Banks discovered her on Instagram. She's since landed major campaigns for brands like Desigual, Diesel, and Sprite — and she's done plenty of editorials for mags like Glamour, Ebony, Elle, and L'OFFICIEL.

5. Frida Kahlo

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Frida Kahlo was a talented Mexican artist known for painting self-portraits. Every year on her birthday, July 6, fans gather at Frida Fest in her honor, and her signature style remains an inspiration 60-plus years after her death.

6. Necar Zadegan

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Iranian-American actress Necar Zadegan is expanding representation in Hollywood as a leading star in shows like Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, 24, Here and Now, and The Good Doctor.

7. Janelle Monáe

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Janelle Monáe is an all-around artist — singer/songwriter, performer, actress – and the boss of her own label, Wondaland Records. She's also an activist for Black Lives Matter and women's and LGBTQ rights.

8. Njideka Akunyili-Crosby

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Njideka Akunyili-Crosby is an incredibly talented Nigerian-born visual artist whose work blends both Nigerian and American culture through various mediums. She's also a 2017 MacArthur Fellow!

9. Gina Rodriguez

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Gina Rodriguez stars as Jane in the comedy-drama series Jane the Virgin, and she made history by winning the CW network its first ever Golden Globe in 2015 when she took home the award for Best Actress in a Television Series.

10. Viola Davis

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Viola Davis is the first black actress to be nominated for three Academy Awards, and the first black woman to win an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama. She's also one of very few Hollywood stars to win an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony.

11. Leonor Gonzalez Mina

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Mina is a prominent Afro-Colombian musician and actress who's been deemed "La Negra Grande de Colombia" (The Great Black Woman of Colombia).

12. Sade

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Sade is a singer, songwriter, and actress who originally started her career as a fashion designer and part-time model. Her sound and beauty influence is undeniable.

13. Duckie Thot

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Australia's Next Top Model contestant Duckie Thot shines on and off the runway, landing gigs for Yeezy, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna, Jeremey Scott, and more.

14. Rihanna

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To call Rihanna an artist just doesn't suffice anymore. The Grammy winner has also successfully launched Fenty Beauty by Rihanna (cosmetics), Savage X Fenty (lingerie), and Fenty Puma by Rihanna (apparel)... and that's not including all the capsule collections and endorsements she's done.

15. Indya Moore

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Indya Moore is a model and actress known for her role as Angel in Pose. She's also been very vocal about expanding opportunities for trans actors in Hollywood and in media.

16. Katoucha Niane

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Katoucha Niane was a Senegalese model who rose to fame in the '80s, walking for designers Thierry Mugler, Paco Rabanne, and Christian Lacroix. She remained one of the best-known models in France, as well as an outspoken activist, until her death in 2008.

17. Priyanka Chopra

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Priyanka Chopra is an Indian actress, philanthropist, and winner of the Miss World 2000 pageant.

18. Halima Aden

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Halima Aden is a Somali-American fashion model and the first hijabi model to walk international runways and appear on an Allure cover.

19. Angelica Ross

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Angelica Ross not only brings awareness to the LGBTQ community on the FX series Pose, but also in the board room. As President of Miss Ross, Inc. and founder of TransTech Social Enterprises, Ross offers programs that "help people lift themselves out of poverty through technical training, digital work creating and social impact, and bring economic empowerment to marginalized communities."

20. Danielle Brooks

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Danielle Brooks is best known for her work on Orange Is The New Black, and she's also been very vocal about the need for size and body inclusivity in Hollywood and fashion.

21. Laverne Cox

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Laverne Cox is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in the acting category. She was also a world-renowned performer in another life.

22. Adwoa Aboah

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Adwoa is a British fashion model who shined on British Vogue's December 2017 issue, the first one put out by newly-appointed editor-in-chief Edward Enninful.

23. Lina Iris Viktor

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Lina Iris Viktor is a British-Liberian artist who made headlines when she sued Kendrick Lamar and SZA for allegedly stealing her work in their Black Panther music video; However, it brought many audiences to Viktor's conceptual work that is quickly making her an internationally-recognized artist.

24. Amy Sherald

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Amy Sherald is an artist who made history after painting Michelle Obama, making her the the first black woman to paint an official First Lady portrait.

25. Mindy Kaling

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Mindy Kaling is an actress, writer, producer, and director known for her work on both The Mindy Project and The Office. In 2011 she released her comedic memoir "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns)," and in 2012 she was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world.

26. Janet Mock

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Janet Mock became the first trans woman of color TV writer when she joined the FX series Pose.

27. Tessa Thompson

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Thompson is an Afro-latina actress with a ton of TV and movies under her belt, including her role as Valkyrie in Thor: Ragnarok and her reoccurring role in the widely-watched HBO show Westworld.

28. Mara Brock Akil

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Mara Brock Akil is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for creating the comedy series Girlfriends and its spin-off The Game. She's also the creator behind BET's Being Mary Jane, The CW's Black Lightning, and OWN's Love Is.

29. Tika Sumpter

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Tika Sumpter is an actress, known for her roles as Michelle Obama in the romantic drama Southside with You and as the leading character on OWN's primetime soap opera, The Haves and the Have Nots.

30. Hailie Sahar

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Sahar is a recording artist, fashion designer, human rights activist and actress, and she's best known for her amazing performance as Lulu Abundance in Pose.

31. Logan Browning

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Logan Browning is an American actress best known for her starring role in Dear White People, and she's also low-key to credit for this unique unifier of black women all over the world.

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