Makeup · United States

Pound Cake Cosmetics

Founded by Camille Bell and Johnny Velazquez

Pound Cake is a Philadelphia-born, pro-Black, pro-fat and pro-queer cosmetics line built around a radical premise: that lip tone, not just skin tone, dictates how color reads. The company was started in October 2021 by co-founders Camille Bell and Johnny Velazquez, born of Bell's frustration shopping for cosmetics as a Black woman. They led with a bold red because Bell wanted to challenge the hurtful stigma that people with dark skin shouldn't wear red lipstick. The signature Cake Batter liquid lipstick comes in red and brown variations engineered so each shows up as a true classic red across different complexions. The shades are formulated with rich, deep, warm, medium and light skin tones, and deep brown, brown, light brown, dark pink and pink lip tones in mind. The brand earned an Allure Best of Beauty award and a Time 'Best Inventions' nod, plus a million-dollar Black Ambition grant. It's a genuine discovery gem for deep-skinned wearers chasing a red that actually translates, caveat being a still-narrow (though expanding) product range.

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Who it matches

Depth range: Fair, Light, Deep, Deepest
Undertone: Any undertone
Skin type: All skin types
Price: Mid-range
Finish: Matte

Hero products

Cake Batter liquid lipstick (Red Bean, Maraschino Cherry)
lip oil
brown shade range

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Who it matches

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