Sephora x The 15 Percent Pledge Bestow Grant on Brown Girl Jane

Black-owned mood-enhancing fragrance brand Brown Girl Jane has been named the winner of the inaugural Sephora Beauty Grant in partnership with The 15 Percent Pledge. 

Brown Girl Jane is a 2023 Sephora Accelerate graduate; the grant provides the brand with a $100,000 cash prize and a year-long mentorship program.

The grant partnership, unveiled at the 15 Percent Pledge Gala in LA, is part of Sephora's larger project of dedicating at least 15% of shelf space to Black-owned businesses. 

Since signing the pledge in 2020, Sephora has doubled its assortment of Black-owned brands and actually hit the 15% benchmark in prestige hair care in 2023.

Brown Girl Jane founders Malaika Jones, Tai Beauchamp and Nia Jones were chosen from among 275 grant applicants who were reportedly assessed on "brand vision, product, values and impact to-date, among other attributes."

The brand's focus on mood in particular feeds into a wider movement in fragrance targeting overall well-being benefits. 

Brown Girl Jane notes, "Utilizing proprietary data and olfactive science, we've designed a cutting-edge scent collection designed to support your mood, almost immediately ... At Brown Girl Jane, our master perfumers utilize patent-pending technology to craft fragrances designed to trigger the release of certain neurotransmitters, such as dopamine or serotonin, which can affect our mood and feelings. Our clinical studies, developed over the course of 25 years, have shown that certain scents formulations can improve cognitive performance, reduce stress, and enhance overall well-being."