As more beauty lovers rethink what connection really looks like—online and off—a new kind of moment is taking shape. For Del Martin, celebrity makeup artist and tech founder behind Lab Beauty, this has meant creating the Black Beauty Block Party. The annual block party is a day-long celebration offering education, panels, interactive makeup demos, and on-site beauty vendors. What’s more? This is all in the name of honoring Black women’s influence on beauty culture in every form.
The festival is a testament to the duality of Martin’s talents, blending her experience in tech operations and business scaling. This is in large part thanks to her on-the-ground artistry as a makeup artist who stays in close conversation with the women she’s working in service of.
“I’ve really honed my creative skills and my ability to deliver a flawless makeup application, and bringing those worlds together birthed something beautiful—the Black Beauty Block Party,” says Martin.
On a sunlit Sunday, a downtown Los Angeles penthouse floor and rooftop transformed into a beauty lover’s playground. Music spilled across the skyline as guests moved between pop-up booths, panel talks, activations, and friendly banter with other guests. Weeks after the event wrapped, the relationships that formed are still blooming, a reminder of what grows when community is watered, nurtured, and affirmed.
“I’m from Atlanta, born and raised, and I’ve always loved makeup and the beauty industry,” says Martin. This was the impetus for what inspired her to create an event centered on all things beauty and the joy of gathering Black women together. “I always tell people I went to YouTube University,” she laughs, citing early creators like Jackie Aina who shaped her craft. “For me, it’s about more than just makeup. It’s about my love for women, my love for Black women, and wanting them to feel special and seen.”
One-on-one sessions can be magical, but there’s only one of her, she says. “I wanted to inspire and educate thousands of women, and make them feel seen even outside the chair.”
Like a good dessert, the festival has layers. Masterclasses and demos give attendees confidence to perfect everyday glam while boosting self-esteem. Brand activations and community moments invite women to connect, share stories, and celebrate one another. Martin’s golden rule: makeup isn’t about covering up—it’s about enhancing, embracing, and letting the existing canvas shine.
For the 2025 festival, Martin emphasized wellness. “Beauty, especially for Black women, is endless because we’re already very beautiful,” she says. “We want you to feel seen. Our beauty comes from within, which is why we added wellness components to Black Beauty Block Party.”
That said, there were wellness standouts, like a session with a licensed therapist from the Therapy for Black Girls team discussing trauma therapy and EMDR. “I want every woman to understand she already has everything she needs to feel confident and beautiful. We’re just helping her tap into what’s already there.”
When deciding what to wear for the Block Party’s “festival glam” theme, attendee Nephatera Dixon was initially stumped. “I just thought about the times I go to festivals. I’m into anime, comic books, and cartoons, so I usually dress like this when I go to Comic-Cons,” she says. Naturally, she opted for a high bun adorned with mini sunflowers, face-framing twists with pastel butterfly clips, and glitter blush that gave off an intergalactic vibe.
Unlike other spaces where she’s been, one of only a few Black attendees, the Block Party felt like a balm. “I’ve been in a lot of spaces where people look at me weird, like I’m an alien,” Dixon says. “And I’m like, you know what, I am an alien. I am celestial.”
Attendees, from professional makeup artists to students and content creators, came dressed to impress, with many rocking a gradient of pinks and ready to learn, shop, and connect. Programming mirrored the diversity of the crowd: beauty masterclasses, panels, live shopping experiences, and a carefully curated selection of businesses who knew how to speak to their audience. Think: Sprinkle My Locs, with its curated bead toolkits for creatively remixing locs. Additionally, House of Blume was present, which is a shop and wellness space offering floral arrangements, yoga, and tea blends inspired by Black women authors like bell hooks, Audre Lorde, and Ntozake Shange.
Erica Gunn, founder of luxury wellness candle brand Ellume by ETG, says, “I truly believe we deserve everything luxury within our community. The candles are clean-burning and non-toxic, which is super important in an industry full of toxicity.” For her, vending at the Block Party aligned with her mission: offering attendees a wellness moment and a way to pour into themselves.
Then there are attendees like LaToria Alexis and April J., who found the experience to be a major breath of fresh air. “My experience has been amazing. What brought me here was Black beauty and excellence,” says Alexis, who especially enjoyed seeing the makeup breakdown and walked away with a new blush technique added to her glam toolbox.
For J., the possibility of Black collaboration drew her to the event. “I love when I see spaces for Black women, especially in Los Angeles, where it’s kind of hard for us to get the love and the shine that we deserve. So if we can all be in a space that highlights us, and our beauty and our essence, then I think that’s amazing.”
The panel of Black founders was a personal favorite for J. “Hearing how inspiring they were—and how they push through tough times and adversity—was probably one of my favorite parts of the experience.”
Weeks later, the afterglow hasn’t faded. Women are still chatting about the connections they made and the ways they left feeling recharged and inspired. It’s that mix of joy, education, and opportunity that sets the Black Beauty Block Party apart. Essentially, the block party for anyone eager to be immersed in a space that prioritizes Black women, community, creativity, and celebration—while weaving in the digital fluency of today’s tech-savvy adults.
As the Block Party grows, Martin is already looking ahead. She hopes to expand programming, deepen brand partnerships, and continue bridging the gap between tech, education, and celebration. Through Lab Beauty, she’s exploring how technology can empower women of color with tools, training, and access to industry opportunities. She’s doing it all while keeping human connection front and center.
When it comes to staying inspired and grounded while building something ambitious, Martin credits the community for pouring right back into her. “I think the biggest part of inspiration for my life and for building Black Beauty Block Party is seeing how many lives I get the chance to touch by doing my part. When I feel tired or stretched thin, I think about the messages I receive,” she says. That could be anything from a message of gratitude for the supportive space, to how they’d wanted to learn a lip combo for years and it finally clicked for them at the event. She adds, “by doing my job and executing at a level of excellence, I’m able to inspire hundreds of thousands of women to see their full potential—and feel seen in the work I’m doing.”
