Asking award-winning actor, singer, director, producer, composer and playwright Billy Porter how his Monday is going feels like a bit of a softball. “I’m feeling really grateful right now!” Porter exclaims, radiating the kind of unfiltered enthusiasm that’s become the star’s signature—even on the day of the week that doesn’t get a whole lot of love. “I was on TV this morning, I’m coming back to Broadway, I’m wrapping a beauty line; I have a lot to be grateful for.”
The latest addition to the Porter’s already-packed agenda? Black Mona Lisa Beauty—a bold, high-performance beauty line that’s as revolutionary as its founder. Designed for all identities, skin tones and styles, the brand blends makeup and skin care with unapologetic self-expression. From electric eyeshadows and fearless lip shades to luxe, anti-aging skin care, every product is a tribute to individuality, creativity and confidence.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” shares the Pose star. “I’ve been writing in my morning pages about it. I really believe that we manifest what our heart desires, but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t know where to begin. Then, a company called My Business Program asked if I would be interested in working on something. That’s basically what happened, and we’ve been working trials for almost two years.”
As expected, Porter was also big on making sure the products were truly inclusive.
“I’m really interested in making sure that the products that I have work on all types of people. Beauty has no gender. It also has no color. I’m really looking forward to developing, for instance, foundations that cover the spectrum of all colors—from the lightest to the darkest. We still don’t have a lot of companies doing that well.”
High on Porter’s list of non-negotiables for Black Mona Lisa Beauty: Nailing the shimmer—and keeping the entire line proudly genderless. “One of the things that really attracted me are the shimmers! They’re amazing. I want this brand to represent freedom. I want people to feel free when they explore with these products.”
That sense of freedom extends far beyond glitter and glow. For Porter, it’s about breaking down the binaries that have long defined the beauty industry. “It’s interesting to me, because I have this kale cleanser, which I love, and I have this rose oil, which I wear. Those are two of my favorites. But when you go and you look at something like face wash or face lotion for men, and then you have the one for women, when you turn it around, it’s the same ingredients! We gender everything.”
With Black Mona Lisa, Porter is pushing back on that. “I would love for this to be completely genderless. That’s the biggest thing for me—that this doesn’t discriminate. Anyone and everyone can use anything. It’s not ‘gender anything.’ It’s for all.”
When it comes to beauty brands that get it right, Porter gives credit where it’s due. “I think MAC does it pretty well. NARS too. Both are brands I wear,” he says. “But honestly? I’m really loving my own stuff. As you know, I’ve been working on this my whole life.”
For Porter, skin care isn’t just a passion—it’s personal history. “Skin care has always been a part of my life—day and night,” he says. That journey began in his teens, with a memory as vivid as any red carpet. “I bought my first Clinique set at Kaufmann’s in downtown Pittsburgh when I was 14 or 15. I wasn’t even totally sure what it was, but I knew I had to have it. First of all, I’m Black, so moisturizing is something that is just in our DNA. If soap and water comes anywhere near your body, you follow up with lotion. We always carry lotion and creams and whatnot in our bags. That’s just what it is! In the wintertime, back in the ’70s, my mother put Vaseline on my face to protect my skin. And I still remember the woman at the Clinique counter was like, ‘You don’t have any acne…you don’t need this.’ And I was like, ‘This is preventative! My face needs to look good!’ I’ve always had a routine because I was always trying to be a star.”
