I’m always looking for new brands whether it be in fashion or beauty or anything in between and unrelated. It feels like a success when you find a brand that you genuinely like and connect with, and it’s even better when that brand is founded by someone you can relate to. The black community and culture are truly the inspiration for everything. Its no wonder there are tons of beautiful black-owned businesses out there to explore and I get excited every time I hear or find out about a new one.
Fashion
Adorned by Chi
Adorned by Chi is a clothing and accessories brand founded by Jacque Aye. This brand features amazingly cute t-shirts, pins, patches, and other products that not only highlight the magical black girl but also feature original characters from the Adorned by Chi manga collection. As a black girl myself who happens to have albinism, it was pretty exciting to see that they also included an albino character in their comics. You can explore more of their comics and meet their amazing characters here.
Grass-Fields
Grass-Fields is an African clothing brand founded by two twin sisters from Cameroon, Christelle and Michelle Nganhou. Christelle and Michelle’s mission behind creating Grass-Fields was to bring something new to the table when it came to African print clothing by combining African textiles with Western-style. Grass-Fields has a beautifully made dress for any occasion, and if you are looking for tops, shorts, or matching sets, they have those too. There are so many vibrant and unique patterns available, its hard to choose which one to buy first. Read more about how Grass Fields originated here.
Chimzi Fashion
Chimzi is a black-owned fashion house based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They have a wide variety of pieces to choose from for both women and men. I love how bold and vibrant their patterns are. You can find jumpsuits, tops, dresses, skirts, and face masks in beautiful African prints.
Shy Diva Co.
Shy Diva Co. is a black-owned handbag brand that features not only handbags, but also jewelry and sunglasses. Their handbags are so cute and stylish, and they come in fun designs, patterns, and colors. Shy Diva Co. has the right handbag for any occasion and the perfect one to add to your collection. They also have the Diva Initiative which is a non-profit that aims to provide women in need with necessary feminine products. Learn more about the Diva Initiative here.
Jewelry
Beads Byaree
Beads Byaree is a jewelry brand that truly makes a statement. Areeayl Yoseefaw Goodwin is the creative designer behind Beads Byaree’s African inspired hand-crafted pieces. Ms. Goodwin encourages people to turn their dreams into a reality through her designs. I love the names of the jewelry as well as the way in which they are presented. Everything works together to present one piece of art. You can also explore their clothing collection as well.
Beauty and Skincare
Ancient Cosmetics
Ancient Cosmetics is a black-owned skincare company. They have a variety of natural products from body oils to beauty bars in interesting scent combinations. I really enjoy their Acne Be Gone Facial Wash, and I’ve talked about how it has pretty much lead me to create a skincare routine for myself. Ancient Cosmetics also has other products that were made to assist with specific skincare problems such as eczema and hyper-pigmentation.
Garner’s Garden
Garner’s Garden was founded by Philip Garner in 2012. Their mission is to provide 100% natural skin care products made with high-quality ingredients. Garner’s Garden has a wide selection of products to help people live a healthier lifestyle. Some of their products include, natural deodorant, natural hair oil and soaps. Learning more about their products also introduced me to tooth powder which is something I am excited to try out.
Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath Labs was founded by Pat McGrath who is pretty much the most influential makeup artist in the world. Ms. McGrath’s love for makeup has lead her to create various collections that you can be obsessed with and inspired by. Pat McGrath Labs has it all from lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes to foundation and brushers. If you are as inexperienced as I am with makeup, you can even catch some informative videos on different makeup looks on Labs TV.
Urban Hydration
Urban Hydration is a skincare and beauty company founded by Psyche and Vontoba Terry. Their goal is to create “naturally inspired products that achieve beautiful results and are gentle enough for the entire family.” Urban Hydration has products for your skin, hair, face, and even your home. From their face masks to their body lotions each product is made with the purpose to hydrate. The beauty of Urban hydration doesn’t stop there. With each product purchased, Urban Hydration also donates a gallon of water to communities around the world.
Kik0xxstensions
Kik0xxstensions is an eyelash brand that makes cruelty free silk and faux-mink fur eyelashes. If you’ve read any of my beauty posts, you know I’m just getting into exploring makeup, but I find these eyelashes to be so cool. They are bright, vibrant, and will make any look unique. Kik0xxstensions eyelashes come in a wide variety of colors including grapealicious, apricot, and cotton candy.
Black-Owned Companies that Aren’t Fashion or Beauty Related, But I Wanted To Share Them Anyway
Brooklyn Tea
Brooklyn Tea is a natural tea company located in, you guessed it, Brooklyn New York. I’m a tea lover and I’ve been wanting to venture out of the normal teas that I drink and try something different, so I was very excited when I found out about Brooklyn Tea. They have made it their mission to provide their customers with an authentic escape through tea, and they have many teas to choose from. If you are looking for herbal tea, they have it. Green tea? they have it. Teaware? They have that too. Brooklyn Tea also provides tea education for the community as well as informative descriptions for each tea on their website along with their benefits.
Pur Home
Pur Home is a black-owned natural household product company created by Angela Richardson. Products from Pur Home are made with natural and organic ingredients that are non-toxic, plant-based and biodegradable. Pur Home products are products that I have been looking for. I have been on the search for non-toxic laundry detergents and cleaning products that aren’t as harsh. Pur Home products are not only better for you, but they are also better for the environment.
Jungalow
Jungalow started as a design blog by Justina Blakeney and has branched into a source for “jungalicious design goods and inspiration.” I love their website design becuase it gives so much insight into what the Jungalow brand is. You can find amazing home decor as well as artwork and wallpaper. Their goal is to inspire people to get creative and bring nature into the home for good vibes. With each purchase of a Jungalow product, at least two trees are planted. You can read more about the Jungalow mission here.
All Very Goods
All Very Goods is a black-owned company started by Ama Schulman in Washington DC. Ama’s designs and illustrations can be seen through her bandanas, art prints, bags, and many other products in her store. I found out about All Very Goods through seeing the enamel pins. You can also keep up with all things All Very Goods and see how Ama is working toward her goal of supporting black women start their businesses through her blog.
I wanted to shine a light on some of the amazing black-owned companies that I know about, but there are so many out there to explore and support so this list will continue to grow. Even though my skin is very light due to albinism, there is no confusion whatsoever on where I come from. I stand with my community 100%.
Of course, supporting beautiful black-owned companies isn’t the only way to help the fight against racism, police brutality, and the many inhumane practices that should have been let go a long time ago. Donate. Sign Petitions. Protest. Educate Yourselves. Learn. Share Information. There are numerous ways to help and make a difference.
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