Black Owned and Created

 

As a Black woman and creator myself, I try my best to shop with Black owned businesses and support Black creators. Black creators and entrepreneurs typically don't get the exposure or the boost that they deserve, in my opinion, so I wanted to share Black owned businesses that I have patronized and some new ones that I'm excited to give a try as well. I took to Twitter and Instagram to scout some businesses, so this post will include a wide variety that I hope you guys will check out! For some of them, I'll give you guys my little spiel, and for others I'll keep it short and sweet just giving you the links. This is my first time putting together a post like this, so bear with me. 

Everyone loves a good candle! Ok, maybe not everyone, but I definitely do. So we are starting this post off right with some candle brands.

 

The Koop NYC

I found this brand on Instagram in late May, and immediately fell in love because of how gorgeous the packaging and branding were. I am a huge fan of minimalism with like nude and brown tones. But enough about my favorite colors- the scents are to die for! Of the scents I ordered, Golden Hour is my absolute favorite. It has notes of strawberry, grapefruit, champagne accord, and white currant which is a whole lot of words to say it smells like magic. I also got their Silk and Daybed candles, which I haven't burned yet but with the way I go through candles, I'm sure I will soon! You guys can shop the link in their Instagram bio or directly right here

photos from their instagram: @thekoopnyc

JJ Candles Co. 

If you've seen those really cool body-shaped candles, this is the perfect place to get yourself one (or a few)! Aside from those, JJ Candles Co. has a pretty wide array of candle scents and wax melts. The best part is that a lot of the scents are aromatherapy based, and they're a much better deal than the aromatherapy candles we typically see. Don't hesitate to check them out! 

Alexandra Winbush

Alexandra Winbush has blown up on Instagram, to the point where I've been having to watch their site like a hawk waiting for the fragrances I want to restock. This isn't just your average candle brand, though! They not only have candles with very aesthetically pleasing packaging (my fav ok. we know this by now), but they also have teas that are complementary to the candle's scents. Is that a dream or what?  So, if you're ok with being super patient for some gorgeous candles and their matching teas, you have to give them a good browse.

photo from their instagram: @thealexandrawinbush

Black owned clothing and accessory brands have been on the rise lately, and I am here for it! I love seeing everyone put out brands that showcase their personal style, as well as seeing how other people style the pieces. I've always been super into fashion, and I am a huge fan of these next few brands.

Pigment the Label

This clothing line is near and dear to my heart because my older cousin Briana is the beauty and brains behind it. Briana is a huge advocate of being yourself unapologetically, and she created the perfect brand to promote that! It includes such a wide range of different pieces and styles, so there's something for everyone. The best part, in my minorly biased opinion, is that she models a lot of her own pieces- like in the photo below. Do your wardrobe a favor and put a few things in your cart!

photo from her instagram: @pigment.thelabel

ChalkHill Vintage

If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with graphic tees- especially vintage tees. I don't remember how, but I came across ChalkHill Vintage on Instagram over the summer and I love looking through all of their vintage finds. This is the perfect brand to shop of you want curated vintage pieces without having to go sift through the thrift store racks or scroll through Depop for hours. Check them out on Instagram to keep up with their drops or shop their site directly!

Brandon Blackwood New York

Finding Brandon Blackwood on Instagram was arguably the most exciting discovery during my not so appropriate summer shopping problem. Brandon Blackwood designed and released the perfect versatile handbag with a hard hitting message. This bag has "End Systemic Racism" adorned on it, and get this, a portion of the proceeds from every purchase go towards the pro bono legal services provided by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. So not only is this bag an amazing addition to any outfit, but when you purchase one, you're contributing to the fight against racial discrimination and to provide BIPOC with the legal assistance they need. The bag has a luxury look paired with an affordable price, and it supports a cause that's very important to me, so you really can't go wrong with this one. I purchased my bag a couple weeks ago and I am eagerly awaiting its arrival, so please be on the lookout for how I style it (because I'm ridiculously excited)! This round of preorders is going on right now, so get yours!

customer photo from instagram: @brandonblackwoodnyc

Mindful Me Waist Beads

Santiara has a line of beautiful waist beads, Mindful Me Waist Beads, with a ton of different styles to choose from. I think the coolest thing about her brand is the message of mindfulness and self-awareness attached to her brand. Check her out on Instagram and head over to her shop!

Tree Fairfax

This brand was recently recommended to me, and I am dying to purchase some of their products! Tree Fairfax is a brand of handmade leather goods, where every piece is made one by one- so they're never mass produced. I personally love a good leather tote bag, although I've never owned genuine leather. That's about to change, though because I don't think I can live without one of their mini totes (pictured below). I'm a sucker for the minimal design and the amount of love that goes into hand making pieces like these. They have a ton of other goods on their site too- like wallets and crossbody bags, so go get you something! 

photo from their instagram: @treefairfax

Lately, I've really been getting into clean skincare. Something about not being able to pronounce majority of the ingredients on the typical skincare products I find at the story makes me a little uneasy, especially since I haven't really gotten to the bottom of my skin's whole deal yet. With that being said, I've come across some pretty great Black owned skincare brands that I am very eager to try.

Summer Jean & Co.

Summer Jean & Co. is a vegan skincare line with a ton of products like serums and cleansers tailored towards healing and balancing skin for folks with eczema, psoriasis, and hyperpigmentation. As someone who struggles with all three of those (three cheers for the moodiest skin on earth), I absolutely have to try some of these products out! They truly have a product for everyone, so you should try them out too!

Fresh Seed Glow

I came across Fresh Seed Glow on Etsy. Of course I was drawn to them because of the packaging, because according to the pattern I've clearly established, that's what draws me to most things that I end up buying. Beyond that, I love that these products have such a simple ingredient list. I'm super excited to try out the Hydrating Face Mist, personally. Head over to Etsy and let me know which ones you decide to pick up.

Now if you all will excuse me, I'm going to move on into the most anticipated (by me) part of this post: the artsy stuff. I'm smiling so huge thinking about writing this section because I know a few of these creators personally, and I'm happy to be able to share their work with you all!

Sahmon Goodman's P.A.I.N

Sahmon wrote an amazing book, P.A.I.N People Are In Need: Grow Through It. The book is a collection of short stories, poems, spoken word pieces and so much more and it is definitely worth the read. I have known Sahmon since he was a freshman in high school, and it is so crazy to see how much he has grown as a person and an artist. You can purchase his book on Amazon, as a physical copy or an e-book! 

Arial's The Modern Day Black Alphabet

Arial is a mixed media artist who took on many different projects during quarantine season- my favorite being her book The Modern Day Black Alphabet. Not only is this book the perfect collectible item, it stands to serve as real piece of Black culture that can be passed down for generations. You can purchase her book, along with the accompanying alphabet flashcards, on her site. Don't forget to check out her other projects on her Instagram as well. 

Flower Kid Sid

Sidney is an extremely talented artist, and I absolutely love every piece I've gotten from her. You can reach out to her on Twitter or Instagram to inquire about your future pieces! 

photos from Sidney's instagram

Tyla Made It!

Tyla's art showed up on my feed this past summer when she went viral on Twitter and her acrylic song plaques blew up, and I've been a fan ever since. She truly has a gift for art, and it's so crazy seeing what she creates next. If need some new artsy decor for your space, Tyla is your gal! Check her work out on Instagram and don't forget to reach out to her about your future favorite piece of art.

photo from Tyla's instagram

There are so many other Black creators and Black business owners out there that I haven't had the chance to learn about yet, and because of that, I want to challenge myself to do a post like this once a month. I want to be able to share new businesses and new artists with you guys each month, and I'm hoping that you guys will share some with me too. There is something so special to me about shopping with Black businesses and supporting Black artists. It just feels like I'm doing something important, and as a creator myself, I know that a little support goes a long way. I hope that you all enjoyed this post, and I can't wait to hear about all the great stuff you've bought as a quarantine coping mechanism- because that's definitely what I've been doing.