This year I made a personal goal to be more mindful of my spending, and to support woman and POC owned business if I absolutely NEEDED to indulge in something. Thankfully, women creatives are everywhere and becoming powerhouses in every industry – and supporting them in the age of the internet is not difficult – so there are no excuses, sorry Zara. Here is a list of some of my favorite woman owned businesses from different industries that I urge you to support.
Happy Spending!
Hair Care
1. Camille Rose Naturals
This brand has been a staple on my natural hair journey for years. When I stopped using heat on my hair, I also started to look into what ingredients were in my products, which led me to Camille Rose. Founded in 2010 by Janell Stephens, Camille Rose Naturals was born out of a desire to embrace natural ingredients you can trust to maintain hair health in the present and future. There are several great options from the Camille Rose Naturals line, with ingredients like jojoba oil, biotin, raw honey, Moroccan pear, sweet ginger, and so much more, these products are like health food for your follicles. Right now I use Camille Rose Naturals Coconut Water Penetrating Hair Treatment about once a week a as deep conditioning treatment when I’m too lazy to make my own. It smells so good and leaves my hair soft and super moisturized.
2. Briogeo
Briogeo founder, Nancy Twine, created this line as a refreshing deviation from a market saturated with products backed by big-name celebrity stylists and deep-pocketed corporations. Working at NaturallyCurly I have been able to sample several new and classic hair care lines, and Briogeo has recently become one of my favorites. The light scents, deep moisturizing properties, clean ingredients, and the many product options make it a must try for any curl pattern. They also have the cutest product packaging, so they keep my bathroom looking cute! Right now I’m loving their Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Shea Curl Defining Conditioner.
Skin Care
3. Foxie Bombs
Foxie Bombs is a vegan and handmade line by Kayla Phillips that encourages healing, self-care and aiding in chronic illness and pain. Created only a couple of years ago, Phillips has entered into the skincare industry with a focus on compassion and quality, offering customers with a chronic illness a way to receive some products if they do not have the means to afford it. My roommate Chloe has always been a skincare connoisseur, and first introduced me to the brand when we had a face mask night. We used the Imperial 24k Mask, and my skin felt unbelievably soft, clean, and moisturized after (also this mask has real flecks of gold so you know I felt royal with it on”>. Foxie Bombs also has an assortment of facial cleansers, oils, moisturizers, and kognac sponges-which if you haven’t tried you should, these are amazing exfoliators. Phillips also recently added some hair products which I can’t wait to try.
4. Glossier
Glossier is often called a millennial brand. With their soft pink packaging and cute stickers that come with every purchase, it’s hard to argue otherwise. However, that doesn’t mean their products are all fluff. I have been using their superpack serums for about a year now and my skin has never looked clearer. My favorite is the Super Pure Serum which has niacinamide and zinc which helps to visibly soothe redness and help calm blemishes, I use this every day and I live by it. I also have the priming moisturizer which I use under my Fenty foundation and over my rosehip oil, and is a bit lighter than their rich cream which my roommate Chloe uses. They also come in the cutest pink Ziploc baggies that I use for every trip to keep my makeup, skincare, and small hair items in.
You can get 10% off your first purchase using this link!
Fitness Apparrel
5. Outdoor Voices
Photo Courtesy of @williethewayfarer
Tyler Haney, 28 year-old Boulder, Colorado native founded Outdoor Voices five years ago with the goal to perfect the active wear essential to a healthy lifestyle. Starting with just five core elements: sweats, leggings, a sports bra, and a tank, the brand has now grown into major active wear line for men and women, backed by the same investors as companies like Warby Parker, Sweetgreen, and Blue Bottle Coffee. I found out about them from my friend Maureen, as pictured above, and absolutely love the set I have in blue. They have sets for more active use – Tech Kit, or leisurely use, Studio Kit and Rec Kit – so either way you are sure to find one that is right for you. On top of all their different options, the brand is just ridiculously cute. I get compliments every time I wear mine, which makes me actually want to go out and be active after work!
You can get $20 off your first purchase by using this link!
6. Girlfriend Collective
Photo of me in my Girlfriend Collective matching set!
What initially drew me to Girlfriend Collective was their uni-colored matching sets for affordable prices. Their fits are the perfect combination of modern and minimalist, and when I tell you about the comfort levels- I honestly feel like I’m walking around naked, but with nothing jiggling around. And it makes sense why their athletic gear is so comfortable when you look at their fully transparent process of making the clothing which they keep on their website here!
“We believe the best fashion is not about trends – it’s about quality.
By focusing on humane manufacturing, meticulous design, and sustainable materials, we want to create a community of people who care about every step of the process.”
I walked nearly 20,000 steps on a hot day around Disney Land in my Girlfriend Collective set over the past weekend, and on top of the various compliments I got wearing them, they dried quickly after getting wet from splash mountain, and I was comfortable in them all day.
Makeup
7. Fenty Beauty
I have never been a big makeup person, wearing it mostly on the weekends or for an event and going barefaced during the weekdays-but Fenty Beauty foundation makes my skin look so flawless I have to stop myself from wearing it every day. I use Fenty 310, and I have honestly never used a foundation that matches me as well as this shade. It dries a bit quickly on your face, so I would recommend a damp beauty blender and blending it in quickly, although if I’m only using a little bit I generally just use my fingers and dab around my face until reaching the desired coverage. I also use rose hip oil on my skin beforehand because it is more of a matte coverage and I like to look more dewy. If applied lightly, you can still see my freckles underneath, but my complexion appears a lot smoother and even which is my ideal kind of coverage. I will warn you though, that if I use this foundation too often I tend to break out like crazy on my cheeks and forehead. However, this tends to happen with most foundations I use, which is why I try not to wear face makeup on weekdays. I’d recommend trying a sample first to see if your skin likes the ingredients.
8. Black Opal
I discovered this brand when I first started looking to support more Black owned businesses and was in search of makeup and skincare made to address the specific cosmetic issues Black women face. Black Opal markets themselves as ” The first technologically advanced skincare line for women of color.” Their line address issues of skin pigmentation, dark spots, acne scars, razor bumps and ingrown hair, as well as their full line of makeup. I have their foundation stick and contour sticks for when I really want to beat my face and look photo shopped in pictures. I also use their translucent powder to ‘bake’ and keep my under eyes and cheek bones bright throughout the day or night. All of their products are affordably priced, and you can even buy a sampler shade finder kit for only $5. The lighter and darker shades you don’t use can be used to contour, so it’s a win win.
Graphic Tees
9. Adorned by Chi
I first found this brand on Etsy a couple years ago while looking for an original and Black pride themed laptop sticker from a woman owned business. Today, the brand does graphic tees, pillows, mugs, accessories (pins & patches, hats, and totes”>, as well as stickers. But I have to say the Tee’s really take the cake. Her assortment has a collection for everyone, from anime and comic book lovers, to Migos appreciation and Melanin pride, Adorned by Chi has a Tee for you. T-shirts average around $30, making them the perfect and unique holiday gift for a friend or family member too.
10. Green Box Shop
Yes, that’s Frank Ocean rocking their shirt.
Kayla, an 18 year-old Afro-latina bisexual woman, started this business in May 2016 out of an old 800 square foot apartment after she realized she couldn’t find any social justice tee shirts online for herself. The company really took off after celebs like Frank Ocean wore one publicly. The shirts are divided up by cause, race, lgbtq+, feminism, nature, and more. You can purchase one here! I’m planning to wear mine during the holiday seasons to make my relatives uncomfortable ;”>.
