From chic sweaters for your dog to Instagram famous eye masks, these businesses all have two things in common: 1) they’re founded by black entrepreneurs and 2) we’re obsessed with them. Read on to learn more about some of our favorite black owned businesses that are changing the game in their respective fields.
Topicals @mytopicals co founder Olamide Olowe
Topicals is a skincare brand with a cult following on social media co-founded by Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng on the principle of taking the stigma out of chronic skin conditions and transforming the way people feel about their skin. They combine unretouched models and ultra cool packaging to create a vibe that feels as real as it is fun. Topicals donates 1% of profits to mental health movements to help raise awareness around the connection between mental health and skin health.
The Honey Pot Co @thehoneypotco founder Beatrice Dixon
The Honey Pot Co is a natural feminine care line founded by Beatrice Dixon who came up with her first natural formula after being visited by an ancestor in a dream. The Honey Pot Co products are created with natural ingredients and backed by science, and they’re made for and by women. The Honey Pot Co partners with Happy Period, an organization that provides menstrual hygiene kits to those who are homeless, low income, or living in poverty.
Candy x Paints @thecandyxpaints founder Shardae Layfield
Founded by Shardae Layfield in Atlanta, Candy x Paints creates vegan, cruelty free, 10 free nail polish in a wide range of fun shades to empower people to express themselves through color and to provide cleaner alternatives to everyday luxuries. You can check out their Instagram for major nail art inspo and to learn more about their limited edition collections.
Klur @klur.co founder Lesley Thornton
In the words of founder Lesley Thornton, Klur was founded on the principle of cultivating a brand that reflected the values of clean, ethical, inclusive beauty. With a focus on sustainability and quality ingredients, Klur’s skincare is luxurious yet simple. Their most recent launch, Surrounding Surfaces reparative oil, has an innovative donation based payment model. To purchase the product, you can make a donation of at least $44 directly to Summa EveryThang, a community center in south central Los Angeles, and send Klur your donation receipt to receive a code to add the product to your cart as a gift at checkout.
KNC Beauty @kncbeauty founder Kristen Noel Crawley
Kristen Noel Crawley founded KNC Beauty after a trip to Tokyo where she became obsessed with the idea of lip masks. When she found out that there were no natural lip masks on the market, she decided to create her own. KNC Beauty has since expanded into eye masks, face masks, scrubs, and more and has become a celebrity and IG favorite due to their super fun and selfie worthy designs.
Briogeo @briogeo founder Nancy Twine
At this point you’ve probably heard of Briogeo, but in case you haven’t, here’s some backstory. Briogeo is a clean haircare brand created by Nancy Twine that pioneered the concept of “6 free haircare,” free of sulfates, silicones, phthalates, parabens, DEA, and artificial dyes. Founded on transparency and clean ingredients that create amazing results, Briogeo has become a clean beauty favorite at Sephora, Ulta, and Nordstrom.
Crete Candles @cretecandles founder Alan Ince
Crete Candles is a Brooklyn Based candle brand founded by Alan Ince. After a hectic day, Alan was searching for new candles to relax and meditate to when he realized that nothing matched quite what he was looking for. Alan decided to try his hand at making a candle that spoke to him, and so Crete Candles was born. Crete candles are made by hand in small batches using concrete and elements of Brooklyn, like sand from Alan’s favorite beach, making each and every piece unique.
Sir Dogwood @sirdogwood founder Chaz Olajide
Chaz Olajide firmly believes that your best pal deserves the best of everything, and so she founded Sir Dogwood in 2016 to create an inclusive community for dogs and their owners of curated dog wear and accessories. They source the most chic and modern pieces as well as partnering with up and coming designers on exclusive collabs. Sir Dogwood donates a portion of sales to One Tail At a Time, a Chicago based non profit whose mission is to end pet homelessness.
Zou Xou @zouxoushoes founder Katherine Theobalds
Zou Xou (pronounced zu-zu) is a shoe line founded by Katherine Theobalds that aims to create a shoe wardrobe of modern essentials that are well-made, unfussy, and minimal. With a focus on sustainability, Zou Xou shoes are hand made by Argentinian shoemakers with a slow fashion model, producing small quantities with less waste. Their simple and elegant pieces are crafted in leather and made to last.
Brother Vellies @BrotherVellies founder Aurora James
Brother Vellies was founded by Aurora James in 2013 with the goal of keeping traditional African design practices and techniques alive while also creating and sustaining artisanal jobs. Now handmade artisanally across the globe, Brother Vellies creates luxury accessories that celebrate cultural histories and timeless design. They’ve recently launched a program called “something special,” where you can get a surprise sustainably and ethically made comfort item delivered to your door once a month.