Black Owned Businesses to Support Now and ALWAYS

Always being the keyword here. As a society, our system has not been built to support Black-owned businesses and it’s in all of our hands to change this. Voting is crucial, and one of our strongest votes is our DOLLAR.

Whether you’re looking to try some new all-natural skincare to shopping for art or booking your next Yoga class (maybe at-home is the go if you’re quarantining) we’ve pulled together some awesome businesses recommended by people we love.

Below are some of our top Black-owned businesses we encourage you to support.

Beauty

• Hyper Skin founder Desiree Verdejo started Hyper Skin after battling acne and scarring while pregnant with her first child. She already had started her entrepreneurial journey with Vivrant Beauty which was a beauty boutique that carried products for women of color since there were few options in the marketplace. She did all of this after spending her early career as a corporate lawyer. As a true entrepreneurial queen, Desiree sees problems and creates solutions.

  According to the site - Hyper Skin is “a hardworking vitamin c serum with a blend of clean and natural ingredients that brightens skin. smooths texture and dramatically reduces the appearance of scars and dark marks.” As featured by the experts on the best skincare, including in Vogue, we love to see it!

• Coloured Rain Cosmetics was started by another fierce entrepreneurial soul, Loraine R. Dowdy. She left her high profile job in finance when she saw an opportunity to create a beauty line that emphasizes self inclusion and diversity. She set out to break barriers and that she did with high quality cosmetics that are now in some of your favorite stores such as Target!! Her packaging is an art in itself - keep an eye out for the eye-catching palettes and pops of gold on the shelves of your local store, or buy online!

  Like a true leader, Loraine focuses on employing Black women and men, and works with a manufacturer with the same ideals. Our personal favorite? Go take a look at the Matte Lip Colors! We’re obsessed.

Art

• Looking to bring some new life into your home while you’re stuck looking at your walls during quarantine? Us too. Art may sometimes feel like an indulgence, but one or two pieces can change the entire vibe of your home.

  Band of Vices is a contemporary art gallery located in the West Adams Arts District of LA founded by actor Terrell Tilford. He previously owned Tilford Art Group from 1999-2010 and now started Band of Vices to “disrupt the model” and hold a space not only for an array of disciplines, but also for film shoots.

  His latest show runs from June 19 - August 7 is titled MASTERPIECE ; a bold, international, multidisciplinary group exhibition whose aim is to establish a dialogue between contemporary artists of the present and master artists of the past that will illuminate the ever-shifting issues consuming us today such as our volatile geopolitical environment, tackling pandemics & climate change, eradicating racism & social justice reform, and other challenges affecting our increasingly globalized world.

  If leaving the house during quarantine isn’t something you’re ready for, get in touch for the catalog and shop from home :)

Health & Fitness

• Dharma Yoga LA was started by Sonya Om (Sonya Enchill) after being introduced to yoga as an adolescent, she stuck with the practice and studied under world renowned teachers. According to her website, “Sonya discovered her dharma (life’s purpose) to share the gift of self-healing with others, particularly those in underserved communities” - Sonya is also a lawyer with experience in criminal justice (see more major inspo from her website here). If you’re in the LA area when businesses start to open, be sure to check class schedules. Otherwise, the rest of us are in luck! Dharma Yoga is currently offering classes via Zoom.

• Moms at OM is another LA based yoga studio - this one based on mamas. Keya Nkonoki started Moms At Om as a Pregnancy Yoga Center - they nurture families through the life events involving pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

We know our dollar is one of our biggest votes, and ways to create change to our system through who we are supporting. Buy. Black.