What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make. —Jane Goodall
I’m beyond excited to share issue No. 13 of my monthly sustainable series, The Cut with you guys!
This month’s article is special because August is National Black Business Month! And what other way to celebrate than to highlight more black-owned sustainable brands, am I right?
To me, it’s important to continue to support my black brothers and sisters in their fight against racism.
And one major way to support them that I personally feel speaks volumes, is to share their businesses. They’ve worked hard just like any other business owner out there (if not more) to do what they love. And just like any brand, they share their products and services to be a solution to people’s problems and to make a living to provide for their families.
And I FIRMLY believe where we spend our hard-earned money says a lot about what kind of world we want.
As I share some great brands for this month’s sustainable living blog post series, The Cut, I’ll also be re-sharing some black-owned businesses I mentioned in my black-owned sustainable brands article.
Let’s see who made this month’s list!
FASHION
Fashion is a large contributor to our landfills and pollution. To help our planet, here are some more great fashion brands you can purchase from and still do good.
Brother Vellies is a recent discovery for me. I love that they’re a sustainable brand. And what makes them so special is that designs are done in Brooklyn, New York and then they are handmade by artisans from NYC to Nairobi! I also love their latest brand idea to serve their customers better is called, Something Special.
My favorite? Their nude collection, of course! Their pumps and sandals…insert drool-faced emoji.
And in case you’re wondering, here’s their sustainability-focused mission you can reference.
I also recently discovered Two Days Off. Their collection is ethically and sustainably-made. And not only does the brand avoid plastic (they ship plastic-free), but they also try to reduce excess waste, which I love!
My favorite pick of the collection? Their olive green Haruko dress.
You can read about what their stance is on sustainability.
BEAUTY
Since I’m a huge beauty lover, I’m super excited to bring you more clean beauty brands I recently found that you can experiment with. Feel free to play with beauty with me!
I discovered The Established a few months ago. I was looking for some skincare products to try and their aesthetics caught my eye. When I found out that everything is homemade and hand-poured, that was another reason for me to support them. Brands that do this have a special appreciation from me because I know how time-consuming it takes just to make anything.
A few weeks ago, I was able to order from them on Blackout Tuesday and purchased their Bath and Body Serum and their Hibiscus Afterglow Tonic.
First impressions? I LOVE them! The tonic does not dry out my face at all. I spray it on a few times a day while I work since my dining table is next to sunny windows. Now, let’s talk about how I want to dip myself in their bath and body serum every day. Why? Because my friends, this body serum/oil soaks right into your skin and leaves no greasy feeling. Not even on your hands. Yes, friends, this is what magical skincare products should be all about!
On top of creating amazing products, I had a tiny issue with my initial order and founder and owner, Essence, responded to my email within the hour, overnighted a new package along with a hand-written apology and sent a pepper clarifying bar (which smells heavenly). Guys, customer service does NOT get better than that!
And after working retail, I’m not a “tough customer” by any means so her gesture meant the world! I will be re-purchasing The Established products again so now my question is, “Does the body serum come in gallon sizes?”
As someone who has lip balms and treatments everywhere (bathroom, handbag, laptop bag, coffee table, nightstand, etc.), what’s one more product to add to the collection, right? The top skincare product I use is always the lips.
On Blackout Tuesday, I also purchased the Remedy Conditioning Lip Balm from Beneath Your Mask.
The formula is so lovely. It glides on smoothly and just melts into your lips. A little goes a long way so I know this tube will last me a long time!
For anyone looking for a super clean lip treatment, their cruelty-free lip balm is also GMO, paraben, peg, petroleum, phosphate, sulfate, and toxin-free! It’s currently sold out on their website, so we surprised? Don’t fret though, you can sign up for notifications when they’re back in stock.
You can shop Beneath Your Mask products on their website, Credo Beauty, Beauty Heroes, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman.
I found Pear Nova back in June and already ordered their gel top and base coat along with a stunning nude gel polish called Still Life. And yes, I’m also eyeing other shades like Novacaine and Biscuits & Honey. #GimmeAllTheNudes please!
Friends, if you’re looking for PETA-certified cruelty free, vegan-friendly gel polish, they are it!
Since I’ve been going non-stop for the past couple of months, I cannot wait to do my own nails this weekend because I feel like they’ve “breathed” long enough, haha!
LIFESTYLE
One of the biggest things I’ve started to do is to invest in items and services that are environmentally friendly. Here are my recent finds and don’t you worry, I’ll be sharing more eco-friendly brands pertaining to lifestyle as I find them!
Linoto is a black-owned home brand I also recently discovered by Jason Evege, who is the founder and creative director. Their entire collection is comprised of 100% linen products for the home, perfect for the neutral lover, might I add!
They carry sheets, towels, curtains, and kitchen linens.
You can also shop their Belgian Eco linen sheets, to cool off for the hot weather we’ve been having and will continue to have for several more months.
INFORMATIVE ARTICLES/SOURCES
To continue to keep you informed and make better choices for our planet, here are some fascinating sources and/or articles I found regarding sustainable living.
When researching, I found Hello Alice. Hello Alice is a free resource for business owners. They help entrepreneurs launch and from there, help them to grow. From how-to guides to opportunities, they provide a wealth of information.
And when you scroll to the middle of the page, you’ll see massive resources such as “Find Resources for Black Entrepreneurs” and a long list of “Support a Black-Owned Business“.
If you know of a new black business owner, please pass this resource on to help our black community.
And that’s it for the sixth issue of The Cut for 2020!
What did you like most from today’s post? Feel free to comment and let me know if there is anything else you’d like to see in this series!
Note: Please note that there’s a website called The Cut that covers a ton of topics for women including fashion and beauty. My blog post series is in no relation to The Cut website as it only focuses on sustainable, more mindful way of living.
Looking for something in particular?
Danielle
August 15, 2020These products look absolutely stunning, I might have to get my hands on some!
Danielle
https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/
Huong
September 17, 2020And I’ll be there to read the reviews on your blog! x
Lisa Autumn
August 12, 2020These products look so aesthetically pleasing wow x
Lisa | lisaautumn.com
Huong
August 13, 2020Right?! You have GOT to try the body serum! It’s amazingggg!