10 Black-Owned Businesses To Shop This Black Friday & Beyond
Black Friday has rolled around and it. is. time. Time to take advantage of all the mega-savings that are here, forcing us to swipe our poor little hearts (and credit cards) out, and stack up on holiday purchasing cheer. Although, there have been a few slight changes between this and last year due to the pandemic, we're kind of here for them. Most major retailers are now offering exclusive Black Friday deals throughout the entire month of November, versus having all of us out here fighting for 30-inch TVs in the middle of the store a day after being thankful for what we have. But, forget all that, it's time to spend green, and shop black
Whether you're here for the Black Friday hustle and bustle or not, it's always nice to support a black-owned business—especially during these times (or any time for that matter). So, grab your wallet, sis! We've compiled a list of 10 of the best black-owned businesses to support this Black Friday and beyond.
Uniqurl
Uniqurl was developed by Alexis Stanley, an RN who suffered from a hair journey setback in 2016. After not being able to find products that worked for her, she decided to begin making her own, in her kitchen. By 2017, she had begun experimenting with hundreds of ingredients and it wasn't long before Alexis started using her products on her two daughters and sharing her recipes with her followers on Instagram while giving them free healthy hair advice. Her followers wanted more of what she was offering so Alexis decided to package her formula and put a label on it!
In addition to their vegan and organic products, Uniqurl has established a COVID-19 Single Mom's Fund to support women who could use a helping hand during these times. We stan black owned philanthropy too!
Uniqurl plans to have huge Black Friday deals. Text UNIQURL2020 to 29071 to gain access.
Curvy, Curly, Conscious
Founded by Shelah Marie, 'Curvy, Curly, Conscious' is the self-proclaimed go-to place for women of color to connect, commune, and embark on their paths to self-love and care. They're a community of women, who believe in elevating each other by coming together and encouraging frank conversations. Their message? Let go and invite higher into your life (the next level in your inner knowledge, your self-discovery and taking care of yourself from the inside out). 'Curvy, Curly, Conscious' even hosts retreats to assist in helping you tap into that higher vibration (something we can all stand to do after a wild af year).
Essie Spice
Headed to the kitchen, one of our favorite items to support is Essie Spice. Launched in late 2013, the small-batch operation sells three signature sauces and one spice blend, all loosely based on the West African flavors. None are totally traditional recipes, instead they combine flavors and cooking techniques from their founder, Essie Bartel's, global travels. The brand boasts, "There are 101 ways to use Essie Spice vegan cooking sauces and spice blends. From cocktails and desserts to savory seared proteins veggies and soups—you name it, we fit right in."
Oh, and they're delicious too!
Essie Spice is offering 17% off your total purchase using code SPICEVERSARY at checkout. With your holiday purchases, a percentage will be donated to the Tarkwa Breman Girls School in Ghana, which goes directly to tuition, uniforms and feeding as the girls do not pay a dime for their education.
Rich Auntie Energy
"We are wealth manifesting aunties", their website reads as this company proudly flies the flag for women that believe traveling, stacking, and being faithful to living how you want to live, is the only way to live. Listen, and we're here for it all because some of us don't have, or don't want to have, kids, m'kay?
The brand, 'Rich Auntie Energy', was a thought that became an idea, that became a goal, that has somehow, strangely enough, manifested into an entire brand. They developed into a simple, but bold, apparel line which makes a full-on unapologetic statement—nothing more, nothing less. Because sometimes, it's just best to let your clothes do the talking for you.
Select items will be marked for sale on Black Friday, so check the website to cop their discounts.
HDN LEF
For those of us who choose to indulge in legal consumption, HDN LEF, has taken its piece of the cannabis pie. They are an edible production company, focusing on a variety of CBD and medical THC infused edibles and topicals to help manage pain throughout the day, and provide a restful sleep at night. Their goal is to introduce safe cannabis use to women. But don't expect to just show up and order, HDN LEF operates under exclusive clientele.
Founded by a black woman, HDN LEF gives us an opportunity to support in an industry that belongs to us, but that we're being shut out of at rapid rates. Happy eating!
HDN LEF is offering 15% off all products when you enter the code BETHANKFUL.
Spoken Flames
Spoken Flames, a New York-based and black woman-owned candle company, is reshaping the way that we experience burning candles. The brand has a collection of candles that offers a vibe-y experience through spoken word poetry audio. When a candle burns and is captured from the lens of a Spoken Flames Instagram filter (accessible on the brand's Instagram handle @SpokenFlames), a meditative augmented reality experience will follow.
"No more 'light it and forget it' candle moments," Spoken Flames writes of the immersive experience on its site. "We've crafted a multisensory candle experience that will engage your senses of sound, sight, and smell—and transcend reality through a unique and immersive digital experience designed to activate your moment of self-care."
Peak innovation and revolution for the culture.
Kahmune
You know, I was well into adulthood when I learned that band-aids are supposed to be flesh-colored. I mean, they had always been "that" color for as long as I could remember, we never thought any differently, which speaks volumes to how we're often unconsidered in overall consumer products.
Kahmune took this challenge head-on, and created a shoe line for women to find their true nude. The founder, Jamela A. Acheampong, says that her story, is probably your story too. "We are a solution to the age old fallacy that 'nude' refers to a specific color. It's time for a change." Queen.
For Black Friday, Kahmune will be donating 15% of all sales to three women's charities through November 30.
Bombd Aesthetics
Ladies, I know how we are about our skincare. Well, this brand, is no different. Bombd Aesthetics is a vegan skincare company that believes you should be able to pronounce the names of the products that you use. Created after the owner's daughter developed a sensitive skin issue, Bombd Aesthetics was born.
One of their most popular products, is their tumeric mask, which has instantaneous rejuvenation powers and rightfully so, as BA hand makes their products using oils, butters, and ingredients that you recognize.
Why? "Because what goes on your body, is just as important as what goes in."
Yassss.
Happy Mango
Happy Mango is the epicenter of black woman-owned eco-friendly children products. They're a kids and baby store that serve moms and kids up to age 4. They also have registry services, baby showers, and birthday party packs, and carry brands like Nuna, Babyletto Cribs, Colgate Mattresses, Grovia, Uppababy, DockATot, Ergo, Nurseryworks, and more.
Owner Phnewfula Frederiksen (pronounced "new-fa-la") is a Clark-Atlanta University alum, who has spent 20 years working in promotions departments at labels such as Interscope and Atlantic Records. But after the birth of her son in 2008 and her daughter a few years later, she decided to focus on being a mom. Shortly after, Phnewfula launched Happy Mango as a pop-up shop, where she built a local following among "tree-huggers" and eco-enthusiastic parents. Many of the products at Happy Mango are comparable in price to traditional store-bought baby items. New moms, be sure to check out this amazing store online or at their brick-and-mortar in Atlanta. Click here to see what items are on sale for Black Friday.
SaTrell Beauty
SaTrell, a beauty brand where you'll find exclusive products that will inspire creativity and expression, was founded by wife, mother, and entrepreneur Nichole Wright. They have cruelty-free, free from harsh chemicals, and complimentary of all skin tone products such as nail polish, glosses, and more. Like many other black-owned polishing products, SaTrell was born after a need of finding items that weren't chemically-induced.
Soon, Nichole set out to provide affordable, cruelty-free, and vegan-friendly cosmetics. She wanted a cosmetics brand where a woman can indulge in her beauty, be creative, be expressive, and confident in her own skin. *poetry snaps*
Expect to see SaTrell alongside new and trendy products on the market, as they are carving out space to do cosmetics, their way.
Satrell is having a Black Friday Sale - 11/23 - 11/30 30% off site-wide and free shipping with purchase over $25 with code Thankful30.
Feature image by Shutterstock
Charmin Michelle is a southern native and creative spirit who works as a content marketer and events manager in Chicago. She enjoys traveling, #SummertimeChi, and the journey of mastering womanhood. Connect with her on Instagram @charminmichelle.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images