Supporting Blackout Day 2020

Today is Blackout Day 2020, which is being discussed and promoted on social media with the hashtag #BlackoutDay2020.  This article from Complex breaks down Blackout Day and how we can support Blackout Day 2020.

Supporting Blackout Day 2020

To show the buying power of Black people, as well as other minorities and their allies, they will not spend any money in the economy, and if they must spend, it will only be Black-owned businesses.

I wanted to offer links to the Black-owned businesses I've bought from and are looking to purchase from in the future.  I encourage you to share what you have purchased from Black-owned businesses in the comments.  I regularly get inspiration from your comments, and your suggestion may be the next purchase by me or another reader!

Face Masks from Black-Owned Businesses

In my cloth face mask review, I shared face masks from Mixed Up Clothing.  Mixed Up Clothing is owned and managed by an African American and Mexican American woman.  She married a Korean American and after starting a family, was inspired to create a children's fashion line her kids would be proud to wear.

Yesterday, I shared the latest face mask to my collection from Kaela Kay, a Toronto-based fashion designer whose collection focuses on her Ghanaian roots with Ankara textiles.  I first found out about Kaela Kay when researching breathable summer dresses for this blog post.  Shipping is swift with great communication about when it is out for delivery and when it arrives to your home.

I am awaiting my purchase of two masks from Candace Cort. Candace Cort is a Black fashion designer who emigrated to the United States from Guyana at the age of 12.  Loving fashion most of her life, she became a fashion stylist and then opened her own boutique in her Brooklyn apartment. She created her first fashion line in 2009.  Her online shop has dresses, two-piece looks and more available up to size 4XL.

Black-Owned Fashion Brands

A few months ago, I bought a t-shirt from And I Get Dressed, a company created by fashion influencer Kellie Brown.  Kellie's line of merchandise is body positive, fat positive, and stylish to boot. 

After a reader recommended Covet, a Black-owned boutique in San Francisco that has a great online shop of beautiful jewelry, I purchased the earrings I'm wearing in the photo below.  They are beautiful, lightweight, look just like the photo, and will be worn quite a lot this summer! 

My friend purchased the walnut messenger bag from UnoEth, a father-daughter owned business.  UnoEth offers goods handmade from 100% Ethiopian leather, and crafted by artisans and small businesses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She loves the quality of the leather, and can tell it will wear well over time. For those who like bags without a lot of frills that will remain stylish for many seasons to come, I encourage you to check out this bag brand.

Black-Owned Beauty Brands

As I mentioned in my post about my current beauty and makeup routine, I am not buying anything until I run out of what I own. But one brand I do have and love is Fenty Beauty.  A cosmetics line by Rihanna, the products are of incredible quality and formulation, and the color range is fantastic.  While I have a few pieces from Fenty Beauty, my two must-haves that I have ordered more than once is the Fenty Invisimatte and Fenty Gloss Bomb. 

Invisimatte is a compact translucent blotting powder.  It's so finely milled, it really does mattify without adding onto the skin.  I especially like it in the summer because it can go over a shiny sweaty face to make it matte without feeling gross.  The compact is luxe, and even having it bang around in my purse and luggage the powder has never cracked or crumbled, even when it's so low I've hit pan. 

Fenty Gloss Bomb I first bought when I did my My Beauty Routine series and more than one of the contributors said they loved the gloss.  I have both Fenty Glow and FU$$Y and love them alone or over my favorite lipstick.  Not too sticky but sticks around through a cup of coffee, not too fragrant yet doesn't have a gross plastic “unscented” smell, beautiful packaging that also is functional (easy to open and close, doesn't leak, easy to get product out even if you're near the end, nice sponge applicator). 

15 Percent Pledge

If you haven't heard about the 15 Percent Pledge, it's a campaign to have big businesses dedicate at least 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.  Black people make up nearly 15% of the US population so it isn't ridiculous to ask for such representation at major retailers. 

Sephora is one of the first companies to commit to the 15 Percent Pledge.  Fenty Beauty is sold at Sephora, but I linked directly to Fenty Beauty in the above paragraph so Fenty Beauty receives 100% of the profits.  However, I know many are more comfortable shopping from Sephora so I wanted you to be aware of Sephora's part in this pledge!

Home Decor from Black-Owned Businesses

Two Thanksgivings ago, the bag company Scout invited me and my sister to a Friendsgiving event.  There were the cutest and best smelling candles on the table from The 125 Collection, a candle company based in Harlem. The 125 Collection name celebrates the legendary “125th Street” located in the heart of Harlem.

Founded, owned, and self-funded by friends Valerie Wray and Joy Fennell, The 125 Collection has candles with motivational, sweet, and spicy messages that make great gifts (so recipients have told me) and look great sitting on your desk or nightstand!  

Many have asked about the wire sculpture in our living room that often made a cameo in a lot of my at-home outfit photos.  The piece is by San Francisco-based wire artist Kristine Mays. I “met” Kristine over a decade ago through our lifestyle blogs and have loved following her journey. 

Karl bought me one of Kristine Mays' pieces as a Valentine's Day gift a couple of years ago. Kristine Mays has won several awards and one of her pieces was in Peggy Cooper Cafritz's collection.  Kristine Mays' work is for sale in galleries across this country and through Artsy.  She also offers smaller pieces in her Etsy shop.

We are saving up for a few pieces we want to finish off the looks in our home so a purchase hasn't been made yet, but I want to share what we're looking at:

• We are looking for a chair for our living room and 54kibo has some stunning options
• This floor lamp from Karen Jai Home is gorgeous
• We rearranged our bedroom and are thinking a textile wall hanging would be good in one corner and I've been admiring this one from Bolé Road Textiles

Black-Owned Groceries and Cleaning Supplies

Angela Richardson began her journey into eco-friendly living seven years ago when she made her first ever natural bar of soap. She has been obsessed ever since and created PUR Home.

As the CEO as well as formulator and product developer, Richardson's PUR Home line offers non-toxic eco-friendly laundry detergent and household cleaners. 

If you are looking for other Black-owned cleaning products:

• My friend ordered laundry detergent from True and said it worked just as well as Tide
• The Hoot offers natural, pet-friendly all-purpose cleanser in a variety of fragrances. 

Resources for Finding Black-Owned Businesses

• Blocal, Black Local Business Search, is a site that will help you find local Black-owned businesses.  Just enter what you're looking for and your location!
• Black Wall Street is an app that will help you find Black-owned businesses to patronize
• Shoppe Black is a wonderful resource for Black-owned retailers and businesses, often offering interviews with entrepreneurs along with suggestions on where to shop based on category.