Upcoming small businesses owned by POC to try

Gone are the days of having to trail the high-street, hunting through Boots for over-priced lip glosses . With a quick search of Instagram, there are hundreds of small, hard-working businesses dedicated to providing amazing products and services, all of which your money goes to a far better cause than a huge corporation.

Liberty Belle is dedicating this article to some incredible small beauty brands owned by people of colour who deserve far more recognition!

Brand: Hlashes

Owner: Hana Jalal

Where to purchase: @hlashesss on Instagram or www.hlashes.net

Recently established Hlashes - owned by the amazing Kurdish born lash enthusiast, Hana - has taken Instagram by storm. Offering 100% cruelty-free, luxury mink lashes for under £10, it comes to little surprise that the brand gained over ten thousand followers within the first few months of its creation. Hlashes offers a huge range of styles, from natural to all out glam, and both styles are to die for (which I can personally confirm after trying a range of their styles, with my recommendation being the Sara Lash, especially if you enjoy a dramatic eye look).

Hlashes has also recently extended their range to clear lip glosses and hand-held mirrors reading Mean Girl quotes; what’s not to love?

Brand: Hanahanabeauty

Owner: Abena Boamah

Where to purchase: https://hanahanabeauty.com/

Hanahanabeauty is a 100% natural skincare brand derived all the way from Ghana, which has dedicated itself to ‘disrupting the global beauty industry through transparency, sustainability and accessibility.’ If that ethos alone is not incentive enough to purchase from the brand, maybe the vast range and scents of moisturisers and scrubs all sustainably sourced may entice you.

Whilst the prices of some products may seem somewhat expensive, rest assured your money is going towards a range of amazing causes via the brands ‘benefits circle’, which guarantees self- sustainability for all women in the shea trade. This is enabled through the brand paying double the general asking price of shea butter, providing the underprivileged women hepatitis B vaccines and regular healthcare checks.

Brand: Thelipbar

Owner: Melissa Butler

Where to purchase: https://thelipbar.com/

Thelipbar is an up and coming beauty brand dedicated to its inclusive and vegan ideals. Butler was inspired in 2012 to begin her brand after her endless frustration at the often unattainable, exclusive standards of the beauty industry. In turn, Thelipbar offers over 20 shades of concealer and foundation ranging from ‘Ivory’ to ‘Ebony’, ensuring everyone can enjoy make-up on an equal basis - even offering online assistance with finding your perfect shade match. Despite the name, the brand offers more than just lip products, from eyeliner to brushes, and the brand has a wide range of products yearning to be explored.

Brand: Oui the people

Owner: Karen Young

Where to purchase: https://www.ouithepeople.com/

Oui the people are the sustainable holy grail for all things shaving, ingrown hairs and dry skin. The brand is not fearful to address the intimate issues we face in our day to day maintenance routines. Owner Young was growing frustrated at the lack of razors catered towards women’s needs, humorously referring to women’s razors as ‘men’s razors dressed in pink’. She therefore set out on a mission to aid women in creating a razor which adapted to women’s needs and bodies. The steel design also prevents razors piling up in the landfill after their longer lifespan than the average plastic razor.

Brand: Base Butter

Owners: She’neil Spence & Nicolette Camille

Where to purchase: www.basebutter.com

This brand has dedicated itself to producing a moisturiser inclusive for all skin types, from oily to acneic. The moisturiser has received outstanding reviews, managing to rejuvenate and protect the skin from the day-to-day polluters. After being featured in VOGUE and ELLE, there’s no better time to support the upcoming brand.

With the events of this year, from the Black Lives Matter protests to the struggle of small business to survive in the current climate of the pandemic, there could be no better time to show your support to these amazing establishments. It does not even require purchasing the products; you can show your support via liking their social media pages and telling your friends about these small businesses. These are all small ways in which we can work towards becoming better supporters and allies of the black community!

Edited by Madeleine Gill