10 Women-Owned Brands to Shop on International Women's Day (and Always)

On today's episode, we're talking all things International Women's Day, the best female-founded companies, and 10 amazing brands you need to know, shop and love from now on. Over 70% of the women and founders on this list are women of color. 

Celebrated on March 8 annually, International Women's Day is one of the most important days of the year to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness about women's equality, lobby for accelerated gender parity, and fundraise for female-centered charities. I'll be sharing some fantastic brands and initiatives that are perfectly aligned with International Women's Day. 

This episode is proudly sponsored by briCandles, 100% natural soy candles hand-poured in Brooklyn. Bri Books listeners get 20% off their briCandles.com order with the code BRIBOOKS. 

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1.  Uoma Beauty, founded by Sharon Chuter
2. Cashe cashmere donates 10% of all purchases to the Nepal Youth Foundation. Their new 'Women of Nepal' docu-film, created via a partnership with multimedia journalist Rajneesh Bhandari on behalf of the Nepal Youth Foundation (NYF), showcases the intersection of livelihood and motherhood for two profound women.
3. Black Girl Sunscreen was designed to start the conversation around sun safety and education, and works to decrease the risk of melanoma within the Black community, one bottle of SPF at a time. 
4. K-Swiss Girl Scouts collection.  Each shoe takes details from its namesake and translates them to a reimagined take on the iconic Court 66, with textures that mimic the Girl Scout Cookies they represent.  Here's a link to how you can build community partnerships with your local Girl Scout troop. 
5. The Lip Bar's story is a complete Cinderella story. The founder, Melissa Butler, was turned DOWN from Shark Tank! But that "rejection" just sharpened her direction, because now you can find TLB in Walmart and Target stores across the country! Here's my favorite new product from TLB, a 3-in-1 skin conditioner tinted moisturizer which comes in 8 glorious shades. 
6. Soon Skincare is a beauty brand started with the goal of bringing the excitement and innovation of Korean beauty to the entire world. The company is named after co-founder Lisa's grandmother and means 'smooth and pure' in Korean, which is at the crux of the entire line. I'm obsessed with the Vitamin C + E serum, and the Mermaid Marine collagen serum.
7. DBF Interiors founder Dominique Fluker is an interior design service bringing interior styling to modern professionals. Dominique believes luxury is truly experienced when one slows down and embraces the fruits of her labor. Here's a link to book a consultation with Dominique. 
8. Dominique Broadway is an award-winning millennial personal finance expert and entreprenuer. Her personal journey to educate and assist women of color in reaching their financial goals began with working with the uber wealthy and realizing that money advice should be available to anyone who wants to learn it. Through her platform and The Wealth Transfer Investing course, she has changed the game and broadened so many people's understanding of what's possible when it comes to making money in the market. More than that, she's passionate about changing people's money mindset, which is crucial. 
9. Corey Paige is a designer who started her business in her dorm room at Tulane University. Nowadays, Corey is designing leggings, jogers, crewnecks, phone cases, face masks with her signature 'Millennial Lisa Frank' aesthetic of bright, cheerful colors. 
10. Bearaby is a weighted blanket comapny I've been loving for about two years. Bearaby believes that self-care should be joyful and deep, revitalizing rest should be natural. The blankets are all-natural, sustainable and made from recycled materials. The founder Kathrine Hamm was led to create the brand out of her on sleep struggles. It's a brand I can put my name (and money!) behind.