After all of the brands, I will include a few links for good places to donate to in support of social justice and racial equity. Be sure to check them out after you've followed all of these amazing brands!
This list is courtesy of Less Talk More Polish. It is not sponsored, and I will not make any commission if you make a purchase from any of the links that follow.
1. 25th and June, USA based. Vegan-friendly!
2. 516 Polish, UK-based. Vegan friendly. They offer gel as well as regular polish!
3. Addicted to Cute, Ohio, USA based. Vegan friendly and 10-free!
4. Adore'her Nails, 5-free.
5. Ari Nail Lacquer, USA based. Chic long bottle caps reminiscent of those Christian Louboutin stiletto caps!
6. AudaB Nail Lacquer, Massachusetts USA based. Vegan friendly!
7. Bernadette Thompson, USA based. She offers acrylic nail dips as well as polish!
8. Breukelen Polished, New York, USA based. Vegan friendly and 11-free!
9. d.i.d. Nail Paint, US based. Eco-friendly.
10. Dimension Nails. Vegan-friendly. They offer gels, powders, and nail tools in addition to regular polish!
11. Ginger and Liz. Vegan, 5-free. They offer some skin care in addition to nail polish.
12. GLH Beauty. Vegan and 5-free!
13. Kaeess Nail Polish, US-based. Vegan friendly and 10-free.
14. LaPierre Cosmetics, Louisiana, USA based.
15. LAW Beauty Essentials, USA based. Cruelty free and 13-free!
16. Lisa Nail Lacquer. Vegan friendly and PETA certified!
17. Mischo Beauty, US-based. Cruelty free and 10-free!
18. Nasty Nails. They offer both regular and one-step gel polishes (plus a gel remover) with provocative (perhaps NSFW) names. At the time of writing this post, their entire shop is in pre-order mode which can only be accessed by signing up for their e-mails, then entering a password that is included in your welcome e-mail. The collection officially launches on June 19th!
19. ooo Polish, US based. They focus on inclusivity in their polish and in their swatch photos. Vegan friendly, 13-free, AND they offer gel in addition to regular polish!
20. Pear Nova. Vegan friendly, 5-free, and a wide range of both gel and regular polish.
21. People of Color Beauty. Vegan friendly, 10-free. Their colors are designed with people of color in mind.
22. Polish and Co, North Carolina, USA based.
23. Suite Eleven, USA based. Vegan and 10-free!
24. Taupe Coat, California, USA based. I love their chic bottle shapes! They always donate a portion of their profits to charity - at the time of writing this post, they're splitting that between the Baltimore Hunger Project and bail funds around the country. See more on their website.
25. Tinted Paradise, USA based. Vegan and 10-free. Peep their summer neons 👀!
26. AJ Nails Collection, UK based. Vegan and 10-free.
27. Telle Moi, UK based. Vegan friendly and between 5- and 10-free!
28. Baby Girl Lacquer, formerly Dainty Digits Polish.
29. Jior Couture, USA based. Cruelty free and 8-free. I actually swatched part of a holiday collection for them wayyy back when!
30. Jessie Monroe Nail Care, New York, USA based. Vegan friendly!
31. Sweet Thingz Cosmeticz, USA based. 10-free!
32. Love Rina Lacquer, Florida, USA based. Vegan friendly!
Did I miss anybody? If you know of any other Black-owned nail polish brands, let me know in the comments and I'll add it to the list. I'm so glad that my Insta feed is more inclusive now, and there are definitely some polishes that caught my eye while I was scrolling these brands' websites and Insta feeds!
I know you're probably being bombarded with calls to donate your money. It might be overwhelming trying to decide where to donate - I was a bit paralyzed with indecision when I set out to donate, myself. Everybody needs help and I only have a little bit of money - who do I help?
The great news is there are a couple of ways you can help without spending any money. Check out this video for an intro:
Follow this link for the whole playlist of YouTube videos to stream whose ad revenue will be donated to support the Black Lives Matter movement. If you're going to stream it in the background, make sure your volume is up and you do not skip any of the ads.
For a long list of places to donate money, check out Black Lives Matters' carrd. I don't fully understand carrds, but I think you might generate money for BLM simply by following the link!
For another great list, check out North Star Health Collective's resource. They have received more than enough donations recently, so they're asking that you donate elsewhere and gave a great list of groups, organizations, and GoFundMes to donate to instead.
Maybe these links didn't really help you narrow it down, since they all linked to so many long lists. Heh. If you're not sure where to donate, take a couple moments to decide what's most dear to your heart. Is it bail funds for protestors? Find your local bail fund here. Is it to the families of the victims of police brutality? Here is a list of memorial funds. Is it Black-owned small businesses? Find a list of places to donate here - mainly supporting businesses damaged, robbed, or destroyed during riots. Remember, nobody is judging you based on which funds you donate to.
I don't have a very good closing statement here. Be kind. Be gracious. Be supportive. Stop getting into Facebook arguments. Black lives matter.
