Best Gifts From Black-Owned Businesses

Whether simmering sauces on the stovetop, baking bread in the oven, or slow cooking fall-off-the bone oxtail, this Dutch oven can handle it all–which is why it is recommended in our Dutch oven ratings. In our bread-baking evaluation, testers praised its “excellent performance,” and one of our staffers shared that it makes her go-to Caribbean dishes, like stew chicken, so much easier to achieve.

Sometimes you want the indulgence of silk for your pillow but not for your entire bed, and Mismatch solves that perfectly. With this luxe sheet set, you get two mulberry silk pillowcases to help protect your hair and skin, plus 100 percent cotton sheets, making it a luxe but practical gift.

Satin bonnets keep our curls healthy and juicy. Prince Hair Company makes some truly pretty options that, according to one staffer, make you feel just as pretty while wearing them. What’s more, the bonnet is roomy enough for long hair or braids, stays put with an adjustable tie, and is reversible.

Available in multiple colors, the Grace Eleyae Slap Cap keeps your hair protected while you sleep. It’s lined with charmeuse satin so your hair stays smooth, frizz is minimized, and you wake up ready to go, according to a CR sleep expert who swears by this cap.

This kit is perfect for anyone who wants to try Pattern’s top curl-defining essentials. It’s got everything to refresh your curls, including its beloved curl mousse, which CR’s testers of all hair lengths loved and would recommend to a friend, and its creamy, non-sticky curl gel, which evaluators also tested and found light enough to reapply when refreshing braids or twist-outs.

With these headbands from GymWrap, I can walk in and out of the gym with my edges still intact, no matter how much I sweat. The patented moisture-wicking material keeps my hairline cool, dry, and protected. Plus, they’re cute and comfortable, which makes them a gift the pilates princess in your life will look forward to using.

We tested several detangling brushes, and this Felicia Leatherwood brush was one evaluator’s top pick for easily detangling her 6-year-old daughter’s curls. Its firm bristles help make wash day a breeze!

These handcrafted body butters melt into the skin, making it feel soft and cared for, proving that self-care doesn’t have to be complicated. With indulgent scents like Amber Vanilla, Bamboo Coconut, and bright Lemongrass + Blood Orange, each jar offers a little moment of luxury.

Founded by OG beauty influencer-turned-entrepreneur Jackie Aina and her husband Denis Asamoah, Forvr Mood is a fragrance go-to for one staffer who swears by She Was Here, a gourmand eau de parfum with notes of roasted pistachio, amber, and vanilla. Buy the discovery set to try all the scents.

A CR staffer’s husband is a fan of this product, which claims to help reduce skin irritation and razor bumps. For her husband, at least, it works. The razor gives him “a closer, cleaner shave with far fewer bumps, nicks, or irritation,” he says. “The blade is easy to replace. Cleaning the razor after a shave is also easy.” Sounds like a win to us.

Pat McGrath is a makeup icon, and in our recent test of 10 tinted lip balms, this product was our top pick. Testers unanimously agreed it delivered the perfect balance of hydration and color. Plus, it comes in a chic tube that feels special and gift-worthy.

Danessa Myricks is a makeup queen. One CR staffer, who has oily skin, says her new Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Mattifying Setting Spray, in particular, helps prevent her from looking like an oil slick and doesn’t know how she has gotten by so long without it. It absorbs sweat and oil and delivers a hydrating matte finish that blurs without drying. It’s a miracle product.

If you’re looking for the perfect coffee-table book, look no further. This one is gorgeous, with more than 200 photos—some never seen before—in the 304-page book. With thoughtful insights from Obama’s style and beauty team, one CR staffer who pre-ordered says it’s the perfect gift for fashion, beauty, or Obama fans. If you want to make an extra special purchase, consider buying the signed deluxe edition for $200.

There’s no better time to gift a durable travel bag. This checkered carryall from Ubuntu Life—the same brand behind our senior home and appliance writer’s go-to beach bag—is as stylish as it is sturdy. It features a leather handle and removable cross-body strap, so you can wear it multiple ways, plus a zipper closure to keep everything secure.

A CR staffer who owns this book says it’s “the most important book of our time.” Wilkerson lays out—through extraordinary research—just how America came to be through the lens of a caste system, which she describes as the bones of what it means to be American: Everything points back to caste, without us realizing it. There is so much packed into this book that it is often difficult to read; it’s enlightening and upsetting but in the very best way.

Can anything set a calming mood better than a candle? One CR staffer loves the floral-scented Lady Day candle, which features a picture of the late blues singer Billie Holiday on the label. Inspired, in part, by the white gardenia Holiday often wore in her hair, this candle comes in an elegant, giftable box. Use it with a candle lamp if you’re concerned about open flames.

For the friend who appreciates eco-friendly essentials that still feel premium, consider Reel’s bamboo toilet paper rolls. This triple-ply paper is soft, sturdy and held up as one of CR’s top performers in testing, so it won’t rip while you’re using it. Plus, it comes wrapped in chic brown paper that looks good sitting on the bathroom counter.