a serum made for summer - LUXE Botanics

Summer is here which means your skin is prone to sun spots and hyperpigmentation. But thanks to LUXE Botanics, you can work against that thanks to their Kigelia Corrective Serum.The serum supports cellular regeneration thanks to their blend of lactobacillus, vitamin C, niacinamide and sodium hyaluronate. What more could you ask for?

LUXE Botantics was founded by Jene Roestorf, a South African native and biological scientist. The company works with people in Africa and South Africa to ensure fair trade standards. Being a part of Buy1Give1, proceeds of each purchase are given back to the communities in Africa. Your purchase helps their future!

We’re so Smitten!

baby blues - Angela Roi

Angela Roi combines beauty and compassion with their range of bags. Their Grace Mini Cross-Body bag was made to be the perfect everyday bag. Available in five colors, the bag is handcrafted, cruelty – free, and sweatshop – free. Both the leather and chain straps are detachable, allowing you to change up its look to your liking. 

Angela Roi was founded in 2013 by Angela and Roi Lee. Together, they created a brand with a vision to bring ethical, luxury pieces to life. Each bag is handcrafted, consisting of high quality and durable materials. With each purchase they support local humane shelters and charities to help injured and mistreated animals. They built their brand to inspire kindness and compassion towards animals.

sage for spring - Tribe Alive

The Bitty Crossbody Bag from Tribe Alive is probably the cutest bag you’ll own. Made to fit your essentials, the bag is handmade in India featuring waterproof suede and an adjustable shoulder strap. It’s also available in black and in this beautiful sage suede color that makes it perfect for warmer weather.

Tribe Alive was founded by Carly Burson. Since then she has been committed to using her brand as a way to help those in developing countries get out of poverty. She built relationships with female artisans in Guatemala, India, Haiti, and Honduras to provide you with high quality goods. In exchange, the artisans gain a fair wage and a safe working environment. 

We’re delightfully Smitten!

pouches for life - FEED

I will never stop talking about FEED and their functional, philanthropic product line. Their new Oversized Canvas Pouch provides 25 meals for a hungry child. Made out of 14 oz. cotton canvas—you can organize make-up and toiletries, and virtually anything else you can think of!

FEED was founded by Lauren Bush Lauren in 2007. Each FEED product you buy has a number featured on it that represents the amount of school meals provided with your purchase. As of today, FEED has provided over 100 million school meals and counting. notablySmitten loves supporting Lauren and FEED, please see our original post here.

We are ever Smitten.

bag full of promise - STATE Bags

Backpacks are crucial for maximalists who seem to carry a whole other world with them, much like me. That’s why STATE’s Kane backpack is more than perfect because we’re able to carry everything our hearts desire. Made of 100% leather, it features many compartments to fit your laptop, books, makeup, etc. It’s chic and will compliment any outfit.

STATE Bags was founded by Scot and Jacq Tatelman. The beautiful thing about the company is the way they give back. With every backpack sold, they provide young kids with their very own backpack filled with tools they’ll need to succeed!

warm up - sackcloth and ashes

Sackcloth and Ashes knows how to keep you cozy just as much as a hot chocolate knows how you keep you warm. Their blankets, made from cruelty-free alpaca wool, offer a variety of designs from tribal to southwestern. They are made for your home and are perfect for travel. Made in Italy, their blankets are eco-friendly and sustainable so even Mother Earth loves them!

Founded in 2013 by Bob Dalton, Sackcloth and Ashes had brought attention to local homeless shelters and their needs. Which is why for every blanket that is sold, Sackcloth and Ashes donates one to a homeless shelter.

Smitten!

the perfect accessory - Society B

Just like shoes, a girl can never have too many totes. Society B offers the Mamuye Tote. Handcrafted in Ethiopia, it’s made from real leather and is available in three colors. 10% of the final sale will be donated to a nonprofit of your choosing.

Society B was founded by Kelli Byers and Lindsay Byers-Hirth in 2015. They strictly wanted to only offer products that will benefit society in the long run. They partner with multiple nonprofits that include Water.Org, Action Against Hunger, and Kids in Need Foundation, and Preemptive Love Coalition in an effort to change the world and make a difference.

W. Kamau Bell t-shirts for Puerto Rico

This is W. Kamau Bell. He is smart and kind and hilarious.

A portion of the sales of this tee go to the people in need in Puerto Rico.

You can get your “Yes, he’s a racist.” - Me, 2017 right here.

Entirely Smitten!!

Tote Project

Plastic is earth’s true enemy. Tote Project’s Free to Soar tote is perfect answer to reducing our plastic use- especially when grocery shopping. Made in India, the company offers a variety of designs and it’s made with fair trade cotton. Their artwork is printed with water-based inks so they’re made to last.

Tote Project was founded by two friends, Faye Grant and Michelle Chavez. Together, they work to help and empower victims of modern-day slavery. 10% of their profits is donated to Two Wings, an organization that helps sex trafficking victims pursue their dreams through mentorships and career training workshops.

Olori

Olori is a company that finally agrees with my royal status (I’m extra, I know). They offer crossbody bags made from durable leather, featuring adjustable straps and a flap made from a special Nigerian textile. Olori is the Yoruba word for Queen, which is why they state that each piece is made for a queen- how fitting! The bags are available in nine different colors and textures.

Founded by Tomide Awe, she believes every girl is a queen. Education is expensive in Africa. Unfortunately, many girls cannot afford school which is why each bag that’s sold provides tuition fees for a girl living in Africa.

Smitten!

large beaded hoops, never a bad idea - Global Goods Partners

These hoops are noteworthy, uncomplicated, not quotidian in any way! Made in Tanzania, they are simply stunning - versatile, from sneaks to pumps...the perfect hoop!

• 2"D 14k gold hoop
• Glass beads
• 24k gold plated glass beads

Global Goods Partners is a not-for-profit enterprise, creating sustainable jobs for women to help the development of their communities, as well as the prosperity of families.

GGP partners with women-led, community-based organizations, and invests all proceeds from product sales back in to training and funding, enabling their partners to prosper and thrive well into the future.  

Since 2005, GG has partnered with over 60 artisan groups in more than 20 countries throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas. "Each artisan that creates products for GGP earns reliable, fair living wages and gains experience that can add benefit to all aspects of her life."

beauty and the beach bag - Indego Africa

Indego Africa is a non-profit that pairs a NYC-based design team with female artisans in Rwanda and Ghana to create stylish and expertly crafted goods.  All of their goods are created by hand using traditional techniques of weaving, block printing, beading, embroidery, wood carving, and metal shaping. A classic example of the highly-skilled sweetgrass weaving technique can be found in the gorgeous and versatile Palm Tote! Perfect for beach days or a trip to the market, the Palm Tote is a beautiful way to make a statement with your accessory while renewing your commitment to help break the cycle of poverty.

Founded in 2007, Indego Africa believes that education is the key to long-term empowerment.  To that end, they are committed to providing fair wages as well as leadership training, business classes, technology workshops, and public health programs to the artisans they partner with to create Indego Africa’s designs.  100% of their profits, combined with grants and private donations, go back to the artisan’s communities. As of 2017, they have positively impacted 1,100 women in Rwanda and Ghana.

Indeed Smitten!

black power cross body bag - VIDA

VIDA was formed on the idea that we are interconnected, global citizens of the modern world.  Their current collection, from New Zealand designer Corina Hazlett, is inspired by her 2015 trip to Vietnam as an Art Therapist for human trafficking survivors.  We love the bright colors and bold prints of her designs almost as much as we love the meaning behind each piece of her collection.

Each item in the VIDA collection is produced on demand - this practice eliminates waste, excess inventory, and the ‘middle man’ costs associated with traditional fashion commerce.  VIDA hires designers from all over the world through a submission process - those chosen are given 10% of their sales and the means to manufacture their goods with direct-to-fabric digital printing.  In addition, the makers that produce VIDA’s products are provided literacy programs and basic math skills for themselves and their children, allowing for more opportunities in the future.

Entirely Smitten.

warm up your man - UNICEF

Founded in 1946 by the United Nations to provide food, clothing, and healthcare to children, UNICEF is one of the most well-known charitable organizations for children in existence today.  Their mission of education, safety, nourishment, and healthcare for children globally has been tirelessly reached by creating countless education and health initiatives.  To keep children’s rights and safety on the global agenda, they “strike a balance through research and practical solutions” by providing staggering statistics and life-changing results in some of the most vulnerable populations.  In addition to their ongoing yearly efforts, UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, and established the World Summit for Children in 1990.

With a tireless history of helping the most at-risk children on a direct level, UNICEF has stepped into the digital age by establishing their UNICEF Marketplace.  Created in 1999 as a modern way to help save children's lives, UNICEF partnered with NOVICA to reach artisans in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.  They have created a proprietary infrastructure to support the artisans as well as the children of UNICEF, bringing items like this Blue Chakana sweater, sent directly from the Peruvian artisan, to a global marketplace for the very first time.

Yes, Smitten.

a plethora of cause conscious gifts - CAUSEBOX

In our busy modern culture of on-demand everything, we love love love the idea of a CAUSEBOX membership!  A hand-curated collection of jewelry, housewares, skincare products and accessories arrives 4 times a year direct to your front door, introducing you to brands that are doing great work to empower, employ and educate women from all over the globe.  

In addition to their gorgeous collection of products, each CAUSEBOX arrives filled with detailed information about each brand and item’s unique creation story. Having insight into each organization’s purpose, mission, beneficiaries and impact translates into total transparency about where each dollar is going - bringing a serious level of trust to CAUSEBOX and the products they include.

mini keys of goodness, with maximum effect - The Giving Keys

I can never get enough of The Giving Keys. Their message, the keys, their faithful purpose and dedication, are completely on point. They were the gift that started notablySmitten - and I have followed their growth faithfully ever since that first purchased key. And now mini keys - perfect.

They are an extraordinary company doing good things for the homeless here in Los Angeles. If you've not heard of them, please read about them in the very first article I ever penned for nS.

And if you've not purchased a key for someone yet, please do - pass it on.

Ever Smitten!

this chic chevron clutch for Spring - Tribe Alive

Tribe Alive’s Chevron Clutch is as beautiful as it is useful - and not just for carrying your phone and lipstick on a night out.  Each of Tribe Alive’s products are designed and made by women in safe studio work environments for fair wages, which means your new clutch continues pays it forward long after your purchase.

With partnerships across Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India and Forth Worth, Texas, Tribe Alive teams up with female artisans to bring you a gorgeous collection that reflects each country's’ unique culture and handiwork - all to support upward mobility, reliable incomes, and stability for these female artisans’ and their families.  We love supporting any organization that provides a platform for women to help women!

So Smitten!

photobooks created thoughtfully - Artifact Uprising

Artifact Uprising was founded by Katie and Jenna, a team of sisters and professional photographers, and there’s one thing for sure - these women have a seriously elegant aesthetic.  With gorgeous products made in the USA and printed on responsibly sourced materials, there’s no better way to capture your family memories than an Artifact Uprising photobook.

All of Artifact Uprising products are printed on FSC certified paper, and are unique in their effort to leave the smallest footprint possible. Portions of their photobooks are printed on post-consumer recycled paper, and their wood blocks are milled from fallen pine trees native to Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.  In addition to their thoughtful paper product sourcing, they have partnered with the non-profit SKCAC to provide empowering and meaningful jobs to adults with mental or physical disabilities.

Certifiably Smitten!

gifting with delightfully decadent soy candles - Ames and Oates

Ames and Oates has an excellent way of collecting all the most beautiful, eco-conscious and thoughtful gift items under one storefront.  We love the Premium Lark Copper Soy Candle from Mine Design Co. because it embodies so much of the Ames and Oates mission - elegant, eco-friendly, vegetable based, and hand-poured.

We love that Ames and Oates is founded by two women who share the belief that life should be celebrated with beautiful things.  Every item from Ames and Oates comes gift-ready and with a handwritten note - how amazing is that detail?!  Their mission of celebration goes beyond material, as the “Gift Good | Do Good” model donates 10% of each purchase to Pencils of Promise.  With support from partnerships and donors like Ames and Oates, Pencils of Promise has built 322 schools in Guatemala, Laos and Ghana since 2009.

Smitten of course!

handmade love for your tree - Thistle Farms

I am beyond Smitten with the way these heart-shaped ornaments are constructed...and by whom. These four delicious ornaments are created out of goodwill and creative inspiration. Adorn your tree this year, and support four worthy, exceptional enterprises. Brought to you by Becca Stevens, founder and President of the wonderful organization that is Thistle Farms.

Thistle Farms is a community of women survivors of addiction, prostitution, and trafficking in Nashville, Tennessee. "This product bears witness that love is the most powerful force for change in the world."

This is the second global holiday collection being presented by Thistle Farms. 'Love from Around the World II' includes four handmade ornaments by women survivors from Nashville, Cambodia, Peru and the Middle East. Each ornament reflects...LOVE.

•  The recycled weave ornament represents Freedom’s Promise who work with at-risk and vulnerable women in Cambodia.

•  The knitted ornament represents the Monkey Project and provides a living wage to men in Huancayo, Peru - enabling change for their entire community.

•  The wood ornament represents Hope Collective is a community dedicated that brings sustainable development to refugees in the Middle East.

•  The copper ornament represents Studios - a division of Thistle Farm's social enterprise, which creates handcrafted paper, sewing and screen printing comprising this unique product line.

Smitten and filled with holiday cheer!!