In honor of Pride Month, we have compiled 15 of our favorite LGBTQ+ Asian-owned brands to shop from and show support, not only during the month of June but every month. Ranging from food to skincare to makeup and more, these LGBTQ+ Asian-owned brands are worthy of your attention all year long.
1. Omsom https://omsom.com/
Omsom is a noodle brand founded by first-generation Vietnamese sisters who aim to reclaim and celebrate the multitudes in Asian flavors, stories, and communities. With its name meaning noisy and rambunctious in Vietnamese, the founders of Omsom proudly embrace their cultural heritage. The brand has gained recognition from well-known publications such as Vogue, The New York Times, and CNN.
2. misomomo https://misomomo.com/
Misomomo is a one-person passion project born from a desire to spread positivity and queer joy. The brand is founded by proud queer Korean American Bowen Kim. Bowen designs, packages, and ships each item with love and care. Some of Misomomo’s products include beanies, enamels pins, and pronoun earrings.
3. Pika Pika https://eatpikapika.com/
Gino Chua, the founder and CEO of Pika Pika, brings a burst of Filipino culture to the table with delightful spreads. Pika Pika, meaning small bites in Tagalog, represents Gino’s journey as an immigrant, balancing the pursuit of new opportunities, while cherishing the traditions of his homeland. Using natural ingredients without any artificial flavors or preservatives, Pika Pika uses authentic and colorful Filipino flavors Gino grew up loving. Pika Pika’s well known products include calamansi marmalade and coconut spread.
4. good light https://www.goodlight.world/
Good Light, founded by Korean American David Yi, is an innovative skincare brand that pushes the boundaries of traditional beauty standards and strives to reflect the diversity and fluidity of the world we live in, advocating for change. Good Light’s products are formulated to be clean, vegan, and cruelty-free to take steps to reduce as much carbon footprint wherever possible. Good Light’s bestsellers include their The Taste Of Space Lip Milk, Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion, and Cosmic Dew Water Cleanser.
5. PARU https://paruteabar.com/
PARU tea bar curates a distinctive collection of specialty loose-leaf teas, matcha, and herbal teas from around the world. Most of their teas are sourced from family-owned tea gardens in East Asia and Southeast Asia. PARU not only sells tea online but also at their retail shop in La Jolla, where you can browse single-origin teas and original blends.
6. Smood Beauty https://smoodbeauty.com/
Smood Beauty is a pioneering skincare brand that aims to transform the treatment of acne-prone skin. Founded on the principle that acne-prone skin should neither be a chore or limited to using boring clinical-like skincare brands, Smood offers a refreshing approach with its fun, approachable, and uncomplicated skincare line. Founder Andrew Lau’s message is that having acne is normal and everyone deserves to feel beautiful, no matter their skin condition.
7. Biology Fragrances https://www.biologyfragrances.com/
Biology Fragrances, founded by first-generation Chinese American Steve Sun, is a fragrance brand that is carefully curated in small batches, using only natural and organic ingredients, ensuring they are free of parabens and phthalates and are cruelty-free. Biology Fragrances is rooted in storytelling as all of their fragrances aim to transport you to a place of significance whether it’s a place of solace, stillness, or desire.
8. RĒJINS https://www.rejinswellness.com/
RĒJINS is an inclusive wellness brand founded by Filipino American Jilleo Recio. Their mission is to offer simple and effective skincare for maturing melanin-rich skin. Taking inspiration from the beauty of diverse skin tones around the world, RĒJINS is here to recognize, celebrate, and connect you with your unique beauty. The brand offers a curated approach to beauty by uniting tradition and modernity in dermal science.
9. LETTI New York https://lettinewyork.com/
LETTI New York is a Queer and Filipino owned small jewelry business. Founder Kyle Guilven founded LETTI as a love letter to women and the LGBTQ+ community. He saw a jewelry industry that was too intimidating and didn’t cater to queer people and wanted to change that. Kyle believes that jewelry is meant to be fun, sentimental, and inclusive. LETTI wants every person to find their own voice and express it to the world.
10. The New Savant https://thenewsavant.com/
The New Savant, co-founded by Ingrid Nilsen and Erica Anderson, is a candle brand that redefines luxury with a modern twist on scent creation. The brand collaborates with renowned perfumers to craft unique scents, blending high-quality ingredients with small-batch artisan techniques.
11. Meow Meow Tweet https://meowmeowtweet.com/
Meow Meow Tweet is a Queer and Asian-Owned skincare brand by Jeff Kurosaki and Tara Pelletier. The brand is a low-waste, ethically sourced, and vegan brand specializing in deodorants, face products, body care, and hair care products. Tara’s background as a chef and herbalist plays a major role in the development of their products, which are created like modern culinary dishes. In addition, all the packaging features whimsical illustrations by Jeff which add a playful touch to their products.
12. Bokksu https://www.bokksu.com/
Founded in 2015 by Danny Taing, Bokksu started with a mission to bridge cultures through curated Japanese snacks and teas while bringing the authentic taste of cultural experience of Japanese cuisine to food lovers around the world. Their main product, the Bokksu Snack Box, offers a monthly subscription service delivering carefully selected, exclusive Japanese snacks and teas directly from Japan. Over the years, Bokksu has expanded its offerings to include the Bokksu Boutique and Bokksu Market. Bokksu Boutique allows customers to purchase collections of snacks, lifestyle items, and gift boxes sourced from Japan. Bokksu Market allows customers to access everyday Asian grocery essentials.
13. Patrick Ta Beauty https://patrickta.com/
Patrick Ta Beauty was founded by celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta. As a makeup artist, Patrick has worked with celebrities such as Rihanna Gigi and Bella Hadid. Patrick Ta Beauty’s mission is to make everyone feel confident and beautiful. Since launching in April 2019, Patrick offers intentionally innovative beauty products to enhance confidence in anyone and everyone.
14. Okay Okay Co https://okayokayco.com/
Okay Okay Co is founded by Tia, an Asian American and Queer artist based in LA. They make wearable art that is unique, dreamy, fun, and colorful. Their inspiration comes from the little things in life that make them happy such as their heritage, their identity as a queer person, and their interests and hobbies. If you love quirky accessories, you’ll absolutely love Okay Okay Co!
15. Yuzu Leaf https://yuzuleaf.co/
Yuzu Leaf is a LA-based handmade candle and home fragrance brand. Through their products, they aim to evoke a sense of comfort, joy, and freshness. Yuzu Leaf offers unique candle scents such as their Earl Grey Standard Jar which has scents of bergamot, black tea, and lime and their Refresh Standard Jar which has scents of yuzu, bergamot, and white tea.
