Five New Indie Beauty Brands to Know
Many people might not know this, but from the age of 15 to 33, I worked in the beauty industry in some form or another. Back when I was in college, when I worked for a small beauty boutique in Charleston, South Carolina. It was there that I became obsessed with finding new brands. Back in the day, companies like Aesop, Jurlique, Fresh and Bond No.9 were considered to be ‘indie’ and not mainstream, so it’s safe to say that I have an appreciation for brands doing something different. I recently ventured to the Indie Beauty Expo in New York to check out new and emerging brands. I discovered many cool companies—many of them hailing from outside the States. One trend that was everywhere to an (exhausting) extent were products formulated with CBD, something I can’t get onboard with, since it is highly unregulated and in my opinion a huge marketing ploy. Minus a huge chunk of products that operated in that space, I discovered a handful of unique brands that I wanted to share. - Alison Engstrom
BEIGIC
Hailing from South Korea, Beigic formulates all of their products with green coffee bean extract from Peru, which according to the company is chock full of antioxidants, essential fatty acids and Vitamin E. The added dose of caffeine works to perk up the skin and stimulate circulation. The edited range clad in minimalistic packaging includes a Regenerating Oil and a Correcting Exfoliator that smells like coffee heaven. Another bonus, the products are 100% vegan and are free of sulfates, synthetic dyes, parabens and silicones.
SNOWFOX
Snow Fox Skincare, a Taiwanese brand, focuses on plant-based ingredients sourced from Australia. The products, which include a variety of sheet masks, elixirs and facial rollers, are aimed to deliver results without any irritation. The founder, Phoebe Song, left her career in finance and started the brand to help curtail her rosacea. We were intrigued by the Arctic Breeze Rescue Mask, which alleviates redness, while reducing the size of pores and inflammation—it seems like the perfect after-sun mask.
Stamba
Vitamins, supplements and herbs are an effective way to give your health an added boost. Stamba offers an edited of selection of superfoods that are non-GMO, vegan, organic and sustainably harvested like their Perform adaptogen superfood powder that combines reishi, lucama and Cordyceps, while Replenish is an organic liquid probiotic to help achieve optimal gut health.
WAY OF WILL
Skincare brand Way of Will was designed for men and women who lead an active lifestyle. Each of the products, housed in eye-catching packaging, incorporate harnesses 100% pure grade essential oils and formulated in Toronto, Canada. Highlights include a Natural Deodorant Spray in Grapefruit and Lavender and a Moisturizing Body Oil infused with black spruce essential oil.
HENUA Organics
The first thing that drew me to Henua was the amazing branding and packaging. Hailing from Finland, the brand calls upon Nordic principles of simplicity paired with natural ingredients. In the past few years, there have been quite a few words from the Scandinavia language have become buzzy—remember hygge and lagom? Well, we would like to get on the Henua bandwagon, which means ‘the exclusive feeling of being in total harmony with yourself and the surrounding world.’ The range includes a Miracle Vitamin Oil, laced with lingonberry and sea buckthorn and a Recharging Moisturizer that is formulated with birch sap and pine bark.