It may be hard to imagine now, but even the most popular and influential beauty brands started off, in some capacity, small. From Etsy shops to handmade, small-batch recipes mixed in apartment kitchens to big ideas born at happy hour, you'd be hard-pressed to talk to a brand founder that doesn't have a good story to tell. Luckily, thanks to social media and the power of the ever-growing beauty industry, it's not uncommon for indie brands to become cult favorites.
In beauty land, it's difficult to define exactly what puts a brand in the "indie" category, but in general, it runs the gamut from small to new to incredibly innovative. Some indie brands are already sitting on shelves at big beauty retailers while others are just beginning to find their footing. The term is more "umbrella" than "one size fits all."
With that in mind — and while small business owners continue to deal with the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak — we wanted to highlight a variety of indie beauty brands with an idea that has major momentum; we tapped 11 brand founders to share their favorite small beauty brands. Keep reading to hear from and discover everything from recently launched to Black-owned to clean and vegan brands. Warning: you'll probably just want to try something from each one.
"I love culturally inspired beauty, so Dehiya & Prim Botanicals are two of my favorite indie brands for their products that take me back to some of my favorite places in the world," said Karen Young, founder of inclusive shaving brand Oui The People. "I fell in love — like, really fell in love with skin care in Morocco, after leaving a hammam with my skin absolutely glistening. I bought everything in sight on that trip, and Dehiya helps me keep my glow with their Mihakka Exfoliator made of organic cotton and terra cotta. Prim Botanicals Mademoiselle Swell perfume roll-on is a constant companion in my bag. I'm already a big fan of the neroli and jasmine combination, and this fresh citrus/floral combo takes me right back to the scent of night-blooming jasmine in the South of France."
Laura Schubert and Lillian Tung are the duo behind Fur, a body-care brand known for their public hair oil (and dreamy branding) and believe in supporting other brands in the self-care space. "I'm all about rituals, so I love the Clean Greens Face Mask from Golde because I get to mix it myself before applying it, and sometimes I add my own oils as well," Schubert said. "I also love the Crown Affair Comb to take some time for myself."
As for Tung, Lauren Napier and Kosas are at the top of her list. "I've been a long time fan of Lauren Napier Beauty. Her wipes are the best at getting all my makeup off in one go, and I love the way my skin feels both while using them and after. I always have a bunch on me wherever I go. I'm also really into Kosas for the quality clean ingredients they use and the weightless comfort of the makeup."
2 / 10
Dr. Kristian Henderson of Blk + Grn
Image Source: Courtesy of Dr. Kristian Henderson
Blk + Grn stands out from the crowd in a big way. Rather than sell its own line of products, Dr. Kristian Henderson created it as an online marketplace brimming with Black-owned and created brands to support and discover — in the beauty category and beyond. "The BLK + GRN marketplace was designed to not only be a one-stop shop for all natural, nontoxic, and high-quality products, but to also elevate Black artisans and their goods," she said. "Every item available at blkgrn.com is my favorite, as the array of carefully curated items we highlight provides for every need — from bath + body to beauty, grocery to skin care, mom + baby to men's goods, hair, hygiene and home . . . we have it all."
3 / 10
Amy Liu of Tower 28
Image Source: Courtesy of Amy Liu
Tower 28's Amy Liu is no stranger to creating an incredible brand with memorable products, so you can trust she knows her stuff. "One of my new favorite brands is Guide Beauty. Their products are clean, and I love that the founder is approaching inclusivity from a universal design perspective — making artistry easy for everyone," she said. "The packaging is also gorgeous, and I think it's so unique. My favorite is their brow gel; it reminds me of holding the PopSocket on my phone!"
4 / 10
Niye Attang of Ace Beaute
Image Source: Courtesy of Niye Attang
Ace Beaute creates everything from the perfect false lashes to incredibly pigmented eyeshadows. But while the products are certainly a hit among makeup-lovers, founder Niye Attang still experiences the struggles of any smaller-scale beauty brand. "As an indie brand founder, I understand how it feels to feel like your brand can always be overshadowed by all the bigger brands out there owned by conglomerates, and so I make sure to support indie brands as much as possible," she said. "There are so many to support like Beauty Bakerie, Briogeo, and Black Girl Sunscreen among many others. Most of us have the same stories — we started really small, had setbacks, but still pressed on, and now have all these amazing success stories to share."
5 / 10
Casey Georgeson of Saint Jane Beauty
Image Source: Casey Georgeson
Saint Jane is one of the brands making CBD equal parts chic, luxe, and innovative. (It was even dubbed POPSUGAR's Best New Beauty Brand of 2019.) But founder Casey Georgeson is quick to spread the indie brand love. One of her favorites? Briogeo Hair Care, founded by Nancy Twine. "She's amazing," Casey said of Twine. "She started her brand in her East Village kitchen. Inspired by her mother and grandmother's recipes, Nancy has built Briogeo with beautiful, clean formulas. I love that she left finance to pursue her passion." She's also a big fan of Amy Liu and Tower 28's success: "She launched the brand a few months after us and is crushing it with a clean line of beauty products for sensitive skin. We have become friends, and I'm inspired by her passion and creativity."
6 / 10
Remi Brixton of Freck Beauty
Image Source: Courtesy of Remi Brixton
Remi Brixton is one of the creators behind Freck Beauty and its popular faux freckle cosmetics. The founder of a clean, vegan brand based in LA, she tries to support local, similarly minded brands. "As an East LA brand, we love supporting our own. Noto has been in my shelfies for years now, not only for their gorgeous packaging but for their clean, unisexy, and socially conscious brand," she said. "Their Agender oil is the perfect all-in-one softening and nourishing oil. And, cherry on top, they're donating 100 percent of proceeds from Agender to the Okra Project this month." Natural hair care brand Playa is at the top of her list, too. "And then there was Playa wave spray. My hair does exactly one thing: straight and . . . straight. I've tried every wave spray on the market, and nothing gives me tousled dont-give-a-f*ck waves like Playa. It's the perfect formula for when you're not trying to look California cool but the East LA version."
7 / 10
Kitiya Mischo King of Mischo Beauty
Image Source: Courtesy of Kitiya Mischo King
Vegan nail polish that actually gets the job done? Thank Kitiya Mischo King of Mischo Beauty for that. And when it comes to her favorite product from a fellow indie brand, she, like Fur's Lillian Tung, is a big fan of Lauren Napier. "The Cleanse by Lauren Napier Beautyfacial cleansing wipes are definitely a go-to in my beauty regimen. I love them because not only are they hydrating but they leave my easily sensitized skin cleansed, calm, and smooth!" she said.
8 / 10
Shani Darden of Shani Darden Skin Care
Image Source: Courtesy of Shani Darden
Popular esthetician Shani Darden's eponymous skin-care line might be stocked on the shelves of Sephora, but it's still growing daily. In the indie beauty community, she's quick to show support for a fellow Black-owned brand. "One of my favorite indie brands is Nyakio Beauty, which is an amazing line of clean beauty products," she said. "Watching [founder Nyakio Grieco] fearlessly pursue her dreams to launch her beauty brand has been a true inspiration to me."
9 / 10
Julie Schott of Starface
Image Source: Courtesy of Julie Schott
Julie Schott's playful and Instagrammable brand Starface is known for its fun star-shaped pimple patches. In a similar vein, one of her favorite indie brands, Slayfire Cosmetics, makes earth-friendly glitters that are perfect for selfies (and amazing beauty looks, of course). "When I first landed on Slayfire Cosmetics' page, I assumed the brand was a big operation, but the handmade vegan, biodegradable glitters are a one-woman show, founded by 20-year-old Sarah Chacon when she was 18," she said. "Slayfire glitters are safe for eyes, face, body, hair — wherever — and the supershiny particles stay put but rinse off easily with water. And they're only $5-15 a pop."
