Fun fact: Indie brands are one of the fastest growing product categories in retail. Another fun fact: The Indie Beauty Expo is the largest professionally-curated exposition of independent beauty and wellness brands.
Founded by celebrity esthetician, Jillian Wright, and entrepreneur, Nader Naeymi-Rad, the Indie Beauty Expo was established to help indie brands connect with consumers and buyers. This year’s NYC beauty expo featured over 200 brands, and while there was no way I was able to make it to every booth, I definitely managed to discover and re-connect with some of my favorite brands. Here are some brands/products to have on your radar, starting with…
Dope Naturally
Don’t just rely on the application of beauty products to see results, outer beauty starts from within. Dope Naturally is all about ingestible beauty, “super food” supplements that provide and sustain health and wellness for inner and outer beauty. Founder Sylwia Wiesenberg is definitely a girl boss, and her firm belief in the power of pure and unprocessed ingredients led her to launch Dope Naturally. Using the purest plant based, energy superfood blend available on the market, her supplements are free of preservatives, chemical addictives, and animal products and provide the best certified organic ingredients in their raw and purest form. Sylwia states that eating beautifully is the key to ageless beauty and a strong functioning body, which I’m all for. And all I could think when I met her was, ‘my skin wants what she’s having’! Plus, Charlie loves her and that dog is an excellent judge of character. To check out all of Dope Naturally’s Superfood supplements go to dopenaturally.com/shopdope
Hollywood Browzer
This product was definitely one of my favorites from the event, mostly due to the fact that I saw it in action and saw immediate results. Ladies, if you have unwanted facial hair or just hate plucking your stray eyebrows, this is 100% for you. The Hollywood Browzer painlessly removes hair from the face in body in seconds, and exfoliates skin for instantly softer and smoother texture. I demoed this product at the booth on the side of my face and I was literally in shock at how much peach fuzz was taken off that I didn’t even know existed! A few simple swipes and my skin was completely hairless and noticeably softer. You don’t even need water or lotion, just start swiping. Another major plus was that my skin wasn’t red or irritated in the slightest, a common issue with waxing and traditional shaving. Needless to say I’m hooked, and this nifty little tool has a permanent place on my vanity.
To get your hands on your own Hollywood Browzer, go to hollywoodbrowzer.com
Florapy
Flowers + Aromatherapy= Florapy, which is skincare brand inspired by the healing powers of nature and the relaxation of essential oils. What’s unique about this mask is that the mask itself is made out of 100% coconut, which allows it to sit comfortably on your face without slipping and sliding, which if you know happens with usual sheet masks. Coconut is also instantly cooling and is able to retain more moisture. There are 8 unique Florapy masks infused with different essential oils that target specific skin concerns. I can’t wait to try out the Even Tone Sunflower and Lemon mask (below).
Be sure to check out the rest of Florapy’s masks at florabeauty.com
CoTZ
Everyone knows I love a good SPF product, and according to CoTZ, they’ve got the healthiest and best on the market. These mineral sunscreens are non-toxic, free of chemicals and preservatives, and sits invisibly on top of the skin as a protective layer, functioning as millions of tiny mirrors deflecting harmful UVA and UVB rays before they enter the skin. Their best selling product is their Natural Tinted SPF 40, that can be used as a makeup primer that blends seamlessly for a non-greasy, matte finish. When was the last time one of your primers had SPF 40 protection?!! I’m really looking forward to giving this product a try, here’s hoping it makes my weekly favorites!
CoTZ has many other SPF products available on their website, cotzskincare.com.
The Seaweed Bath Co.
This company was one of the first to use seaweed as the main ingredient for their beauty products, and as of right now they are the only brand that specifically uses Bladderwrack Seaweed as their core ingredient across their entire product line. So what makes this type of seaweed so great as a beauty product? Bladderwrack contains over 65 vitamins and minerals as well as amino acids that provide excellent rejuvenation for your skin and hair. The Seaweed Bath Co. offers a wide range of products that target multiple different concerns: irritation, inflammation, hydration, elasticity, detoxifying and even cellulite reduction. I’m curious to try their new Detox collection, which will is currently availalble in Whole Foods across the country. Learn more at www.seaweedbathco.com
Raw Spirit Fragrances
Confession: I’ve been obsessed with this fragrance line since they first launched and one to definitely have on your radar. Inspired by the energy and spirit of nature around the world, Raw Spirit is the brainchild of Australian photographer Russell James, who’s collaborative art project Nomad Two Worlds plays a major world in Raw Spirit. This emerging socially conscious business explores the clash of ancient and modern cultures, and attempts to bridge the gap between commercial and philanthropic endeavors. Their fragrances are created from natural and luxurious ingredients that not only smell amazing, but contribute to an amazing cause. Sourced from indigenous communities, each fragrance creates economic opportunities for the people involved. As of right now their are 7 unique fragrances available, each inspired by different places all over the world. The face of the campaign is Behati Prinsloo, the absolutely stunning Victoria’s Secret model (and Adam Levine’s wife) perfectly embodies the brands message and serves as one of the brand ambassadors. Check them out at rawspiritfragrances.com
Joon
Joon is a Persian hair care line founded by Shiva Tavakoli that blends ancient Persian beauty secrets with modern chemistry to delivers luxurious hair products, especially for those with medium-coarse hair. Joon’s first product is a Saffron Hair Elixir Oil, which features ingredients such as saffron, pistachio, and rose oil, which are key ingredients used for centuries in Persian beauty rituals. This elixir promises to deliver non-greasy shine, smoothness, moisture, and also serve as a heat protectant. This product is available for pre-order at joonhaircare.com and should be shipped out in early October.
CBD For Life
This hemp-based brand carries a varied selection of beauty and skin products which are all infused with 99% pure CBD (cannabidiol). CBD combined with essential oils offers amazing benefits such as anti-aging, pain management, stress reduction and rejuvenation. The founder was inspired to create CBD For Life after years of suffering from chronic back pain due to her scoliosis, claiming she felt instant relief when applying cannabidiol topicals. CBD products have been garnering a lot of attention lately, due to their infamous healing properties. I’ve heard a bit of buzz about this brand but haven’t personally tried anything yet, so I’m looking forward to testing out their eye serum, which has amazing reviews. Along with the amazing benefits of CBD’s ingredients, all of the products are under $38!
Check out CBD For Life’s full product line and learn more about the benefits of CBD on their website www.cbdforlife.com
Swiss Smile
Brushing your teeth just got glamorous! Swiss Smile will quite literally will give your teeth a diamond glow, their toothpaste contains one carat of real diamond particles. Thanks to diamond particles extremely low relative dentin abrasivity (RDA), tooth surfaces are gently, yet noticeably whitened and smoothened. If you have sensistive teeth but also want to whiten them, Swiss Smile’s Diamond Glow toothpaste might just be for your. To top it off, Swiss Smile offers ultra glam toothbrushes that feature a Swarovski crystal. Unnecessary maybe, but cute? Absolutely. I’m super interested in trying this toothpaste out to see if it really does deliver a “diamond glow.”
To give your dental routine a glamorous upgrade, check out www.swiss-smile-beauty.com/us
Nuvesse
Nuvesse is a brand I profiled for New Beauty magazine earlier this year, (you can check out my feature HERE). While I’ve tried most of the line, I’ve been dying to get my hands on their Tired Eyes, Puffiness & Dark Circles Regimen Kit, which they hooked up at the Expo and I’ll definitely report back on the findings! Check them out at nuvesse.com
Learn more about the Expo and all the brands featured on their website indiebeautyexpo.com