What’s
hot in the indie beauty world? Beauty Insider spoke with executives
from
Bloom.com, Birchbox.com,
C.O. Bigelow, Space
NK
, Bluemercury and Ricky’s about their indie standouts. And no
surprise, several nail newbies came out on top as did makeup items with rich
color payoff and innovative packaging. In
hair and skin care, brands focusing on specific needs and eco-conscious lines are
gaining traction. Here, picks by the industry’s best and brightest, all sold
online and at select stores.

NAILS

Rococo Nail Apparel, $16.50

“The sisters [Ange and Vernice Walker] have a very interesting eye
for color, influenced by a combination of fashion and art.” — Nicky Kinnaird, Space NK


Megan Miller Collection, $12

“The fun packaging has caught people’s attention – the bottle has a
wine cork as a cap.” — Julie Mahloch,
Bloom.com

Knock Out, $14

“One of the first to offer a beautiful matte finish nail. The
vintage-inspired frosted glass bottle looks lovely on your vanity too.” — Marlyn Roquemore, Ricky’s

MAKEUP

Lime Crime

“It has very bright, bold colors for eyes and lips that inspire you
to be more adventurous. Palettes ($34.99) and loose pigments (Magic Dust, $14)
are popular. — Julie, Bloom.com

Sarah Happ

“I was surprised by how quickly her sku’s skyrocketed into our top
10. The Lip Slick Luxe Balm ($24) is a glamorous product, with a little bow.” —
Marla Malcolm Beck, Bluemercury

Ellis Faas

“People love the pens ($36 for an eyeshadow pen). They’re really
convenient, easy to apply and the textures are easy to work with.” — Ian, C.O. Bigelow

HAIR

Miss Jessie’s

“People really responded to Pillow Soft Curls ($22). We targeted our
sampling to people with curly hair and it was universally loved.” — Katia, Birchbox.com

Blowpro

“The products are all focused around getting the perfect blowout.” — Julie, Bloom.com

Gloss Moderne

“The formulas are beautiful and rich, they smell really great and the
packaging is simple and beautiful.” — Katia,
Birchbox.com

SKIN
CARE

Lily.B

“It focuses on the 20 – 30 year old demographic, which is sometimes
ignored by skin care brands. The Multi-Action Rescue Ultra Eye Cream ($42.50)
got a ton of great reviews on our site.” — Julie,
Bloom.com

Tammy Fender

“Beautiful products with a lot of holistic ingredients. One of my
absolute favorite indie brands.”
Marla,
Bluemercury

Sunday Riley

“Oils in general have been an exciting category. A face oil (Juno
Transformative Lipid Serum, $125) can quickly balance skin.” —Katia, Birchbox.com

Booty Parlor

“The packaging is super cute, the names are great and the products
are aphrodisiacs.” — Julie, Bloom.com

African Botanics

“The products originate in South Africa and contain marula oil, the
new argan. Their amazing body scrubs have taken the natural formulation piece
to the next level.” — Nicky, Space NK

LASHES

Winks by Georgie, $28

“Eyelashes have been extremely hot. These are really glam. The big
key is 100% natural, botanically-infused lash adhesive.” — Julie, Bloom.com

Talika

“It’s a lash-growing brand that really works. When we sampled Talika
Lipocils Expert ($55), it was a huge hit.” — Katia, Birchbox.com