Indie Beauty: the natural beauty initiative
With an aim to provide a platform for upcoming independent beauty and lifestyle brands, Indie Beauty has foregrounded a new generation of natural, alternative beauty and make-up products. Championing the work of the beauty industry’s uncompromising young start-ups, these brands which use plant extracts, fruits and cold-pressed oils will soon be available from Sephora and Net-a-Porter.
1/7Kaelen Harwell A beautician from Arizona, Kaelen Harwell’s range ticks all the beauty boxes, created using organic ingredients whislt delivering on quality. Her products are produced in small batches, to match her philosophy that ‘when your skin changes, you need to follow and adapt to its needs’. The only fragrances present come from natural peach, vanilla and aloe vera extracts and with serums, creams, toners and boosters, there is something for everyone and Kaelen is continuously releasing new products. Watch out for her upcoming antioxidising saffron face mask. https://www.kaelenharwell.com
2/7Unwash The anti-washing hair trend that rejects traditional shampoo for gentler, alternative washing regimes has caused a small revolution in the beauty world. For a comparison, it’s like using a gentle toner to get rid of make-up instead of an irritating face wash. Unwash’s non-lathering, bio-cleansing conditioner leaves hair healthy and glossy: de-griming and nourishing whilst adding volume, eliminating frizz and dry ends. Furthermore, without a normal shampoo regime, colored hair fades less quickly and blow-dries take just a few minutes. www.unwash.com
3/7Rituel de fille The brain child of three Californian sisters (two Hollywood make-up artists and one artist), Rituel de Fille is a make-up line ‘inspired by the magical side of natural ingredients, and the ritualistic, ceremonial power of pigment’. Elemental and earthy, the line is inspired by tribal ceremonies, potions and wild flowers, with evocative names such as Devil’s Claw and Whitethorn lip stains. Whether eye shadows, lip sheers or lipsticks, the make-up has a creamy texture, promising intense, long-lasting color, created using the fewest ingredients possible. www.ritueldefille.com
4/7Kopari The virtues of coco oil have been well documented and are at the heart of this San Diego brand, run by a Hawaii-born naturalist. Developed in a lab, these products are perfect to transition between a day at the gym (or the beach) to a night out. The new Coconut Sugar Scrub is a brown sugar scrub infused with small pieces of Tahitian coconut shell and we love the upcoming ultra-light oil spray, available in a natural or sheer version, for a “touch of light” on your legs, face, or eyebrows. www.koparibeauty.com
Rachel M Hanel5/7LVX The 5-, 6-, 7- and ‘12-free’ nail varnishes have rid themselves of toxic ingredients, yet, most nail polish removers still contain acetone, which dries out nails and the skin around them. LVX, who specializes in “green” manicures, has taken on the challenge: launched last month, the Natural Nail Color Remover Pads contain soja extract and jojoba oil, enriched with A, C and E vitamins. Natural and biodegradable, these wipes do not release any harmful substances and their repeated use hydrates, nourishes and strengthens nails. www.shoplvx.com
6/7Florapy Created in Los Angeles but made in Korea, this facial mask brand combines technology and aromatherapy in its gel-drenched sheets. A collection of eight basics combines the healing powers of flowers with coco fiber, which holds as much as 20 times its weight in water. Apply the sheet is applied to your face for 15-20 minutes – just long enough for a relaxing meditation session – to work on detoxifying (Jasmine Peppermint), stress relieving (Chamomile Patchouli), lifting (Arnica rose), anti-aging (Calendula Sage), or hydrating (Blackberry Primrose). www.florapybeauty.com
7/7The Brow Gal Celebrity eyebrow specialist Tonya Crooks has just released her own range of eyebrow pencils, gels, and scissors, in the Second Chance kit. Designed to rejuvenate eyebrows that have been over-plucked, bleached by the sun or weakened, the two-step process works its magic over a four-week period. It combines a serum to apply to brows with a three-speed vibrating brush to better disperse the active ingredients, and an oral supplement to take twice a day to strengthen eyebrows as well as lashes and nails. The formula incorporates Restoplex technology made of Omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins, antioxidants and green tea. www.TheBrowGal.com
