In her Indie Beauty Profile, Rachel Roff, founder of Urban Skin Rx, has delightfully practical advice for her fellow beauty entrepreneurs. And, she shares sales figures, distribution data, and brand strategy notes that give real insight into how she’s...
The direct sales beauty company debuted its new blend-it-yourself vitamin C product late last week at the annual Mary Kay beauty consultant seminar in Dallas, Texas.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Kimberly Heathman of MyChelle Dermaceuticals talks through the brand’s DNA, so to speak, summarizing the natural skin care maker’s focus and function in the marketplace.
Two months ago Madison Reed partnered with Ulta to sell hair color kits and bring its AI chatbot tool in-store. Cosmetics Design spoke with Amy Errett, CEO of Madison Reed, late last week to find out how the partnership is going and how this new company...
In his Indie Beauty Profile, Joshua Gordon, founder of noyah Natural Cosmetics, shares insight into how he created a simple, functional cosmetics and personal care brand. And, he succinctly describes that brand's target customer in just four words!
The genetic testing laboratory has served hospitals, government agencies, lawyers, and individuals for 20 years. And now the company is putting a line of DNA testing kits on retail shelves.
With all the trappings of a chic, contemporary startup and all the sophistication of a luxury heritage brand, Senteurs D’Orient is soap for the modern market. To learn how this indie beauty brand is revolutionizing the modest category that is solid soap,...
In his Indie Beauty Profile, Chris Hobson, founder of Patchology, shares his candid thoughts on the worth of industry trends and suggests that a startup skin care brand can find allies where they might be least expected, like on a legacy department store’s...
Not long after news broke of the new beauty company’s partnership with L’Occitane International, Cosmetics Design dropped in on CEO Michele Gay to learn about that deal and about how LimeLight is reinventing cosmetics and personal care direct sales for...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Lea Anne Christine Fulton, founder of L.A. Christine, talks about her brand’s version of multi-channel retail, which spans pop-ups and direct TV, and she describes how her Finish heritage infuses everything about the brand,...
We caught up with BeBe & Bella probiotics skin care founder Allison Krebs-Bensch to find out more about what it takes to launch a brand in this rapidly evolving space.
The probiotics trend is one of the fastest growing in the skin care category right now, mainly because it simultaneously hits on key consumer demands that include wellness and natural.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Ashley Prange CEO of Au Naturale Cosmetics, describes how she has built a brand around the #CleanBeautyRevolution and just how much work her team put into rebranding Au Naturale for the next phase of business.
The skin care product line, tailored to meet the needs and expectations of millennials, somehow manages to encompass nearly every trend associated with this unique generation of beauty consumers.
In their Indie Beauty Profile, Lynne Florio and Renee Tavoularis, founders of Planted in Beauty by Well Within, explain how they’re making good use of the various business services available to startups in and beyond beauty and reveal what they’ve hearing...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, skin care brand founder Angela Caglia describes how she leveraged her experience as a facialist to develop an eco-lux brand that resonates with today’s sophisticated consumers, and she underscores just how instrumental the...
Conventional personal care product preservatives can damage or otherwise interfere with the body’s microbiome, so Mother Dirt products are formulated without those ingredients. Now the brand has announced updates to its shampoo that significantly extend...
The independent beauty movement is unstoppable. It’s no longer niche and it’s no longer negligible. Here Cosmetics Design examines all things indie—what’s trending, how conventional beauty is responding, and more.
The rise of independent brands has been called everything from a competition to a revolution and by several monikers much better or worse (depending on the perspective). Here, Cosmetics Design examines all things indie—what’s winning, what signifies,...
The indie beauty category has been leading the way when it comes to ground breaking and innovative products, so we at Cosmetics Design thought it a good idea to pick out some of the best.
Anisa Telwar-Kaicker, the woman who launched and leads the global company, started her business as a distribution and marketing venture. Since then, Anisa International has grown in size and scope and is now known as a leader in synthetic fiber alternatives...
The Nestlé Skin Health product line got its start in 1947, has expanded over the years to include cleansers, moisturizers, and sun care. And, now the global brand has plans to reach even more consumers around the world.
In his Indie Beauty Profile, Sebastien Tardif, CEO of Veil Cosmetics, describes how he translated his experience as a professional makeup artist into a product line suitable for pros and novices alike, and gives a nod to the validation that brand recognition...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Dr. Conny Wittke, founder of the Beauty Ideas Group and the skin care brand nügg, explains why, in today’s personal care market place, a brand’s unique value proposition should put the emphasis on ‘value’ rather than on ‘unique’...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Linda Treska, founder of Pinch of Colour, shares her optimism for the future of omnichannel retail and advocates for extreme perseverance in the face of entrepreneurial challenges.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Natasha Samardzic, founder of Folium Medica, shares insight into the market niche she’s found where wellness and beauty intersect and on how carefully her company sources phytomedicinal ingredients.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Naa-Sakle Akuete, CEO of Eu’Genia Shea, explains how an indie brand can deliver supply chain transparency and ingredient purity that rivals much larger corporate brands and why asking for help is never a bad idea.
By Deanna Utroske - with video editing by Simon Pitman
Earlier this month at in-cosmetics global in London, Cosmetics Design celebrated the winners of this year’s Beauty Industry Awards, among the honorees were Nannette De Gaspé Beaubien, founder of the 2017 Best Indie Beauty Brand. Here she speaks with Cosmetics...
Olixol, a plant culturing and research company, has announced the launch of ‘pioneering’ technology that enables the scalable production of pure, natural oils from plant cells.
In her Indie Beauty Profile Camille Varlet, founder of All Beauty Inc, tells how her years of food and beauty industry experience converged in a single brand and why topical products aren’t the be-all and end-all of skin care.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Deborah Hernan, president of Ottilie & Lulu, talks about finding opportunity in the challenges of a shifting retail market and reflects on just how rewarding entrepreneurship can be.
The category for skin care that targets the delicate eye area has exploded in recent years with a dizzying array of choice that leaves many consumers bemused. So which one rates best?
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Katya Hegg, founder of Lyeska skincare runs through the distinctive benefits of her company’s signature ingredient and sheds light onto just how nuanced niche beauty brands can be.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Maya Crothers, founder of Circ-Cell Skincare explains why she believes that brand loyalty isn’t a thing of the past and how putting money into digital can move a brand forward.
New beauty and personal care brands regularly gain market entry by winning at the latest consumer trend. This is precisely what Cloud 10 Hair Care is aiming to do with its debut product line, which promises to be fully customizable as well as both fun...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Anna Ayers, CEO of Rahua by Amazon Beauty, shares how she’s built a natural personal care brand around sustainable rainforest-grown ingredients and acknowledges the valuable role philanthropy can play in the global economy.
So confident in the value, originality, and novelty of its cold-processed skin care formulations, OZNaturals has created a logo to highlight this feature of its products—a move that puts the indie brand on the leading edge of a transparent manufacturing...
The annual natural, organic, and non-GMO cross-industry show wrapped up last week in California. But before Expo West came to a close, one skin care ingredient maker and two beauty brands were honored for their inspiration, innovation, and integrity.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Stephanie Additon, founder of JAVA Skin Care explains how one entrepreneurial venture led her to another and underscores just how valuable a trustworthy team can be for a personal care startup.
The newly launched Scent Trunk thinks so. And the team behind this online custom fragrance maker believes they’ve got it. Cosmetics Design connected with William Yin, CEO of Scent Trunk to find out what makes this latest beauty subscription service different.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Claire Mitchell, director of ECO. Modern essential talks about how her international business experience helped her grow the brand’s global reach and how wellness, natural beauty, and consumer trust intersect in today’s personal...
Early this year, personal care company H2O+ Beauty partnered with research firm Morning Consult to sort out what US consumers know and look for when it comes to anti-pollution skin care. Now, upon the launch of the brand’s Aquadefense product line, Cosmetics...
The biotech firm has been forging strategic partnerships across sectors and making headway in the cosmetics and personal care industry for some time. Now, Amyris has its new Biossance branded skin care line at select Sephora doors.
In his Indie Beauty Profile, Brian Duangpichakul founder of Kinx explains how an industrial products pro gets into the beauty business and gives a glimpse of how his brand envisions cosmetics and fitness overlapping in the marketplace.
The polymer-film making company behind such household goods as Cascade Action Pacs and Tide Pods announced this month a first product in this category—a single-use dissolvable pod pac of shaving cream.
Just wait long enough, and everything comes back in to style. Lisa Frank never left, but she’s now planning to launch a collection of color cosmetics, tools, and accessories expected to appeal to women who loved her line of school supplies decades ago...
In her Indie Beauty Profile, Marie Drago, founder of Gallinée shares advice on who to talk to before taking a personal care product line to market and rattles off an impressive list of consumer media press hits that her nimble team has already secured.
Canada-based augmented reality beauty player Modiface has launched a new technology that aims to match up optimal make-up to suit different lighting conditions.
This week, reports are circulating that Vita Coco has plans to become a billion dollar brand, making and selling more products in more sectors. What began as a coconut-water business is poised to evolve into an all-things-coconut business.
In her Indie Beauty Profile, skin care brand founder Cynthia Besteman tells Cosmetics Design about the distribution deal that had her walking on air, reveals just how practical she really is when it comes to her desert-island product pick, and much more!