Brand Innovation

Indie and Fragrance: a business partnership with sillage

Special Newsletter: Indie Brands

Indie and Fragrance: a business partnership with sillage

By Deanna Utroske

Niche, startup, and independent brands are proliferating in beauty and fragrance alike. Here Cosmetics Design takes a look at several indie fragrance brands with proven or probable longevity in the market.

Au Naturale founder talks about expansion plans

Au Naturale founder talks about expansion plans

By Simon Pitman

This brand is one of the biggest recent successes in the Indie Beauty space and the CosmeticsDesign team was lucky enough to catch up with company founder Ashley Prange to discuss the growth of the business.

Glossier to open permanent store in Los Angeles

Glossier to open permanent store in Los Angeles

By Sian Gardiner

Fast-growing skincare and makeup brand Glossier is set to open its second permanent bricks and mortar presence in
backdrop, in a bid to continue its Instagram-worthy reputation.

Indie Beauty Profile Monica Watson Berlin Skin

Indie Beauty Profile

Monica Watson, Berlin Skin

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Monica Watson, founder of Berlin Skin, explains why, that with the right intention and formulation, a small number of skin care products can go a long way. And, she underscores the value that consumer spending can add to the...

Indie Beauty Profile Kellie Chen Fytt Beauty

Indie Beauty Profile

Kellie Chen, Fytt Beauty

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Kellie Chen, co-founder of Fytt Beauty, explains why hers is a preventative skin care brand with a focus on good health. And, she takes great care describing the Fytt Beauty customer, with specifics that make it quite clear...

Indie Beauty Profile Catkin Wemyss Bodmer BRYT Skincare

Indie Beauty Profile

Catkin Wemyss Bodmer, BRYT Skincare

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile Catkin Wemyss Bodmer, founder of BRYT Skincare, calls attention to how valuable the right retail partnerships can be and thoughtfully explains the connection she sees between skin care, health care, and beauty.

Indie Beauty Profile Terry Zickerman Love Sun Body

Indie Beauty Profile

Terry Zickerman, Love Sun Body

By Deanna Utroske

In his Indie Beauty Profile, Terry Zickerman, CEO of Love Sun Body, explains why he sees alternative ingredients and the challenge of developing more globally compliant personal care products as an opportunity for indie brands.

What happens when beauty influencers influence brands?

What happens when beauty influencers influence brands?

By Deanna Utroske

To gain a bit of perspective on the ins and outs of co-creation, Cosmetics Design connected with Mariya Nurislamova CEO of Deck of Scarlet, a digital-first direct brand that creates a new color cosmetics palette every other month in cooperation with a...

Indie Beauty Profile Nasime Yazdani Seaside Medical Technologies

Indie Beauty Profile

Nasime Yazdani, Seaside Medical Technologies

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Nasime Yazdani, founder of Seaside Medical Technologies, hints at all the useful insights she’s gained by listening to reviews and consumers. And, she outlines how her brand’s distribution strategy is shaping up in the modern...

Multifunctional color cosmetics go the next level

Special Newsletter: Colour Cosmetics

Multifunctional color cosmetics go the next level

By Simon Pitman

Since the advent of BB creams, multifunctional color cosmetic products have evolved to the point where almost every product in the category has various claims.

L’Oréal debuts new personalized skin care tech

L’Oréal debuts new personalized skin care tech

By Deanna Utroske

The beauty maker chose to announce its new SkinCeuticals product and counter-top formulating technology at the 2018 Fast Company Grill in Austin, Texas (an event for influencers and innovative thinkers that coincides with the SXSW conference and festivals)....

Evolution of app technologies in colour cosmetics

SPECIAL NEWSLETTER: COLOUR COSMETICS

Evolution of app technologies in colour cosmetics

By Lucy Whitehouse

From augmented reality and artificial intelligence, to shifting trends in digital retail, we take a look at how app technologies are shifting colour cosmetics trends and behaviours.

Indie Beauty Profile Julianne Robicheau Robi Luxury Skin Care

Indie Beauty Profile

Julianne Robicheau, Robi Luxury Skin Care

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Julianne Robicheau, founder of Robi Luxury Skin Care, explains why natural, luxury, and affordable are not mutually exclusive terms. And, she talks about the important role that confidence plays in building a cohesive beauty...

Indie Beauty Profile Michelle Houp Prep U

Indie Beauty Profile

Michelle Houp, Prep U

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Michelle Houp, founder of Prep U (personal care brand for “stinky boys”), describes how she has democratized the onus of hygiene and refinement that befalls adolescents; and, she shares a few smart, simple tips for founders....

Spa-style brand Bliss to relaunch with a vengeance on Thursday

Spa-style brand Bliss relaunching with a vengeance

By Deanna Utroske

The popular skin care brand has undertaken a complete refresh and will be launching online this month and in thousands of doors in the coming weeks. If all goes according to plan, the turnaround will stand as a case study in how to simultaneously respond...

Indie Beauty Profile Dara Levy DermaFlash

Indie Beauty Profile

Dara Levy, DermaFlash

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Dara Levy, the inventor and founder of DermaFlash, explains how she grew her signature spa treatment into a full-fledged beauty brand and why the best business experience is hard won.

Nestlé Skin Health expands acne care product line

Nestlé Skin Health expands acne care product line

By Deanna Utroske

Last year the skin care maker introduced its Differin brand of acne treatment gel to the OTC market, after receiving FDA approval to do so in early 2016. Now the brand is adding two new products to the Differin line.

Indie Beauty Profile Laura Burget Niu Body

Indie Beauty Profile

Laura Burget, Niu Body

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Laura Burget, co-founder of Niu Body, demonstrates the candor and strength of a self-possessed entrepreneur and describes what a millennial-made personal care brand looks like from the inside.

Indie Beauty Profile Bethany Hilt Vertere Skin Care

Indie Beauty Profile

Bethany Hilt, Vertere Skin Care

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Bethany Hilt, founder of Vertere Skin Care voices her certainty that a beauty brand can improve lives and encourages aspiring beauty brand founders to connect with two kinds of people.

Indie Beauty Profile Catherine Scott Honest Hazel

Indie Beauty Profile

Catherine Scott, Honest Hazel

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Catherine Scott, founder of Honest Hazel gives a bit of insight into how she’s methodically built a viable beauty brand with just one product. And, she speaks to the invaluable benefits of having a community of founders to...

Meant: The indie body care brand that will change everything

Meant: The indie body care brand that will change everything

By Deanna Utroske

At last month’s Indie Beauty Expo in Los Angeles, of the 150 cosmetics, personal care, fragrance, and lifestyle brands exhibiting, many were compelling; but only one stood out as a real game changer. Cosmetics Design interviewed Lindsay Knaak-Stuart,...

Indie Beauty Profile Gretchen Chevalier ittsē

Indie Beauty Profile

Gretchen Chevalier, ittsē

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Gretchen Chevalier, founder of ittsē, explains how her work in beauty manufacturing led her to develop a distinctive color cosmetics brand around functional, stylish packaging. And, she shares practical yet daunting advice...

Indie Beauty Profile Melisse Shaban Virtue Labs

Indie Beauty Profile

Melisse Shaban, Virtue Labs

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Melisse Shaban, founder of Virtue Labs, concisely discusses the science that makes her brand’s hair care products distinctly different from other shampoos, conditioners, and hair styling products. And, she’s quite candid about...

2017: The Year of Pepper Accents

Guest Expert

2017: The Year of Pepper Accents

By Lisa Wilson

Pink pepper, black pepper, white pepper, Sichuan pepper…2017 was the year of pepper accents in fragrance—again. Here, I explore the technical and aromatic nuances that peppers have added to fine fragrance over the past year.

Coty personal beauty assistant launches on Amazon Echo Show

estimated read time: 2 minutes

Coty personal beauty assistant launches on Amazon Echo Show

By Deanna Utroske

The multinational cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance company is debuting its Amazon Echo skill Let’s Get Ready for all Echo devices this month. Voice services, chat bots, and virtual assistant tools like this are on the rise; and Coty is an early...

Indie Beauty Profile Lori Machiorlette Worth Beauty

Indie Beauty Profile

Lori Machiorlette, Worth Beauty

By Deanna Utroske

In her Indie Beauty Profile, Lori Machiorlette, founder of Worth Beauty—the company behind the blendSmart mechanically rotating makeup brush—talks about how her business has progressed to become a “spinning revolution” around the globe. And she reminds...

Avon launches wellness brand Espira and gets into the supplements business

estimated read time 2 ½ minutes

Avon launches wellness brand Espira and gets into the supplements business

By Deanna Utroske

The North America – based New Avon LLC announced a line of beauty-from-within products this week. But Espira is more than simply ingestibles for hair, skin, and nail health; the brand also has product lines for overall nutritional support as well.

kathy ireland Health & Wellness to launch CBD skin care products

kathy ireland Health & Wellness to launch CBD skin care products

By Deanna Utroske

This week Level Brands, the licensed brand marketing firm where Kathy Ireland serves as chairman emeritus and chief brand strategist, announced a partnership with Isodiol that is being touted as ‘a multimillion-dollar cannabidiol (CBD) products deal’.

Indie Beauty Profile Tran Wills and Ali Elman Base Coat

Indie Beauty Profile

Tran Wills and Ali Elman, Base Coat

By Deanna Utroske

In their Indie Beauty Profile, Tran Wills and Ali Elman, founders of the nail color and nail care brand Base Coat describe how the brand evolved as a natural complement to their Base Coat nail salons. And Elman advises prospective indie brand founders...

Disruptive makeup brush brand Artis expands to Canada

Disruptive makeup brush brand Artis expands to Canada

By Deanna Utroske

The relatively new beauty tool brand launched in Canada just last month and is hoping its distinctive and ergonomic brushes can change consumer expectations there and update color cosmetic application techniques as well.

News Review: Indie Beauty 2017

News Review: Indie Beauty 2017

By Deanna Utroske

This year independent cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance brands became so prominent, Cosmetics Design launched a weekly column dedicated to these innovative startups and their founders. The Indie Beauty Profile is on vacation this month. But in the...