What will all your friends be buying at Sephora six months from now?
Sure, giant beauty companies have stacks on stacks (on stacks) to develop the hottest new things in beauty, but oftentimes, it’s burgeoning indie brands that come up with the coolest — and most boundary-pushing — products. Think about it: Before now-ubiquitous egg-shaped sponges and cleansing brushes flooded the market, one or two visionaries put these essentials on the map.
To get a look at what’s next in beauty, we headed to the Indie Beauty Expo in L.A. — the event's first stop — where nearly 1000 burgeoning brands are sharing their wares. As you may expect, it didn’t disappoint. Among the more mind-bending innovations were skin-care lines based on the CBD oil in cannabis, all-natural (and very chic-looking) lube, an intoxicating bath oil that will be in many celebrity bathrooms come a year from now, and a mask pack to blow all others out of the water. Yeah, we know that’s a strong statement — but believe us, it’s a game changer.
Ahead, check out the coolest and craziest beauty buys of the show — and take note: this is the stuff you, me, and everyone we know will go crazy for in six months from now.
The star ingredient in this phytonutrient-rich skin-care line — Cannabidiol (CBD), a THC-free extract of cannabis — is giving a whole new name to green beauty. Will the ingredient get you high? Not a chance — but it may help prevent skin irritation, control inflammatory skin conditions (like eczema), and minimize acne by regulating sebum production.
How? New research shows that our skin may be equipped with its own endocannabinoid system, responsible for the production of cell types, like hair follicles and sebaceous glands. By stimulating our skin’s own endocannabinoid system, antioxidant-rich CBD becomes sensitive skin’s BFF, working as an antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory helper. How’s that for a trip?
Crave Skincare Virgin Skin Serum, $49, available at Crave Skincare.
Forget about candy hearts. This Valentine’s day we want this alcohol-free, oil-based lube, made to be used, well, anywhere — without irritation. The fragrance-free blend is made with coconut, sunflower seed, and evening primrose oils and is sized to fit in the smallest of evening bags.
Province Apothecary Sex Oil, $28, available at Province Apothecary.
Forget your plain ol' sheet mask — this ingenious offering comes two for the price of one. This single sheet packet boasts a complete skin care regimen, with compartments containing cleanser and an essence. Try the Aqua+ version to hydrate festival (or flight)-weathered skin or the Brightening version to bring hungover skin back to life.
Skinesque 3-Step Brightening + Charcoal Mask, $7.50, available at Skinesque.
Who knew toothpaste could look so pretty — or taste so good? Inside these brightly-colored tubes are sophisticated flavors that don’t overpower with antiseptic. Our favorite blend combines orange blossom, rose, and mint (and it’s good enough to eat).
Lebon Toothpaste, $16, available at Lucky Scent.
Thanks to HD, peach fuzz (or vellus hair, if you want to be scientific about it) is more pronounced than ever. This lightweight wand, which comes with six single-use blade cartridges, makes a no brainer out of at-home dermaplaning. To de-fuzz — and exfoliate the skin — simply run the wand along cheeks, chin, the Cupid’s bow, and forehead.
Dermaflash Facial Exfoliating Device, $189, available at Sephora.
We totally fell for this dope-ass packaging, which taps floral-etched bamboo to gussy up your bathroom counter. But the stuff housed inside is just as luxe: This overnight treatment includes ingredients like Amazonian andiroba oil and a natural retinoid from the Brazilian Aguaje tree, along with lactic acid, a gentle exfoliator.
Amazonia Skincare Potent Cell Renewal Nightly Rejuvenation Treatment, $148, available at Amazonia Skincare.
Sure, this bath oil, with its display-worthy, minimal design, looks completely new school. But its genesis dates back to 1931 when a German husband-and-wife team combined their viticulture and pharmacology skills to create an essential oil-rich bath blend.
It includes pine, lavender, eucalyptus, and more — and is so intoxicating, a word-of-mouth buzz's already made it a cult favorite throughout Europe. It’s easy to see why: The fragrance alone creates instant calm when simply sniffed from the bottle, much less splashed in the bath or used for massage.
Olverum Bath Oil, $48, available at Goop.
We didn’t expect much from this peel — how could a spray on-fluid with the consistency of a toner exfoliate our skin? Oh, how wrong we were, friends. After running fingers over the skin in circular motions, balls of dead cells and grime began to form — an oddly mesmerizing ritual that we can’t wait to repeat.
O.R.G. Skincare Mineral Face Peel, $44, available at O.R.G Skincare.
Think of this as a golden milk latte for your skin: manuka honey, turmeric, nutmeg, ginger oil, cinnamon oil and more comprise this rich moisturizer developed by a SoCal esthetician. It’s also a $200 face cream in disguise — the luxurious, non-greasy formula is not only saving our winter-parched skin (which we were convinced was dead inside), it’s somehow evokes glow on par with much pricier formulations.
Uliv Golden Chai Facial Soufflé, $39, available at Uliv Skin.
One of the biggest oxymorons in beauty? The term, “gentle exfoliator.” This one, developed by a psoriasis sufferer, taps volcanic particles and peptide-rich, hand-harvested seaweed to gently slough away dead skin. Okay fine, maybe it does exist.
The Seaweed Bath Co. Purifying Micro-Scrub, $25, available at The Seaweed Bath Co.
This DIY nail polish kit is the stuff of our teenage (and adult) dreams. By combining pigments, glitters, and the pre-bottled base, we can whip up bespoke shades that begets complements and our favorite kind of response: “Oh, this? I made it.”
Mixify Polish Kit, $35, available at Mixify Polish.
Just like your favorite cold-pressed juices, these freshly-made face masks are delivered on ice and must be refrigerated and used within 30 days. Why? They’re made using only food-grade ingredients like raw cacao powder, almond milk, dark maple syrup, coffee granules, greek yogurt, fruit, and cold-pressed, unrefined extra virgin coconut oil. And if your visage needs an added pick-me-up? Packets of matcha, charcoal, and maca are available as boosters to help improve elasticity, detoxify, and brighten skin.
Smoothie Beauty Fresh Face Masks $37.50 for a pack of three, available at Smoothie Beauty.
Longtime beauty product developer Aisha Crump has wavy hair, her husband has textured hair, and her multi-ethnic kids have variations of the two. To simplify her family’s hair care shopping list, she set out to create one-size-fits-all formulations that would befit every head of hair in her house. The result is this manuka honey-infused line, complete with kid-friendly honey bear packaging.
Honey Baby Naturals Honeychild Moisture Shampoo, $13, available at Honey Baby Naturals.
The coolness factor of crystals is hitting a fever pitch. So it was only a matter of time before they took the skin-care world even more. True, there’s not a ton of published research whether these gems can mend skin — but no matter. With elegant body serums like this — which incorporates green quartz crystal, essential oils and fatty acids — the proof is in the instantly hydrated skin.
Crystal Hills Moon Goddess Body Serum, $58, available at Crystal Hills.
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