Indie Beauty: Over It or Into It?

It seems like every day, or at least every week, we’re seeing more and more indie brands hit the market and be picked up by large beauty retailers like Sephora and Ulta. But how much is too much?

Every skincare brand promises the same results, it’s just a matter of pricing, effectiveness, and packaging preference at that point. Apps like Tiktok have skyrocketed the beauty industry. With the ability to make a single product go viral literally overnight and sell out within hours, despite threats of a looming recession, the beauty industry has recorded record breaking sales in the last year.

Cruelty-free, clean, sustainably-sourced, vegan, ethically conscious…these are all buzzwords in the latest in indie beauty promises. The collective consumer mindshift towards more sustainable, clean beauty has had a huge impact on larger, more well established brands, who still do old school things like test on animals. Did Elle Woods teach these brands nothing? We grew up watching a pink-clad lawyer fight for animal rights. That had to have some kind of impact on our growing minds.

And it did. You’ll be hard pressed to find a millennial or Gen Z consumer who is dedicated to brands like Elizabeth Arden or l’Oreal. One could even argue that the bankruptcy filed by Revlon is due not only to the company’s overall lack in evolving with their market, but also due to the fact that they are one of many who still test on animals in 2022. Despite Revlon’s claims to no longer be testing on animals, in some countries, it is still a requirement, thus Revlon’s claim to be cruelty-free is only partially true. 

With COVID brought many changes to beauty consumer habits. Not feeling the pressure to wear makeup every day caused a higher focus on skincare and achieving a natural beauty rather than ones we were seeing in years prior where blending brushes and eyeshadow palette reigned supreme. Alongside this, many entrepreneurs, having not been able to access their usual products, or finally having the time to focus on their own passions and gaps in the skincare industry, have emerged. Since 2020, Forbes reports a steady 10% increase in indie beauty brands. 

The idea of supporting small businesses has permeated through the pandemic and as we launch into a post-COVID world, we’re seeing more and more consumer shift to indie beauty brands whether it’s skincare or makeup. But in a world of indie beauty brands, how do you choose the right ones? Do you watch the latest Tiktok trends? Do you do your own research? Is accessibility to indie beauty the deciding factor between one brand or another?

Personally, I love indie beauty. I love seeing the variations and options out there and deciding for myself which products work best for me. From brands like mixsoon and Monastery to more well known indie brands like innisfree and the Inkey List, it’s clear that the indie train will continue to chug along.

What do you think? Over the indie beauty? Unsure how to navigate the sea of indie? Or are you in love with your small beauty finds? 

We’d love to know what you think!

XOXO,

A.B.