8 Independent Brands Shaping the Beauty Industry
From the artistic cult following of ISAMAYA to the science-led formulas of Allies of Skin, these top independent beauty brands are disrupting the industry.
The beauty industry has experienced a significant shift in leading trends, with clean beauty at its forefront. More than ever before, consumers are more informed on the ingredients that go into beauty products, prompting them to pivot towards clean beauty brands, due to more cautious and conscious spending habits. Independent beauty brands have a reputation of prioritising clean, non-toxic ingredients and has a strong emphasis on sustainable practices including cruelty-free products and eco-conscious sourcing. Independent brands also offer innovative or niche products that stand out from mainstream offerings — this may include proprietary ingredients, advanced technologies, or unique formulations.
The Appeal of Independent Brands
Large beauty conglomerates are also known for their lack of transparency to consumers, in failing to be open and honest about sourcing processes, quality control and product ingredients. This leaves room for large multinational companies to greenwash by using endless financial resources to market the product, ultimately misleading the consumer. This is where independent beauty brands have earned the trust of consumers beyond the product itself, with authenticity, direct consumer relations and transparency. Given that these privately owned companies have significantly less financial resources to invest in tradition marketing and operate on a much smaller scale, independent brands typically use social media to draw the eyes of potential consumers.
Autonomy is one of the most important benefits of being a independent brand allowing the owner full control over business operations, product development, marketing, and distribution. Decisions are ultimately made by the brand’s owners or leadership team without the need for approval from a larger parent company. Free of restrictions, independent brands are able to share their distinct identities and vision that reflects the founders’ personal values and philosophies. Furthermore, to compete with large multinational companies, it is crucial for independent brands to appeal to consumers through intangible factors that money cannot buy: Authenticity, loyalty and a unique vision. Hence, through unique and innovative branding, authentic brand stories and catering to niche markets, independent beauty brands have been able to build loyal customer bases and garner attention from the mass market. Ahead, LUXUO has gathered the top independent beauty brands that have succeeded in an extremely competitive and oversaturated market.
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Isamaya Beauty
Founded by one of fashion’s leading makeup artists Isamaya Ffrench, eponymous brand ISAMAYA has bridged the gap between high fashion and makeup, and has grown into a viral sensation with a cult following. ISAMAYA reinvented the beauty space by taking on a more experimental and artistic approach, typically creating packaging with piercings and unconventional shapes to incorporate the founder’s editorial background. The brand’s products are also made with the intention of “stretching the limitations of beauty” — in developing a series of technical and innovative performance products to create an inclusive and creatively free environment for anyone and everyone. The major success of the brand can largely be attributed to Ffrench’s unique aesthetic in seeing makeup as art and sense of community which allows the brand to cater to a specialised audience and a loyal consumer base.
By Terry
By Terry was founded by Terry de Gunzburg, a renowned makeup artist, in 1998. The brand is most known for its luxury makeup and skincare products as well as their dedication in innovating premium skincare-infused makeup for natural makeup looks. Their high-end products are 100% vegan, with heavy emphasis on allowing users to enjoy the benefits of traditional skincare through makeup with high-quality formulations and innovative products. By Terry’s emphasis on highlighting the founder’s expertise, luxurious formulas and scientific vision, has made it a successful award-winning independent brand in the competitive beauty market.
Nécessaire
Nécessaire was co-founded by veteran Estee Lauder executive Randi Christiansen, and the co-founder of Into The Gloss, Nick Axelrod in 2018. The products were developed to focus on the importance of skin health for consumers to prioritise skin health with clean ingredients and sustainable practices. The brand uses the visually appealing packaging at the forefront to catch the attention of potential consumers. The attractive products are then followed by their unique selling point (USP) of boasting high-end formulas that are gender-neutral and free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone, talc and free of BPA’s and GMO’s.
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Sunday Riley
Sunday Riley is one of the most successful independent brands of the last few years, with its product lines being sold in the largest beauty retailer, Sephora all around the globe. It was founded by Sunday Riley herself in 2009 and is known for its high-performance skincare products that combine scientific ingredients with botanicals. While the brand has grown exponentially and boasts a celebrity clientele, it remains independently owned and operated by its founder. The brand’s marketing strategy on social media focuses on the experience of real people, with only products being professionally shot. This displays authenticity and credibility, in showing an average person’s experience with the brand’s innovative and effective formulations, whereby potential consumers are able to resonate with. Thus, this has ultimately allowed Sunday Riley to achieve their massive success as an independent brand.
Westman Atelier
Westman Atelier was founded by well-known editorial makeup artist Gucci Westman in 2018. The brand is known for its luxury, clean beauty products that focus on natural, skin-friendly ingredients and high-performance formulations. Westman Atelier operates independently and stays true to Gucci Westman’s personal philosophy of using clean, consciously crafted products, typically highlighting the product’s characteristics of effortless performance. The brand uses sustainability and ethical practices, to market to the digital audience. In responding to the growing demand for clean beauty, Westman Atelier’s marketing emphasises the core values of the brand that aims to consistently innovate technologies that produce clean beauty products without harmful environmental implications. This builds trust with the consumers and compels them to invest in a brand that is environmentally conscious.
RMS Beauty
RMS Beauty is an independent beauty brand founded by makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift in 2009. Similar to Westman Atelier, the brand is known for its focus on clean, organic beauty products made with natural ingredients, that provide both performance and sustainability. RMS Beauty remains independently owned, frequently highlights the founder’s commitment to non-toxic beauty, with a strong emphasis on health-conscious formulations. The brand has made it to multiple large retailers through gaining a loyal following for its high-quality, multi-use products and ensuring dedication to transparency and ethical practices.
Allies of Skin
Allies of Skin was founded in 2016 by Nicolas Travis with the goal of creating high-performance skincare products that simplify skincare routines while through clinical innovation. The brand is best-known for its science-led formulas and innovative approach to skincare that is marketed to be highly concentrated and multifunctional. Allies of Skin appeals to the mass audience through their emphasis on achieving desirable results with minimal effort. The strong focus on creating products that cater to modern, busy lifestyles while maintaining high standards of quality and efficacy, resonates with a massive portion of the market.
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SKIN1004
SKIN1004 was founded in 2012 by Korean beauty experts Kim Young-woo and Sohyung Lee. The brand specialises in creating hypoallergenic and natural products with Centella Asiatica as the main focus of all products. The brand frequently emphasises the exceptional quality of their Centella Asiatica that they source from Madagascar, for their cruelty-free and 100% vegan products that are sold at affordable prices. The specific ingredient of Centella Asiatica is known to have all-encompassing benefits for just about any skin type, hence by infusing all products with the ingredient, this expands the brand’s consumer base significantly. The all-rounded benefits of the ingredient, well-priced products and digital marketing has landed them in retailers around the world and the status of a Korean Beauty staple.
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