With a rapidly changing beauty landscape, cult start-ups, sprung from the grassroots of creativity, are the latest breakthrough brands causing a stir. Whether it’s a mask designed for direct-to-consumer access through social media or hands-on access backstage, here are the labels that court the biggest followings.
The clean crusaders
Vibe: This band of beauty pioneers are changing the face of the industry with their belief that you don’t need to compromise on sustainable, conscious beauty when it comes to efficacy, or luxury for that matter.
Who’s in: Tata Harper, Ren, Aveda, Chantecaille
Colombian Tata Harper was inspired to create her own non-toxic beauty products after a family member’s cancer diagnosis. The result was a luxurious yet natural and organic line, all formulated, manufactured, filled – in recyclable glass bottles – and shipped from her 1,200 acre farm in Vermont.
On a mission to care for your skin and the planet, Ren Clean Skincare has declared its aim to be 100 per cent zero waste by 2021 – meaning recyclable packaging, refillable solutions and bottles made from reclaimed ocean plastic across the board. The label has also partnered with global charity Surfrider, which tackles beach and ocean clean-ups worldwide.
When it comes to philanthropy in the beauty world, family-run Chantecaille is a serious contender. Committed to conservation, the brand supports a variety of environmental charities by donating a portion of its sales.
A pioneer of socially conscious, holistic beauty since its inception in 1978, Aveda is committed to responsible manufacturing and packaging, as well as formulating with natural and organic ingredients. “Our ultimate goal with packaging is to eliminate the use of virgin plastics. We are proud to have been the first beauty company to use 100 per cent post-consumer recycled PET (a type of recycled plastic). In order to fully eliminate the use of virgin plastic, we are exploring the use of other materials including things like bioplastic (made primarily from sugarcane, which we currently use in combination with post-consumer recycled plastic in some of our packaging), seaweed and even cow waste!” says Edmond Irizarry, executive director of package development at Aveda. Over the last decade Aveda has raised $8 million for grassroots organisations that help protect endangered plants and animals; and its pledge to help people in the developing world to access clean water continues with a 2019 partnership with Charity: Water.
Star buys: Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask; Ren Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash; Chantecaille Philanthropy Cheek Shade in Coral; Aveda Air Control Hairspray
The all-inclusive innovators
Vibe: Embracing inclusivity and a gender-neutral stance, this beauty gang are all about challenging outdated perceptions and creating collections that speak to the makeup lover, whoever they may be.
Who’s in: Milk Makeup, Illamasqua, Fenty Beauty
An early adopter of a gender fluid approach to beauty, Illamasqua is a brand that has stood for inclusivity and individualism since its inception nearly 10 years ago. Whether it’s the label’s inspiringly inclusive Instagram feed featuring makeup looks on faces of both sexes or its noteworthy 2017 campaign with transgender model and activist Munroe Bergdorf, its message is clear.
When it comes to brands embracing an inclusive approach, no one does it better than Fenty Beauty. The behemoth brand, founded by Rihanna only two years ago, has paved the way for better diversity in the industry by offering shades suitable for everyone – including an unprecedented 50 shades of the Pro Filt’r foundation and concealer for women and men.
Having exploded onto the international scene less than three years ago, Milk Makeup is a modern beauty brand with a modern attitude – citing self-expression and experimentation as an integral part of its brand DNA. Of the label’s Live Your Look campaign, co-founder and creative director Georgie Greville says: “It’s about creating unity instead of seeing us all based on gender.”
Star buys: Illamasqua Hydra Veil; Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation Essentials kit; Milk Makeup Kush Fiber Brow Gel
The social beauty queens
Vibe: Characterised by their innate intuition and ability to speak to the beauty customers of today, these Instagram innovators with their impressive social stats and digital-first approach are paving the way for the future of beauty.
Who’s in: Glossier, Summer Fridays, Huda Beauty
“We’re a digitally native beauty brand,” says founder of Glossier, Emily Weiss. “We use the internet to deliver the best possible customer experience. Without it we wouldn’t exist.” When it comes to the brand’s social stats, they speak for themselves: a rapidly rising and highly engaged Instagram devotees (2m and counting) and sold-out products that launch every six to eight weeks.
Created and launched last year by two social media influencers, Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores-Ireland (who have a combined following of over 1m), Summer Fridays is breakout brand in this rapidly expanding tribe. Created using Instagram as a market research forum to answer the needs of their target audience, Hewitt and Gores-Ireland launched with just one face mask – the Jet Lag Mask – which went on to sell out several times over at Sephora.
Huda Kattan began by making customised false eyelashes for a Middle East audience which quickly expanded to lip liners and liquid lipsticks in response to her followers’ demands. Today, her makeup brand Huda Beauty is valued at over $1b, and with 37.5m followers, she was recently listed as number 20 on Instagram’s 2018 rich list.
Star buys: Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation, Glossier Boy Brow
The runway royalty
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Vibe: Passionate professionals who have honed their skills through decades of hard work backstage and behind the scenes, this inspiring collective is revered for creative intuition and elevated artistry.
Who’s in: Pat McGrath Labs, Charlotte Tilbury, Hair by Sam McKnight
When it comes to a test ground for formulations, there’s no better place to put a product through its paces than the frenetic backstage environment. Building on her years of expertise as one of the most in-demand makeup artists of her generation, the self-professed “Mother of Makeup” Pat McGrath launched her eponymous line in 2016. Less than three years later, the self-financed company has now attained billion-dollar status.
Another doyenne of the backstage arena, Charlotte Tilbury launched her makeup line in 2013 to almost instant acclaim, with the aim to empower women to become the best version of themselves. With kits designed to be easy to use, the premise is a simple but powerful one that resonates with those who want to achieve the luminous Hollywood glamour that Tilbury is known for creating.
When it comes to easy, effortless runway hair no one does it better than legendary hair stylist Sam McKnight, a consummate professional who’s worked with everyone from Karl Lagerfeld to Princess Diana. McKnight’s debut collection comprised a neat edit of must-have hair essentials, revered for their sophisticated scent as much as their styling prowess. “I’d been playing at mixing my own products for years, experimenting backstage and on shoots with different products to find the perfect combination of hold, silkiness, speed, buildability, ease of brushing out – all the things that are important to me and the women who use products,” he says.
Star buys: Pat McGrath Labs Mothership IV Decadence Eyeshadow Palette; Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter; Sam McKnight Cool Girl Texturising Spray