The beauty community is a buzzing place right now. It seems like every time you scroll down your Instagram feed or walk the aisles of beauty emporiums you run into a new beauty brand promising to upgrade your life with its unique offerings. Simply put: There's a lot out there on the market for the average consumer to try. The problem? Each new product can feel like a major gamble. Will this waterproof mascara be impossible to remove, giving the effect of perpetual raccoon eyes? Is this luxury brand lipstick really worth $20 more than its drugstore counterpart? And of course, every beauty purchaser's No. 1 fear: Is this going to break me out?
While it's always fun and exciting to discover new products, whether it's the newest skin care formula for sensitive skin or the lip color innovation for all-day wear, the sheer amount of products and companies can make the shopping experience a bit overwhelming for anyone, even the biggest beauty lovers among us. Plus, people just don�t have the time or money to test everything out even if they wanted to.
In the midst of the crowd, though, some of those new players have started gaining traction, be it for their overall vision, packaging or their formulas and the results they deliver (or a mix of all of the above). Wondering where to find these beauty company unicorns? Ahead, the 10 new beauty brands that launched this year that everyone should know about.
An inclusive Revlon-owned brand created by Allure's founding editor, Linda Wells, Flesh is built on the premise that flesh isn't one color — it can be any complexion you want it to be. The prestige line carries 40 travel-friendly, medium-coverage stick foundation shades fit for a wide spectrum of skin tones as well as other classic cosmetics like monochromatic eyeshadow palettes, bullet lipsticks, natural-looking highlighters and more.
People still can't get enough of K-beauty, so it was only a matter of time before a major company came out with its own line of products inspired by the innovative formulas from South Korea. Enter Kaja, an affordable K-beauty brand created by Sephora and Korean subscription service Memebox. As expected, the products come in adorable, bite-size packaging perfect to use on the go or chuck in your handbag for touch-ups. The colors of all of the products are also made to flatter a range of skin tones, from a blendable blush that comes in a compact you press on your cheeks like a stamp to buildable concealer.
As the saying goes, more is more and less is a bore. That couldn't ring more true for the newly relaunched prestige cosmetics line Il Makiage, which is encouraging consumers to embrace their wild and bold sides. The brand is the antithesis to the minimalism trend targeting more daring beauty lovers willing to take risks with their makeup looks. And the company is shade inclusive, too, carrying 50 shades in total for its first long-wearing matte foundation that evens out complexions for a flawless finish.
Petite 'n Pretty was conceived for the next generation of creatives who love to experiment with shine and color, whether it be for a special occasion like Halloween or for the makeup minimalist who just needs the basics covered. Founded by Samantha Cutler, former chief product development officer at Stila (and the brainchild behind the brand's popular glitter liquid eyeshadows), the line boasts a selection of playful and glittery makeup with age-appropriate colors and safe formulas that are suitable for those new to the makeup game, but look equally awesome on more seasoned makeup mavens.
This pediatrician-approved eye and cheek palette comes complete with nudes and sheer pinks, a pretty blush and glitter-specked highlighter as well as a petite brush that's easy to use on smaller features.
