5 Niche Beauty Brands To Have On Your Radar
Photography: @LABOUCHEROUGEPARIS, @WANDER_BEAUTY, @EDWARDBESS
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5 Niche Beauty Brands To Have On Your Radar

While the beauty industry tends to be dominated by the major players, we love to give smaller brands some airtime, too. From those pioneering cleaner, reusable formulations, to others creating multi-purpose buys to streamline your make-up bag, here are five worth knowing about.
Photography: @LABOUCHEROUGEPARIS, @WANDER_BEAUTY, @EDWARDBESS

All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.

@EDWARDBESS

Edward Bess

Who’s Behind It: Brand Founder & Make-Up Artist, Edward Bess

The Concept: Edward Bess’ cult – and concise – range steers clear of trends and instead focuses on capsule items everyone actually needs. All the colour palettes are suits-all, and aim to enhance your natural beauty and skin tone. Everything is fuss-free, too, with streamlined packaging and do-it-all formulas that deliver on both coverage and hydration. Having started with a flattering wardrobe of lip colours, since then the line has evolved to include new hair and fragrance launches that are just as covetable.  

The Bestsellers: Bess’ iconic lipsticks continue to be a bestseller, thanks to the warming tones that are full of creamy – but long-lasting – pigment. We recommend trying the Light Tint Trio, too. With a sheer, blenadable texture, they melt into the skin to create a subtle glow that catches the light beautifully – scribble them on lids, cheeks and anywhere the sun would naturally hit your face. Finally, the Complexion Perfector is not to be missed. Bridging the gap between a tinted moisturiser and BB cream, it offers radiant coverage with a weightless consistency. 

Available here

Trèstique

Who’s Behind It: Co-Founder, Jennifer Kapahi 

The Concept: Created for busy women, trèStiQue’s products are easy-to-use, thanks to their multi-tasking formulas that deliver. They have a two-in-one design, with built-in blending tools for seamless application – plus, everything comes housed in magnetic casing which only adds to the satisfaction. We love the creamy, velvet-y textures that can be scribbled onto lids, cheeks and lips – no mirror needed – that are totally fool-proof. Plus, throughout the pandemic trèStiQue have offered digital, virtual consultations for free, so you can find products that cater to your individual wants and needs. The ‘Find My Shade’ tool makes it particularly easy to shop online with confidence. 

The Bestsellers: TrèStiQue’s small, portable highlighters are a must-try. Simple to use, with a creamy formula that skims over the skin lightly, they deposit just the right amount of product with a dewy dry down. Scribble them onto your cheeks to see the glossy sheen appear. The Colour & Smudge Crayons are great for creating speedy smokey eyes, too, while the dual-sided Lip Glaze Crayons allow you to go full matte or softly and balm-y, for a luminous daytime finish. 

Available here

@TRESTIQUE

@LABOUCHEROUGEPARIS

La Bouche Rouge

Who’s Behind It: Co-Founder, Nicolas Gerlier 

The Concept: Founded by industry veteran Nicolas Gerlier – who’s worked with the likes of L’Oréal, Armani and Lancôme – La Bouche Rouge aims to bring sustainability to the world of luxury beauty. Free from all plastics, their cult lipstick line is housed in customisable and refillable cases, with a host of wearable shades and textures. But the products don’t end there – you’ll also find a mascara encased in recycled glass, wooden handled brushes and compact shadows that can be popped in and out easily when you want to replace them. The formulas are free from silicones and parabens, too, so you can ensure you’re getting the very best. You’ll love how the products look like designer items, too – everything has a timeless, classic appeal to it, with steel, weighty packaging that’s bound by leather and finished with impeccable detailing. 

The Bestsellers: The silky mascara comes highly recommended, thanks to it serum formula which is brimming with nourishing castor oil to keep brittleness at bay. La Bouche Rouge’s lipsticks maintain their best-selling status, too, with a newly-launched Rosie Huntington-Whitley collaboration that’s well worth the hype – think elegant nudes and fresh reds. We love the vivid, creamy eyeshadows that are seriously easy to blend.

Available here

PSA Skincare 

Who’s Behind It: Founder Nicolas Travis 

The Concept: Founded by Nicolas Travis – who also founded cult brand Allies of Skin – this results-driven skincare line has flown off the (virtual) shelves – and for good reason. Not only do prices start at just £20, the formulas focus on high-quality ingredients proven to make a difference. From glycolic to salicylic and hyaluronic acid, each product targets specific concerns, like dark spots, acne and dehydration, all without ever causing any irritation or inflammation. Plus, with just six products in the line, PSA have taken out all guesswork, with a simple and efficacious approach that’s concise and easy to follow – no complicated jargon to follow here. Created without silicones, sulfates, drying alcohol or mineral oil, the line is ideal for anyone with sensitive skin wanting to yield the benefits of potent ingredients. 

The Bestsellers: PSA’s Light Up Rinse-Off Mask is a firm favourite among industry insiders. Brimming with high levels of vitamin C, it resurfaces dead skin cells for a brightening effect, while hyaluronic acid nourishes and counteracts inflammation. Look out for the Midnight Courage Oil, too. Full of bakuchiol (a plant-based retinol) it’s gentle, but strong enough to encourage cell turnover and reduce the appearance of dark spots over time. It’s full of vitamins, too, which will help boost elasticity and skin firmness.

Available here

@PSASKIN

@WANDER_BEAUTY

Wander Beauty

Who’s Behind It: Co-Founders Divya Gugnani & Lindsay Ellingson 

The Concept: Just like TrèStiQue, Wander Beauty’s founders were fed up of firing on all cylinders, especially when their products weren’t doing the same. Divya and Lindsay both wanted to create multi-tasking formulas that work fast and use only the cleanest, nourishing ingredients. Cue their now much-coveted line, which ticks these boxes and more. Beloved for their instantaneous results, unlike other brands, they regularly seek out customer feedback to ensure their products are the best they can be, too, so everything feels authentic and well thought-through. The beautiful packaging is a bonus. 

The Bestsellers: The Mile High Club Mascara is a fan favourite, as it’s so good for volumising lashes, while also separating and defining them. It’s long-lasting as well, with zero flakes or smudging come 4pm. Likewise, their Lip Retreat Oil provides a multitude of benefits. Full of nourishing ingredients – think fatty acids, vitamin and E – it softly plumps and smooths dry skin, while the veil of colour gives lips a healthy-looking glow that lasts. Their Blush & Bronze Duo is a stand-out, as well. Use a big fluffy brush to mix the two shades together, or wear it solo to sculpt and subtly contour the skin.

Available here

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