Louise McSharry: My pick of the smaller beauty brands giving the cosmetic giants a run for their money

L’Oréal’s stable of brands, for example, includes YSL Beauty, Armani Beauty, Garnier, IT Cosmetics, La Roche Posay, and Maybelline among many others.

The Shiseido company includes Shiseido, of course, but also Avéne, Laura Mercier, Joico, Nars and lots more. In fact, seven major beauty leaders (L’Oréal, Johnson & Johnson, Shiseido, Estée Lauder, Coty, Proctor & Gamble and Unilever) own more than 180 beauty companies.

The business of beauty is an enormous machine. As a result, it can be a little tricky for smaller, independent brands to make waves. Today, I thought I’d highlight some of the ones that should be on your radar.

Obviously, we have loads of them in Ireland and I highlight them all the time in this column’s buying Irish section. If you haven’t checked out brands like Sculpted by Aimee, Ground by Peigin Crowley, Pestle and Mortar, Dublin Herbalists, Rebeluna, Ayu, Ella & Jo, or BiaBelle Beauty (I could go on) I urge you to do so! Irish brands are knocking it out of the park these days.

Elsewhere, anyone who’s been to Sweden (which is full of innately stylish beauties) won’t be surprised to learn that they are developing excellent beauty products. Oden’s Eye specialises in colourful eyeshadow palettes inspired by Norse mythology (think Thor, but bright and sparkly). Each highly-pigmented palette includes a mix of beautiful shimmer, sparkle and matte shades, and they perform beautifully. I currently have my eye on the 16-shade Alva II palette (€29.95 via odenseye.se) which includes blues, greens, and warm sunset tones.

LH Cosmetics is the brainchild of Swedish influencer Linda Hallberg. It focuses on multi-use products, meaning ‘colours are only colours’ rather than specifically a lipstick or blush or what have you. Infinity Glass (€28.75 via beautybay.com) is a lightweight, glossy gel which can be used all over the face — under makeup as a primer, on top of it as a highlighter or, indeed, on the lips. It doesn’t dry down, which some people may struggle with, but if you’re looking for glass-like skin it delivers.

Tower 28 is an American brand based in California, and named for a lifeguard tower, so it won’t surprise you that it excels at bronzing products. Bronzino, the brand’s illuminating cream bronzer (€20.34 via cultbeauty.com) is beautiful. It comes in four shades and errs just on the right side of sparkly, giving the skin a natural looking bronzed glow.

The recently launched Sunny Days Tinted SPF (€33 via revolve.com) is going down a storm, but hard to find in stock. I can’t wait to try it.

Italy is the home of Nabla Cosmetics, whose products are loved by influencers and makeup artists alike. I’ve yet to try a Nabla product I don’t like. The eyeshadow palettes deliver on tones and pigment, while Skin Realist Beautifying Tinted Balm (€32.50 via beautybay.com) is a beautiful glowy foundation which works really well on dry skin.

My favourite, though, are Nabla’s Skin Glazing Highlighters (€25 via beautybay.com). They come in shades which work as highlighter or blush, and leave the skin shining like glass.

Buying Irish

I’m stretching the boundaries of ‘beauty’ with this recommendation but hey, it’s a product which is usually sold in chemists... almost automatically beauty, right? Riley is the brainchild of three Irish women who couldn’t find eco-friendly, sustainable period products to suit their needs. From compostable tampons with sugar-cane applicators (€19.12 for a three-month supply via weareriley.com) to toxin-free organic cotton pads (€23.92 for a three-month supply), every product is manufactured in Europe and each box includes a €1 contribution to fight period poverty.

Something old...

Micellar water arrived in this part of the world in 2013, long after it originated in the pharmacies of France. Bioderma’s Sensibio H20 Micellar Water (€12.75 via meagherspharmacy.ie) was the first one many of us used, and is still a staple of many a makeup artist’s kit. The attraction of micellar water is obvious, it easily removes makeup but doesn’t need to be rinsed off. Bioderma’s Sensibio is ultra-mild, so ideal for sensitive skin, and for fixing makeup mistakes or as the first step of a double cleanse.

... Something new

Ceravé arrived in Ireland only a few years ago, but has firmly established itself as a trustworthy skincare brand which doesn’t break the bank. The brand’s ethos is based around the effective use of ingredients in products developed by dermatologists. The latest launch is Micellar Cleansing Water (€11.45 via medipharm.ie). Gentle and effective, this micellar water slightly lathers on application which was unexpected but pleasing. It is very effective in removing makeup but doesn’t leave the skin feeling at all dehydrated, thanks to the inclusion of ceramides and niacinamide.