Beauty brands that excite me & some that don’t

Hi friends!

Let’s expand our conversation a bit today and talk beauty brands, rather than just beauty products. There are many, many beauty brands that excite or inspire me. It could be due to any number of factors: the products they launch, the way they market to their customers or just their general vibe in the marketplace. These are the brands that motivate me to play and create with cosmetics. Conversely, there are a lot of brands that just don’t excite me for whatever reason. Maybe I find their products a bit dull or unexciting, or I just skip over them while walking through the aisles of a store.

So I wanted to share with you today my list of these brands. But please note, this is not in any way an exhaustive list; I could have picked more on both the positive or negative side, but who would want to read a mile-long list?? The majority of these brands I have tried but there are a few that I haven’t yet (but I got my eye on!).

Full disclosure: this post is inspired by a tag I saw going around on YouTube. I don’t often feel the need to jump on the tag-train, but I’ve really enjoyed watching some of my fave YouTubers speak on this particular subject. For instance, check out Emily Noel’s vid.

 BEAUTY BRANDS THAT EXCITE ME!

Call me basic. Call me a millennial (I don’t technically think I am). But GLOSSIER excites me, plain and simple. Are their products revolutionary & innovative? Hell no. Are they the best performing products on the market? Hell no again. But are they phenomenal at making you want their products because they’re just so cool and you don’t want to miss out? Hell yes! These guys know how to target their audience and how to sell their brand & their products beautifully. I just wish they would start producing for middle-aged and mature ladies & gents as well.

Even though I wasn’t intrigued by the first Glossier Play launch, it’s exciting that they are now expanding into different sectors of the beauty industry. I’m here for it guys!

Read this: Glossier Play has launched, so let’s discuss!

I haven’t yet tried anything from California-based brand LILAH B., but I soooo want to! I’ve had my eye on them for a while now, and their products just look absolutely stunning. I’m a sucker for any cream cosmetic product that boasts shine & hydration, and that’s exactly what this brand promises (allegedly). I think what excites me the most about them is their focus on minimalism and on products that have a lot of ease-of-use. I mean “minimalism” in the sense that they offer a small crop of considered and thoughtful products; they don’t churn out products at an alarming rate or flood the market with unnecessary quantities of eye palettes (ahem, ColourPop, while I’m starting to like you, you do have some questionable practices). You can shop Lilah b. products now at Sephora in the “Clean” section, I believe.

Again, this is a brand that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while now but have not yet tried. Like Lilah b., I absolutely love the stunning packaging that KOSAS COSMETICS has created for their products. Everything is sleek, clean and modern-looking. And I absolutely love their tagline: “Beauty, Undone.” Yes! If I had a beauty motto myself, it would be something like that; beauty, but lived-in. You get me?

I always get particularly inspired when I see cream color palettes in a line. It’s not a product I’ve ever owned before, but I think a cream palette is particularly conducive to customizing and playing around with texture & color. Almost like you’re playing with paints. You can find Kosas in retailers like Sephora, Neiman Marcus, The Detox Market and others. Check their website for more info.

The last beauty brand that excites me is RMS BEAUTY. I’ve only tried one of their products so far (the lip2cheek cream blush), but I just know that one day I’ll explore more of their line. They’re an all-natural makeup brand that offer both powder & cream products, but with an emphasis on creams. You’re probably seeing a pattern here now, right? Sorry, I can’t help myself! I just love easy-to-use cream products in a pot! I guess it’s because I like to really use my hands and fingers when I do my makeup, and feel the product.

Pretty much everything about this brand excites me – colors, textures, packaging. And again, it’s not about burying your face in layers of makeup. Their formulas are light and meant only to enhance. I love that. I usually shop RMS in my local Blue Mercury store, but check their website for locations near you.

Read this: Top 5 cream blushes you need in your collection

BEAUTY BRAND THAT DON’T EXCITE ME!

Is anyone really surprised here? TOO FACED has made so many appearances on my beauty anti-wishlists over the months. I just can’t seem to get excited about their products anymore, do you agree? It’s ironic because I have a decent amount of Too Faced in my collection (mainly eye palettes like Sweet Peach & Chocolate Bar), but I think my makeup taste and preferences have simply changed. The last launch that truly excited me from them was the Born This Way Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer last year. It’s the highest coverage concealer that I own and I really, really love it. But every year they just seem to get tackier and tackier (case in point: the powder compact above). Underwhelmed.

Question: when was the last time YOU bought anything from ALMAY? Yup. For some reason, I always, always seem to skip over this brand when I’m at Ulta or the drugstore. What is it about them that is just such a snooze-fest?? Anyone? Is it their packaging? Their lack of social media buzz? Woefully limited shade ranges? I’m honestly perplexed. I used to own a few products from Almay, namely complexion products. They were not bad by any stretch, but I just never felt excited to use them while I had them or buy them again when I didn’t have them.

I’ll wrap up this post by talking about ELIZABETH ARDEN. I think I’ve only ever used one product from this heritage brand, which was one of the 8-Hour Lip Balms. Beyond the iconic 8-Hour Cream, there’s nothing I’ve ever been tempted to buy from them. I feel what was once a mighty beauty brand has since shrunk in the ever-decreasing retail market. And just to be clear, I’m not talking about “shrunk” in terms of net value and profitability, but rather “shrunk” in terms of public opinion or awareness. You just don’t hear a lot of people discuss them, either online or in real life. Please correct me if I’m wrong, by all means.

I hope you all enjoyed hearing about the beauty brands that excite me and those that don’t. Please tell me which brands you’d include or take out. I’d love to hear your opinions!

Xo, Erica

(All images are courtesy of the respective brand’s Instagram.)

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