:It's the most wonderful time of the year: The Indie Beauty Expo 2019 is here

Here we go!

 This is my favourite event of the year and I was thrilled to be invited back.

So what is the Indie Beauty Expo?

The beauty industry is full of familiar names and sometimes it can feel like there is enough room for the smaller brands. The expo is a chance to meet those who are developing new and exciting products for the market. Some of the brands are so new that they launched the same week as the show! I met one company that went live the day before. It's also a chance to see what is coming up in the beauty industry as there are clear emerging trends.

With so many brands to see and so little time, where to start?

 I was happy to see the trend for sustainability that was present in the 2019 event still going strong. If anything, the movement has gotten a boost with nearly all brands putting an emphasis on turning out packaging with recycled plastic or completely plastic free items. 

 My first stop was at the Aeos stand to see their range of skincare products. All the Aeos products contain plant extracts, enzymes, vitamins and essential oils which are sourced from soil that has been nourished and activated by biodynamic farming processes.  I was really interested in their starter kits which are a great way to get into organic and biodynamic beauty.

I love the crystal element to this collection so I am dying to get stuck into the lovely box of goodies that they gave me. I chose to go with the pink collection as rose quartz is one of my favourite crystals. I was eyeing up the massive one they had on the stand but reckoned it wouldn't fit in my luggage.

 You can find Aeos here

 I was delighted to see so many companies offering CBD products. I am a huge supporter of CBD in everything from coffee to oils. I'm still enjoying the gorgeous products that The Hugg Company sent me recently.

This was completely new to me though - CBD tattoo balm! I am also working on tattoo sleeves at the moment so I am the target audience for this amazing new idea. I have been liberally applying the balm they gave me to my brand new kitty tattoo since I got it. I love it. While I don't know what the difference is just yet, I have noticed the irritation has stopped and the redness has gone down massively. I react to adhesive so this has been a god send to take down the irritation caused by my tattoo wrap.

I have one of the little travel sized balms which is perfect given that I travel abroad for tattoos. Pure Vida Cosmetics also offer anti ageing, deodorant, balm and baby products if you are interested in CBD properties in beauty but don't have tattoos.

You can find them here

 There was a clear trend for female friendly products this year with companies offering reusable sanitary products, moon cups, period pain relief and sex positive lubricants. You love to see it!

I am a big supporter of moon cups as they are a credible alternative to wasteful tampons and pads. If you look at the list of chemicals that are included in period products then it makes sense to switch to a healthier alternative.

The Hello Cup is one of the most comfortable cups on the market. Not to mention that they come in a variety of brightly coloured options. I chose yellow because, well, my hair is yellow so why not! The cup was made by Mary Bond and Robyn McLean, both registered nurses who were frustrated by the lack of quality menstrual cups on offer.

The Hello Cup is obviously reusable but it is free from any nasty ingredients as well as being made from quality medical-grade, hypoallergenic TPE. The cups come in three sizes depending on age and childbirth. Sadly, my cup is a small so too small for me but perfect for me to pass to my girlfriend or sister. I have been raving about moon cups to both of them so this is a great way to convert another person!

 You can find their amazing products here 

 Something I have never thought about as a make up artist until this year is glitter waste. I know this sounds incredibly random but glitter is actually a form of plastic.  As the tide slowly turns against single use products - I can't help wondering when this means that glitter will become the new micro-bead and be banned.

Enter eco friendly glitters! I'm currently working on using up my MAC glitters which I got while I worked for the company. As much as I love them, they are plastic and I want to replace them for more eco friendly options.

A big thank you to Eco Stardust who gifted me with two gorgeous glitters of my choosing. Consider me sold and converted. I am delighted to be using them tonight as I get into my first Halloween costume of the season.  They have several amazing colours, sizes and finishes. I was delighted to some natural matte finish flakes of gorgeous glitter. Have a sneaky peek above as I don't think they have launched yet. I chose the beautiful pearl shade.

I'm a huge fan!

Find their glitter here

 My next stop was to Achi lashes.  In all my years as a make up artist (I keep saying it's ten years but let's be realistic here. It's closer to fifteen)  I haven't used real lashes. This is because the real lashes have bad reputation for cruelty. However this does mean that I am using plastic lashes which isn't ideal.

Achi lashes are a great alternative as they use cruelty free mink hair. They use the fur that naturally drops out of the animal without removing it themselves.

They offer a range of beautifully fluttery lashes but I chose the Aquamarine lashes as they were the perfect length. I can't wait to do a more natural paint and pop them on. Sadly, as its Halloween, my current looks are more scary than everyday.

You can find Achi here

 While I love the expo - I was desperate need of a refuel. Luckily they had a coffee stand where I could grab a quick bite.

 While I was getting a sneaky sugar fix, I noticed the next stall and freaked out.

I am a HUGE fan of Depixym. A new brand that offer highly pigmented paints that have multiple uses. They are available on Beauty Bay and through Guru Make-up as well which is where I came across their tubes.

I don't need any encouragement to get stuck into bright colours and new products. I live for brands that aren't afraid to offer bright and exciting shades for artists to play with. It was one of the reasons that I wanted to join MAC when I first started as an artist. I haven't changed in all the years I've been painting faces and doing drag.

The girls I met on the stand were incredibly friendly and really enthusiastic about the brand. I was also blown away to realise that this is a Nottingham based company too. Nice to meet a brand which has the bravery to be outside of London. Nottingham has so much to offer companies.

You can find Depixym here. I cannot wait to get stuck into my look for tonight using their products!

 My next stop (once I stopped screaming over the samples I got at Depixym) was to Dr. Botanicals.

I loved the periodic table influenced packaging as it really drew my eye to their stand. The brand makes a huge collection of different skincare products from masks to scrubs to balms. My eye was immediately drawn to the caffeine infused scrub. I've been loving caffeine products lately along with my interest in CBD. I also noticed their superfood collection including the pomegranate regenerating mask for sleeping in. After a week in Stockholm where the weather ripped my skin, lips and hair apart, I could use some hydrating masks.

I am looking forward to test driving a few of their products that they were kind enough to gift me. You can find their range here

Things got a little bit steamy over at the Baubo stand with their range of happy vulva products.

 A French feminist brand with a strong sustainable edge,  Baubo offered a 'happy vulva' balm. A post sex and daily balm for soothing irritation. It was really refreshing to see so many feminist brands offering help for women. This was a welcome addition to the 2019 line up. I hope we see more brands offering healthy happy products for vulvas, period pain relief and sustainable options.

You can find Baubo here

 I think Green Stem CBD products were one of my favourite stands. I not only tried some extremely tasty CBD oil in black cherry flavour but I also vaped! I am aware that the taste of CBD products can sometimes put people off but this is where flavoured products can be a god send!

 Green Stem CBD make a range of really tasty oils in a variety of flavours. They also make an incredible CBD tonic water which would make a lovely addition to a strong post work gin. They also offer skincare containing CBD and kindly gave me a lovely bath bomb to take away.

I will purchasing their gummies edibles as well. You can find the beautifully packaged products here

 Next stop was the amazingly presented Fine stand. I loved the incredible floral display. The Berlin based brand offer a solid deodorant which is nasty ingredient free. I've been increasingly interested in aluminium free alternatives with sustainable packaging. It's been hard to find.

It was lovely to Judith (the developer and founder) at Fine about their products which were developed to provide the eco versions of our favourites.  Not only do the products look slick on your shelf but they smell and feel beautiful on the skin. I can't wait to try the samples out. I am converted already.

You can shop Fine here

 So what trends have I noticed at the show?

- Sustainable packaging and products
- Alternative ingredients ethically sourced
- Female focused products such as lube, pain relief and menstrual cups
- Gender neutral packaging
- CBD in products
- Eco friendly deodorant balms
- Tech focused products (I saw amazing skincare products, mirrors and lights)

I want to say a huge thank you to the wonderful team at Kilpatrick PR who had me down for the day to explore the new brands. I am delighted to have met so many lovely people and brands. I promise there is a lot more content to come as I start to work my way through all the lovely products.

Hopefully we will be back in 2020!