With so many independent cosmetics, personal care, wellness, and fragrance brands on the market today, it can be easy to see redundancies among them. But this doesn’t mean that inspired, compelling, innovative brands don’t exist. The independent fragrance brands discussed here have persuasive reasons for being and have found their consumer niche.
Alchemy
Earlier this month, Cosmetics Design looked into the rise in what might be called metaphysical beauty. Consumers today (perhaps isolated and fatigued by all things digital) are looking for new ways to cultivate wellness, interpersonal connections, and meaningful mindfulness. And to this end, they are intrigued by minerals, crystals, astrology, yoga, meditation, amorphous spirituality, etc.
In this niche, brands like Zodica Perfumery and The Lyfestyle Co are meeting consumer expectations.
The Lyfestyle Co describes itself as a natural fragrance and beauty brand, but the signs of the zodiac and healing crystals figure prominently into the brand’s fragrance strategy.
Zodica Perfumery, as the name suggests, is a fragrance (and fragrant products) brand structured on all things astrological. And this brand too incorporates crystals and semiprecious stones into its approach to product development. Read more about one of Zodica Perfumery’s newest products in 5 innovative brand launches at IBE NY 2018.
History
Arguably there is no US-based indie beauty company older than Caswell Massey. The fragrance, personal care, and grooming brand dates back to the 1700s and proudly claims George Washington as its first celebrity endorser.
Caswell Massey boasts a history, and perhaps more plainly a story, that connects people, products and heritage in a meaningful way.
The family-owned company brought in new leadership not long ago and is updating and reinvigorating their product portfolio. While preserving the heritage of Caswell Massey, CEO Nicholas Arauz has championed collaborations with creative professionals to bolster the brand (a move that shows Caswell Massey has grown wise with age and is willing to learn). Find out more in this Cosmetics Design video interview.
Respectfully
All of the brands discussed above, as well as numerous others, take care to create scents using (at least some) natural ingredients. But the more exceptional natural fragrance brands each have a very considered approach to ingredient sourcing. Pour le Monde, Ojai Wild, and Raw Spirit are a few such indie brands.
Pour la Monde defines ‘natural’ quite literally: “Natural fragrances are essential oils and isolates derived from botanical ingredients that are harvested from the earth such as: flowers, fruits, sap, seeds or skin of the plant, as well as the bark, leaves, roots, resins or wood of certain trees and not from a lab,” according to the Pour le Monde site. And, the brand only uses oils that “are derived from natural raw materials by either steam or water distillation.”
Ojai Wild only sources ingredients from the local environment where the brand is based in California. “Alongside organic botanicals and roots from our farm in the Ojai Valley, our hand-gathered materials are ethically sourced from trees, shrubs and fields grown on established estates and ranches all around California,” explains ojaiwild.com. Learn more about the brand’s sourcing strategy in this article from Cosmetics Design.
And Raw Spirit works closely with indigenous people around the world to source rare naturals. “Raw Spirit is inspired by the energy, spirit, and connection to nature we continuously witness as we collaborate with some of the oldest and most marginalized communities around the world,” according to the brand’s site. They collaborate to “sustainably source rare and unique natural ingredients for our fragrances.”
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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.
