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5 Brands Worth Tracking Down


5 Brands Worth Tracking Down

These brands are impossible to find, and with so many brands online, it’s easier than ever to find niche beauty brands. These are five brands that you just won’t find in stores all over the place but are worth buying sight unseen.

Le Metier de Beaute is a beautifully done line with really nuanced colors, well-thought out formulas, and full range of products. I fell in love with the brand a couple of years ago after stopping by one of a handful of counters in New York City. Their distribution has increased tremendously in the past year, but they are still harder to find in stores. My favorite products are their blushes and Lip Cremes.

Burberry created a line with a surprising amount of success–it does not feel like they rested on their brand name to carry them forward. They created a color range that worked with the brand’s image–simple, elegant, timeless. The textures equally in line with their image; silky, smooth, never too shimmery or too much. My favorite products are their eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks. Burberry Trench is my go-to highlighter.

Rescue Beauty Lounge is a brand that is so relatable. The creator, Ji, interacts with fans and customers so well and thoroughly that you feel like you are following her on her journey of creating new shades. There is truly something special about the way Rescue Beauty Lounge listens to their customers and finds ways to give them yet one more reason to love the brand. Many of the polishes have subtlties that make a shade unique–on top of an excellent, long-wearing, beautifully-applying formula.

Paul & Joe Beaute has such darling packaging but the products inside are equally, if not more so, deserving of praise and attention. There is a certain softness to their range, with some playfulness, and always enough creativity to keep the brand elevated from same ol’, same ol’. My favorite product is their eyeshadows!

Nubar is a brand I know I would have never heard of had i not been a beauty blogger or thoroughly immersed in the online beauty community. It is a brand that does nail polish exceptionally well. I always feel like Nubar does their own thing; you never quite know what to expect from them–sometimes it seems fitting to the season, other times they create shades you may not think you’d wear.

29 Comments

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KittenMittons Avatar

<3 my Burberry Trench thanks to you 🙂 My mister was all "You have to use it before it goes bad!" and I'm like "Well seeing as I use it almost everyday I don't think that'll be a problem!"

baby in a corner Avatar

Great Post! None of these bar Nubar are available in Ireland. Would also love to try cle de peau and serge lutens make up (if i get a pay rise for the latter!!).

leesie Avatar

I’m still telling myself I don’t need any RBL polishes, while simultaneously kicking myself for not having someone else place my 50% off order for me while I was at work. They’re so pretty, and I /love/ how Ji includes customers and fans in her creative process.

53 Avatar

I love Paul and Joe. You should try their Face Colour (blushes) because they offer such natural colours that your skin will love and it doesnt block pores like some MAC blushes does to my skin.

Angelcat47 Avatar

Another of my favorite brands that is not widely distributed is Mally Beauty(QVC or Mallybeauty.com).Although I tend to shy away from celebrity makeup artists,she is extremely personable and gives great tips when you watch her QVC shows.My faavorite product is her Volumizing Mascara,which is my all time favorite mascara ever and very reasonable at 14.00.

Dosha Avatar

ITA! Mally’s Volumizing Mascara is my favorite mascara! I also like Tarte’s Lights, Camera, Lashes! These two are my top mascara picks most definitely!

Caroline Avatar

The packaging for Paul & Joe is so cute. Very girly which I love. Not sure if I want to pay the price their makeup. I’ll check out their eyeshadows.

Linnea Avatar

I agree on Rescue Beauty Lounge. I think Ji makes it! I mean, they have a fabulous product, awesome colours, but I find Ji’s Twitter, blog and other “reach outs” makes the experience worth it.

I will have to check out Nubar and Burberry.. I always shy away from brands that aren’t “Beauty” originally..

Courtney Avatar

I must agree with Rescue Beauty Lounge. Their polish may be more expensive, but the quality is far superior, especially if you hate goopy, bubbly, cremes. Their formulas apply super smooth and are worth the investment, especially during the rare 50% off sale.

Cindy (Prime Beauty) Avatar

I totally agree with these choices! Another line I absolutley love and is hard for me to find is Chantecaille–I’m sure those in larger cities don’t have this problem though. I know you are familiar with the line, Christine but due to the limited availablity, my first expereince was the Sea Turtle palette which I had to order online and now I am smitten with the quality and creativity of the line. I would also add Edward Bess to the list. 🙂

Sara Avatar

The fact that Paul & Joe is available at Beautyhabit.com makes it that much more appealing for me to try. I can’t emphasize enough how much I love Beauty Habit. Everything they do is personalized, from the hand written notes, candy, and the best samples of any business, bar none. You can request samples of ANY product they carry and they’ll even add samples for similar products they think you’ll like. Now I need to go see what they have for spring. Looks like I’ll have a Friday Free for Haul!

Rebecca Avatar

I just discovered Nubar and I love, love, love their nail polish! For people not wanting to pay full price for these high end brands; sometimes you can find them on blog sales if you don’t mind a gently used (or not used sometimes) product. 🙂

Moni Avatar

Another fan of RBL here. Will you be reviewing the spring collection?

I haven’t tried anything from Nubar but the Diamont topcoat. What a perfect topcoat! It’s the only high-shine, fast-drying topcoat I’ve used that doesn’t shrink when it dries! I’ve also never had to use thinner on it yet and it’s 40% gone, so no goopiness yet.

So different from Seche Vite and Poshe.

jen Avatar

Great post. I adore Le Metier eyeshadows and pick one up as whenever I have something to celebrate:) They blend and layer beautifully with each other and create such interesting colors and finishes.

Michelle Avatar

Is Nubar available anywhere else other than online? I’ve always wanted to try their polishes, but I’m always afraid that the colours look a little different in person than they do in pictures.

greenCerulean Avatar

So funny, I knew Paul & Joe would be one of the ones listed! Like you said, their packaging is so cute. I love their polishes. Good list!

Valerie Avatar

I have over 100 polishes, but my absolute faves are Rescue Beauty Lounge. The shades are so unique, the quality is superb. I heart RBL!

Dosha Avatar

I will add to the list Mally Beauty High Shine Liquid Lipstick Pens! I luv these lippies. I have very dry lips, so I have to wear lippies with very good to great moisturzing properties. It’s like it has a built in lip primer to help smooth out lip lines. My favorite shade from this collection of lippies is Sweet Berry)! I also have Blossom, Orchid, Southern Peach & Starburst! I’m NC45 for reference. Christine – I would luv it if you would do more reviews on Mally’s line of products from eyes, face to lips. It’s a very good line, but unfortunately it does not get much attention.

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