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ILNP, which is by no means new, but certainly new-to-me, which is a nail polish brand. Glaminatrix, which is an indie brand from Australia that does pressed eyeshadow.
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Probably the 2 Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow quads that I purchased in the past few months. While there isn’t a lot in CT’s line that I think is worth the prices, I’m glad I have both Rebel and The Rock Chick as they are really useable quads for me. Also, thanks to this site, Huda Beauty has now joined my happy makeup family – I’ve purchased the Jaguar palette and one of her new blushes and I am enjoying using both of these purchases.
In the last 12 months, counting Dec 2020, LORAC! I love their eyeshadow palettes. One of the few brands I am not allergic to!
They are very underrated. And one of the few brands to put out yellow-based olive-undertone friendly palette stories, rather than just orange, pink, or gray bases that pass for warm or cool.
Great brand with great palettes!
Sydney Grace! After seeing the collab palettes and the color stories I was so intrigued. First indie to purchase from and I’m so excited to start looking into smaller brands. There’s true gems outside of the main store brands. Thank you Christine ☺️
Aww <3
Dandy Lions Cosmetics! I love them! Also Devinah was a new to me brand that I have quite enjoyed.
New to me brands I’m really enjoying are: BH cosmetics, Huda beauty and Natasha Denona
Saie, Danessa Myricks and Ilia
Yes! Sydney Grace, due to first your collab with them, followed up with the one with Mel Thompson (RIP😢). Their eyeshadows do not disappoint. Between their carefully formulating some very unique, interesting shades, having a creamy, smooth formula, and excellent customer service, I have fallen in love with this beauty brand!
I do miss Mel too. 🙁
Real Techniques- I’ve known it for almost a decade I think but the need had never arisen till now. So far, so good.
Sydney Grace- this one I heard about here. I’m very happy with all the shades I got but it’s a pity it takes so long to arrive.
Honorary mention:
UD- I’ve known it for ages and I’ve bought “bits and pieces” here and there but I guess we could say I’ve only just now “expanded” to Vice lipstick and those Naked palettes which are the reason it first became so famous… UD is nice, Sephora Portugal I could do without… It’s a pity it’s not more widely available.
Glam Shop Poland, which features indie eyeshadow finishes like multichrome and duochrome at affordable prices, sometimes less than $5. It also has real holographic eyeshadow – not iridescent labeled as holographic. The shipping is expensive so it is best to wait and place a larger order.
I finally got to try Clionadh, and I’m obsessed. I love everything about the brand, and I wish them continued success. I’ll remain a loyal, happy customer despite the fact that I order from America and they’re a Canadian brand, as long as they keep cranking out incredible shades and formulas. 🙂
I’ve been aware of Sisley-Paris for some time, but finally dipped my toe into their gilded waters this year. I’m happy with their offerings – my wallet isn’t.
My first rule for low-no buy was now new brands. Good thing, too, because these indies are KILLING me. Sydney Grace was already in-stash, but I got nether taupe nor green bags. Christine’s collabs were the absolute hardest to resist for me. And there were no people to gift that had the degree of m/u smarts to appreciate them. Tried a couple of BB and light foundations that were fine…the Coola Rosilliance and the Iredale liquid minerals that I could not believe I’d not tried. I was a big JI powder foundation person BITD. But an HG from FAB was d/c’d and not duplicated yet. There’s always s.t. to search for.
No, not now. damn fool/autocorrect
By Beauty Bay! The quality of their eyeshadow is incredible for the price. The eyeshadows are highly pigmented, apply with no fallout and blend well. They are also doing some interesting colour stories that suit a wide range of skin tones.
Makeup Revolution is a brand I used when I was living in America and first got into makeup but this year I have rediscovered them now they are available in Australia and have found the quality has improved significantly. I’m a stick foundation user and their stick foundation is one of the best I have found. Unfortunately I’m between two shades but when I can get it for $AU3.00 a tube on sale I buy both and blend a perfect shade for me.
Kaleidos eyeshadows and highlighters are amazing. Mars Melter is my ride-or-die highlighter now. I do a shop your stash approach to makeup as I have a big collection and the escape pod eyeshadow palette hasn’t left my rotation since I bought it.
I need to build an annex for concealers. I’ve tried every one except Cle de Peau and I don’t like sticks. Revolution is my all time fave. I use them all, but repurchase MUR when it runs out. Even Koh Gen doh (my foundation ) doesn’t top it. Beats the 50$ concealer. What Revolution does well, it does very well. Hmm, Rose Inc came today. Love if it could give Revolution a run for their money. But then you say ‘Revolution? What money?’
For me its unearthly cosmetics (formerly alien cosmetics) I was curious but not really paying attention. Got the hauntingly glamorous palette and it is just so good, like SO GOOD. So good.. I think I need everything they’ve got now. The packaging, the color stories, the pigmentation, the blendability. I literally have zero complaints. I can’t find anything wrong only that I should have shopped sooner.
For me, the newish brands that I bought from this year are Lorac (I did have their Pro Metal palette from the past, but that’s it) and I have loved, loved and loved the Noir palette so far this year and I am desperately trying to get the Fairytale Forest palette – Lorac doesn’t ship internationally and although I can get this palette from Cameraready and Nordstrom, the shipping rates are more than the cost of the palette. I am waiting for it to drop at Beauty Bay, whose shipping rates are reasonable.
Another brand I have bought from this year – new to me is By Terry – the Bonjour Paris palette, which is similar in design to Huda’s Obsessions. So far that has been a delight as well.
And finally, the SG x Temptalia palette of On the Horizons (light) that I have purchased from SG – I have a couple of their singles, but not their palettes and this one is fabulous. I use it every single week. Such a joy.
SO many!! Shine by SD, The Pastel Roses, Dandy Lions, Its Bel, Face Glaze Beauty, Devinah, Copacetics, Kaleidos, Looxi…
Terra Moons – ordered three times this year as the formulas and colors are gorgeous! And Natasha Denona Glam palette. I’ve never tried ND and that was a good purchase. I like using the lighter shimmers for inner corner highlight, and deeper shimmers for outer v and as a liner. All play well with my Sydney Grace singles and the Temptalia palettes. : )
Sydney Grace, like many others here! Also, Ilia and Rare Beauty.
Terra Moons and Midas Cosmetics
Danessa Myricks is a new one for me.
One piece each: Natasha Denona (for obvious reasons), ABH, Besame, Kevyn Aucoin. When timing and funds allow, I also intend to get a few single shadows that would round out my collection of Melt x Beetlejuice dupes and a few of the more brightly-colored Laura Mercier Caviar Stick shadows-as well as the Sydney Grace x Temptalia collection, which (since I’ve bought from SG before) would only be partially new to me!
Multiple pieces: Milani, YSL, Makeup Revolution-I bought a bunch of items from the DC Comics collab-and 2 Maison Margiela Replica fragrances.
I think the only brand I didn’t have in my stash already was Clionadh, I bought some of their eyeshadows and I’m happy with them. They share a large palette with Sidney Grace singles, but if I buy more than one more single from either brand, I’ll also need a new empty palette.
I bought a lot from SG, but the brand wasn’t new to me. The Temptalia palettes and a lot of singles that works well with the palettes made SG one of the best represented brand in my collection, though MAC is still the brand I have the most from, both eyeshadows, lipsticks, blushes and so on.
Oh, I almost forgot I also tried Lethal Cosmetic for the first time this year.
I have some brands lined up for next year, so I can answer this question in 12 months again.
I tried Glaminatrix and Sydney Grace and I love them both.