It?s official, the axis of beauty influence has shifted. It seems that every time you look, an emergent independent beauty brand has cut through the ever-increasing industry noise, carving out their own new niche and cementing themselves as a major player in the beauty landscape.
Aided by the social media revolution, these brands have disrupted the status quo by connecting directly to their consumers with a strong digital presence. This phenomenon has allowed newbies to bypass the need for the big budgets, as well as break down traditional barriers to enter the market.
What these brands also have in common is an untempered, clear vision and set of values that resonate with consumers?particularly so with generation millennial?and, to put it simply, just really damn good products. We spoke to some of these burgeoning pioneers on how they got their start and why the independents are changing the beauty game.
Created in 2017 by Venice Beach local Shelby Wild, Playa Hair Care is all about that cool-girl hair with minimal effort?and no drying or styling?required. Initially offering just five products in the range, Wild focussed on hair essentials for the everyday woman. ?When I started Playa, there were no other clean haircare brands that focussed on California-cool, beach waves,? explains Wild. ?I knew that if I could hone in on products that worked for multiple hair textures, wer...