There are so many beauty brands out there, from old school classics to viral sensations. It might feel as though you already know the best of the best. However, every day new brands hit the scene or remain undiscovered. Oftentimes they are the ones who utilize cutting-edge technology, planet-friendly materials, or have the best shade range out there.
Here, discover 12 of the best underrated makeup brands on the market that you should definitely be paying attention to. Whether they just launched or have remained an industry if-you-know-you-know secret for years, we think they deserve as much attention as the big players.
19/99 Beauty
Makeup brand 19/99 is all about embracing makeup’s smudginess and fun–whether you’re 19 or 99. Vegan, cruelty-free, free of synthetic fragrances, and with recycled or recyclable materials, they are a brand you can feel good about putting on your face. Their range of products covers complexion, eyes, and lips, as well as tools such as makeup brushes and pencil sharpeners. Some of their must-have items are their Lash Tint Mascara and Precision Colour Pencil.
Poundcake
At Poundcake, founders Camille Bell and Johnny Velazquez wanted to disrupt what they saw as a broken, often hateful beauty community. With their mantra being, “Pro-Queen. Pro-Black. Pro-Fat,” they created two standout lip products, their Cake Theory Lip Oil and Cake Batter Semi-Matte Liquid Lipstick. For Bell, it was essential to create lip products that didn’t just compliment skin tones, but lip tones as well. Both these products use innovative and skin-focused ingredients like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and avocado oil to create nourishing, healthy products.
KJH Brand
You may not know the brand, but you definitely know the woman behind it. Katie Jane Hughes, the founder of KJH Beauty, is a world-renowned makeup artist who has worked with the top celebrities, like Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber. Her brand launched just over a year ago with their Hyper Shine Lite Pigment cream highlighters, and only recently added their second product: A blurring blush, aptly named Soft Smudge Lip & Cheek. The formula is somewhere between a powder and cream product, and delivers soft, blendable color to the lips and cheeks. Already, it is making waves on the Internet thanks to its unique texture.
Scrandie Beauty
At Scrandie Beauty, they’re all about being mindful. Not only are their makeup products vegan, cruelty free and made in the United States, but they’re also affordable. Unlike most makeup products which expire long before a consumer can hit pan, Scrandie wants to cut back on unnecessary waste, which means their products come with as little packaging as possible, and in smaller quantities. With an emphasis on high-quality, safe ingredients, they are truly innovators in the makeup space. Some Scrandie products worth checking out include their Snatched Contour Block and their Spicy Sauce Extreme Lip Plumper.
Kaleidos
Kaleidos beauty may have launched in 2018, but it’s still under the radar for many. Created by beauty blogger Zoey Pu, she wanted to create a brand that valued self expression and having fun with makeup. Many of their products play with color and intense pigment, from their glittering eyeshadows to their bold hair dyes. Some of the brand’s bestsellers include their duo-chrome Epiphany Glow Melt-On Eyeliners, and their matte Cloud Lab Lip Clays.
Hindash
If there is someone you can trust to create top-notch makeup products, it’s celebrity makeup artist and educator Hindash. His eponymous brand launched in 2021, and by now have products across the beauty categories, from complexion to eyes to lips. A focus of Hindash’s work has always been glowing skin, so it should come as no surprise that some of the brand’s bestselling products include their Gradient Highlighters and multi-use matte Color Fluids.
Sarah Creal
For the luxury beauty lover, Sarah Creal is the new brand to know. Recently launched at Sephora, this collection features skin-first makeup and skincare products intended for people who found most makeup formulas unkind to aging skin. With cruelty-free formulas, high-end packaging and a pricepoint to match, they truly are the new age of luxury beauty. Some of their sought-after products include their Speak for Yourself Hydrating Lipstick, and their Back of the Cab Volumizing Mascara.
Addiction Tokyo
Addiction Tokyo is not a new brand, but it is new in the United States. This Japanese brand recently launched in the States to great fanfare, and has already been spotted in the makeup bags of makeup artists like Nina Park. From glossy lipsticks to shimmering single eyeshadows, this brand has a huge range of products to choose from. Their aptly named The Eyeshadow comes in a huge range of shades, and their Matte Lip Liquid can be found in 18 distinct tones.
Gen See
At Gen See, they believe that makeup can be good for the planet and still be fun. While being vegan and cruelty-free, they have created a range of products that follow EU standards, which are much stricter than American ones. Amongst their huge range of available makeup, their Spectator Sport Mascara and newly-launched Cruise Liner Lip Pencils are great products to get introduced to the brand.
Soshe Beauty
The makeup industry can be incredibly wasteful, which is why the folks at Soshe Beauty wanted to do something about it. Along with all their products being refillable, Soshe is also plastic neutral, meaning that any product they produce that contains plastic, they fund the removal of twice as much plastic from landfill, so it can be recycled. In addition, Soshe’s makeup uses skin-first formulas, and products like their Peptide Lengthening Mascara and Ceramide Refillable Lip Silk all offer long-term benefits to our bodies.
Exa Beauty
Along with an emphasis on clean ingredients and planet-friendly packaging, at Exa Beauty they are also focused on diversity in makeup, whether that means creating products for every skin tone, or creating a space for every gender expression to feel welcome. Their High Fidelity Foundation comes in 43 distinct shades, and their ten18 Lash Amplifying Mascara uses unique ingredients like bamboo charcoal powder and orange peel fiber to create volumized lashes.
Rokael Beauty
If you’ve ever wondered what makeup Beyoncé is wearing, there is a good chance it’s Rokael Beauty. Created by her makeup artist Rokael Lizama, this brand launched with lip products and faux lashes which give off the red carpet-ready aesthetic. With clients like J.Lo, Kim Kardashian, and of course, Beyoncé herself, Rokael’s Lunar Lites Lashes and innovative Redefined Lip Shader are absolute must-haves.
