Happy New Year, everyone! Whether you spent New Year’s Eve out on the town celebrating with friends, or stayed in with loved ones while noshing on sushi (like me and my hubs), I have you have / had a fantastic and joy-filled New Year! I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for 2018. 2017 was an eventful, albeit challenging year, so I am ready for a fresh start — to begin anew. I haven’t made any new year’s resolutions (and don’t plan to, as I don’t believe they really work), but my goal for 2018 is to work on myself — to be the best version of myself that I can be and continue to be / do good in the world. Plus, I want to work towards a more minimalistic household. (Hmm, those sound like resolutions, don’t they? Oh well — #sorrynotsorry!) I’m interested in doing The Minimalists’ 30-Day Minimalism Game. Anybody want to do it with me?
Anyway, enough about me. I know you came here to see my next list! For the next “Best of 2017” installment, I am featuring the best new brands that I discovered in 2017. Some of these brands debuted earlier than 2017, but I hadn’t discovered them till this past year, so they are “new” to me. Without further ado, in no particular order, here is my “Best New Brands Discovered in 2017” list. All prices are in U.S. Dollars. I hope you enjoy!
1. AEOS: AEOS stands for Active Energised Organic Skincare. My sweet friends, Arjun and Shah, turned me onto AEOS and I’m so glad they did. Their products are something special — not only are they organic and biodynamic, but they combine ancient art with alchemical methods, and also incorporate extracts from natural crystals and gems. Love! I’ve only tried a few of their products, but so far I am loving the Dew Facial Wash ($68) and the Energising Conditioner ($93).
2. Malaya Organics: I truly feel that Malaya is an underrated brand — their products are beautifully-scented and most importantly, effective! All of their products are handcrafted in small batches, and formulated with phytonutrient-dense whole-plant extracts and nourishing plant oils and essences. I especially love how all their scents double as aromatherapy. My picks are the Rejuvenating Face Serum ($95) and the Citrus & Bloom Moisturizing Body Oil ($78).
3. Leland Francis: This brand really surprised me — in a good way. There are only a few products in their repertoire, but they are really impressive. Don’t let the minimalistic packaging fool you! Their products work fantastically for sensitive skin and their Luxe Face Oil ($98) totally blew me away. I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. It’s so lightweight and quick absorbing and will give you MŪN Aknari-like results. I also really enjoyed their Black Rose Cleansing Oil ($29) and appreciate the fact that it won’t break the bank!
4. Lepaar: If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I have an affinity for Australian-based brands. When I first discovered Lepaar, they only had a few products in their collection and shipping from Australia was crazy expensive! I’m so happy that they’ve expanded their collection and you can now find them at retailers like The Green Jungle Beauty Shop and Strange Invisible. They were even featured recently in the December Boxwalla Beauty Box! All of their products are made in small batches and are infused with 24 karat gold. And can we talk about their packaging? The gold hand-stamped wax seals and the distressed stitches are such a great touch. My favorites are the Precious Face Oil ($59) and the Sacred Trinity Beauty Serum ($43).
5. True Moringa: I love the story behind True Moringa — what they’ve done for the Ghanaian people, for their land, and for their economy is truly amazing, and their products are incredible to boot! Their entire line is so affordable and I was so thrilled to see that Thrive Market just started carrying them! My tried-and-true picks are the Passion Facial Oil ($26) and the Universal Cure Balm ($29).
6. KELIA: Ok, so I have a penchent for brands that use African botanicals. KELIA harnesses the power of the Kigelia Africana, which is an amazing fruit extract that’s made from the fruit of the Kigelia tree. This extract has traditionally been used to treat all types of skin conditions under the sun because of its anti-inflammatory, firming, clarifying, and antioxidant properties. Sounds great, right? I really like The Repair Serum ($85) and The Night Cream ($90). The beautiful packaging makes them that much more special.
7. Dafna’s Personal Skincare: This Ayurvedic Spanish brand had been on my list of brands to try for the longest time! I finally got the chance to try them because Boxwalla featured them in their December Beauty Box* — yay! Dafna kindly sent me a few more of their products to try, so I’m really looking forward to trying them (I will post a review after I’m done testing). So far I’ve been loving their Eye Care ($66).
(*If you are interested in subscribing to the February Boxwalla Beauty Box, you may do so here!)
8. Patyka: I’ll be honest — I initially fell in love with Patyka because of their chic, modern packaging, but upon trying their products, I’m glad they are just as amazing as their packaging! This Parisian brand has so many gorgeous products, but I have yet to try their bath products (hopefully I will soon). What I have tried and totally recommend is their OG product, the Huile Absolue Skin Booster Serum ($70), and the Advanced Plumping Serum ($110).
9. Mukti Organics: This 100% certified organic Aussie brand has a comprehensive collection of products that covers every skin type or concern possible — all at a great price point! They also carry a ton of hair and body products. I love that they use many ingredients native to Australia in their formulas — ingredients like Kakadu Plum, Quandong, Davidson Plum, Snowflower, and White Cypress Leaf. My personal favorite products are the Balancing Foaming Cleanser ($43), the Rose Blossom Hydrating Mist Toner ($43), and their Age Defiance Collection ($82-$86).
10. H is for Love: Holy moly, I fell hard for this brand after I discovered them in Boxwalla‘s October Beauty Box. So much so, that I bought full sizes of all of their products (well, besides KINU because it was a special new product launch) soon after receiving the box! The entire line is fantastic but if I had to pick my top two products, they would have to be the Rapha Harmonizing Oil Cleanser ($44) and the Propolis Regenerative Face Mask ($48). You really need to try this brand if you haven’t already!
11. Soleil Toujours: Effective, chic and clean sun screen / protection. What’s not to love? Soleil Toujours is my go-to sun care brand from here on out! They’ve launched a few new products recently, but out of the ones I’ve tried, I highly recommend the Organic Set + Protection Micro Mist SPF 30 ($36) and the Organic Sheer Sunscreen Mist SPF 50 ($34).
12. Sangre de Fruta: This brand is probably one of my most favorite discoveries this year. I actually found out about Sangre de Fruta when Goop had their pop-up shop at Nordstrom (dubbed “Goop-In@Nordstrom“) over the Summer! I first fell in love with their Body Creams and Body Serums and then I realized they had Face Oils, too! Oh my! Their whole entire collection is really great, but their Rose No. 1 Tonic ($43) is absolutely divine as is their Mille Fleurs Body Serum ($98). I’m really enjoying their ‘Persephone‘ ($90) and ‘Psyche‘ ($90) Face Oils, too.
13. AveSeena: I won’t go into too much detail here as I just did a review on them, but what sets AveSeena apart from the rest is that they offer immune-conscious skincare products that are backed by science. My picks are the Ageless Perfection Cream ($157) and the Essential Radiance Serum ($84).
14. Activist Skincare: The concept of Activist Skincare is so so cool. You simply take a skin type assessment, and then they create you a bespoke (custom), made-to-order Hyaluronic Acid Serum and Precious Oil Serum to address all of your skin and complexion concerns! And you get the Serums in less than a week! I think that the concept is so creative, innovative, and the wave of the future! Activist Skincare also offers “Ready to Wear” items, like their newly released Botanical Cleansing Oil, Cleansing Balm, and Vitamin C Superpowder, which I cannot wait to try! I would definitely check out their Custom Serum Duo ($159).
15. Rebels Refinery: This über cool brand offers great natural skin, hair, and bath products for men (although, I have purchased their Lip Balms for myself in the past!). I love their edgy look and it’s even “man enough” for my hubs to use! What I also love about this brand is that their products are ridiculously affordable. I bought nearly the whole line for my hubs for Christmas and it was a massive hit! They even have an exclusive gift set available at Target. I highly recommend the whole entire Rebels Refinery Collection ($8-$29) — I mean with these prices, you really can’t go wrong! I can’t wait till they come out with their Hair Styling Paste (you know, for my hubs).
16. LINNÉ Botanicals: What I love most about this Brooklyn-based brand is that their line is not overly complicated — formula-wise and product-wise. (I mean, heck, the products are even numbered in case you forget what order to use them in!) Their products work amazingly well for oily, acne-prone skin, and their REFRESH Facial Mist ($36) was a staple of mine this past year. I also really enjoyed their RENEW Face Serum ($92), like, a lot.
17. TWELVE Beauty: It’s not every day that you can say that a brand is expertly-formulated by a pharmacist, botanist, and cosmetologist. Master Formulator, Pedro Catala, hand-produces all of the products in small batches while following the most stringent requirements of ‘green chemistry.’ He uniquely combines his botanical expertise with modern technology to create powerful and innovative formulations. I highly recommend the Ideal Moisture Level Serum ($70) and the Complete Regeneration Night Cream ($73). Even my mom loves these products!
18. Antipodes: My beautiful friend, Shah, introduced me to another incredible brand! I am seriously so obsessed with Antipodes, and they may be my most favorite brand discovery, yet! All of their products are fantastic and their price point is so so good. This New Zealand-based brand is somewhat hard to find in the States (some of their products are offered on Amazon at a marked up price), so I usually have to buy them from the U.K. (luckily shipping to the U.S. is usually free). I’ve recommended Antipodes to my friends many times over and they really like Antipodes, too. My personal favorites are the Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser ($34), the Joyful Hand & Body Cream ($36), and the Ananda Antioxidant-Rich Gentle Toner ($42). Love, love this brand!
19. Board and Batten: This brand’s motto is “Farm to Skin” as all of the ingredients that goes into their formulations comes directly from their farm, so it is truly “farm-to-skin.” Board and Batten ensures that all of the ingredients are minimally handled so that they remain as pure and potent as possible — so what you get are the freshest ingredients. I reviewed a few of their products over the Summer, and would recommend all three of them, although I don’t think they offer the Purely Antibacterial Cleanser and Sea Flower Mineral Mist anymore. However, they do still offer the Evening Enrichment Overnight Facial Balm ($56), so I would definitely check that out.
20. Odara Skin Care: I truly feel like Odara is an “under-the-radar” brand that more people need to know about. Their products are really effective and they are very reasonably priced. The brand took me by surprise because I ended up really loving their products. Odara Skin Care handcrafts all of their products in small batches, using minimal preservatives, and high-quality whole plant ingredients. Each ingredient is carefully chosen after extensive research and testing. My top picks are the Balancing Toner ($46) and the Makeup Removing Oil Cleanse ($38).
21. Marin Bee*: A brand that uses honey in all of its products? Yes, please! If I had to pick my all-time favorite ingredient, it would have to be honey. Coconut oil would be a close second, but honey would be my absolute fave. Honey has so many great health benefits and I know I could not live without it. Plus, I’m a huge proponent of bees. Many of you might not know that a portion of Marin Bee’s proceeds actually goes toward a non-profit they created, the Planet Bee Foundation, to help foster the next generation of environmental stewards. How cool is that? My favorite Marin Bee products are the Honey Butter ($32) and the Honey Polish ($30) — both of which are currently on sale!
22. Själ Skincare*: I recently discovered this brand through a book that my close friend gifted me, ‘Elemental Energy,’ which was penned by the brand’s co-founder, Kristin Petrovich! Själ Skincare is unique in that it combines both gemstones and precious minerals and advanced bio-technology into all of their formulations. I’ve been really interested in gem / crystal therapy lately, so I was instantly intrigued by this brand. I’ve only tried a few of their products, but so far I am loving their Själ Mineral Källa [Energy Tonic] ($75), and their Själ Kashmir Saphir [Perfecting Mask] ($85). I’m looking forward to trying more of their products and their copper wand is absolutely to die for!
(*I suck and completely forgot to add Marin Bee and Själ Skincare’s product pictures to my graphic. So sorry, Marin Bee and Själ Skincare! I hope you accept my apology!)
Honorable Mentions
These brands didn’t quite make the cut mainly because I discovered them in late 2016. But I love both of these brands, so I thought they deserved a mention.
1. Jordan Samuel Skin: What can I say? Jordan is so genuine and charming and his products are really great. His brand is quickly achieving “cult status” and for good reason — his products are super-effective and they won’t break the bank! Very soon, he’ll be adding more products to his collection like the Hydrate The Mist and luxury-size Hydrate Facial Serum, which I cannot wait to get! I especially love Jordan’s étOILe with Retinol Treatment Oil ($43), which in my opinion, rivals the Votary Intense Night Oil at just a fraction of the cost; and of course the Hydrate Facial Serum ($29). If you haven’t tried these two already, you really need to!
2. Votary: This U.K.-based brand’s gorgeous, luxurious products harness the natural power of plant oils and active ingredients in their formulas. Their signature green bottles are so chic and recognizable, everywhere! I haven’t tried their new Clarifying range or their Body Oils yet, but what I have tried and would highly recommend, is their Cleansing Oil – Rose Geranium & Apricot ($72) and their Intense Night Oil – Rosehip & Retinoid ($196).
And there you have it, folks. These are my “Best New Brand Discoveries in 2017.” I hope you liked my list — thanks for taking the time to read this! My next, and final list, the “Best Products of 2017,” is in the works. I’ll post it as soon as I can!
–xo, Yenny
Disclaimer
All recommendations and opinions expressed are my own. This post contains one affiliate link for Boxwalla, as stated above.
