Discovering new beauty brands is kind of a hobby of mine so of course I was excited to attend IBE Dallas earlier in May. I was extended a complimentary invite to attend as a blogger so the best part was that I was able to learn about brands directly from the founders’ lips. It’s always the best when you can hear about their line and their products directly from them.

5 Indie Beauty Brands At IBE Dallas You Should Know About

Cotarde

Skincare for travelers and jet setters.
I don’t travel a ton, but when I do, I know packing skincare that works is my biggest concern. My skin always feels grimey, tight, and malnourished after plane rides so I can see this one becoming a plane essential. I love the idea and concept behind the brand. Bonus the products feel comforting, but not heavy.

Gallinée

I’m really glad I stopped at their booth because not only do their products look beautiful, but they contain prebiotics, probiotics, and lactic acid– one of my fave ingredients. A little backstory: I was taking photos at a different booth so my sister went ahead of me and stopped at theirs. I ended up walking up after they had already started talking about the brand. I’m not quite sure what they were talking about, I believe it was about prebiotics. But the founder, Marie Drago, put a dollop of the face cream on my hand and I instantly asked if it had lactic acid. She was very surprised, mentioning how no one had ever guessed that before. Out of all the buyers and editors she’d spoken with and presented her products to, no one had ever said that to her immediately after smelling the product, especially with no knowledge of their ingredients. Honestly, that shocked me because it really does smell like lactic acid and if you’re a lactic acid lover like me, you’d know. Tangent aside, their website is great at explaining prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics, and their products are formulated to keep your skin’s microbiome happy and healthy. I’m a fan.

Groh

Their “special sauce” is an ingredient I’d never heard of: ErgoD2®. It’s a combination of the amino acid ergothioneine and vitamin D2, which can only be obtained through diet, and is a potent antioxidant (you know I love those!). They’ve included this ingredient in both their topical products and their oral supplements. Ingestibles are going to be even bigger this year and these ones support healthy skin, hair, scalp, nails, and lashes. Aside from a unique ingredient, I especially loved meeting the people behind the scenes. The woman at the booth was especially kind and funny, and honestly I just want to be her friend (hello, are you reading?).

Knesko Skin

Collagen is a replenishing protein in our bodies that starts decreasing in our 20s faster than we create it so anything with the word “collagen” is a friend. I tried the gold under eye mask at the show– on top of my makeup– and it felt very refreshing. I didn’t leave it on very long, maybe 5 minutes, but afterwards my under eyes did look more hydrated and dewy. Best of all: my concealer stayed in place and actually looked nicer. I can see these, and their full face sheet masks, being a nice and luxurious collagen rich treat.

SkinTē

Another ingestible that caught my attention was this sparkling tea + collagen brand. They currently have two flavors: green tea grapefruit and white tea ginger. Both were delicious and didn’t taste like you were drinking collagen, a huge plus. If drinking one of these replenishes not only my body, but also my skin, bring it on!

I also had the pleasure of stopping by the Emma Hardie booth. I’ve been hearing about their cleansing balm for ages thanks to so many amazing British bloggers. They were super kind and inviting at the booth and I got to try out the famed Moringa cleansing balm on the back of my hand. It felt very luxe and left my skin very soft and smooth. I personally don’t consider them an “indie” brand because they’re pretty huge and already available at large retailers (i.e. Space NK & Cult Beauty) but I still wanted to give them a special shoutout!

Let me know your fave indie brands in the comments below!

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