Makeup Brands You Might Not Know, But Should
It used to be that makeup was roughly divided into two worlds: discount brands that you could get at the drugstore, and the high-end brands available at better department stores. Thankfully, for us makeup lovers, the world of makeup has never been more vast or more accessible. From economical to pricy splurges, we have some suggestions for you about brands and specific products that we bet are new-to-you. Which will you try first? Note: We have listed and linked websites, but many of the products are available on Amazon as well – for almost instant gratification!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy for details.
Kiko Milano
Kiko Milano is an Italian professional cosmetics brand that has been around since 1997. The company is known for its high-quality yet affordable makeup and skincare products. They also tout being committed to transparency, honesty, and social and environmental responsibility.
Check out their Smart Fusion Lipsticks. They glide on effortlessly with a creamy, medium to full coverage color saturation. At the time of writing, they are only $7.50 and there are 43 colors to choose from!
Their Water Eyeshadow Singles have a cult following, and the Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush is another great product.
But the product we hear the most about is their Long Lasting Eyeshadow Stick. If you are a Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier eyeshadow stick lover, you have to check these out. Twenty-eight shades from neutrals to major pops of color.
Inglot
You may have never heard of Inglot, which is headquartered in Przemyśl Poland, but they can be found in 90 countries, and have more than 950 locations. They are known for their Freedom System makeup palettes (which allow you to customize), their long-lasting AMC Eyeliner Gel, and their Duraline, which is a transparent liquid that can be “mixed with any makeup product to prolong its durability and to transform it into a waterproof formulation”. Your favorite eyeshadow can become a long lasting liquid eyeliner! They have over 2500 products, and do not test on animals.
They have worked with fashion designers and houses such as Kenzo, Coach and Badgley Mischka, and collaborated with producers of Broadway musicals such as Mamma Mia!, Chicago, The Lion King, and Wicked. They also hold The Halal certificate, covering the majority of our product range.
Ioni
What can you find at Dollar Tree, The 99 Store, Burlington, and Ross stores? Ioni lashes! If you are a false eyelash person, this is an economical brand to check out!
RMS
Speaking of blushes, have you heard of RMS Beauty? RMS stands for Rose-Marie Swift, a makeup artist who launched her brand in 2009, dedicated to “innovative clean ingredients”. Her ads are all over Facebook and her ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush is a great product to buy as a brand introduction. There are 10 colors at this time, and you can buy refills!
As you are loading your cart, be sure to check out her Eyelights Cream Eyeshadows. They are GORGEOUS, easy to use and stay put all day long. Check out the color Strobe. Highly recommended.
Florasis, Zeesea and Catkin
These three brands are presented together for their shared luxury aesthetic. The packaging is over-the-top elegant and gorgeous. We could spend hours perusing their websites.
Even some of their lipsticks and powders are carved and three-dimensional.
You just have to go look, as their beauty is hard to describe.
That said, while Florasis and Zeesea have moderate to higher price tags, Catkin is quite well-priced. If you want a gorgeous lipstick or compact to pull out, these are worth a look.
One more because they are just so dang gorgeous!
![ZEESEA [Palace Identity] Peony Blush，Multi-purpose Makeup Tray, Caramel Nude Brown (02#Taupe Brown)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/410EvSTs2mL._SL160_.jpg)
Missha
Missha is a “K Beauty brand”, as Korean lines are often referred to. They are well-known for their M Perfect Cover BB Cream, with its dewy, flawless finish. BB creams combine skincare and makeup in one product and this one features SPF 42 and hyaluronic acid. This lightweight cream brightens, evens, soothes, and covers discoloration and imperfections of the skin. Recommended for all skin types. There are not that many colors available.
Missha has a sister brand, available on the same site called A’pieu. We are particularly enamored with their A’pieu Juicy Pang Water Blusher.
YesStyle
Every time we visit the YesStyle website we get a bit lost in the plethora of possibilities. I mean, they even have home, pet and electronic sections, but let’s focus on beauty.
The CARE:NEL Lip Mask rivals the famous Laneige and many think it is even better. And it’s less than 4 bucks. The A’pieu Full Shot Unlimit Eye Palettes are sparkly and inexpensive. A lot of bang for your buck.
Check out the Rom&nd eye palettes, too, and that company’s Glasting Melting Balm (lip balm), and Juicy Lasting Tint lip products.
Once you try the Pyunkang Yul 1/3 cotton pads, you will never think about cotton pads the same way again. These are lint free, thin, yet super absorbent and strong. They adhere to the skin beautifully and fans use them to hold products in place for maximum absorption.
More From YesStyle & Amazon!
The heimish All Clean Balm is a popular vegan creamy textured oil cleanser that dissolves even heavy makeup without tugging or dehydrating skin. Hypoallergenic ingredients including shea butter, citrus herbs, fruits and white flower extracts, making it suitable for sensitive skin.
Have you heard about beauty products involving snail mucous? MIZON’s All In One Snail Repair Cream is a Korean skincare cult favorite and contains a whopping 92% snail extract that deeply hydrates skin. We’ve heard it is great at softening and fading blemishes and scars. According to the company, “like the mucin in snails, it feels elastic and hydrating but has no stickiness finish.” Would you try it?
And then there are the odd products on the YesStyle site that pull us in, like an earbud cleaning tool for less than $4.
Water, Water Everywhere
If you are a fan of sheer colors and dewy finish, there have never been more choices from makeup companies, both high and low end.
The RJRJ Macqueen brand offers Dewy Water Glow Lip Tint. The colors are bright and springy, the formulation is moisturizing and is both lightweight and long-lasting. ETUDE has their Dear Darling Water Tint.
It’s like the classic Benetint product, but with 5 colorways. If you prefer a gel texture, check out their Dear Darling Water Gel Tint. AERY JO Water Tint (YesStyle) is a lip product with deeply saturated color, yet it is a light watery formula. Folks, just put “water” into the YesStyle search bar and you will find many products!
Milani Cosmetics & Rimmel London
Sticking with discount brands for the moment, you have probably seen Milani Cosmetics in CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid are other drugstores. They have a full line of cosmetics, and many folks are crazy about their Baked Blush. The Luminoso color (luminous peach with a satin finish) is thought to be even better than NARS Orgasm. Their Fruit Fetish Lip Oils are apparently America’s #1 Lip Oil.
Rimmel London is another drugstore brand and makeup aficionados say you all should check out their Stay Matte Pressed Powder as well as their Natural Bronzer.
Typology Paris
This Parisian company has a clean aesthetic and is vegan. Their Tinted Serum with Vitamin C, Squalane & Aloe Vera has glowing reviews for its silicone-free, fragrance-free, non-clogging light coverage and a no-makeup finish. If you are looking for lasting hydration and a radiant natural look, this product is for you. It might be a light formula, but fans say it has great wear time.
Viseart Paris
Viseart Paris has been around for a long time and many professional makeup artists have turned to this brand for their Triple-milled EU pigments free-from parabens, which also happen to be free of miner oil and gluten-free. Their eyeshadow palettes are stunning! They also have empty palettes for you to customize.
Moira
Moira is the place to find glittery, shiny, sparkly makeup, from eyeshadows, to lips products to highlighters (and more). Their Supernova Multichrome Gel Liner eye pencils are stunning. If you are a multi-chrome nail polish fan, and have always wondered why this color trend hasn’t branched out, well, here you go.
Let’s Talk Amazon
Amazon has become a place to buy makeup, both high and low end, as well as for smaller brands, and lesser known international brands.
Hada Labo Tokyo, Japan’s #1 skin care line, has several offerings: check out their Hadalabo Japan Skin Institute Gokujun Premium Hyaluronic Solution (golden colored bottle) and their Hada Labo Tokyo Gentle Hydrating Foaming Facial Cleanser.
One Thing is a Korean brand available on Amazon. Their Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate Toner is alcohol-free, hydrating, fermented rice water, and those in-the-know say it as good as the pricey SK-II line products. It has a plumping action, is suitable for sensitive skin and has a low pH. The product is peptide rich, and contains vitamins B1 and B2, helps remove dead skin cells and improves fine lines, leaving skin soft, radiant and firm.
Ebanel
Calling all cleansing oil enthusiasts! Ebanel Aplha to Omega+ Sherbet Cleanser is a creamy cleansing oil that is gentle on the skin yet dissolves makeup, without stripping the skin’s natural moisture. It’s infused with antioxidants and stem cell extracts, yet is very economically priced. If you can grab it when it is in stock!
Ofra Cosmetics
If you are a liquid lipstick person, you might already know Ofra, but if you don’t then their Long Lasting Liquid Lipstick is known for its comfortable feel and longevity. Infused with vitamin A and antioxidants, we think you will love this one. Great price point, too.
OFRA Cosmetics was founded by Ofra and David Gaito in 1994 after years of working in the beauty industry. The company touts itself as cruelty and gluten-free, and products are made in South Florida.
The Takeaway
High end or low, there is more makeup and skincare out there than ever – and a lot of it is available on Amazon, even though the brands are from all over the world. We love discovering lesser known brands. Did any of these intrigue you? Which will you try first?
Authors
Last update on 2024-05-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
