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We are now in an age where a popular bloggers endorsement can literally send a product into the stratosphere. If you watch online make-up tutorials you will no doubt see the same brands being used and promoted.  If you don’t then here is the lowdown on two cult brands making waves in the make-up industry.  There is currently a massive cosmetic scene in LA at the moment, two brands on their way to cult status are Anastasia Beverly Hills and NYX cosmetics Fortunately for us both brands have UK suppliers, unfortunately due to popular demand and word of mouth they tend to sell out quickly.

beauty cult brands - the clothes maiden

Despite being at different ends of the price scale their creators had the same objective,  they both filled a gap in the cosmetics market and offered something new.  For Anastasia Beverly Hills founder Anastasia Soare it was a lack of eyebrow grooming products on the market in the mid 90’s.  With little money but a clear vision beautician Soare, Romanian by birth accompanied by her young daughter researched into the early hours at her local library.  Eventually after a bumpy ride including her main investor pulling out Anastasia’s global brand was born.   

Contour-Kit - the clothes maiden

Anastasia is known as the definitive eye and brow expert and her clients include J-Lo and Charlize Theron.  Anastasia’s Pro Series Contour kit and The Brow Wiz are her cult products that bloggers and consumers cannot get enough of. The Pro-Contour Kit creates a professional contour and highlight to challenge contour queen Kim Kardashian herself. The Brow Wiz is an ultra-fine brow pencil,  in order to avoid the coloured in brow effect thus creating heavenly natural brows.   Both are currently sold out on Net a Porter, although new stock has been ordered so get in there quick. Another ridiculously popular LA brand is NYX cosmetics, surprisingly affordable yet receiving raves reviews for their quality. 

NYX-lot2 - the clothes maiden

Its founder Toni Ko began the brand at the tender age of 25 in order to bridge the gap between high end cosmetics and drugstore products.  In her first year and with just one employee and selling just make up pencils, she generated over two million dollars.  Ko also started out with two goals the first to create quality products, the second to one day sell to L’Oreal, she sold to L’Oreal in the Summer of 2014. NYX offers a broad range of colours and quality products from lip butters, primers to make up setting sprays.  NYX best sellers are their powder blush and jumbo eye pencils,  both retailing at less than eight pounds. NYX gives you the chance to acquire a make-up collection to rival a pro-make artists at a fraction of the price, whilst Anastasia Beverly Hills offers top quality products which are definitely worth the extra investment.

Sarah Ridgway