Many people are unaware of just how many amazing beauty brands are out there. But, there are a whole host of brands vying for your attention that haven’t made the big time. There brands are located outside of local drugstore chains or department stores and are forces to be reckoned with due to the newness and innovation they are bringing to your beauty counter. I had the opportunity to attend Indie Beauty Expo, a tradeshow that provides emerging brands with the opportunity be discovered by consumers like you and me, and also by press, buyers, retailers and more, with the hopes of growing from a small shop to the next big thing in beauty. Here’s some of my favorites.

Bolden – Growing up in Africa, friends Chinelo and Ndidi didn’t have many choices for quality beauty products so after moving to the U.S., they researched simple and effective formulations to meet the needs of African women with the belief that women everyone should have access to good products. The result was a line of shea oil products, which are formulated to stay liquid all year-long, are multi-use and unisex. Ethically-sourced Shea nuts are picked and processed by local women’s groups in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Eu’Genia Shea – Another line featuring shea butter (this was major trend at the show), this founder developed the brand after her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 and she decided to spend as much time with her as possible, leading to the developing of the line found by the duo. The butters come in chic silver containers and are a great alternative for a multiuse product (think Honest Beauty’s Magic Balm).

Joséphine – A new line of organic mineral makeup and skincare immediately got my attention with their sultry black packaging and Avant Garde display. Bold lipsticks feature a magnetic closure and are blended with shea butter (yes, shea butter is appearing in pigmented lipsticks too!), essential oils and vitamins. The brand’s Wholy Water Organic Facial Toner features an old-school squeeze spray puff so you feel like you’re a glamourous diva of the 1920s.

La Belle Femme – Brand founder Angel Cornelius warmed my heart with her genuine kindness and passion for her skin care brand, which she started in her kitchen. A friend passed a sample of one of her body butters to an editor as Essence, which got her product featured in the magazine’s monthly beauty subscription box. The product designs are extra special – a honey-colored glycerin cleansing bar is transparent so you can see actual oatmeal inside.

Lasio – This is a line of professional hair care products that I’m extra excited to try. Their TRICO pH Hair System features a blend of holistic ingredients that aims to stimulate the hair scalp and repair dammed hair. The product representative showed me a flip book of some really convincing before and after photos that showed dull, lifeless hair transformed to bouncy, voluminous, healthy strands in just 30 days.