You’ll love these beauty brands we’ve discovered on Insta

By Jenny Brownlees

Ah Instagram, where would we be in this lockdown without your live entertainment and glimpses into other people’s isolation routines?

Social media can get a bad rap, but we’ve long loved this app for its sense of community and power to bring new discoveries into our lives. Case in point – finding great beauty brands and products in-app. If like us your feed is full of endlessly beautiful imagery, it takes something really special to stop and save a post. Thankfully following top beauty insiders, make-up artists, influencers and celebs has its perks – like spotting a previously unknown-to-you gem on their bedside table and with one tap, finding it to buy.

Instagram has undoubtedly changed the way we shop – giving brands an immersive storefront on the previously photo-only app. It’s estimated there were 23 million people on Instagram in the UK as of December 2019, with users spending an average of 58 minutes a day on the app. As well being able to buy products via the checkout service, the photos and video content means we can see a beauty product in use, hear how the user rates it and read further reviews in the comment section. This may be dangerous for our bank accounts, but great for our beauty routines, as we’ve found some of our favourite new buys within those 4×4 squares. To join us on this journey of discovery, we encourage you to visit the app’s explore page, find the shopping bag symbol within the top titles and browse away. Sure, with many finds we may have been initially drawn in by the aesthetically pleasing packaging, but since trying the following buys, we can attest that these nine brands products are as purposeful as they are pretty.

We’ve been #influenced, and we aren’t mad about it.

Elementary Scents

When we discovered Elementary Scents on the ‘gram we had one thought, “perfume just got cooler.”

Beautifully illustrated bottles aside, The Natural Craft Perfumery makes its bold, unisex fragrances right here in the UK.

It’s a zero-waste, vegan & cruelty-free brand that uses art to communicate the experience of each of their scents in a brilliantly unique way.

Reusable and recyclable, (we’ll be repurposing our bottle as a mini vase, thank you.)

Elementary’s goal is to reconnect buyers with nature via their potent botanical scents, made with absolutely no synthetics, unlike regular perfumes. Sold!

Instagram: @elementaryscents

Batch 001

BATCH #001® is an ode to the magical power and skin-soothing properties of beeswax. An afternoon scroll led us to their Instagram, where we learnt more about the delightfully simple, all-organic brand.

Batch 001 founder Paula Warwick started the company after witnessing her two daughter’s struggles with allergies and eczema, as well as her own experiences with dry skin and psoriasis.

She wanted to create a range of products to soothe and repair inflamed and irritated skin using 100% natural ingredients – something that wasn’t previously available on the market. Craving products that would lock in moisture, (crucial for eczema suffers) without the chemical-filled ingredient list, she visited a friend who worked as a beekeeper, who explained the many topical benefits of beeswax on the skin. As well as being edible, the all-natural ingredient is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal.

And so, BATCH #001 was born – with every product entirely ethically sourced and cruelty-free. Their soothing skincare includes hero ingredients Prickly Pear Seed Oil, Organic Apricot Kernel Oil and Unrefined Shea Butter to moisturise, hydrate and rejuvenate. 

Each provides a mega-dose of moisture to combat super dry skin, packed with vitamin E, essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamin K and collagen-boosting properties. Ideal for those with parched skin, who struggle with sensitivities to over-the-counter creams.

We’re feeling pretty smug that we have discovered this brand on the ‘gram.

Instagram: @batch_001

Bolt

We are unsure if we would have come across Bolt’s incredible skincare offerings were it not for seeing them on Instagram, and that would have been a real shame.

Bolt make single-dose, 100% biodegradable seaweed capsules full of potent skincare. When you finish one, simply dissolve it in hot water, (boiling works best) and it disappears right in front of your eyes. Great skincare with zero-waste packaging – that’s a win-win.

Bolt’s four hero products consist of a cleanser, two vitamin serums and a moisturiser, with each jar housing 100 capsules.

Better yet, you can combine capsules in a travel stack carrier, perfect for space-saving, using post-gym or when you’re packing light.

Plus, applying your skincare from a capsule means you use exactly the right amount of product every time – genius.

Instagram: @bolt.beauty

Summer Fridays

Bloggers Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores were on the hunt for beauty products that used good-for-you ingredients to give skin an instant, selfie-worthy glow.

Despite trying an abundance of beauty products for work, they were left dissatisfied. Along with a team of industry experts, the pair created beauty brand Summer Fridays, consisting of nourishing skincare that relies on simple, understandable ingredients proven to purify, balance and plump up skin cells.

The brand is all about making you feel confident in clear, beautiful skin, plus each of their offerings is vegan, cruelty and paraben-free.

Summer Fridays started with masks, (we love their Jet Lag mask for instant hydration) and now includes a super-amino cleanser and CC serum. Aesthetically pleasing but with the goods to back it up, this brand has become a staple in our beauty bag. Thanks, Instagram.

Instagram: @summerfridays