Beauty2 returned to the Mercantile Annex in Midtown Manhattan from May 4 to May 5 to spotlight 15 luxury beauty brands as part of its “Spring Edit.” The event marked the company’s third tradeshow in NYC, since debuting in August 2017 with the goal of showcasing independent beauty creators looking to establish wholesale and press relationships. The show is purposely kept small to give press, retailers, influencers and makeup artists the ability to browse the brands without experiencing burnout. Guests were treated to complimentary manicures by California-based nontoxic nail brand, côte, which opened its first East Coast salon in the East Village nine months ago to offer express services to busy New Yorkers. Beauty2 will be a seasonal occurrence, with the next event planned for NYC on August 20 and 21 and LA on October 11 and 12. Here, a list of five beauty brands Beauty Insider discovered at the spring event:

River Organics
The brainchild of husband and wife team, Corinne and Fabien Lefebvre, River Organics offers a line of skin care and color cosmetics made with hydrating organic plant oils and butters. A standout product in the line is its Soft Eye Shadow “Terra” Light Gold ($10), which is made with just five ingredients, including nourishing jojoba seed oil and shimmery mica to offer a buildable sparkle effect on lids. All products are packaged in recyclable materials, such as kraft paper tubes and pots, as well as glass amber bottles. In an effort to reduce its plastic footprint, the company offers a refill station at its retail space in Wilmington, NC, allowing consumers to receive a 10 percent discount if they bring their own bottle to purchase by the ounce, or reuse their empty River Organics bottle. Consumers can also receive a 10 percent discount for returning their shipping envelope, which the company re-purposes for future shipping orders.

Cūrata Sustainable Luxury

Founded by Serena Rogers, Cūrata Sustainable Luxury is a certified natural, non-toxic and cruelty-free brand that marries body care and botanical perfumery. The brand was the first fragrance to be certified by Made Safe, a nonprofit organization that carries out a comprehensive product safety evaluation to verify a product is made without known toxic ingredients. The brand’s inaugural collection features two products: Aureo Multi Radiance Oil($135), a lightly-scented multi-use oil designed to revitalize skin with eleven powerful antioxidant-rich plant ingredients; and, Dulceo Botanical Perfume Extract ($215), a pure botanical perfume extract that blends scent notes of citrus, florals, fruits within a creamy base of vanilla, caramel and cocoa for a contemporary, floral, fruity, gourmand fragrance. The bottles are created from recyclable glass and packaged in sustainable paper which is printed on with organic UV ink.

Beau Brummell for Men

Beau Brummell for Men, founded by two brothers, crafts men’s grooming and skin care products using natural ingredients such as activated charcoal and argan oil. The brand released its most recent sku in April, Charcoal Facial Mask ($28), naturally fragranced with bergamot, lavender and rosemary essential oils for a masculine, fresh scent. The mask aims to firm and tighten, while eliminating excess oil. The NYC-based brand is currently carried at anthroplogie.com with more retailers to be announced later this year. Five percent of its website sales benefit ZERO Cancer, a foundation that raises awareness about prostate cancer and provides support for affected families.

Moonlit Skincare

Founded on the belief that great sleep is the root of beautiful skin, best friends Krisztina Matyi and Stephy Kim, developed the brand’s only product, Midnight Shift Overnight Facial Oil ($34), which aims to plump, soften and smooth uneven skin tone, while also helping to fuel skin cell turnover during the most restorative hours for skin. According to the company, the skin’s protective hydrolipid barrier weakens overnight, allowing for greater penetration of potent, natural ingredients in the product. The formulas are created by hand in small batches at the brand’s Bali facility, which includes an on-site child-friendly area to ensure that employees can spend time with their children while working.

Muni Muni
Pronounced “moonie moonie”, the Toronto-based brand aims to provide thoughtfully created skin care products that restore the health and vitality of the skin. The product line is shoppable by various skin concerns including, dry and dehydrated, sensitive and ant-aging. Its Rose Balancing Toner ($22) is a best seller, due to its Insta-worthy pink hue and can be sprayed onto the face to refresh skin throughout the day. The brand features packaging that is purposefully minimal and 100 percent recyclable and ingredients are cruelty-free and sustainable. At the end of May, Muni Muni will be releasing a new collection, Skin Perfecting Series, which includes a powder cleanser, serum, eye cream and hydrating mask.