The smell of bay leaf and honey from an Isle de Nature scent coin anoints dark apothecary shelves at Remedies Herb Shop in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. Lined with rows of natural skin care products from brands such as Reap & Glow and Hear Me Raw, and hair care from ocean botanical brand Masami — this is a curated beauty corner that can be found among the store’s teas and tinctures.

It’s not a beauty pop-up, but “a pop-in” by the Conscious Beauty Collective (CBC), 50 beauty and wellness brands that, under the leadership of Masami CEO Lynn Power, are attempting to turn their shared vision into shared profits. Each of CBC’s “pop-ins”— the beauty shop Petal + Hive in Ballston Spa, NY will become its fourth in mid-September — carry a selection of between 10 and 12 brands, handpicked based on the given store’s location, objectives, and vibe.

Power decided that all the brands under the CBC umbrella would share a similar ethos. They’d all be independently owned, clean by rigorous EU standards, and sustainability-minded, be it in their formula or packaging. They’d be vegan, cruelty-free, and fair trade-minded even if they didn’t have the money to be certified as having these principles, and the brands would all give back somehow. Masami’s cause is appropriately ocean research, but CBC’s consciousness extends to non-environmental issues. Body care brand H. Honeycup donates products to those in addiction recovery.

Not long ago, each of these indie brands was fighting their own revolutionary war in a marketplace where larger retailers like JC Penney, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus have increasingly cut down on their small brand purchases, said Power.

Launching during thrilling shoulder-to-shoulder events at fashion week in February 2020, COVID lockdown was quickly the first obstacle in properly introducing Masami. Then, in 2021, Power was diagnosed with aggressive Stage 3 breast cancer and endured months of intense treatment. “I’m suddenly a bald hair care founder and I couldn’t really do sales calls and try to get us in other salons as things were starting to open up,” said Power.

She focused instead on trying to crack digital advertising — placing Facebook and Instagram ads — but that was a bust…and yet, Masami’s followers and email list was growing. Why? Brand partnerships with like-minded indie beauty companies were “like, single-handedly” building Masami’s buzz. “I thought, If only I could do 40 brand partnerships at a time — that’s getting somewhere,” said Power. And the idea for the Conscious Beauty Collective was born.

CBC’s first success came via four more traditional pop-up stores in San Francisco, Boston, Rancho Cucamonga, and Palm Springs, CA were months-long hits. But Power saw limitations in having to launch a new store every time she wanted to reach a new marketplace, and the potential in combining CBC’s powers with those of boutique businesses, who were no strangers to the struggles of creating something new and special.

Joining this retail concept, among Remedies in Brooklyn, and Petal + Hive in Ballston Spa, NY, are the wellness center Palm Springs Vitamin Infusions and the natural perfumer ADORAtherapy in Asheville, NC and Miami, Fl. For taking a chance on “teeny tiny” beauty brands, who aren’t yet bringing in their own foot traffic, says Power, these partners receive rent money for the shelf space they provide and a cut of the product sales, much like a consignment shop gets for a designer piece.

CBC is also busy hustling for the brands and the stores, said Power. “We do giveaways, we do live-streaming, and we prepare launch events at the shops with local media and influencers.” (Petal + Hive’s launch party is September 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

Talk about a natural growth.