The annual Indie Beauty Expo kicked off in Los Angeles last January 23, 2019. This year’s event is definitely bigger and has more new and upcoming beauty and skincare brands.  It featured more than 180 brands.

The Indie Beauty Expo is not your typical beauty event. Most of the brands present are either independent, small scale or simply new in the vast ocean of cosmetics and skincare market. You will not find your mainstream brands here but it is definitely a way for you to discover new innovations in beauty as well as small scale business featuring unique concoctions that you will not find elsewhere.

What is new this year is the presence of Kbeauty brands. Some of the brands present were When Beauty, Haru Haru and Dewy Tree.  There was also a vast number of organically made products as well those that are proud to be small batch and handmade.

Now, to those who are seasoned in attending beauty events, the most common question is, “do they give out samples?” The answer is yes, BUT not all. Samples are scarce here since this is really a shopping event. However, since this is a more intimate kind of beauty event, you are free to talk to the participants and ask all the questions you have about their products.

If you want to experience most of the participating brands without shelling out too much dough, I suggest purchasing a VIP ticket which includes a HUGE bag of goodies containing products from the vendors.

The next wave of IBE will be in Berlin Germany on March 22-23. Tickets are already on sale. It will once again come back to USA on May 15-16 and it will be held in Dallas Texas.

I am already about to jump in to my late Thirties and I know that the anti-aging battle will kick in full gear. I have been contemplating a lot about using Retinol but living in sunny Los Angeles makes it impossible to avoid the dreaded side effects of sun exposure. It is also concern for me that my skin would have a negative reaction to Retinol – I mean; I heard good bad things about but I sure do not want to gamble and bet my skin on it. Too risky.

I stumbled upon IMGN Dermatology on Instagram and was intrigued about its main ingredient – Bakuchiol. I guess I was living in a cave for a while because it turned out to be present in some popular high end brands.

So, what is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is derived from medicinal plants. It has the same effects as retinol but without its harsh effects. It builds rebuilds collagen and lessens fine lines and wrinkles. It shrinks the pores, smoothens the skins and makes its texture firm and elastic.  Since it is plant based, this ingredient is so safe that even pregnant women can use it. 

IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum

I have been continuously using this serum for a couple of weeks now. I know that there is no magic formula and it takes a considerable amount of time for full anti-wrinkle results to kick in but I noticed that my skin looks far better since I started slathering up this serum every single night.

The serum is easily melts in to skin without leaving a greasy layer. It also did not cause any adverse reaction – no rashes, no pimples or anything.

Since this bottle also has Hyaluronic acid, the whole concoction leaves my skin looking fresh, hydrated and plump as well. That is a bonus since moisture is one of my primary concerns for a skincare product.

IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum is available on Amazon. I strongly suggest giving this a try instead of splurging on expensive products containing similar ingredients. It costs less and it works like magic. Most of all, this product is paraben free and does not contain sulfate and phthalates. It is also cruelty free!

You may purchase IMGN Dermatology Beyond Retinol Serum on Amazon. Click HERE. 

Disclaimer: I received this item in exchange for an honest review. 

If there is one thing that draws me near a new product, it would be its clean, simple packaging and a really clever name.

I stumbled upon Scandic Beauty on Instagram and was immediately enthralled with its beauty. The light blue bottle adorned with 2 simple triangles tickled my curiosity about what this can do for my skin, especially now that winter is coming (enter Jon Snow). Anyway, I reached out to Scandic and Deb Urhberg, the founder of the company, responded and kindly gave me a chance to try any one of their product.

I chose to try the Rejuvenating Moisturizer because I have issue with dry and aging skin.

Scandic Beauty is a vegan and gluten-free line of skincare products founded and created by Deb Urhberg.  What sets apart Scandic from all other skincare line is that it combines the amazing benefits of Scandinavian botanicals and the latest scientific breakthroughs to create the most amazing formulas that benefit the skin. They take pride of having safe and honest formula that are free from petroleum derivatives, parabens, phthalates, sulfates, or SLS’s. Scandic is also a cruelty-free brand.

The “Skon” moisturizer contains peptides, amino acids and extracts from fruits, berries and herbs. It supports cellular growth and rejuvenation as well as combats wrinkles and provides essential nutrients to the skin. Other notable ingredients also include Starflower, Blue Lotus, Botanical/Plant Stem Cells and avocado oil.

Impressions

Packaging: The moisturizer is smartly packaged in an airtight bottle. A pump with a small nozzle releases the product.  The amount of moisturizer that flows out of the pump is very minimal, thus lessening possible wastage.

The Moisturizer: The cream is semi-thick, color white and opaque. It melts upon contact to the skin. I noticed that the creaminess melts to oil like emollient. It is eventually absorbed deep down to the layers of the skin. It has a slightly floral scent that lingers for a while.

All in all, I am happy with this moisturizer because it hydrates my skin without making it feel and look oily. This, right now is my winter moisturizer and I am glad to have tried it during this cold season. My number one problem around this time is dry skin and so far, I have not experienced any tightness or notice any dryness on my skin since I started using Scandic Rejuvenating Moisturizer.