Our Top Picks From Indie Beauty Expo 2020

We’ve been working on an awesome collaboration for the past few months with onTUWI and Indie Beauty Expo. The onTUWI program hand selects a number of products for a number of influencers (including us!) to test out. We then curated our top picks for our onTUWI boutique, which you can shop here!

Our boutique will run for 2 months after the expo, and you can use the code Theindiemood20 for 20% off anything from the shop! If you use our code, we will receive a commission, but only if you use our code. So please use our code!! It helps us continue running Indie Mood and you save 20%.

*All products sent to us will be marked with a (*) – some of the products we actually already owned before this project! All links will be to our boutique, but your purchase will only be affiliated with us and give us a commission by using code Theindiemood20. As always, all opinions are our own. This post is not sponsored.

Here is the list of products we chose, and why we loved them:

Graydon Skincare: Fullmoon Serum*

Liv has been using this serum every day since we got it, and her skin LOVES it! She uses it in the morning after she cleanses and before she use moisturizer and sunscreen. Her skin seems to soak it right up, and then is plump and hydrated. It’s the only serum product she would use in the morning before makeup, since it is absorbed so easily and not heavy whatsoever. This has no added fragrance, just the natural fragrance of the ingredients, which reminds us of kombucha or apple cider vinegar. The smell disappears when the product soaks into the skin.

Bubi Bubi Lip and Ampule Bundle*

A really fun part of this process has been trying indie brands from all over the world, like this K Beauty brand, and we both ended up chose this product! This is a duo that is fun to use while also being really effective. The Bubi Bubi Lip foams up when applied to the lips and exfoliates them which feels really tingly and satisfying. Neither of us have ever seen a product like this at all, and it’s so fun to use, Liv end up exfoliating my lips every day (Giulia does it about twice a week or so).

The lip ampule is a hydrating treatment that works great. It’s actually a competitor for Liv’s all time favorite Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask – she applies it before bed and wakes up with super soft, plump, and hydrated lips – especially after exfoliating with the Bubi Bubi Lip Exfoliator.

The Ace Beaute Flair Palette and Quintessential Palette*

Ace Beaute has been a favorite of ours for a long time, so we were so excited to see that they were a part of onTUWI. The Flair Palette is Giulia’s all time favorite. There are endless color combinations and options in this palette; we both fall in love with it more every time we use it. Liv’s favorite shade is Sherbet, which is a bright acid green – it’s so unique. For Giulia, the Flair palette is her perfect colorful palette; every shadow in the palette falls in that muted fall color story that she loves so much. Her favorite shade would be extremely difficult to choose, but she might have to go with Cider, the beautiful mustard yellow. Keep an eye out for a 3 looks 1 palette with this stunner of a product going up on the blog, IGTV, and our Instagram feed next week!

The Quintessential Palette is what it says it is – a palette with everything you need for a wide variety of looks. It’s a great warm neutral palette with some pops of fun color, and you can create a ton of beautiful looks with it. The formula, just like the Flair Palette, is a great workhorse formula. The mattes are excellent and the shimmers are stunning. A 3 looks 1 palette will be going out in March on the blog, IGTV, and our Instagram feed.

Berlin Skin Sandalwood Cream*

Liv loves a good cream, and this one definitely fits the bill for her. Liv was skeptical at first because the scent was a bit strong, but her skin loves it. It’s extremely hydrating and thick, but isn’t greasy. Liv can use it in the morning with no issues under makeup. Liv does prefer it at night to lock in moisture and hydrate her skin overnight. It has her favorite oil – jojoba oil – for that real, renewed, hydrated look. 

Daily Concepts Daily Bio-Cotton Makeup Removers*

These reusable cotton pads are wonderful! Y’all know we are all about sustainability here, and we really appreciate that these were included in the onTUWI project. Giulia usually uses these to remove her makeup at night with either water or some micellar water. She has also used them, soaked with water, to remove the residue left behind when she uses hemp seed oil or jojoba oil to remove her makeup. The cotton rounds are excellent at removing every last speck of makeup from the face, and they are super easy to clean – just throw them in your washing machine! You can also hand wash them with a bit of brush soap if you are in a pinch and need them quick. 

Evanhealy Daily Balancing Ritual Kit*

This kit includes a cleanser, a Hydrosoul, and a sample of the Evanhealy rosehip oil. Giulia has been loving the Hydrosoul in particular. She uses it every morning before any other skincare, and it hydrates her skin and leaves it nice and plump. Because the moisture is locked in throughout the day by the Terasana oil (talked about later in this post!), the hydration remains all day. Her skin never ends up feeling stripped during the day.

The rose cleanser is the perfect cleanser for Liv. She doesn’t like sudsy or soapy facial cleansers because they strip her dry skin. This is more of a milk that cleans her skin just enough. It smells like roses, but it’s not too strong or overwhelming.

Juniper & Pine Papaya Fuse Cleansing Oil*

This product was a great introduction to cleansing oils for Giulia. It remains an oil while you gently rub your makeup and it removes everything, including mascara and liner, extremely easily. Then, you just add water to wash the oil off of your face and it lathers away! It’s such a fun product to use and really effective. Giulia keeps her in her shower and it’s so quick and easy. 

Juniper & Pine Rose Veil Face Mask*

This mask is such a nice, soothing but brightening mask to use. It would be great to use the morning of an event just to refresh your skin a bit, and it’s also a fairly quick mask as well. It is a clay mask, but it is absolutely not drying whatsoever, which Giulia particularly loves as every clay mask she has used has dried her skin if she lets it sit for too long. This mask, on the other hand, is extremely gentle on the skin. It leaves the skin very soft and refreshed, and it is mildly exfoliating during the removal. 

Kegelbell: The Vagina Gym*

This was a no brainer for Liv, and the first product she chose for the shop. She picked up this product herself after listening to the Natch Beaut episode where Kegelbell Founder Stephanie Schull talked about her journey founding this brand and the difference it’s made in so many lives. She’s been using the product for about 6 months prior to onTUWI, and was already in love with the brand and the work that the founder does. Stay tuned for an in depth review from Liv talking about her experience using this product and how it’s helped her.

No Cosmetics Glow Today 24K Gold-Infused Beauty Oil*

When Liv first tried this serum, she was a bit skeptical, because products that have ‘24 Karat Gold’ seem a bit gimmicky, but she’s also a Leo Rising, so she secretly loves it. In all seriousness, this is an awesome morning oil. It’s super hydrating, not heavy at all, and leaves your skin with a beautiful glow. It’s not glittery at all, but gives you that perfect ‘glow from within’, and who doesn’t want to glow from within?

Province Apothecary Rejuvenating and Hydrating Face Serum*

THIS PRODUCT. Liv hasn’t tried a single product from Province Apothecary that she didn’t absolutely love. Her previous favorite was their Cleansing and Moisturizing Makeup Remover Oil, and she loves this Rejuvenating + Hydrating Serum just as much. Her and Giulia’s skin both love oils, and using them in their skincare routines has been life changing. Let me tell you, Province Apothecary KNOWS their oils. This serum is a 100% botanical oil blend that’s on the heavier side, so she uses it before bed. It’s a beautiful blend of non-comedogenic oils like apricot kernel oil, camellia seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, and more. This is the epitome of an oil that will luxuriously hydrate your skin without clogging your pores at all.

Root Pretty Paint Cream Blush + Lip in Elisa*

This is Liv’s first ever cream multipurpose product, which is usually Giulia’s wheelhouse. This was intimidating upon first glance, because it looked very pink and very glittery. When applied, it’s extremely sheer and buildable, so you can be a pink princess with a lot or just have a hint of a healthy glow with a little, and both are a LOOK! This is beautiful and natural on the lips as well. This product, along with many other Root cosmetic products, has zero waste magnetic packaging that fits into their ‘pretty palettes’ or any magnetic palette. This way you can customize your own zero waste makeup set with their beautiful products.

Terasana Skin Mantra Super-Hydrating Facial Oil*

Giulia absolutely loves this oil. Since she discovered she can’t use hyaluronic acid, she is back on the oil train and loving it. It is a beautiful lightweight oil and sinks into the skin quickly. Giulia always mixes 3 to 4 drops with her moisturizer both morning and night. The bottle also lasts a long time – Giulia has been using her bottle for almost two months and is just about halfway through. It always leaves her skin glowy and hydrated.

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum*

Liv has been a fan of Mad Hippie products for almost 2 years now! She did a review of their AHA serum and moisturizer very early on in Indie Mood’s life, and was excited to see that they were a part of onTUWI and Indie Beauty Expo. This Vitamin C Serum is very light, unscented, and works well for sensitive skin. It absorbs quickly and is effective at fading scarring and discoloration. This is definitely a staple!

Have any questions? Leave them down below or reach out to us on Instagram! If you decide to try out any of these products, please don’t forget to use code Theindiemood20! Thank you so much to all of you for your continued support, we wouldn’t be here without y’all!