nouveau niche beauty 01

party-girl perfumes, parisian makeup and more

hello!

welcome to the first instalment of a new column here on leonine that i’ve decided to name nouveau niche.

in the same ways you’d seek out unheard-of labels in a thrift shop or underground artists at a record store, i find great pleasure in uncovering beauty brands i’ve never tried before. anything from brilliant packaging to chic branding to innovative formulas can catch my eye, at any given moment. while on a recent trip abroad, my mum, sister and i stumbled upon a parisian beauty concept store filled with both indie brands i’d been longing to play with in person and new offerings i’m still thinking about—a few of which you’ll find in this post. feeling inspired by that trip, i found the play on the french phrase ‘nouveau riche’ fitting for this series.

here, i’ll be covering beauty launches that are relatively under the radar in my corner of the beautyverse when compared to your larger beauty players— but that’s not to say i’m presenting anything entirely new here. these are just my take, and i hope you find something you may not have come across yet. i’d also love for you to put me on to niche beauty brands you love!

ahem,

the what: somewhere between london and los angeles, luxury fragrance maker discothèque was born. from transportive parfums that invoke visions of hazy nights spent at cult-worshipped clubs like marrakech’s theatro and ibiza’s amnesia, to kaleidoscopic candles that tease pieces of the party scene (think: maraschino cherry garnishes, peach cocktails and rising smoke rings), this scent house looks to the dance floor of the disco era for fragrance inspiration.

the want: lola at coat check

the what: founded by french multi-hyphenate jeanne damas, les filles en rouje captures that minimalistic french beauty philosophy superbly. an offshoot of damas’ parisian fashion label rouje, this cosmetics line does it all from versatile face palettes wrapped in chic tortoiseshell to matte lipsticks housed in gold tubes that deliver that just-kissed, blurred lip look.

the want: la palette visage

the what: a play on ‘hair’ and ‘care,’ cair is the second brainchild of the la bonne brosse co-founders, flore des robert and pauline laurent. with an aesthetically packaged selection of nurturing shampoos, conditioners, serums, masks and hair mists infused with rice water, bamboo water and grape water in place of pure water, cair is concerned with tackling hair health from the roots. what’s more, the brand also offers a selection of excellent hair tools and fully recyclable product refills.

the want: fortifying hair serum

the what: brought to life by licensed esthetician and former beauty journalist simedar jackson, of other worlds is a forward-thinking skincare brand “inspired by the imagination of science-fiction and surrealism.” its first product drop is a multi-functional facial serum that treats and prevents parched, irritated skin at the skin barrier level. if that weren’t enough, the brand’s instagram is filled with futuristic skinspo worthy of being pinned to your next mood board.

the want: light beams barrier treatment

the what: meet cra-yon, the uber-cool perfume label launched in 2020 by french/swedish fragrance connoisseurs christine and niclas lydeen. formulated to awaken and inspire one’s sense of scent, these clean aromas (available in full-size, travel size, incense sticks and perfume oil forms) are delightful little treats for the nose. packaged in colourful, eye-catching “crayon” cartons, they’re nearly too pretty to unbox.

the want: the high road eau de parfum

x L