The indie beauty scene is where the real magic happens — where risk-takers and visionaries push past the mundane and deliver bold, innovative products that mainstream brands couldn’t dare risk to attempt. Whether it’s grungy metallic lipsticks, rebellious multichrome nail lacquers, or a foundation infused with literal fungus, indie brands continue to redefine beauty on their own terms.
This latest wave of product launches is no exception. From Unearthly Cosmetics’ gleaming, high-impact lipsticks to MOB Beauty’s moody, grunge-infused shadows, these are the standout products making waves right now. If you’re tired of the same safe, overdone formulas, get ready to meet the products that are actually worth your attention.
Unearthly Cosmetics: Menacing Metals Lipsticks
Unearthly Cosmetics has always leaned into the unconventional, and the Menacing Metals Lipsticks are no exception. Founded by Amanda Hayden, this US-based indie brand — formerly Alien Cosmetics — has cemented itself in the beauty underground with grungy color stories and unapologetic finishes. A cult favorite among beauty creators like @not_another_hanna, @ghoul.in.japan, @erinparsonsmakeup, and @missmeganrobinson, Unearthly continues to push boundaries in texture and shade selection.
Menacing Metals Lipsticks deliver exactly what the name promises: a creamy, metallic bullet lipstick that bathes lips in molten jewel tones. The hydrating formula ensures comfortable, long-lasting wear, while a lychee and plum fragrance makes application an experience in itself. Housed in a sleek metallic tube with a magnetic closure, these lipsticks are ready to become your latest handbag staple.
Available for $18.00 on the Unearthly Cosmetics website, the lineup includes:
- Ancient: Blackened antique gold with a green undertone
- Sire: Deep metallic plum
- Fury: Muted metallic maroon
- Void: High-shine gunmetal
- Ember: Rose infused with copper-orange metallic pigment
- Bloodstone: A true, vibrant metallic red
Mooncat: Pandora Unboxed Collection
Mooncat has redefined indie nail polish, bringing experimental finishes and rebellious color choices to the forefront. Founded by Michelle Lin, the brand thrives on creative freedom, and the Pandora Unboxed collection is a testament to that ethos. Inspired by Greek mythology, this set of nine polishes features an array of special-effect formulas, from hypnotic multichromes to high-voltage holographics and a mischievous glow-in-the-dark shimmer.
A personal standout from my first Mooncat haul was Forbidden Fruit (a deep burgundy base with a magnetic green-to-yellow shift) and Root of All Evil (a semi-sheer burgundy with a mesmerizing teal-green-yellow multichrome). These shades have consistently drawn compliments and serve as proof of Mooncat’s ability to craft show-stopping polish.
Other shades in the collection include:
- Pandora’s Box & Curiosity’s Trap: Striking magnetics
- The Glory of Innocence: Holographic shimmer
- Lust for Vengeance & Serpents of Eden: Multichrome shimmers
- The Arsonist: Fiery red shimmer
- Green Eyed Monster: Glow-in-the-dark shimmer
Available now from the Mooncat website, individual polishes range from $15.00-$16.00, with the full collection set priced at $120.00.
Edge Beauty: Blooming Buzz Collection
Edge Beauty is an indie brand with an agenda: to blur the lines between gender expression and beauty. Founded by musician J. Dupont, the brand first launched with lip products and has since expanded into bold, high-impact eye and cheek color cosmetics.
The Blooming Buzz Collection, officially unveiled on February 4th (though The Tease got a sneak peek in January), embraces the energy of spring renewal with a gender-defying palette of colors and finishes. The collection includes:
- Crystal Kiss Glitter Gloss
- Binary Blush in Peony
- Lip Gelatin in Dragonfruit
- Blooming Buzz Colour Palette (15 pans of neon, pastel, and earth tones in a range of matte and shimmering finishes, assembled by hand by the Edge Beauty team)
The Blooming Buzz Colour Palette is a limited-edition release featuring in-house designed artwork and a collection-exclusive logo application, available for $42.00 on the Edge Beauty website, with other collection pieces priced between $10.00-$18.00.
Singe Beauty: Galactic Visitor Palette & Eye Brush Expansion
Swedish beauty creator Angelica Nyqvist knows eyeshadow color theory, and her brand Singe Beauty is proving it. Initially launched as a brush-focused brand, Singe has now expanded into color cosmetics with the Galactic Visitor Palette — a 16-pan eyeshadow experience designed for maximum creative potential.
This palette’s structured color story is made up of four quads that work seamlessly together, ensuring depth, dimension, and effortless bending. The colors pull from a mix of neutrals, warm oranges, and deep blues. Highlighting Angelica’s ability to craft complex, striking eye looks, Galactic Visitor features rich, deep tones for adding definition, and bright or pastel shades for Angelica’s signature matte inner corner highlight
The outer-space-meets-southwest aesthetic of the palette is a nod to Angelica’s personal love of sci-fi and her current home in Austin, Texas. Complementing the launch is the Expansion Eye Brush Set, featuring five new eye brushes for perfecting intricate eyeshadow applications.
- Galactic Visitor Palette: $45.00
- Expansion Eye Brush Set: Brushes available individually for $12.00-$14.00, or as a set for $55.00 (with savings).
Both are available now on the Singe Beauty website.
Axiology: Fungdation – Mushroom Foundation
Axiology continues to innovate in zero-waste beauty with Fungdation, a skincare-infused foundation powered by reishi and snow mushrooms. Designed for hydration and a luminous finish, this breathable formula offers light-to-medium coverage in plastic-free, recyclable packaging.
The foundation’s sheer-to-medium coverage is paired with a satin, bouncy finish, making it adaptable for various skin types. Best applied with a brush for buildability, it can be paired with a primer or setting routine for additional longevity.Offered in 15 shades spanning fair to deep tones with neutral , warm, and cool undertones, Fungdation is priced at $42.00 on the Axiology website.
MOB Beauty: Grunge Core Palette x Courtney Quarantine
Grunge is back — MOB Beauty and creator Courtney Quarantine are making sure of it. The Grunge Core Palette is a moody, sultry curation of browns and reds, bringing together matte and shimmer formulas in talc-free, high-impact pigments.
This set includes:
- 1 matte mushroom-toned shadow
- 2 shimmer shadows (red and bronze)
- 1 Cream Clay Eyeshadow in a bold cranberry red
In Courtney’s words: “I love a mix of color and grunge hues, and these are fundamental shades that are powerful and alluring with incredible performance in vegan, cruelty-free formulas.” For lovers of red eyeshadow and smoky depth, this collection is a must. Available as a $74.00 palette or individually, exclusively from the MOB Beauty website.
Lethal Cosmetics x Dexter: A Killer Collaboration
Lethal Cosmetics has teamed up with “Dexter” for a collaboration that does something rarely seen in beauty — making the consumer want to dive into the IP itself. I’ll admit, Dexter just shot up my must-watch list thanks to this launch.
The full collection features a range of products, including magnetic nail polishes, lip glosses, and brushes, but the real showstopper is the 11-pan eyeshadow palette. Leaning heavily into blood-red hues, this palette plays with a variety of finishes — from rich mattes to gleaming metallics. But it’s the packaging that truly makes this a collector’s dream. Designed to mimic the infamous lab slide containers used in the show, each shadow pan is the scale of a microscope slide, bringing a forensic level of detail to the aesthetic. Though the pans take on a new shape compared to Lethal’s usual releases, they remain magnetic, allowing for easy removal and customization without compromising the formula or palette structure.
The Dexter collection is available for pre-order now, with prices ranging from $14.00 to $54.00. The palette itself comes in at $54.00, with curated bundles offered at a discount. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the show or just someone who loves a beautifully twisted take on beauty, this is one launch that delivers a cut above.
