6 cool Instagram-famous makeup brands you need to follow
Is there anything Instagram can’t do? From introducing us to new and delightfully weird trends to providing baby name inspo, we could honestly spend the rest of our lives just scrolling and double-tapping.
Once upon a time, our favourite thing to do on Instagram was creep our ex-boyfriends, but not anymore. (#PersonalGrowth2016.) These days, we’re using it to find new makeup brands to check out and obsess over. When it comes to quality makeup, depending on the look you were going for, your choices used to be limited to a handful of well-known brands that you could choose from. Now, it’s easier than ever to find brands that are killing it on Instagram, check out their product swatches and watch how-to videos. Some of them have amassed huge followings (upwards of a million!) so all those people can’t be wrong.
Our favourite thing about these makeup brands is how involved they are. From posting countless swatches comparing shades to other brand shades (upon the request of readers) to responding to all comments, these pages are the place to go for makeup junkies with questions.
Here are some of our favourite Insta-famous makeup brands.
Started by one of Rihanna’s makeup artists, Lora Arellano and her friend Dana Bomar, and is known for heavily pigmented, bright shades. A few years ago, Rihanna spotted one of Lora’s makeup looks on Instagram and asked her to do her Bride of Mary Jane costume makeup, and eventually join her on tour. If Melt Cosmetics’ RiRi approval isn’t enough for you, it also has 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
Carrying everything from lip gloss to matte lipstick to mascara and nail polish, L.A. Splash Cosmetics is affordable (nail polishes are about $4 and glosses are $3) and has a huge selection so you can experiment with colours you wouldn’t normally wear, without hurting your wallet. The brand has 442,000 followers on Instagram and is quickly growing. Oh, and check out the video above to see just how waterproof these guys are.
Hot on the heels of a Kylie Jenner shout out and a collab with Karrueche, the brand has been growing steadily for some time now, and it now sits at 1.6 million followers. It’s popular with the Tumblr crowd and is known for the Ultra Matte Lips line, which comes in a huge array of colours (everything from red to nude to blue). At only $6 (USD) a pop, can you really afford not to try them?
It’s easy to see why Sugarpill Cosmetics has 1.2 million followers. Along with product swatches and fan photos, the brand also posts some incredible inspo shots that’ll get you itching to try something new, from glitter lips to glass nails to rhinestone brows. The brand’s site (and product packaging) looks like a Katy Perry video, and that just adds to its charm.
Known for their full-coverage BB creams and Velvet Contour Sticks, L.A. Girl Cosmetics is fun and offers a wide range of bright colours that are still wearable IRL. Boasting 848,000 Instagram followers, this is a great brand to try if you’re just entering the world of contouring, or if you’re not ready to paint your lips bright blue.
And of course, if you don’t already, make sure you follow NYX Cosmetics. The brand’s affordable products (some of the best matte lipsticks we’ve ever tried for only $9 a pop) in a wide range of colours and non-drying formulas (no, seriously) are their hero products. They have 5.2 million followers on Instagram and a standalone store just opened in Toronto. Bless.
 These days, we're using it to find new makeup brands to check out and obsess over. When it comes to quality makeup, depending on the look you were going for, your choices used to be limited to a handful of well-known brands that you could choose from. Now, it's easier than ever to find brands that are killing it on Instagram, check out their product swatches and watch how-to videos. Some of them have amassed huge followings (upwards of a million!) so all those people can't be wrong.
Our favourite thing about these makeup brands is how involved they are. From posting countless swatches comparing shades to other brand shades (upon the request of readers) to responding to all comments, these pages are the place to go for makeup junkies with questions.
Here are some of our favourite Insta-famous makeup brands.
Melt Cosmetics
A photo posted by meltcosmetics (@meltcosmetics) on Jan 11, 2016 at 3:05pm PST
Started by one of Rihanna's makeup artists, Lora Arellano and her friend Dana Bomar, and is known for heavily pigmented, bright shades. A few years ago, Rihanna spotted one of Lora's makeup looks on Instagram and asked her to do her Bride of Mary Jane costume makeup, and eventually join her on tour. If Melt Cosmetics' RiRi approval isn't enough for you, it also has 1.8 million followers on Instagram.
L.A. Splash Cosmetics
A video posted by LASplash Cosmetics (@lasplashcosmetics) on Dec 7, 2015 at 9:55am PST
Carrying everything from lip gloss to matte lipstick to mascara and nail polish, L.A. Splash Cosmetics is affordable (nail polishes are about $4 and glosses are $3) and has a huge selection so you can experiment with colours you wouldn't normally wear, without hurting your wallet. The brand has 442,000 followers on Instagram and is quickly growing. Oh, and check out the video above to see just how waterproof these guys are.
ColourPop Cosmetics
A photo posted by ColourPop Cosmetics (@colourpopcosmetics) on Jan 7, 2016 at 4:04pm PST
Hot on the heels of a Kylie Jenner shout out and a collab with Karrueche, the brand has been growing steadily for some time now, and it now sits at 1.6 million followers. It's popular with the Tumblr crowd and is known for the Ultra Matte Lips line, which comes in a huge array of colours (everything from red to nude to blue). At only $6 (USD) a pop, can you really afford not to try them?
Sugarpill Cosmetics
A photo posted by Sugarpill Cosmetics (@sugarpill) on Jan 10, 2016 at 4:46pm PST
It's easy to see why Sugarpill Cosmetics has 1.2 million followers. Along with product swatches and fan photos, the brand also posts some incredible inspo shots that'll get you itching to try something new, from glitter lips to glass nails to rhinestone brows. The brand's site (and product packaging) looks like a Katy Perry video, and that just adds to its charm.
L.A. Girl Cosmetics
A photo posted by L.A. Girl Cosmetics (@lagirlcosmetics) on Nov 24, 2015 at 9:09am PST
Known for their full-coverage BB creams and Velvet Contour Sticks, L.A. Girl Cosmetics is fun and offers a wide range of bright colours that are still wearable IRL. Boasting 848,000 Instagram followers, this is a great brand to try if you're just entering the world of contouring, or if you're not ready to paint your lips bright blue.
NYX Cosmetics
A photo posted by NYX Cosmetics (@nyxcosmetics) on Jan 10, 2016 at 12:39pm PST
And of course, if you don't already, make sure you follow NYX Cosmetics. The brand's affordable products (some of the best matte lipsticks we've ever tried for only $9 a pop) in a wide range of colours and non-drying formulas (no, seriously) are their hero products. They have 5.2 million followers on Instagram and a standalone store just opened in Toronto. Bless. ){kind=link}
