Small Businesses Make a Splash at HBA Expo New York 2012

While I was in New York for my FIDM Beauty Study Tour, I made a stop at HBA Expo on my free afternoon. Unfortunately, I was only there for a few short hours, so I only got to visit with a few brands. I was really impressed with all of the upcoming brands in their Splash section, so that is where I hung out! I thought it'd be nice to give these brands a little shout-out on my blog, so definitely check these lines out! Grand Central Beauty is a brand that has a very cool face mask that I can't wait to share with you. You mix the mask yourself, which is super fun, but ensures that the ingredients are fresh! It is travel friendly also! They currently sell on Beauty Army. Their Fantastic development portfolio is so cool and hard to describe, the mask hardens, similar to rubber, and peels off your face. This one is definitely going to require an awesome review once I try it out!Karuna Skincare is a line of sheet masks for your face that have a wide array of purposes. I'm quite a fan of Japanese sheet-masks, but since I can't read the ingredients usually, they have me feeling wary. With Karuna, all of this disappears! Yay! They have 7 face masks and an eye mask. All of their face masks have the "Karuna Beauty Boost" which features Chinese licorice, aloe vera, chamomile, vitamin B, and a blend of peptides. Then, each mask has added ingredients to target specified skin concerns. Their masks are made with natural fibers and are paraben free, which is awesome! LOLA Barcelona was a brand completely new to me at HBA, but their cute packaging drew me in. Come to find out, they are a brand that is soon to launch online! They only have a few products so far, but I see a bright future for them. I need more orange products, though! ;) - I've only tried the lipgloss thus far and so far I really like it (shock!).Naked Princess is a lingerie line turned beauty line with some very impressive products. They're based in Southern California like I am so I was happy to meet a west coaster during HBA!  I samples their Vanille Blanc scented Body Souffle, and I love the scent...sultry and sweet. They also have a 24 Karat Love Dust which has little sparkles. My mini size has a separate puff, but the full size includes a puff that is infused with the product, so you don't get messy with powder! They also have a line of lip glosses that are all in neutral colors. Although glosses aren't my thing, I think their shades are perfect for their brand- the color I'll be trying it out is "Barely Coral." They have beautiful candles also, that won an award for packaging at the expo...I really want one! I'm really impressed with this line! Can't wait to see what they come out with in the future.Furlesse is a brand that has line-reducing patches that you stick on your skin at night. This is a pretty cool idea and I love their names. Since I'm not even 20, I can't say these made a difference in my skin from using them once. I will say the forehead patch didn't make it through the night- I still can't find it! They're a really cool product for aging skin.Ziba/Sumita Beauty was the only brand I was familiar with that I saw at HBA. I've seen them before at IMATS, so I made sure to stop by and say hi. They have some great Indian-inspired products that I can't wait to try. They spoiled me! They even gave me a cute Mehndi (henna) candle that you're supposed to make a wish and light...which I totally did! Looking forward to trying these goodies and reviewing them!Me & The Girls is a cool new organic skincare line featuring cupuacu seed butter and other organic and natural ingredients. This line has been in formulation for many years and is a recent launch. I haven't tried anything yet but after looking at the ingredients and sniffing them, I think they can go far!Eyedoll Chatter is a line of scented eyeshadow and lip balm targeted at young tweens and teens. They were nice enough to give me samples to give to my sisters (12 and 16). Unfortunately, they weren't too enthused at this idea, essentially because they felt that it was for younger kids. I'd say they should target girls under 10 and it would probably work a lot better. This is good for the girls that won't stop playing in your expensive makeup!That's about it for my fun and short time at HBA Expo in New York City! I can't wait to review some of these products fully in the future- I was thankful to have received them! Let me know...have you heard of any of these lines before?**This post contains product that I have received for free– for more information, please read my Disclosure Policy**