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Is Etsy the Underground Sephora?

We found amazing, small-batch skin care products, nail polish, mineral eye shadow and more hiding out on the hipster craft emporium
You will feel completely overwhelmed (in a great way) choosing from the 50+ shades of ReliqMinerals pure mineral eye shadow. The shadows come in a myriad of vibrant, whimsical hues, in both shimmer and matte variations. The shadows are long-lasting and effortlessly wearable, not to mention just plain pretty. Each full-sized container will cost you just 7 bucks, but if you're as indecisive as I am, you can order sample sizes of any 10 colors for $11. Score.

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Good4You Jewelweed Salve, $7
Don't be fooled by the kindergarten aesthetic of Good4You's little cardboard jar -- the ultra affordable Jewelweed Salve is a homeopathic lifesaver for healing minor plant-related itches. Made primarily from locally gathered jewelweed flowers picked at the height of their blossom in August, the balm soothes and moisturizes fresh skin irritations -- think of it as a chemical-free alternative to cortisone cream or calamine lotion. The scent is subtle, with a light hint of rose. I'd gladly pay twice the price for this stuff.

I'm a sucker for luxe packaging, and this gorgeous glass container (made from 100 percent recycled glass) looks elegant and expensive, like something you'd see in a fancy hotel room or spa. But it's not just another pretty face -- the bath salts have a spellbinding aroma and make for a totally decadent soak in the tub. The formula is a combination of natural and organic jasmine flowers, violet leaf and bergamot absolute oil, with USA-mined Epsom salts. Best of all: it's made fresh-to-order.

This deeply hydrating moisturizer uses virgin organic coconut oil to lock in moisture for hours. The coconut scent is subtle and lovely, nothing you'd smell at a cheesy beachside gift shop. The product is ideal for cracked hands, or anywhere you have severely dry skin, and a little goes a long way (fair warning: you won't be able to open doors or containers right after rubbing this in without serious slippage). Store this in a cool, dark place -- it will melt otherwise, and you'll want to use this stuff to the last drop.

Everyone and their mother lusts after iconic, high-end cosmetics. But just like snagging a one-of-a-kind vintage bag or a custom, hand-beaded frock, one of our favorite things in life (and at Total Beauty) is to discover awesome and unique handmade beauty products -- best kept secrets, if you will -- that will have all your friends asking, "Where on earth did you find this stuff? It's amazing."

Where do we find this stuff, you ask? Etsy -- it's an absolute goldmine. No, for real. If you think Etsy is the exclusive domain of felt, feather and glue gun-wielding "crafters" (why so many owls, people?), you'll be as shocked as we were to find incredible, high-quality and ultra-unique homemade beauty products. Of course, for every luxe beauty peddler we found on Etsy, there were at least 20 who were a little too made-it-in-my-bathtub DIY for us.

So we spent weeks combing through more of the Etsy Beauty section than we ever knew existed. We met some fascinating characters along the way: a registered nurse who thought there weren't enough unique nail polishes on the market and decided to make her own; a crafty New Yorker with a sweet tooth who turned her hobby of making yummy lip balms into a full time job; a practitioner of traditional Indian medicine who wanted to share the Ayurvedic Principals through her holistic, chemical-free skincare. Amazing crafters, amazing stories.

But beyond these lovely Etsy vendors, who were each a hundred times more pleasant than any of the intimidating attendants who work in high-end makeup boutiques, so many of their products truly impressed us. After sampling mountains of DIY makeup, from mineral powders to moisturizers, we've picked our eleven favorites. Many of them are paraben-free, cruelty-free or organic (unlike most mainstream products), and all of them are fabulous.

Best of all: these products are totally below the radar (for now). Like your favorite hole-in-the-wall dive bar or obscure rock band, you can say you "discovered" these underground beauty products before they hit the mainstream.



BY AMANDA MONTELL | SEP 25, 2013 | SHARES
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