A Look Back at Beauty Independent’s BITE NYC

So many brands and so little time...

Between co-running The Beauty Brief and managing my own consultancy, you could say that I spend a pretty significant amount of my time keeping up with the beauty industry (aka I scroll IG for hours a day). And between new launches, founder interviews, and the endless stream of products making their way onto my feed, I'd like to think I have a pretty good pulse on what's happening. 

And yet, I spent an entire day at Beauty Independent's BITE and still didn't manage to see every brand exhibiting! Even more surprisingly, there were a lot of promising brands in attendance I hadn’t even heard of. 

So let’s rewind back to September 24th for a second, when BITE (Beauty Is The Experience) was held at New York City's Metropolitan Pavilion. The event brought together emerging beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors, editors, and creators for a day of brand discovery and conversations about where the industry is headed.

I spent hours moving between booths (note to self for next time: don't come in heels!), meeting founders, hearing their stories, and discovering products I probably wouldn't have found otherwise.

And if BITE made one thing clear, it's that the beauty industry isn't running out of ideas anytime soon.

I mean, the show floor was packed with independent brands across skincare, haircare, makeup, fragrance, and wellness. Some were just getting started, while others were looking to make their next big move, particularly into retail.

We talk a lot about beauty being oversaturated, but I think there's an important distinction to make. The industry isn't necessarily lacking innovation. It's lacking visibility for the brands that haven't figured out how to break through the noise.

And that's what I found so interesting. We're constantly being served the same handful of brands online, while an entirely different group is working to get noticed.

A strong product doesn't automatically translate to brand awareness. And having a compelling founder story doesn't guarantee anyone will hear it. That's why being in a room like BITE matters. There's no algorithm deciding what deserves your attention...Just an opportunity to discover something you didn't know you were looking for.

The Business Behind Beauty

While the show floor was a major draw, BITE's speaker programming offered a different perspective on the industry.

Beauty Independent's Vision Center brought together industry leaders to tackle some of the biggest questions facing beauty businesses today, from AI's impact on retail to influencer marketing, wholesale expansion, and profitability.

The event also debuted its Merchant Leadership Forum, developed with input from executives across Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Nordstrom, CVS Pharmacy, and Cos Bar.

What I appreciated about the programming was that it went beyond the usual conversations about trends and what's launching next. There were discussions about the real economics of building a beauty business.

How do you manage rising marketing costs? What does it actually take to succeed in wholesale? And how do retailers decide which brands earn valuable shelf space?

These are the kinds of questions that don't always make for exciting Instagram content, but they're incredibly important, especially for the founders exhibiting just a few feet away.

The Bigger Picture

A month later, what I appreciate most about BITE is the perspective it gave me.

It's easy to look at the beauty industry through the lens of what's trending, what's selling out, or who's getting the most attention online. But that's only a fraction of what's actually happening.

Behind the scenes, there are founders investing their time, money, and energy into building businesses that most consumers haven't encountered yet. And for many of them, getting in front of the right retailer, editor, or investor could change everything!

Not every brand will become a household name. That's just the reality of an incredibly competitive industry. But there was something encouraging about seeing so many people willing to take that chance.

We're quick to declare beauty oversaturated, yet we keep celebrating the next big thing when it finally breaks through. Just something I’ve noticed, but let me know your thoughts here as well :)