The Indie Beauty Collective is the kind of grassroots story we love—it's a community of women lifting each other up while reshaping the beauty landscape in Canada from the inside out. Created out of late-night DMs between independent brand founders from cult-faves (like Nala , Everist , Sahajan , Palm , LASPA , Graydon , Ember Wellness and more), the curated online marketplace and directory launched earlier this year and just released the “ Canadian Made - Beauty Edit Vol. 1 ," which is essentially a shoppable love letter to local brands. The limited-edition tote bag is stuffed with nine standout full-size products—think Nala Natural Deodorant, LASPA Tinted Mineral Sunscreen, the Ember Wellness Serum Bar—from the collective’s women-led companies. We caught up with some of the women shaping this new era over email to talk about The Indie Beauty Collective’s goals and hopes for the future of the industry. Ahead, learn more from Katie Green (founder of branding agency August Strategy ), Mona Embrahimi (founder of Architect ) and Susan Mey (founder of LASPA )
The Indie Beauty Collective started as a group chat. Can you tell us about how it went from casual conversation to a full-blown movement?
Katie Green (KG): It's true, it all started with a group of Canadian beauty founders trading supplier tips, commiserating about retail roadblocks and generally helping each other navigate the chaos of building brands in this space. It was informal, supportive and, honestly, kind of magic.
When cross-border tariffs hit earlier this year, Jayme Jenkins (co-founder of Everist) reached out to discuss doing some PR to highlight the group. That conversation turned into something bigger. We realized what was missing wasn't just media attention, but infrastructure—a place where Canadian indie beauty could actually live, be discovered and grow. That's where my team at August came in. We built the directory, launched the platform and helped give shape to what was already happening behind the scenes: a smart, generous, deeply capable community coming together to lift each other up.
What was the spark that made you realize something bigger needed to be created?
KG: The tariffs were definitely a catalyst, but they just made the gaps more obvious. Canadian beauty brands (most of them women-led and self-funded) were already navigating a tricky landscape. Limited visibility, rising costs, brands from outside Canada pouring into the market. Creating a platform felt like something small but real that we could do to make things easier, more connected and more visible. And importantly, we wanted it to be inclusive for any brand made in Canada, no matter the size or scale.
That urgency, and a lot of heart, is what sparked the Indie Beauty Collective. First through the shopcanadianbeauty.ca directory, and now through our first product launch. With Beauty Edit Vol. 1, we're making the mission real—something you can hold in your hands because discovery is a big part of moving the needle in the category.
How did the 2025 U.S.-Canada trade tensions affect your thoughts on Canadian beauty?
Mona Embrahimi (ME): The trade tensions really highlighted many positive outcomes, but also highlighted many challenges. For example, it brought to light how dominant U.S. beauty brands are in the Canadian market. A positive outcome was that many groups sprouted on Facebook highlighting Canadian brands, and so we came to know of so many brands we hadn't heard of before, which helped make the switch from U.S. to local brands.
A con is that most Canadian brands rely on U.S. infrastructure - from manufacturing and packaging to, most importantly, our customer base, since Canada is a smaller market and, in order to compete on a global stage, we have to grow in the U.S. That now comes with its own challenges, including increased tariffs, which unfortunately raise our costs.
As a founder of a skincare brand, we made changes where we could. We changed our packaging supplier from a U.S. brand to a Canadian one. We also reviewed our ingredients to see what we could swap out for local alternatives without compromising our product quality. However, many of our unique ingredients come from the U.S., and those ingredients can't be found in Canada, so we unfortunately have no choice.
Why do you think Canada needed this kind of group?
Susan Mey (SM): The reality is that most consumers have not tried the fabulous products that are included in this bag or are found in the directory—perhaps they don't even realize the breadth of offerings that are available right here in our own backyard. Our collective is an avenue of discovery. These brands need support, and Canada needs to reward Canadian innovation and entrepreneurship to maintain its strong independence as a nation.
ME: One of the silver linings of this trade war was seeing how Canadian beauty founders came together in response. There was this collective push to elevate our presence locally and support one another. It showed the power of unity in our industry—and what’s possible when we amplify each other’s voices. Canadian beauty brands have been doing incredible things, but, too often, we’ve been doing it in silos. There wasn’t a centralized space to spotlight the innovation, quality and values that define so many indie Canadian brands. The Collective gives us a louder, unified voice.
As a founder, I saw firsthand how difficult it is to gain visibility and compete with global giants, especially those from the U.S. Canadian brands are often just as good—if not better—but we're underrepresented on shelves and in the media. It's not just about community for founders. It's also about helping Canadian consumers discover local alternatives they can trust and be proud of.
Indie Beauty Collective includes over 80 brands today. Is there a secret to creating authentic collaboration among competitors?
SM: The secret is that there is much more that binds us together than what sets us apart, so working collectively is a smart way to multiply our brand visibility. We are all entrepreneurs who have a passion to create better beauty products here in Canada. Combining efforts to make Canada's first indie beauty bag at ShopCanadianBeauty.ca was a no brainer.
How did you go about curating the brands and products included in the Canadian Made – Beauty Edit Vol. 1?
KG: It was a very intentional process where we thought about the customer experience to round out products across varying categories. We looked for women-led brands that were made in Canada and brought something distinct to the table, whether that was standout formulation, sustainability innovation or a true cult favourite. We wanted the final edit to feel diverse in what it offered, but aligned in quality and sensibility—we wanted the edit to tell a broader story about the calibre of Canadian indie beauty right now.
What's next for the Indie Beauty Collective? Can we expect more edits?
KG: Yes, and sooner than you might think. We sold out Beauty Edit Vol. 1 in under 24 hours, which was surreal and exciting (and a little heartbreaking for everyone who missed it). The
response confirmed what we suspected: people are hungry for Canadian-made beauty that feels intentional, elevated and easy to discover.
The good news is we're doing a limited restock in the coming weeks. And from there, we plan to keep going. We want to get fun and creative with it—seasonal edits, themed kits, other creative ways to spotlight the incredible brands in our collective. The momentum is real, and what comes next will absolutely be shaped by the energy and talent of the community. We're just getting started.
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