Organic & Natural Beauty Show 2015

Sunday afternoon I braved the high winds and rain and took the cable car from North Greenwich to Excel London to visit the 2015 Organic and Natural Beauty Show.

Created to address the growing demand for clean products in the beauty industry and to provide a platform for retailers, distributors and importers. When it first launched in 2013, the Organic and Natural beauty Show was a pretty small affair (probably around 40 exhibitors) but having taken a year off, the show this year was amalgamated with one of the biggest shows in the beauty industry; Professional Beauty. 

I arrived mid afternoon and so the the crowds had thankfully started to disperse - if you have every visited Professional Beauty you will know how much of a cattle market it can be. Knowing I only had a couple of hours until the show closed I dashed round the green carpeted area that denoted the organic and natural section. A flick through the show program and I had earmarked a few stands I felt I needed to visit without fail but otherwise I had no real plans beyond browsing and a quick catch-up with one of my buddies.

My first proper stop was at the Avril stand, an affordable French organic make-up and skincare range. Avril were at the show in 2013 however didn't bring any products with them to sell; this year however they had a stand packed full of their products so I dived right in!

With such an affordable price point (most items come in between just £2.00 and £8.00!) I could easily have purchased the entire line, however I restricted myself to a few key items from across the range which I hope will give me a good overview of the brand and work out what I like or don't like and what works and doesn't.

Botanical Brands is a UK distributor of natural and organic brands whom I have chatted to a lot on twitter over the past year or so so it was great to meet those behind the tweets. With their stand packed full of many of the products they supply, including a couple of make-up brands; Lippy Girl and Living Nature. I couldn't stop here without making a few additions to my kit...

My final call of the day was at Beyond Organic Skincare (you may recall that their Ultra Radiance Age Defying Serum was one of my top five favourite products of 2013) where they where introducing their latest additions; the natural and anti-acne ranges. The natural range is rich in cucumber and aloe vera (it smells so fresh) and with a much more affordable price tag that the other collections, the range is suitable for both men and women including those with sensitive skin. The Anti-Acne range is a soothing, balancing range designed for those with problem skin.

Despite my purchases I did leave feeling a little disappointed with the couple of hours I spent at the show and in all honesty I feel it wan't as good 2013. Prior to the show I admit I was sceptical about the Organic and Natural Show joining forces with Professional Beauty - PB has a certain feel to it (admittedly not one I particularly like) and attracts a very different crowd. 

The number of brands exhibiting was pretty similar to the previous year however it lacked the variety  of 2013 and did feel very much as if the whole thing was geared towards spas rather than the individual. There were also a few brands who's presence in the organic and natural section of the show was questionable due to their ingredients, so this is maybe something that the organisers should look at before the next one; there is a world of possibilities for how the organic and Natural Show could grow and expand, so fingers crossed for the next event...

Read all about the 2013 show here...

Images: Laura Jane Sessions - Organic Make-up Artist