Designed to connect retail-ready brands with top merchants, the trade show produced by Beauty Independent parent company Indie Beauty Media Group took place Wednesday and Thursday at New York City’s Metropolitan Pavilion. Despite the persistently shaky economy, merchants attending Adit Live were optimistic about the beauty industry’s continued resilience. However, some are hedging their bets against uncertainty by forecasting sales conservatively and diversifying assortments to include more entry-level options.

Retail buyers scoured the trade show for brands that cut through the beauty clutter with unique positioning, lush textures, fun packaging and competitive pricing. While makeup was top of mind for many, innovation in skincare, body care and sexual wellness didn’t go unnoticed.

To shed light on what resonated most with retail buyers at the show, we recruited six of them from very different companies—180 year-old apothecary C.O. Bigelow, multicategory e-tailer Olivela, grocer H-E-B, luxury beauty retailer Cos Bar, boutique Shen Beauty and Amyris-owned clean beauty retailer Onda Beauty—to tell us what stood out to them.

Here are their top brand and product picks from Adit Live:

Private Matters and Blushing LA

“Feminine care seems to be a top-trending category, with brands focusing more on perimenopause and menopause. They acknowledge that women are looking for symptom relief that comes in packaging cute enough to leave on the counter.

I was very impressed with Private Matters, particularly with their [FEM HI] and Meno Positive collections. I also really like Blushing LA. The packaging is clean with a pop of color and the price points are great for drawing in a repeat customer. I have already shared the Soak It Up Magnesium Bath Soak and Flash Me Cooling Spray with my colleagues, who love them!”

Sundae Body

“They had the best booth! It was so cute and reminiscent of an ice cream shop. Their packaging is so fun as well. I especially love the Whipped Foaming Body Wash that comes in so many scents (Coconut Cream is my favorite!). The formula is lightweight and can double as a shaving foam.”

Ember Wellness

“They have these beautiful facial oils that pair with their hydrosols. I sampled the combo that was formulated for balanced skin, and my skin was glowing and very soft. Their Sculpt & Glow Bar is innovative and unique. Can’t wait to see what else they do!”

Royer Cosmetique

“This brand was a nice surprise. I’ve never seen a French brand take on snail mucin, and I appreciate their organic approach. The Concentrated Radiance Serum is as light as water and leaves skin feeling firm and hydrated. I gave a bottle of it to one of my sales associates and he has been raving about it ever since.”

Rhug Wild Beauty

“Meeting Lord Newborough, the founder of Rhug Wild Beauty, was an incredible experience and seeing videos of his estate where he lives and harvests the incredible ingredients used in his products was extraordinary. He kindly demonstrated for me how his cleansing balm works. Smelling it was one of the best parts of my day, and it immediately transported me to his estate. I could smell a variety of the organic and wild-foraged ingredients in each of their products, which are all sustainably sourced and extremely luxurious.”

Lendava

“This is a brand that immediately caught my eye with their minimal yet elevated packaging. I am particularly obsessed with their body care range as it is so hydrating. Their mini sizes are perfect for when you are on the go and are looking for travel-sized products that not only work but are also beautiful to look at.”

Annemarie Borlind

“I love that this [Rose Nature] line targets both stress and digital-related aging with the brand’s exclusive PR3 rose complex. With many of us staring at multiple screens every day, protecting ourselves from the impacts of blue light is so important, not only for our eyes but also for our skin. Their Oil-To-Milk cleanser has such a beautiful velvety finish with a refreshing rose scent. I will definitely be incorporating it into my routine.”

Flyte.70

“There is a lot to love about this brand: unique positioning (pro-age), sustainability, thoughtful packaging, accessible prestige price points, beautiful branding, and founders that are engaged and knowledgeable. However, the standout formulations are by far the hero of this story.

For instance, the GlowBack Global Prep primer. The founder, Carolyn, applied a bit on top of my foundation, which addressed the mid-day dryness that I usually cover up with—gulp—more powder. I’m a cream or gel girl at this stage of my life, but the brand’s ColorBack Bronzer powder has converted me back to my mid-20s. It immediately warmed up my complexion, and it also worked well on the eyes. (Yes, it is that finely milled!)

I’d just caution this brand about getting hung up on a specific customer age, though. To me, these products are really for anyone who wants to take care of their skin and feel good in them.”

Private Matters

“This is a super smart play to get all the things we don’t normally talk about into one conversation: sexual wellness, vaginal care, post-pregnancy tools and meno-positive formulas. The brand’s got sharp pricing with all items coming in under $16, which shows me that it knows its niche and is designed to partner with mass retailers.

It’s got beautiful, bold packaging that clearly communicates its category and will display well in busy, mass retailers. The brand will lose a little of its punch when categories are broken up in store. But there is enough range here for retailers to pick and choose from based on their customer needs.”

M2U NYC

“High-end formulas at a mass price point. As the wealth divide deepens and price tiers multiply, this brand hits on a largely ignored market: mass color. E.l.f. is the ultimate disrupter, and brands would be wise to take a page from their unbelievably successful book.

My favorite product was their liquid blush. It had great pay off with beautiful blendability and long wear. Founder Amy Chou was lovely, knowledgeable, experienced, passionate, realistic and prepared. I really enjoyed chatting with her.”

Ayuna

“[Cream III Cannabic Sublimating Cream is a] beautiful product that seems to have nailed that intersection between efficacy, mindful ingredients and sustainability. It has plant-derived stem cells and other biotechnologies as well as a preservative system—not phenoxyethanol—that ensure a good shelf life for 12 months after the product is opened. The non-synthetic fragrance is wonderful. The founders shared that the primary packaging is biodegradable, too. I’m very much looking forward to trying it for the requisite 28 days.”

Perris Monte Carlo

“I am usually not a big fan of ouds as these fragrances can be too heavy for my liking. This one, [Bois D’Oud], jumped out to me. It has fruity top notes, a subtle spiciness and a vanilla base. I loved the vanilla pairing with the oud, which helped smooth and balance out the finish. It is certainly a fragrance I can see someone using during the day or evening and throughout all four seasons.”

Sundae Body

“I absolutely loved this brand. What an incredible concept with great ingredients, incredible scent profiles and ease-of-use for kids or adults, men or women. It’s fun, engaging and a different way to think about body care.”

Manuka & Me

“I love this brand, the science behind it, and how easy it is to understand the thought that has gone into it. It’s interesting to see a wellness brand come to life in such a crowded space.”

Nukla

“This brand has taken its commitment to sustainability to the next level by utilizing seeds that are considered waste for their face oil formulations. These are kernels from fruit juice factories or refining processes. The balancing seed extract sinks into the skin without leaving an oily residue. It is rich in omegas, which is so healing to the skin.”

Senself

“The science in clean skincare is a reflection of the intelligence that already exists in nature. I love that Senself is rooted in the wisdom of cultural heritage to heal and balance skin with two hero ingredients: nettle and plantago. Their rich but light moisturizer is perfect as the weather heats up now. It is soothing and layers nicely with sunscreen.”