The Nordic Beauty Edit: The Best Scandinavian Beauty Brands

Launched in 2020, Stockholm-based fragrance brand Unifrom likes to do things slightly differently. For starters, all of their fragrances are oil-based, rather than formulated with alcohol (meaning they are non-dying and long-lasting, not to mention travel-friendly). The vegan, unisex line conjures up scents that take inspiration from a melting pot of cultures, architecture, and identity.

The collection consists of sleek chrome bottles of roll-on perfumes, satisfying swivel compacts of solid scents ($120) and hand-dipped incense sticks ($38) to channel those Woodstock 1969 vibes. Not sure on your fragrance notes? $29 gets you a test pack of the brand’s five scents, and a handy 10% off discount off your chosen full size. With free worldwide shipping, it might just be time to update your signature scent.

When it comes to makeup, creativity and functionality should go hand-in-hand. So when Stockholm-based makeup artist Linda Hallberg developed her own brand, she ensured that her products were truly multi-tasking. For example, the Crayon ($18), an eye pencil that also works as a lipliner, comes in an array of gorgeous vivid jewel toned shades and traffic-stopping neons for a nod to Stockholm city cool.

However, if your look errs more towards the clean-girl aesthetic, the Majestic ($23), a soft matte lipstick by name that also packs a punch as a cheek color and is additionally safe for usage on your eyelids. If you ever wanted to try out a monochrome look, here’s the best toolbox for it. Orders over $75 ship to US addresses for free.

Created by Susanne Manasi, a Stockholm-based makeup artist and cosmetic developer with nearly thirty years of experience, Manasi 7 is the ultimate mindful beauty brand. In fact, the number 7 stands for the seven strict rules that suppliers need to follow in order to work with the brand. Setting out to bridge the gap between intense color pay off and sustainably sourced, nourishing ingredients, Manasi has succeeded in creating a beautifully designed range that still stands independent amongst their competitors. As a devotee of multi-usage face products, the entire range speaks to me, however, it’s the plant-based, organic creamy Eye Glow Color ($39.50) that’s really caught my attention. The shade Ochaya is a particular favorite, a majestic multi-chrome cream eyeshadow that glides on and glows green, gold and brown under different light settings.

Taking inspiration from the beauty of Finnish nature, plus the therapeutic benefits of essential oils and crystal healing, Flow Cosmetics is a beauty brand that invokes some serious feel-good energy (even those brightly colored jars are an instant dopamine fix). Originally starting off as a homemade soap brand, this family-owned brand's hand-crafted products quickly became some of the most successful offerings in their native country of Finland. Add some Northern European superfood goodness to dull skin with the Lingonberry Bright Serum ($53.00), a lightweight, dark spot and pigmentation-busting serum. The lingonberry extract includes a host of benefits such as antioxidant protection and fruit acids that speed up skin cell turnover.

Finding salon-quality, vegan, sustainable hair care is fortunately no longer the challenge it used to be, and this is mainly thanks to Maria Nila, a family-owned Swedish brand that was one of the first to bring this ethos to the masses. A favorite amongst many industry professionals, the eco-friendly brand offers an extensive range of products for all hair types and conditions, and encourages the consumer to combine different products ranges — since we all know that there’s no one-size fits all approach when it comes to hair care. On my wish list is the Head & Hair Heal Beauty Bag ($72), a three-piece kit that's a fast track route to refreshed and soothed scalps and tresses.

Danish-born Kirsten Kjaer Weis founded her brand whilst working as a makeup artist in New York City, noticing a need in the industry for high-performing products which did not cause the skin irritation she frequently noticed on models backstage. Combined with her extensive background and knowledge of organic products, Weis set out to create the ultimate brand in refillable, organic luxury beauty. We’re low-key obsessing over the classy, silver-polished, refillable cream compacts, each designed to be filled up with the (Allure Award-winning!) Cream Blush. Make sure you select the Iconic Edition to get both the case and product included ($56).

Described by Vogue as the Scandinavian beauty brand for all “It” girls and boys, it’s only a matter of time before Woods Copenhagen will be in the bathroom cabinets of cool kids on either side of the Atlantic. With all products formulated and produced in their homeland of Denmark (including only raw-sourced ingredients), you can expect to find effective, hardworking formulations with a strong Nordic DNA at the heart of every product.

Take the Body Repair Balm ($46) for example, a multi-purpose replenishing balm which has the benefit of being fast-absorbing thanks to the addition of pure spring water (straight from Northern Greenland, no less). I suggest using it at night to truly reap the benefits.

It’s hard to believe that & Other Stories has only been around for a decade. Already a major player in fashion with their trademark minimalist knitwear and relaxed midi dresses, it’s easy to see why fashion editors and influencers flock towards one of Stockholm’s finest exports, which is part of the H&M brand umbrella.

However, ruffled tea dresses aside, it’s the brand's beauty range that really piques my attention. Within their product line, you’ll find extremely affordable (yet highly expensive-smelling) fragrance options which were originally developed by Ben Goreham, founder of Byredo.

Touted as a dupe for a well-known high end designer’s cherry scented perfume, Neon Rush Eau De Toilette ($40) is a firm favorite. The body care range also smells equally divine, with a generous offering of scrubs, creams, and candles to choose from. Last but not least, if velvety saturated cream eyeshadows and on-trend nail colors are more your vibe, you’ll want to pay close attention to their color cosmetics range - like the Dazzling Duet Nail Polish Gift Set ($15).

And the best news of all? Economy shipping is completely free!