My whole life, I have lived with an ongoing struggle with my skin. Growing up, I remember being proud of my skin color, hazelnut with a hint of orange zest. I loved the beauty mark on my forearm and the luminous glow my skin gave off like a firefly in the summer. But as I grew older, I began to encounter several challenges with my skin, mostly due to allergies, eczema, acne and keloid scars.

For someone who spends her lunch hour lurking around beauty shops and returns to work with swatched arms, the Indie Beauty Expo (IBE) is my literal heaven. Having stumbled upon it last year through a co-worker’s suggestion, I made sure to attend this year’s as well.