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The Best Natural Makeup Brands

June 4, 2015 · 45 Comments

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

The Best Natural Makeup Brands

My daughter and I have had heaps of fun experimenting with brands and products over the last few months to bring you this epic round up of natural makeup!

I am pretty much a low-maintenance sort of girl and working from home means I only wear make up occasionally. However when I do wear it, I want it to be all natural and to look good! My teenage daughter loves makeup as is pretty normal with girls of that age. She likes totally different types and colours to me, so it was good to trial things from both perspectives.

Now just like skincare, makeup is such a personal thing. We all have different skin types and colourings and ages, so these are just our thoughts on how they went on our skin.

 

My tip is to try out some samples or travel kit sizes first and see how they go on your skin.

 

Why would you use natural makeup?

Well, regular make up can contain a whole load of toxic chemicals. David Suzuki says…

“One in eight of the 82,000 ingredients used in personal care products are industrial chemicals, including carcinogens, pesticides, reproductive toxins, and hormone disruptors. Many products include plasticizers (chemicals that keep concrete soft), degreasers (used to get grime off auto parts), and surfactants (they reduce surface tension in water, like in paint and inks). Imagine what that does to your skin, and to the environment!”

You can download his full report on toxic ingredients here. It’s an eye-opening read! Anything we put on our skin gets absorbed into our bloodstream. One or two suspect ingredients may be okay for us to handle but when you think of how many products we use and the cumulative effect, it starts to get worrying.

I use another two trusted resources in working out what to put on my skin – The Chemical Maze books and the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Do your research and learn what to avoid and what is safe!

Thankfully over recent years, this information is becoming more mainstream and there are many companies making natural products.

 

Here is my round-up of the best natural makeup brands available in Australia.

 

Ere Perez♥ Ere Perez

Ere Perez are a big name in the natural makeup world and with good reason – it’s great stuff! Ere Perez is an Australian company, does not test on animals, has a vegan range and contains quality natural ingredients.

I am a long time lover of the Oat Milk liquid foundation – it’s beautifully light to wear and doesn’t feel greasy or weird on my skin. My daughter and I have been fighting over the Pure Rice Powder blush – it’s very subtle but gives you a nice healthy glow. Probably their best known and a little bit of a cult product is the Almond Oil Mascara. Yep, I agree – it’s fabulous! No itchy eyes with this one.

Ere Perez is in the mid range of pricing with foundations at $39.90 for 40ml and lipsticks at $29.90.

 

♥ MG Naturals  

MG Naturals stands for Mama Going Natural and is also Kailah, a natural new age mum from Queensland. Her range is fairly new and it’s available online. You can get foundation, BB cream, blusher and lip glaze. MG Naturals are all cruelty free, vegan, chemical free, hydrating & soothing and they are one of the few brands in the world who don’t use Titanium Dioxide, Boron Nitride or Magnesium Stearate in their make up lines.

My daughter and I tested the BB cream and we like it. It’s a very sheer, light coverage so it’s good for her to wear to school as it doesn’t look like you are wearing make up but still gives a nice polished look. It was a little too sheer for me so I needed another application. It feels heavenly on your skin though – very light and in fact I forgot I was wearing it!

MG Naturals is very reasonably priced with the foundations at $24.95 for 30ml  and the lip glazes at just $9.95 for 15ml. Find the range online and check out Kailah’s Facebook page, Mama Going Natural.

La Mav♥ La Mav

La Mav are an Australian made and owned company, despite their exotic sounding name! As well as being cruelty free and environmentally conscious, the range is based on scientifically proven bio-actives.

The make up line includes a BB Creme, mineral foundation, powder, bronzer and tinted lip treatments. All products contain Vitamin C and Rosehip Oil providing proven anti-ageing benefits while nourishing and protecting your skin from free radicals.

We totally love the amazing  La Mav Organic BB Creme which has become very famous. I think it’s the best BB cream I have tried – so smooth on the skin and it looks invisible. We were equally impressed with the mineral foundation – it gives the skin a beautiful coverage with light-reflecting particles giving off a nice glow. The lip tint is also ingenious – it feels incredibly moisturizing and stayed on my lips and then I realized it was actually a hydrating lip treatment with bioactive, anti-ageing ingredients and not just a lip gloss! I tried the nude colour which was a very natural look with a hint of glossiness.

La Mav is in the middle of the pricing range with the BB Creme at $39.95 for 5oml and the Lip Tints at $19.95 for 8ml.

♥ Inika

Inika is a beautiful brand, with half the range certified organic and the other half all natural. Pure minerals, organic active botanicals and quality ingredients are used to give a natural finish. They are also certified vegan and cruelty free. I love that all the packaging is recyclable and some products are made from recycled materials.

The range is extensive and you will find everything you need from primers to lip tints. It’s great quality and lovely to use. The foundation is light, smooth and looks flawless but I found it a little too light in coverage for me.  The Lip Tint that I tried (Cherish) was beautiful – gorgeously hydrating and smooth and great staying power. But being a natural sort of girl, I wasn’t a fan of the dark purple colour. The Champagne Creme eyeshadow is awesome as a base for your eye make up. I use the organic eyeliner regularly – the little sharpener on the end is brilliant.

Inika is a the high-end of the pricing range with foundations at $65 for 30ml and lipsticks at$36.50.

 

Zuii Organic

♥ Zuii Organic

One of the few brands to have the entire range certified organic, Australian made Zuii Organic stands out for its tag line ‘wear flowers on your face’.  Floral botanicals are used in the creation of the products with rose and jasmine featuring. As well as being cruelty free, Zuii Organics are also vegan friendly, gluten free and toxin free.

The range is the most extensive I have seen, with loads of colours to suit everyone. They don’t do mineral powders, but they have liquid and powder foundations as well as primers. The products contain things like Vitamin C and E as well as the floral botanicals, so it’s actually good for your skin!

Zuii Organic is the first natural make up I ever tried. I am still a huge fan of the foundation – it’s exactly the right colour for me with flawless coverage and a smooth finish while still looking natural to wear.  I also love the melon blush and the hibiscus lip tint. The products seem to last forever. The only thing I wasn’t keen on in is the concealer pencil – the texure is a little cakey for me and it didn’t sit well on my skin.

Zuii Organic is surprisingly in the mid-price range with foundations at $40 for 30ml and lipsticks at $26.

Adorn Cosmetics♥ Adorn Cosmetics 

Adorn Cosmetics are also a popular name in natural makeup. The range is non-toxic, natural, organic, vegan, and Australian made and owned. They even have earth-friendly product refills and have no palm oil. All the range is made from natural, pure mineral and organic ingredients from sustainable sources.

They have a huge range including liquid, mineral and cream foundations, primers, bronzers, mascara, lip pencils and balms. I love the Hydrating Primer and think I need to add a primer into my makeup routine. It just makes the makeup sit so well on your skin (and probably that extra bonus for skin like mine that is no longer in the flush of youth!). I preferred the liquid foundation over the mineral powder and creme foundation, but that is a personal preference.

Adorn is very much on the higher end of the pricing scale with foundations at $65 for 30mls and lipsticks at $40 for 6g.

♥ Eco Minerals

Eco Minerals is a small Aussie company based in Byron Bay. They are certified vegan, don’t test on animals and contain no palm oil or nasties. As the name suggests, they specialize in mineral make up and the range includes mineral based foundation powders, blush, bronzer, eye shadows as well as mascara and concealers.

Check out the online colour match app which will help you pick the right shade for you. I selected a mineral foundation using the app and it was pretty accurate – perhaps a touch too yellow on me but nothing that looks out of place. I am not usually a fan of mineral makeup as I find it sits funny on my skin and doesn’t help the look of my large pores. However this one is quite good! The natural spf of 24 is a definite highlight.

Eco Minerals is in the high end pricing range with $33.00 for 5g of mineral foundation. I love that you can get a refill for your pot though, so it’s eco-friendly. Refills are $28.60.

Check out Eco Minerals online here.

♥ Lily Lolo

Lily Lolo is a UK brand of mineral makeup with everything from BB cream to nail polish in the range. My daughter particularly liked this range for the funky packaging (street cred!) and the affordable price.  The quality is fabulous and free of any parabens, synthetic perfumes or dyes.

They are at the lower end of the pricing scale with lipsticks at $19 and foundations at $29.50 for 10g.

 

♥ Raww Australian Organics

Raww are a new brand in Australia and fast becoming very popular! All the makeup products are certified cruelty free, all natural and made in Australia.

The ingredient list includes superfoods like coconut water, avocado oil and green tea to nourish your skin. I have the Wildberry Foundation and it smells amazing. I love the light, natural feel of the foundation – you forget you are wearing it and there is no irritating itchiness. The coverage is medium but you can build it up with layers if you want to.

It’s well-priced with 30ml of foundation for $34.99 and lipsticks for $24.99

 

♥ Nature Delivers

I met the lovely Jo from Nature Delivers a few years ago at an expo. I love her makeup! It’s very affordable, it looks nice and it’s all natural. There is everything you need including mineral powders, blush, bronzer, concealers, eyeshadow, eyeliners, mascara and lipsticks and lipglosses. You can even buy a set and save a bit of cash – great for gifts.

My daughter is a big fan of the mineral powder and we order it regularly. I think my favourite is the eye shadows and the lip gloss wands – I love the natural look and the colours are all very subtle and natural. The mascara is also one of our favourites.

Nature Delivers is very reasonably priced with the foundations at $41 for 15g and the lipsticks at $24. Jo only sells at markets around Byron Bay and online (this is how she keeps the prices so nice). Check out Jo’s website here and on Facebook here.

 

♥ Benecos

Benecos are a German brand that’s recently landed in Australia. It’s the best budget-friendly brand I have tried. My teenager loves it because she can afford it herself and it’s still good quality and all natural.

I was surprised at how good the coverage was with the foundation when I used it myself! Recommended for those who want something natural but don’t want to spend a fortune.

Where to shop:

You can find some of these brands in health food stores or eco-stores, but I find the range to be limited. I usually shop online for the more extensive range of products available. I order samples and try out the colours before I commit to the full size products.

 

♥ Biome Eco Store.  Founded by Tracey Bailey, this small family business is a favourite. They stock a huge range of things, that are organic, natural, recycled and fairtrade; makeup being just one of their lines. Tracey has a rewards program, free shipping over $130 and a 5% discount.

 

I couldn’t talk about make up without mentioning the great range of bamboo make up brushes by Eco Tools. They are vegan, eco-friendly and cruelty free.

 

Again, I will reiterate that make up is such a personal thing so get your hands on some samples and have a play. I would love to know your experiences with natural make up and what you love! Leave us a comment.

 

You might also want to read:

The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands

The Best Natural Perfumes

The Best Natural Sunscreens

The Best Natural Insect Repellents

 

 

{this post contains some sponsored content and affiliate links}

Filed In: SELF / Tagged: cosmetics, eco beauty, green beauty, lipstick, makeup, mascara, mineral makeup, natural beauty, natural makeup, non toxic makeup, organic beauty, organic makeup

Poisonous Pout? What are you really putting on your lips?

February 4, 2014 · 17 Comments

 

Poisonous Pout

Have you ever thought about it?

Putting on lipstick might be something of a daily habit, like brushing our teeth or combing our hair. But it might shock you to know just how many harmful chemicals you are being exposed to.

“In regards to lipstick we have researched and found that women will on average swallow 1kg of lipstick if you manage to work through 5 lipsticks a year between 16-60yrs of age. The chemicals that have been linked to cancer in those lipsticks are artificial colours, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), fragrance, plasticisers, talc, Teflon and formahldehyde.” Kim Morrison, Twenty 8 and Like Chocolate for Women

 

front-cover-less-toxic-living

 

Kirsten McCullough, in her recent book, Less Toxic Living (download it for free here), also talks about chemicals in lipstick.

“Studies in the US by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and more recently by researchers at the University of California in Berkeley have found unexpectedly high levels of lead and other heavy metals in many lipsticks. These won’t be shown on any ingredients list, because they aren’t deliberately added: they originate as contaminants, mostly in colouring agents.

In addition to the possible heavy metal contamination, some ingredients that can be found in commercial lip balm that you may want to avoid are:
• petroleum jelly or mineral oil
• paraffin
• parabens, including parahydroxybenzoate, butylparaben,
methylparaben, propylparaben, and ethylparaben
• unspecified ‘fragrance’ or ‘flavour’
• oxybenzone
• butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)
• diazolidinyl urea
• octinoxate/ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (this is a
sunscreen ingredient)
• propylene glycol
• menthol, camphor, phenol and alcohol.”

The problem with lipstick is that chemicals are absorbed directly into our bloodstream. Unlike when you eat food, there is no liver to bypass and help detoxify the toxins first. On top of that you have the potential cumulative effect of so many toxins in our body. 

 

 

So, what is the alternative? 

Well, you don’t have to give up lippy all together! You just need to be choosey about which one you will allow on your lips! Do your research, check ingredients and ask questions. I find the EWG Skin Deep Database an invaluable tool to investigate chemicals in cosmetics.

Here are my top three natural lipsticks.

142161. Miessence Lip Cremes and Shimmer Cremes. A creamy matt formula with intense natural colour blends of pure mineral pigments. Find them online.

 

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2. Inika Mineral Lipstick.  A completely natural and vegan lipstick, Inika is formulated with natural shea butter and jojoba oil to moisturize your lip. Absolutely zero chemicals or animal derivatives.  Find the Inika Mineral Lipstick here and their Lip Whips (like a lip gloss) here.

 
84465734__73084.1381140915.451.4163. La Mav Tinted Lip Treatment. These are very clever as they combine an intensive hydrating lip treatment to moisturise and condition dry lips and intensive Bio-Active ingredients to help stop the visible signs of ageing on the lips. Oh, and they colour your lips too! Get them online.

 

What is your favourite natural lipstick? Are you concerned about chemicals in your lipstick?

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
This post contains affiliate links.

Filed In: HEALTH, SELF / Tagged: beauty, cosmetics, lipstick

What are parabens and should we avoid them?

October 28, 2013 · 16 Comments

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

What are parabens and should we avoid them?

 

You may have noticed a few products cropping up with “paraben free” on them. 

But, what are they? And should we be avoiding them?

 

I am going to try to simplify this for you and give you some information from sources I trust.

Well, basically, parabens are preservatives used in cosmetic products and sometimes food. Look out for them in your shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, toothpaste, moisturisers, deodorants….. pretty much check the labels of all your cosmetics! They are also found in food products like pies, sausages and pastries.

Their function is to stop fungus and bateria growing in your products.

Parabens are derived from petroleum and you will often see it prefaced with methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl, isobutyl, isopropyl or benzyl.

So why are people freaking out about parabens?

In a study looking at breast cancer, parabens were found in the tumours of 18 out of 20 women. This led to the suspicion that parabens might be causing an increase in breast cancers.

In another study by the US Environmental Protection Agency, parabens were found to mimic hormones and disrupt endocrine function (our glands which secrete hormones around the body).

There is also some evidence that “butyl paraben adversely affects the secretion of testosterone and the function of the male reproductive system. In the present study, it is shown that propyl paraben also adversely affects the hormonal secretion and the male reproductive functions.”

The EWG Skin Deep Database rates several parabens at the toxic end of the scale.

The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion says to avoid parabens because of “suspected endocrine disruption, suspected skin or sense organ toxicity, contact skin irritation or dermatitis in some people and wildlife and environmental toxicity.”

On the other hand, there is this information from Choice Australia – ” The European Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety conducted a review of parabens in consumer goods, and determined that they didn’t pose a risk in the quantities permitted in such products. However the Danish government has banned the use of some of the larger-molecule parabens in products for children up to three years old as a precautionary measure, as children might be especially vulnerable to endocrine effects. This is of particular concern if products are used on broken skin, such as nappy rash.”

 

So, what’s the verdict?

My concern about these products is the amount we use and the fact that parabens are stored in our bodies. Dr Peter Dingle, scientific researcher and toxicologist says “although companies assure us that the chemicals known to be toxic are in amounts too small to cause harm, no one knows what their long-term, cumulative effects will be. What’s more, we don’t know how toxic these substances are when combined with other ingredients in the product.”

Personally, I think there is enough of a risk and questions raised for me to avoid parabens and err on the side of caution. I also try to avoid all products made from petroleum. Remember parabens are just one of the chemicals that can cause problems.

 

How do you avoid parabens?

Read labels, read labels, read labels! I like to look up The Chemical Maze or EWG skincare database to check products and ingredients. I also like to stick with good quality, natural skincare that I trust, like Twenty 8, Miessence and Mukti to name a few.

You might also want to check out my post on The Best Australian Natural Skincare Brands.

 

What do you think? Do you avoid parabens?

 

 

Filed In: HEALTH / Tagged: cancer, cosmetics, natural skincare, parabens

Peachface tween and teen natural skincare

April 11, 2013 · 45 Comments

peachface

peachface

I have a tween. She is 11.

According to dictionary.com, a tween is “a youngster between 10 and 12 years of age, considered too old to be a child and too young to be a teenager.”

It’s a beautiful time but also one full of challenges.

My gorgeous girl has, in the last year, started to become a bit girly. Okay, a lot girly.

She is conscious of how she looks, what she wears, how her hair is sitting. She wants to start using “products”!

home-hero-07

So, you can imagine how excited I was to come across gorgeous soul and Australian mum, Sue Lansdown, creator and founder of peachface. Very excited.

Sue’s products are specifically made for tweens and teens. peachface also ticks all of my natural, new age mum boxes and  actively promotes and encourages positive self belief. Woohoo!

radiate

Let me just give you a quick rundown on what I am loving…….

♥ certified organic, natural and Australian indigenous ingredients

♥ Australian made and owned

♥ not tested on animals

♥ funky, recyclable packaging with affirmations

♥ Sue’s website and blog which is full of information and positive messages

♥ it’s very affordable for families and easy to get online or in stores with free postage over $50

home-hero-03

Sue kindly posted my gorgeous tween some products to road test. We tried the tween range of cleaner, toner, moisturizer, mask and lip balm.

Here’s what the tween had to say about peachface…..

“I really like the colours on the bottles. It all smelt really good. My favourites are the lip balm and mask. I like the rose and honey. It makes my skin feel nice and soft. It’s good to have my own stuff so I don’t have to use mums!” ~ Natural New Age Girl

I can rest easy knowing my daughter is starting off her lifetime of skincare with natural products that won’t harm her health. I can’t tell you how much that means to me as a mum.

Okay, so who would like to try some out? Sue has kindly offered to give away two peachface gift packs – one tween and one teen!

♥ teen pack…. moisturizer, scrub, toner, mask

♥ tween pack …. cleanser, toner, face mask, moisturizer

This giveaway is now closed. The winners were Sonya B and Mary P. Congratulations!

How to enter: 

*Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the top right hand box). Please double-check you are still subscribed after I moved the blog!

*Like peachface on Facebook.

*Comment on this blog post, telling me what your favourite affirmation is and if you would like a tween or teen gift pack.

Winners will be chosen using random.org from those meeting the entry requirements, emailed and announced on this blog post. Giveaway starts now and ends at midnight on the 20th of April, 2013. Sorry, only available to those with an Australian address. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook.

Good luck and many thanks to Sue and peachface! 

Make Contact:

Website: www.peachface.com.au

Email: sales@peachface.com.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/naturalteenageskincare

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Filed In: SELF / Tagged: cosmetics, organic skincare, peachface, skin, teen, teen skincare, tween, tween skincare

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