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 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 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

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 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

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