7 Natural Makeup Brands to Try Now
Photo: Levi Brown/Trunk Archive
So you want to switch to all-natural makeup? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. The growing market of natural and organic beauty products can be a difficult one to navigate. A lot of questions have been raised in recent years about what natural really means as it applies to the cosmetics and personal care industry. According to the Environmental Working Group, the FDA does not place many limits on what kinds of ingredients can be used in products or on how products are labeled—that means something labeled natural can still contain synthetic chemicals. This also means that products with the “natural” or “organic” label may contain as little as 10 percent organic ingredients.
Related: Good Enough to Eat Food Grade Beauty Products
How do you find beautiful makeup that’s not laden with chemicals? In order to help you sift through the many natural beauty brands, we rounded up our 7 favorites. This makeup is guaranteed to not only be beautiful, but also include a high percentage of natural and organic ingredients.
The Brand: Tata Harper
The Story: All Tata Harper products are manufactured in small batches in the brand’s Vermont-based laboratory. The brand doesn’t use any synthetic or potentially toxic ingredients and packs a number of active ingredients into each product—between 9 and 29—which means they are safe, and pack a powerful punch.
What You Should Try: Launched just a few months ago, the Volumizing Lip and Cheek Tints ($35) are available in three shades. The product is great for creating a dewy, natural looking glow on cheeks and adding a pop of color to lips. Not only are they moisturizing, but Spanish Lavender and Lipoamino Acid Technology help to create a plump appearance.
The Brand: Kjaer Weis
The Story: New York-based makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis spent eight years working on developing her line of color cosmetics. Made in Italy, her products have been Certified Organic or Certified Natural by the CCPB (Controllo e Certificazione Prodotti Biologici). As an added bonus, her products which include cream blush, foundation and mascara, are also refillable.
What You Should Try: Available in 5 shades, the Kjaer Weis Foundation ($68) is creamy and buildable. Formulated with coconut and sweet almond seed oil, it is a perfect foundation for drier months,
The Brand: ILIA
The Story: Started by Sasha Plavsic in 2011, ILIA launched with a collection of Tinted Lip Conditioners and has since grown to include 40 products, from concealer to mascara. Sleek packaging and quality ingredients make it a standout in the organic beauty market.
What You Should Try: When it comes to organic lipstick, Ilia is the gold standard. The Tinted Lip Conditioner ($26) is formulated with 85% organic ingredients. The color is sheer but buildable, resulting in long lasting color and hydrated lips.
The Brand: Alima Pure
The Story: Alima Pure is a mineral based makeup line that uses pure mineral pigments in their foundation, blush, and eye shadow.The products are free of dyes and other additives.
What You Should Try: The Satin Matte Eyeshadow ($13) is available in 18 beautiful shades, all perfect for everyday wear. The product is naturally anti-bacterial and hypoallergenic.
The Brand: Vapour Organic Beauty
The Story: Vapour uses at least 70% organic ingredients and the remaining 30% of ingredients are from mineral pigments and essential oils—that means no parabens, no phalates, and no toxic chemicals. The formulas are also waterless, which eliminates a need for preservatives.
What You Should Try: The Stratus Instant Skin Perfector ($48) is part primer, part BB cream. Use it alone to give your skin an instant glow, or apply it before foundation to create a smooth base.
The Brand: RMS Beauty
The Story: Makeup artist Rose Marie Swift started her line of natural beauty products after years of experience in the beauty industry. RMS Beauty products use raw, food grade, and organic ingredients in their natural state.
What You Should Try: The RMS Living Luminizer ($38) has a cult following and for good reason—the highlighter is perfectly sheer so it works on all skin tones. Give the Volumizing Mascara ($28) a go too, it’s formulated with mineral pigments and plant waxes.
The Brand: 100% Pure
The Story: The 100% Pure makeup and skin products utilize all natural, vegan ingredients. The color products use fruit and vegetable pigments—which means added antioxidants and vitamins in each product.
What You Should Try: For long lashes, try the Fruit Pigmented Mascara in Black Tea ($21). The 100% natural formula gets it’s color from Black Tea pigments and uses Vitamin E and oat and wheat proteins to condition lashes.
