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After surveying my current makeup drawer, I was surprised that I already had a handful of natural products. I think they just got pushed aside when I've bought regular drugstore products. A few of these products are embarrassingly old (like the Revlon foundation and Maybelline mascara), so I'm just going to toss those out and focus on the natural products for a while.
Based on the exposure and quantity theory from "No More Dirty Looks" --where the authors suggest prioritizing the transition to natural with the products that you use most frequently over a significant area of the body-- my priorities are skincare, hair and body cleansing products, and foundation/concealer. At the top of my list is finding a natural concealer, and I'd prefer a cream over a powder out of convenience. I've heard wonderful things about RMS Beauty's "Un" Cover-Up, but it's hella expensive, so I might be going with a concealer from 100% Pure or Juice Beauty.
I'd also like to see if there are any good options for non-toxic liquid foundations (since I have dry skin and sometimes mineral powders accentuate the dry patches), but liquid products tends to contain more preservatives than powder mineral foundations to keep them shelf-stable. It'll take some time to suss out which brands have good-quality liquid foundations with acceptable ingredients.
Over time, I want to phase out my Paula's Choice skincare products and switch over to the natural cleansers/treatments I already own, a few new products from natural Etsy shops, and some natural toners and face oils. At the bottom of the priority list is finding some natural eye shadows, eye liners, and lip products. Since I don't wear them everyday and they're applied in small quantities, I'm not in a rush to dump what I have (and may even be reluctant to do so, as with my Lorac palette!). Most likely, I'll add in a few eye and lip products throughout the year, especially if I happen to be placing an order for something else I need. And just to prove I'm not going to be fanatical or perfectionistic about this process, I still lust after an Urban Decay Naked2 palette-- though I may have found a resource for a natural dupe. It's about doing better, not being perfect!
Below, I have a collection of my favorite natural beauty and holistic health YouTubers, and a list of the brands that keep popping up when discussing natural and organic makeup. I actually think this a really important part of the process of going natural-- we're social creatures, and I know so many of us love to talk about beauty products with girlfriends and ask them what lipstick they're wearing. When you decide to do something different than the majority of of the people around you, it can feel isolating. But I believe there are good brands out there with natural products that are just as worthy of being talked about as the conventional stuff. Below are some gorgeous, relatable ladies who incorporate various natural products into their routines.
Natural Beauty/Holistic Health YouTubers:
- Shannon at GlamourWonderland : A recent find for me, but I think she'll become my new favorite beauty vlogger. She has a really nice balance of natural/organic and mainstream products. And she's adorable and Southern and seems super sweet.
- Cassie at Cloudy Apples : A mix of beauty and healthy lifestyle videos
- Sarah at HolisticHabits : She is a holistic nutritionist from Canada and does more lifestyle and food videos than makeup, but I really like her content overall
- Jess at EcoholicBeauty : Her makeup is always natural and tasteful, and quite similar to my own style. She uses entirely natural products and supports a lot of smaller online makeup shops.
Online Shops:
BeautySage.com : An online shop with many high-end natural brands (with great packaging-- yay!). They also do a monthly box sampler similar to Birchbox, and, even better, you can see what's in each box before purchasing. This is where I recently bought my RMS Beauty Lipshine and Ilia Lip Conditioner, and I was able to find an online coupon to use on the site.
Eco Diva Beauty : Another online shop with high-end brands, some which are totally new to me.
Herbivore Botanicals on Etsy : Soaps, facial oils and serums, bath salts, lip balms and butters.
Soapwalla on Etsy : Their deodorant comes highly recommended. They also sell soaps, oils, etc.
Fig + Yarrow on Etsy : Raw, organic, artisan skincare and cleansing products.
Pollen & Wax on Etsy : Organic small-batch skincare, masks and serums.
Natural/Organic brands that seem to be frequently recommended:
Acure Organics
Alima Pure (I hear this brand raved about more than any other for mineral foundations, and their color range is fab. The also have a color quiz and foundation sampler kits at a great price.)
Dr. Haushka
Gabriel / Zuzu Luxe
Ilia Beauty
Jane Iredale
Josie Maran (some of her products are cleaner than others, but for being a Sephora-carried brand, it is pretty good. I have the whipped argan body butter and the coconut water cheek gelee on my wishlist)
Juice Beauty (FYI: this brand is carried by Ulta. My local store doesn't carry it, but it is online.)
Mineral Fusion
Nourish Organic
Pacifica
RMS Beauty
Tata Harper
100% Pure
If you have any natural brand recommendations (or eco/natural beauty YouTubers/bloggers) to share with me, please let me know!
I may have mentioned this before but I swear by Acure's pure Argan oil especially for dry skin. Thanks for this great round-up! I have it bookmarked to dig into later.
ReplyDeleteI have the Acure Argan oil in my shopping cart right now ready for my next order! It's a great price too for being organic (especially compared to brands like Josie Maran). I am currently using Sibu sea buckthorn oil, and it's working pretty well, but I'm excited to give the argan oil a try.
DeleteGreat list, I'll have to check some of these out!
ReplyDeleteI read a blog called Chic &Green and she recently discovered that 100% Pure is selling eye cream separately despite it being the exact same as their face cream but claiming it has different results. Just wanted to give you the heads up that they aren't the most honest company.
Hi, Meagan! Thank you for the heads-up! I definitely think that's a bit shady and hope they address the issue, but overall they are doing far better things than the majority of conventional/drugstore makeup brands (for example, it's common for drugstore brands to remove ingredients that consumers are reacting negatively to-- like parabens-- and replace them with another chemical compound that's almost the same or even more toxic). I'd still rather support a company that is truly working towards natural products. I'm testing out the 100% Pure foundation right now, and I hear lovely things about their mascara. I have and will continue to use other companies for my skincare/moisturizer needs, though. I've heard very mixed reviews on 100% Pure's skincare line anyways.
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