There’s a pretty big bias against natural, mineral, and organic makeup in the world of cosmetics. As a Makeup Artist I know first hand that not too many pro kits are stocked with mineral lines (mine included) but I try to keep my personal routine on the green side which isn’t always easy. Over the years it has been tricky to find a reliable natural choice for my own beauty routine because I understand how products should perform, and although I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a place where I’m 100% natural (mascara hunting has been a disaster), I’ve cleaned up a few key areas and found some really great things that work just as well if not better than their mainstream counterparts. Here’s what’s I’ve been using lately.
1. Beautycounter Tint Skin $38: I reviewed this line a few weeks back and ordered this foundation right after I sampled it. It’s light with huge coverage and so natural on the skin, it reminds me of Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer in a lot of ways. It’s about the same consistency and coverage, but minus the SPF (bummer.) I’ve been wearing daily and haven’t found anything about it that I don’t really love (well,minus the no SPF part.)
2. Ilia Beauty Multi-Stick in At Last $34: I bought this last week at Vert Beauty, and I’m completely obsessed. It’s the most perfect dusty pink that gives a feminine glow to the cheeks and looks so natural. It’s made using a base of castor and sunflower oils, cocoa butter and beeswax so the fact that it’s hydrating makes it so much easier to apply and blend. Some cheek colors look unnatural because they just sit on top of the skin, this one sort of becomes skin. I’m loving this shade, but if your skin is darker than a medium tone, opt for a deeper color.
3. Alima Pure Eye Shadows $12.50: It’s sometimes tough to get bold color using loose mineral shadows, but Alima Pure’s look as vibrant on the eye as they do in their jars. Make sure you use a primer first to give it something to grab on to, but you should use one regardless of whether you’re using mineral formulas or not.
4. Jane Iredale In Touch Highlighter in Complete: This highlighter is one of my faves. I run it along the top of my cheekbones for a healthy glow, it gives the perfect amount of sheen to the skin without using any sort of shimmer.
5. Beautycounter Eye Liner $20: It doesn’t bleed or transfer and it glides on without dragging.
6. Jane Iredale Lip Fixation: A natural version of a long-wearing lip color that stays put for hours and has a gloss to keep lips from drying out. It literally stays on for hours without a smudge.
7. Vert Beauty Brushes: I’m in love with these fluffy precision brushes with pretty wooden handles. They’ve replaced my personal ones I’ve had for too many years that were shedding and falling apart. Reminder: every 5 years or so it’s time to replace your brushes.