Three top natural makeup brands put to the test.
The ‘natural look’ doesn’t mean going without makeup—thank goodness. We put three of the best natural makeup brands to the test, with professional makeup artist Shirley Simpson
Photos by Francis van Beek
An unscientific poll around the office confirms what I’ve long suspected: even the most eco-conscious women will dispense with their ethics when it comes to their makeup routine. We might eat organic, buy biodegradable products, even swap to chemical-free shampoos, but try to prise us away from our favourite foundation or lipstick and we’ll deny all knowledge of the darker side of the beauty industry. The general consensus is that when it comes to how we look, we want all the weapons at our disposal, toxins and all.
For many women, makeup is the most common product we put on our skin. Some of us even reapply it several times a day, one layer over another. Each product can contain ten or more unpronounceable chemical ingredients, which either get washed down the drain or absorbed by our skin. A recent UK study showed that women’s bodies absorb between three and five kilograms of chemicals every year, simply from the cosmetics they put on their skin.
Whether or not these chemicals harm our bodies is controversial, but according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), one-third of all personal-care products sold in the US contain one or more ingredients that are probable or possible human carcinogens. Cosmetic companies argue that the concentrations of chemicals in their products are too minute to cause any damage. But there are no studies into the cumulative effect of using cosmetics day after day for 20 or 30 years, or the effect of putting one chemical ingredient on top of another.
Last year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in the US found that 61 percent of 33 brand-name red lipsticks contained detectable levels of lead. It wasn’t the cheapies either—some of the more exclusive brands like Dior’s ‘Dior Addict Positive Red’ contained higher traces of lead than lipsticks sold in supermarkets and pharmacies. In September, a US bill to ban lead in lipstick was narrowly defeated after intense lobbying by the cosmetics industry. This means beauty products manufactured by US companies can still be sold with unspecified amounts of lead.
Despite an annual turnover of US$50 billion, the global beauty industry is largely unregulated. In the US, where many of the leading cosmetic brands are based, the FDA has very little control over what goes into cosmetics or what manufacturers choose to test them for. This leaves consumers with no option but to believe the claims of the people selling them the products. Obviously, manufacturers have no interest in poisoning their customers—heck, that would be bad for business—but they may not test for anything other than short-term reactions. Unless a mascara makes your eyes puff up or a foundation turns your face green, it could end up on the shelves.
Before: Lauren Bartlett, our makeover volunteer
Does all this bad news condemn us to a life of ruddy cheeks and anaemic eyelashes? Not necessarily. Major cosmetic manufacturers like Mac and The Body Shop are now peddling their own ‘mineral’ foundations and blushers, while the stalwarts of natural makeup have been re-launched with better packaging and a much wider selection of shades.
We decided the only way to find out whether we could hold onto our ethics, our health and our looks was to get makeup artist Shirley Simpson to road test three ‘natural’ brands. We weren’t looking at their green credentials, but their ability to make us look fabulous. HB Media staff writer and self-confessed makeup junkie Lauren Bartlett volunteered to be our face. Here are the results.
AVEDA: 6/10
Aveda has been committed to a more natural approach to cosmetics since it was founded 30 years ago. This year its products achieved Ecocert accreditation (an organic certification used in 95 countries), and some of their ingredients were awarded Cradle-to-Cradle certification by the Environmental Protection and Encouragement Agency, whose CEO is green design guru Michael Braungart. To ensure it is walking the talk, Aveda offsets the electricity use at its manufacturing plant with wind power credits.
Aveda’s makeup relies on essential oils, plant and mineral-derived ingredients. Its mascaras use wax to thicken the lashes. The items we tested came from the new Raw Beauty Collection. Our makeup artist, Shirley, liked the products but found they didn’t give the depth of colour she can achieve with her usual cosmetics.
Foundation Quite difficult to get complete coverage but gives a nice natural look. Wouldn’t work for a night-time look.
Bronzing Powder Gives a nice shimmer but nothing too exciting.
Mascara Gives very light coverage, smells nice and fresh.
Lipstick The ‘Passion Flower’ shade we used had good pigment, which gave a nice natural berry stain. Worked better patting it on than applying it like a normal lipstick.
Available from Bodyscape (04-499 1059) and Clifford Lamar (07-579 0534)
LIVING NATURE: 7/10
New Zealand’s own brand of natural makeup was also one of the first companies in the world to produce cosmetics without synthetic preservatives and parabens. Living Nature products are manufactured to the compliance standards of German association BDIH, which is about as good as any natural cosmetic is going to get. With its humble roots in Kerikeri, Living Nature is now stocked worldwide and its product range is getting bigger and better every year. Most of the 80 ingredients used in its cosmetics come from uniquely New Zealand plants: flax, kelp and manuka honey.
Shirley’s opinions on the products varied. While the eyeliner was up there with the best she’s ever used, she was put off by the runny foundation which she didn’t really like.
Foundation Very runny liquid, giving only very sheer coverage. Nice matt natural look, but too difficult to apply for everyday use.
Eyeliner Very good consistency, goes on well, nice and soft. Has a good pigment and blends well.
Lipstick Nice matt look, soft consistency and good colour.
DR HAUSCHKA: 9/10
An independent cosmetics brand from Germany, Dr Hauschka has a reputation for being both deeply desirable and credible. Its creams and makeup are still manufactured in Eckwalden, a small village in southern Germany where business began 73 years ago, and where all the plant and herbal ingredients are still grown in accordance with biodynamic principles.
All the products are designed to heal at the same time as nurturing the skin, which is good news if you’re caught in a cycle of covering up spotty skin and just finding it getting worse. As with homeopathic remedies, Dr Hauschka’s products treat like with like: an oily skin is given an oily product, so the skin learns to balance itself. Shirley was very impressed with Dr Hauschka’s makeup and awarded it top marks. She said she would definitely use the makeup professionally.
Foundation The tone is perfect, with a great range of colours. Gives a smooth matt coverage, is easy to use and isn’t runny—plus it smells divine.
Bronzing Powder Really good; it doesn’t have a shimmer so looks natural. Great for contouring.
Eyeshadows Colours aren’t strong, but they’re nice and soft, and easy to blend. A good neutral palate which everybody could work with.
Lipstick A cross between lipstick and gloss, it looks nice and natural.
