Clean Makeup That Delivers
By Caitlin Brown
Clean beauty, defined here as a product you can use without risking your health, is not a trend or fad. It’s here to stay.
The surge in popularity of clean products has brought with it confusion, thanks to words like organic and natural; words used to try and piggyback on clean to sell product and capitalize on the fact that they’re (organic/natural) ones that are <not> regulated.
There are over 1,300 ingredients banned by the EU, and only 11 in the U.S., which is disconcerting to say the least.
As clean beauty becomes more accessible, many retailers have dedicated their businesses to selling clean products exclusively, making it simpler than ever to get your hands on clean brands. That said, not all beauty brands are created equal.
I’ve found it a bit easier to find truly high-quality skincare products that work (way beyond my expectations), than makeup of the same caliber (well, until recently…). Like most health-conscious consumers, I don’t want to have to choose between performance and clean ingredients. I have sensitive skin and a mild case of rosacea, so clean ingredients help calm my skin and reduce inflammation and I want makeup products that work.
Luckily, it didn’t take me too long to find them and, to my delight, these makeup products/lines were simply spectacular. If I sound giddy, guilty as charged. These lines are squeaky clean, and life-changing if putting your best face forward, is the goal. It certainly is mine.
This is makeup where the spotlight is beautiful skin (at any age), so the ingredients (clean, active skincare ingredients) are ones that let it shine. Below are five of the best clean makeup brands that deliver beauty at its best.
Westman Atelier:
Makeup artist to stars (Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore, Demi Moore, the list goes on), Gucci Westman, founder of Westman Atelier, has put her beauty brand through rigorous testing to ensure that all her products are free from toxins, including all 1,300 chemicals that are banned in the EU. Her products are all made of skin friendly ingredients like jojoba oil, grape seed, carnauba wax, naturally derived mica, and all are vegan. With active skincare ingredients in all her products, you’re nourishing your skin just by putting it on.
That aside, clean or not, this is hands-down the best makeup I have ever used across the board. Each product is more beautiful than the next. This is no makeup, makeup at its apex.
Vital Skin Foundation Stick ($68, westman-atelier.com)
Luxurious cream foundation rich in antioxidants and formulated with active ingredients to combat redness, calm irritation, even out complexion, and boost moisture. Melts into pores, instead of sitting on top them, making skin look amplified instead of made up.
Baby Cheeks Blush Stick ($48, westman-atelier.com)
Multipurpose color for cheeks, lips, and lids. The creamy texture melts into skin and is formulated with soothing ingredients that work to balance moisture. So incredibly beautiful. My new, favorite product. Super blendable and gives a natural flush with just a tiny bit of glow. Blends seamlessly with the Vital Foundation stick.
Ilia
Ilia Beauty’s products are not just made with a quality, non-toxic formula, they’re also designed with active levels of ingredients you’d typically find in skincare. So, next time you wear your Ilia foundation, you’ll also be shielding your face from environmental stressors, while reducing irritation…, and looking like a million bucks.
Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 (Iliabeauty.com, $46)
A clean, light-coverage, tinted mineral SPF 40 serum that boosts skincare benefits.
Liquid Powder Chromatic Eye Tint ($28, Sephora.com):
A clean and highly pigmented liquid eyeshadow that transforms into a weightless, metallic powder.
RMS
Each ingredient is carefully selected to have a stable shelf life and work in tandem with your skin — driven by the brand’s mission to create a clean line that rivals your favorite luxury products. Makeup artists and models alike often cite RMS’ cream products as favorites and for good reason.
Living Luminizer ($38, Bluemercury.com)
This is the product that put RMS on the map. A cult favorite of makeup artists, this
“Un” Cover-Up concealer:($36, Bluemercury.com)
never cakes up or clogs pores.
Kjaer Weis:
Creator and celebrity makeup artist, Kirsten Kjaer Weis, noticed something about every woman that sat in her makeup chair: they all had at least a few “conventional” makeup products they found irritating to the skin. This inspired her line, Kjaer Weis: fusing beautiful color, texture, and design with organic non-harmful formulas. Like many of our other favorite clean-makeup brands, most of the launches combine color with skin-boosting ingredients. The highlight products are their cream blushes (Cream Blush compact, $56, credobeauty.com)
Jones Road Beauty
Bobbi Brown’s (she sold Bobbi Brown Cosmetics) new venture: a collection of clean beauty products that are all about the no-makeup makeup look, with the idea that every product should be a hero product…, and they kind of are. Two bests:
The Face Pencil ($25, Jonesroadbeauty.com):
A makeup artist’s dream…but simple enough for a newbie to master. Cover redness and dark spots, correct discoloration, and lighten dark circles — while remaining virtually undetectable. Formulated with a clear base for no chalky undertones. Made with skin happy ingredients like Shea Butter (boosts healing) and Castor Seed Oil (a natural humectant that restores skin’s moisture barrier, contains vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and boosts collagen) …, and it melts into the skin, looking like well, skin.
Miracle Balm ($38, Jonesroadbeauty.com)
Genius in a pot. Once you break the seal of the balm, you can wear it alone, or use it to bronze, highlight, or tint the skin by mixing and matching shades.
For girls like me, who don’t want to have to compromise on quality and performance for safety and health… who want to have it all, the good news is you can! Give these lines a try. I promise, you will not be disappointed. Get your clean on, Beauties. Until next time…
