You know we always have our lip-glossed snouts to the ground sniffing out the best of all-natural beauty products for you darlings; keeping in mind a nice range of bank accounts and skin types and tones. Here are some newbies that are in high rotation in our routine that deliver the gorgeous goods;
LINE WE LOVE: Josie Maran Cosmetics
WHY: When we first heard about Josie Maran’s beauty line we groaned.. another supermodel pretending to be green? Blech. But then we actually gave it (and her) a chance. This girl is authentically green, she comes from an eco-conscious family and she lives it like she preaches it – from backyard homebirths to a passionate commitment to holistic living. Equipped with a supermodel’s secret tricks and a nature-loving “eco-preneur’s” vision, Josie created her own signature line of socially and environmentally responsible, Argan Oil-based skincare and cosmetics that work and feel, smell, and look luxe on your bathroom counter. This line definitely lives up to its motto: “Luxury With A Conscience.” Partnering with earth-loving, women-empowering organizations, using the best ingredients, packaging products in recyclable and biodegradable containers, Josie Maran Cosmetics embraces eco-friendly practices that embody Josie’s love—for people and for the planet.
OUR FAVORITES: The vegan products in the line are marked with vegan, so it’s easy to figure out which products are safe for you. Non are animal tested (obviously) and all are paraban free. We are adoring the basic Argan Oil for body, hair, and face moisturization. The smell isn’t amazing (it’s neutral) but the results are. One of our non-vegan beauty reviewers says their mascara (unfortunately it does contain beeswax which some vegans will still use, others won’t) is the best all-natural mascara she has tried. The best of the line in terms of vegan make up may be the Lip and Cheek Stain which gives lips and cheeks the sexiest and most natural flush.
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LINE WE LOVE: MuLondon
WHY: This line is handmade in London and totally committed to all natural and cruelty free beauty. The entire line is actually certified vegan (score!) and cruelty-free. We are mad for the pungent (in a good way) smells of these moisturizing lotions and cleansers (currently their only offerings.) They contain no mineral oils, parabens, silicones, emulsifiers or other man-made chemicals.
OUR FAVORITES: The Organic Rose Moisturizer. It smells like pure heaven (the essential oil of rose they use is certified organic and steam distilled – it is not solvent-extracted, as is the case with the cheaper rose absolute, and thirty roses must be used to make a single drop of Rose Otto!) and really works. The only downside is you do need to emulsify it in your hand to break it up before applying, so it’s not immediately creamy… but once it goes on it’s super rich and luxe.
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LINE WE LOVE: Zinn Beauty
WHY: For centuries, Moroccan women have used Argan Oil to preserve and enhance their skin, hair, and nails. The rarest of all oils, Argan Oil is harvested from the Argan tree which grows exclusively in the South-Western region of the Country, and can only be collected through the intricate process of cracking each individual nut, and extracting the kernel, which is then pressed and ground, to yield the highest nutritive quality of oils. Rich in antioxidants, essential fatty acids, vitamins and plant sterols, Berber women began cultivating Argan Oil pre-modern times, for its healing properties, employing it for a variety of uses from cooking, to topical treatment of skin diseases, to cosmetic uses in the protection of the hair and skin against the harsh, dry, climate of the Moroccan desert. In the 1500’s, the legend of the miraculous Argan Tree and it’s precious oil began to reach Europe, with demand for the exotic oil reaching its historical height in 1867 when it debuted at the International Fair in Paris. That said, much like Josie Maran Cosmetics, here’s another line that’s mainly focused on Argan Oil. The packaging is lovely (for the hair oils it’s golden caps and thick glass tasseled bottles – the other products packaging is more basic) and the price is right. Plus the line is organic and vegan. You can’t go wrong. We randomly came across this line at Duane Reade of all places (!) but it also sells at Ricky’s and online.
OUR FAVORITES: The Velvet Facial Cleansing Milk is a rich, organic facial cleaner that feels great on the skin and makes you feel super smooth after. It removes make up incredibly well and has a nice scent.
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LINE WE LOVE: Sibu Beauty
WHY: The hype on these products is that they are made from the Himalayan sea buckthorn berry. Known as the “beauty berry” across Europe and Asia, sea buckthorn contains over 190 bioactive compounds that restore, revitalize, and protect youthful beauty. These hardy berries help nourish skin, hair, and nails with powerful antioxidants and essential fatty acids, including Omega 7 – a key building block to healthy skin, hair, and nails, and also aids digestion and may help you maintain a healthier weight. Sibu Beauty features luxurious natural skin cleansers, moisturizes, and other topical treatments as well as dietary supplements. The line is totally cruelty-free and organic.
OUR FAVORITES: The Sea Buckthorn Hydrating Serum is like an alarm clock to the face, it feels cooling and tightening going on. This light, non-oily serum will flood your skin with moisture an help deeply hydrate your face ad next to eliminate the tight, dry feeling caused by dehydration. It’s a nice alternative to thick moisturizers when you want to use something but don’t want that heavy feeling on your face.
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LINE WE LOVE: Everyday Minerals
WHY: Everyday Minerals is an organic, vegan and eco-friendly line of make up that specializes in an innovative collection of products with a spectrum of over 150 vibrant colors and shades that flatter virtually every skin tone. It’s rare to find an entirely vegan make up line that’s green and works. This one delivers… and for very reasonable prices (eyeshadows start at $4.50.) We are also mad for their brush line of synthetics that get make up on smoothly every time. Concealers, lipsticks, even adorable make up bags are available on their site. The downside? It seems the founder Carina is a fan of Butler Longhorn cow breeding which to us seems highly incongruent with vegan ethics. On that bummer note, we recently found out another one of our other favorite organic lines, Tata Harper, grow their herbs and ingredients on their own working farm where animals are used and slaughtered for food. This is more than enough to turn off a vegan consumer, and we will certainly now be taking our beauty business elsewhere. Everyday Minerals, however, can be found on PETA’s list of approved companies.
OUR FAVORITES: The brushes work exceptionally well and are wonderfully priced. There is a wide range of sizes and angled options for us beauty addicts who love a good set of tools. All the bases are very natural looking and cover beautifully, the special part about these foundations being that they are powdered and come in (it seems) a billion skin tone options.
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Front image via TreeHugger.com