Hello, hello! Coming ‘atcha with another listacle which are one of my favorite pieces to write because it’s literally an entire list jam-packed with information but still short and sweet to the point. This listacle is one I’m really excited to write about because it’s all about makeup! I love makeup! I love the versatility of it and how it literally can allow us to create works of art! I love how it can be used to enhance one’s natural beauty or completely change us into another person. As fantastic as makeup is, not all is made from ethical and sustainable methods. But don’t worry! I’ve compiled a list with my favorite eco-friendly brands and my favorite products from those brands!
Elate Cosmetics was founded by Melodie Reynolds whose mission was to create a brand that stressed the importance of women empowerment and self-love while also promoting ethical and sustainable practices. Products from this brand are 90% organic and sourced fair trade. Elate cosmetics also replaces harsh chemicals found in most makeup products with natural ingredients such as bamboo, shea butter, and coconut; which allows their makeup to have natural healing properties. Elate is a firm believer in ethical practices and has high cruelty free standards. This practice is continued in their packaging. Elate does not ship their products in additional boxes or wrapping and has replaced plastic packaging with bamboo. Many of their cosmetics come in re-fillable packaging and in plastic-free paper envelopes that contain seeds! When the refills have been replaced, the envelope can be planted in your garden or pot and will grow patches of gorgeous wildflowers!
This palette is absolutely gorgeous and is perfect for everyday use! It comes in a magnetic bamboo palette that can be refilled with metal tins over and over again. Should the bamboo palette no longer be usable, simply break it down with tweezers and compost it; just recycle the metal pieces!
Another one of my favorite products! These blushes come in several shades and are absolutely beautiful! SImilar to their eyeshadow palette, the palette the blush comes in is refillable and can be composted should it become non-reusable. It also is made with jojoba oil which not only allows for smoother application, but also provides hydration! It’s also perfectly blendable and buildable!
Pacifica
Pacifica is another eco-friendly brand that I love! This brand carries a wide range of products from makeup to hair. It is 100% vegan and cruelty free. What I love most about this brand is their recycling program! Pacifica partnered with the brand, Preserve, to create this program which allows customers to send their empty products back for recycling. However, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill recycling program. When you send back your empties, they repurpose it into an entirely new product such as toothbrushes, razors, and razor replacement blades! They even cover the buyer’s cost of shipping these empties! In addition to their program, they have amazing products. Here are two of my favorites:
Something you’re going to notice after this listacle is that I’m obsessed with eyeshadows. I’m a sucker for a good nude eyeshadow palette! These by Pacifica are 100% vegan, cruelty free, and have really good pigmentation! They’re also made with coconut water and without harsh ingredients like silicones.
If you’re looking for a gentle, but effective and moisturizing face wash, this is it! Pacifica has tons of face washes, particularly foaming ones that are gentler on our delicate skin. What I love about this one is how it’s gentle for daily use but effective. I also love to use this one because it contains lemongrass extracts; perfect when I’m struggling to wake up in the mornings.
This line of cosmetics is entirely non-toxic, vegan, cruelty and gluten free, contains non-GMO ingredients, and is in zero waste packaging that contain NO plastic. Doesn’t get better than that! Oh wait, it does! The company is partnered with the Ocean Cleanup, a US (https://theoceancleanup.com/) project responsible for cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and is committed to donating 5% of profits made each day.
This line of blushes comes in a completely recyclable and compostable palette and is enclosed with Japanese linen. The shades are very natural but packed with pigment. They are perfect everyday shades for that natural flush! Each blush is infused with extracts such as lavender, thyme, and rosemary.
These cream lip colors come in several shades and made with non-GMO plant-based oils and waxes. It has a smooth and creamy texture that is easily buildable. Apply lightly for a nice pop of color, or build on the layers for a bold look!
Tiila Abbitt, the founder of Aether Beauty, has tons of experience in the beauty industry and was at one point responsible for product development at Sephora. This position allowed her to explore and experiment more with sustainable materials. Tiila also became informed on the fact that the US only bans 11 chemicals in cosmetics whereas the European Union bans 1,300. This discovery inspired her to formulate products with cleaner alternatives all while remaining organic and vegan. In addition to sustainable cosmetics, a portion from every sale at Aether Beauty is donated to a variety of environmental charities.
Yes. Another eyeshadow palette. Fight me. Currently, Aether Beauty only has eyeshadow palettes for purchase to begin with but this one is particularly my favorite because of the versatility of it. The shades can be worn for day and night! It’s also made with organic rose hip and coconut oil, and organic shea butter allowing for smooth applications and radiant skin. It comes in a fully recyclable paper palette! 1% of sales also go the Water Project, a project committed to providing clean water and sanitation solutions in sub-Saharan Africa.
If you’re strictly looking for skincare, definitely look at Fat and the Moon! The founder of the company, Rachel Budde, comes from line of herbalists and natural healers. The company’s primary focus is to provide skin care with natural, but effective, herbs rather than chemicals. They are also radical in their efforts to promote sustainability in the beauty industry through both ethically harvested ingredients and reusable packaging.
As the name states, the cream is meant for both face and body, with a little going a long way! This cream contains aloe vera and rosewater, which is fantastic for moisturizing the skin and toning redness. It’s also a fantastic product for acne breakouts.
RMS Beauty is another great eco-friendly brand that really stands out from the rest in the way they create their products. Often times mainstream cosmetic companies state that they use natural ingredients. However, these natural ingredients undergo so many chemical reactions that it reduces it from its natural and raw state into a synthetic form, thus eliminating the benefits these natural ingredients have. RMS Beauty strives to maintain the integrity of these natural ingredients by keeping them in their raw, food grade and organic form. Maintaining the pure form of these minerals allows the user to truly reap the benefits of the antioxidant and healing properties. In addition, they also use sustainable packaging that can be reused or recycled.
This product is one of RMS Beauty’s signature products. It acts as both a concealer and foundation and comes in a wide range of shades. This product will definitely last you a bit since it’s pretty concentrated, however it will not leave you cakey but with a very natural finish! It has great coverage and is super creamy as well. What’s also great about it is the fact that it self-adjusts to your skin tone! So if you choose a shade that isn’t quite your type, the mineral pigments in the product will help adjust the color!
I know, I know! Shelbi, why are you promoting make-up wipes? They’re a one-and-done product. Hear me out, though. These wipes are completely COMPOSTABLE. Which is pretty fantastic for those really long days when you don’t feel like going through the whole routine of taking off your makeup. Just wipe and compost! That’s it. These wipes are also infused with their RMS Raw Coconut Creme, which easily removes makeup all while cleansing and moisturizing your skin! Perfect for lazy face washers like myself!
Pronounced “Well”, is a cosmetic company launched by two individuals with years of experience in the luxury beauty business, and enlists the help of a board certified dermatologist. They strive to create products that have no toxic chemicals or preservatives. The primary ingredient in all of their cosmetics is aloe vera and includes other therapeutic botanicals such as chamomile and green tea.
This is a semi-matte lipstick that is still very creamy and smooth. It’s pretty long lasting due to the natural ingredients and provides lots of hydration. They even have a designated shade, BRAVE, as their limited edition shade for 2019. 100% of the sales from this specific shade are donated to Lipstick Angels, a mission committed to inspiring those battling cancer.
This serum is PACKED with organic botanicals and minerals. It’s a 7-in-1 treatment, that strengthens, repairs, brightens and corrects, moisturizes, primes, combats breakouts, and soothes sensitive skin. It’s light but very effective and nourishing!
Axiology is a beauty company that specializes in lipsticks. They honestly compare to top of the line, mainstream lipsticks, but are completely eco-friendly! They’re cruelty free and vegan. The ingredients in these lipsticks, such as organic coconut, castor, and vitamin E oil are completely natural and so hydrating for the lips. Nearly all of their packaging is either recyclable or compostable!
As I mentioned, I LOVE a good eyeshadow palette. But you know what else I love? A good nude and/or rose lipstick. Those two colors are so versatile! This lipstick is a rose gold shade that has medium pigment, but it can easily be buildable to really make the color pop!
Antonym has a reputation for being eco-friendly but also highly pigmented. All of the cosmetics are made with 100% natural ingredients and are free of harsh chemicals such as sulfates and parabens.
I’m a fan of all of their highlighting blushes. I love that it acts as both a blush and highlighter! Saves me a lot of time! Their blushes are perfect for giving that nice and light pop of color and can be layered for a bolder look. It isn’t harsh or drying as other blushes as well!
Kjaer Weis is a makeup brand that promotes minimalism but with fierce standards. All ingredients in their products are certified natural or organic. Their packaging is both sustainable and luxurious in appearance and can be refilled with their products.
All of their blushes are absolutely gorgeous and have versatile applications! You can use it on your cheeks, eyes, and lips as well. It’s very creamy and easily buildable if you want a bolder look!
This is a fantastic lengthening mascara! The spoolie is very soft and delicate to your lashes and it provides a gorgeous natural, everyday look to your lashes. It definitely doesn’t feel drying or clumpy and has minimal to no smudging.
This is an Etsy shop based out of Sylvania, Ohio that specializes in natural, mineral made cosmetics and always packaged without plastic. They specialize primarily in mineral lip colors and mineral cake mascara.
This is a fantastic cake mascara that is very easy to apply and delicate on your lashes. It comes in metal packaging and really makes your eyelashes pop!
This is just one of the many lip colors offered by Keeping it Natural! I’m just a sucker for peach tones, haha! It’s rich in color and very creamy. Apply a thin layer for a nice colorful sheen, or apply multiple for bold, rich, color!
This is another Etsy shop based out of Michigan. They have tons of options from tinted cake mascara, powder foundations, eyeshadows, and lip colors. Everything is packaged in reusable and recyclable tins and jars and even includes free shipping.
This is a fantastic alternative to the mainstream Z-palette! Each palette comes with a mirror and room for your favorite four products. You can keep the products in the palette or remove them and switch them out as you please!
This is a family owned and operated cosmetic shop dedicated to promoting the glamour of old Hollywood. All of their products are made locally in California and made from clean and nourishing ingredients, perfect for those with sensitive skin! They are cruelty free, earth-friendly, and strive to promote zero waste solutions in their cosmetics.
This is a true red lipstick that just SCREAMS old Hollywood! All of their shades are replicas of colors from different years in the past. They are richly pigmented and easily buildable!
This is a great mascara that comes in a refillable tin! It can be used as both mascara or as an eyeliner. It’s resistant to smudging and really makes your lashes POP!
Kapa Nui Nails is a nail polish brand based out of Hawaii. They are one of the first in the industry to create non-toxic, water-based nail polishes and accessories! All of the ingredients in the polishes are safe for the environment and are especially safe to individuals normal nail polish chemicals pose risks to such as children and expecting mothers. As a bonus, they don't have strong odors and dry pretty quickly. Which is perfect for those like me who can be a bit impatient or forgetful of wet nail polish. All of their packaging is recyclable as well! They also come in beautiful colors all inspired by the beautiful islands of Hawaii!