Our Top Makeup Choices: Clean and Natural Brands We Love

We discussed our favorite clean and natural makeup brands in a recent live shopping call. It’s quite often that our customers write in asking us what we recommend, so we thought it was time to dive deep and share our favorites. We've created a comprehensive list of recommended products in eight essential categories, ensuring they meet our high standards. This guide will cover the products we love and highlight the chemicals to avoid in each category.

Here's a rundown of our top picks:

Mascara

When choosing a clean mascara, it's essential to avoid common harmful ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, and carbon black. These chemicals can cause irritation and long-term health concerns.

1. Living Libations — Raven Mascara: This mascara stands out for its clean ingredients and effective performance. Unlike many clean mascaras, it doesn’t run or clump and provides smooth application. Though it contains two clean synthetics, it aligns well with our standards.
2. Toups and Co—Long Lash Mascara: This company amazes us. This mascara is no exception. It is formulated with clean ingredients and has a lovely application.
3. Well People—Expressionist Pro Mascara: This mascara is known for its clean formulation and excellent wear. It also features a well-designed wand.

Eyeliner

Eyeliners can often contain harmful ingredients like carbon black, parabens, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, and synthetic fragrances. These substances can be irritating to the eyes and potentially harmful with long-term use. We recommend these options instead:

1. Toups and Co—Eyeliner: This eyeliner, which comes in black and brown, is extremely clean and wears well without fading or running.
2. 100% Pure — Creamy Long Last Liner: Offers a clean formulation and was our second pick in this category.
3. Jillian Dempsey — Kohl Eyeliner: While not vegan (contains carmine), it is one of the cleaner options available.

Brow Powder/Brow Filler

Brow products can include ingredients such as dimethicone, synthetic fragrances, PEG compounds, and carbon black, which can be irritating and potentially harmful. These two are our top picks for a non-toxic option:

1. 100% Pure — Long Last Brows: This brow powder fills in brows naturally and stays in place without bleeding.
2. Toups and Co — Brow Pencil: A clean and effective brow pencil that we love!

Lipstick

Lipsticks often contain harmful chemicals, including lead, synthetic dyes, parabens, polyparabens, methylparabens, and retinyl palmitate, which can be ingested over time. Use these clean beauty swaps for a pop of color:

1. Toups and Co — Nourishing Lipstick: The cleanest lipstick we found, with an array of colors.
2. MG Naturals — Organic Lipstick: Titanium dioxide-free and very clean, though our team’s personal experiences with its wear are limited.
3. Ogee — Tinted Sculpted Lip Oil: Provides a clean and nourishing option for tinted lips.

Foundation/Concealer

Foundations and concealers can contain ingredients such as parabens, formaldehyde releasers, synthetic fragrances, heavy metals, carbon black, polyethylene glycol (PEG), dimethicone, and talc (which can be contaminated with asbestos), which can be harmful to the skin and overall health. Shop safer alternatives below:

1. Au Naturale — Satin Matte Foundation: A clean powder foundation with excellent coverage and a matte finish.
2. Toups and Co — Concealer: Known for its buttery soft texture and clean ingredients.
3. 100% Pure — Fruit Pigmented Full Coverage Water Foundation: While not personally tested, it boasts clean ingredients and full coverage.

Blush/Tints

Blushes and tints can have harmful ingredients like parabens, synthetic dyes, fragrances, and talc, which can cause skin irritation and other health concerns. Instead, opt for these safer beauty options:

1. Annmarie Skin Care—Lip and Cheek Tint: This versatile product adds a natural, sun-kissed glow to lips and cheeks. 
2. Toups and Co—Natural Pressed Blush: This blush is incredible for those who prefer powder blush!
3. Heaven on Main St — Lip Balm Nude and St. John’s Wort: Another clean option to check out. 

Contour: Bronzer/Highlighter

Synthetic dyes, parabens, and talc (which can be contaminated with asbestos) are common harmful ingredients in bronzers and highlighters. That doesn't mean you need to ditch the color entirely; check out our top picks below:

1. Fat and the Moon — Highlighters: Available in three shades (Beam, Lit, Glow), these highlighters provide a clean, dewy finish.
2. Toups and Co—Bronzer: This is another excellent, clean choice from Toups and Co. It is a Beautiful product with a clean formulation. 
3. River Organics — Shimmery Vegan Bronzer Stick: A vegan and clean bronzer option.

Setting Spray

Setting sprays often contain dimethicone, alcohol, synthetic fragrances, and formaldehyde releasers, which can dry the skin and cause irritation. We find that a toning mist works equally great as a safe alternative, giving you a smooth, set finish:

1. Annmarie Skin Care — Botanical Hydration Mist: While we couldn't find a traditional setting spray that met our standards, this hydration mist works wonderfully to set makeup and rehydrate the skin, providing a natural, dewy finish.

We hope this guide helps you choose the best clean and natural makeup products. For more details and discounts, stay tuned for our upcoming live shopping calls. Happy shopping!