It’s that time again, folks! As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we’ve been preparing to announce a new challenge. The Nancy Drews out there have probably already figured out that this one is about makeup (ding ding ding!), and once again, there is a prize!
Consider this the opposite of the no-makeup challenge we launched in September. That one was a huge hit: We asked you to brave a naked face outside the house, and you all looked absolutely fetching while doing so. Now, we want you to do the opposite:
We want you to go wild with your clean makeup! What does that mean, exactly? It’s totally up to you. Maybe it means putting on eyeliner for the first time in your life, or wearing a bright pink lipstick, or doing a face as bananas as the Black Swan’s. All we ask is that you have FUN with the challenge, and take at least one risk. It’s your going-out face we’re looking for, not your doing-groceries face. You decide what’s bold for you, then take a picture, and send it in.
One of you will win a $100 gift certificate from the amazing natural beauty store Spirit Beauty Lounge. Spirit Demerson, its founder, is incredibly knowledgeable about nontoxic beauty, and she carries many of our favorite products (makeup included). Because there’s no way in hell we’re going to judge your pictures, we’ll be picking the winner out of a hat.
The rules: You gotta be wearing makeup. We encourage you to wear as much nontoxic clean makeup as you can. You don’t have to go shopping to do the challenge; work with what you have.
Instructions: Send your picture to nomoredirtylooks (at) gmail (dot) com, with GLAM FACE in the subject line. Please include your first name, city of origin and, if you feel like, tell us what products you used. We need all pictures by end of day, Sunday, March 6th. We will post the results on our site shortly thereafter, as well as on our Facebook page.
Pretty please: Help us spread the word! Tweet it, Facebook it, scream from the rooftops, and tell your friends to get on board with you, too.
The reason for the challenge: To show that clean cosmetics can be glamorous as conventionals, and to explore how much fun makeup can be beyond its functional qualities. We love makeup as a zit-hider, complexion perfecter, or undereye-circle eraser as much as the next girl, but this challenge is about having fun.
Who’s in?
We’re getting ready to announce another challenge, but in the meantime we want to do a little crowdsourcing and I’d like to indulge in a bit of an overshare. Because thinking about makeup really got me…thinking about makeup. Specifically my relationship to it, and how that’s changed in the last, oh, four days.
So the other night I was faced with a bit of a social conundrum. I was feeling like garbage, but it was one of my dearest friends’ birthdays and he was getting people together for drinks. I obviously wanted to be there, but I felt so blah and my closet was full of stuff I all of a sudden hated. It was just one of those nights, and if I was going to get out the door, I was going to have to do some serious rallying.
I’ve always marveled at women who have a playful relationship with makeup and talk about the “transformative power” of a great bold eye or a blood-red lip (hyperbole above). But I’m more into the transformative power of a concealer that makes spots disappear, or a mascara that makes my blondish lashes show up on my pale face. My relationship to makeup has, in other words, always been rather functional. And while I do wear some makeup almost every day, and yes, I’ve had a brief romance with lipstick, there’s just no whimsy to what I do! No fun! And definitely no risks.
But that’s because I have some hangups. Like in my head, it’s okay for me to correct things I think of as flaws, but if I really go for it, I’m crossing some invisible line into abject fakery. It’s probably the same reason I’ve never worn pushup bras. It’s a not a feeling that extends to other women, mind you; I love seeing other girls in makeup and dressed to the bustiest nines. It’s a personal thing that probably has something to do with my rather late embracement of my own femininity, and I’ll stop there because I’m not paying you all by the hour to listen to me wax psychological.
But the other night, for whatever reason, I decided to totally do my face. I’m talking heavy blended liner, smoky shadows, luminizer, darkened eyebrows, matte skin and a bright red lip, courtesy of Chanel.* I slicked my hair into a high ponytail and for the first time maybe ever, I thought the person in the mirror looked alarmingly not like the me that woke up this morning. I felt…transformed!
I was surprised to find that with my fancy new face came a fancy new mood. It was a dramatic shift that I can really only attribute to, um, eye makeup. I can’t wait to do it again.
So we now have a question for you.
Why do you wear makeup? Like, do you wear it to correct things you think of as “flaws”? Do you wear it because it’s fun? Do you wear it because you feel more powerful/prettier/sexier/more feminine?
We know a lot of you don’t wear makeup, and we know a lot of you who do are more than willing to go without sometimes (yay!). But right now we want to hear from those of you who do paint your faces—even if you only use very little. So get crazy in the comments. We can’t wait to hear…. And we’ll announce the new challenge soon!
*Yes, yes I still have an old Chanel lipstick—don’t stone me! It’s probably gone off because it’s that old, and no, it’s not clean at all by our standards, but boy is it pretty…. Everything else I used was clean as a whistle, though.
Crazy Swan face via
The short answer, of course, is hells no! But what if they’re clean?
Come February, Walmart will be launching a new line of cosmetics for the 8-to-12-year-old set called GeoGirl. Because what little girls need is to be encouraged to put crap on their still-perfect skin and to learn right from go that being beautiful requires enhancement from products.
But then, here’s the thing: When I was a kid, I loved nothing more than putting on a full face of makeup, spraying my self-cut bangs into an 80s tease, gluing on some Lee Press-On Nails, and pretending to be a grown-up. I cringe to think of the chemicals, but that sort of adult imitation is kind of par for the course, no?
So, if GeoGirl is actually clean—as it is claiming to be, but ingredients are not listed anywhere yet (and we have our doubts, especially given the super low price point)—is that a better option than mom’s kit? I, for one, don’t know where I stand on this. Marketing makeup to kids just seems so insidious. But if they’re learning about clean cosmetics at that age, doesn’t that bode well for the the future? What do you think?
We recently met someone on Twitter of all places, and thought it would be great to get her to write a guest post for us. Louise Dartford is a makeup artist who blogs at Notes on Beauty. We noticed that a lot of her favorite naturals are different from ours, and that she was up on some lines we have never even heard of—let alone tried. So here are her picks—completely unvetted by us, but with many products we can’t wait to try!
I am in the fun process of trying to convert my conventional make-up kit into a cleaner, greener version. I must admit, changing over makeup is proving harder than changing skincare. Natural make-up has not always had a good reputation, and for valid reasons. In the past, colors and textures have not been able to live up to “regular” makeup standards. However with the growing demand, companies appear to be putting more time, effort and technology into their products. Formulations are definitely improving and there are now some great choices on the market. Here are a few of my favorites:
Liner and Mascara
For eyes I love the Absolute Blacks Kohl pencil by Une Natural Beauty. They have a choice of three blacks, so if jet black is too much, you can go for the softer option. The pigment is great, they just glide on, smudge when you want them to and have good staying power, just what you need for a smoky eye! Jane Iredale’s liquid liner is one of the best, I like to use it over a pencil for real intensity and longevity. I have been using Une’s All In One Mascara, which gives a full effect on lashes. You can build it up, which is often hard with more natural mascaras—but it isn’t so good in the snow or any other wet conditions, so no crying! I am also impressed with Couleur Caramel’s mascara. It can be a bit clumpier than Une’s but is great for building a bigger lash and more durable in the water stakes. Jane Iredale’s PureLash Extender and Conditioner will boost any mascara’s performance, I use it all the time. [Siobhan's note: Jessa Blades, of Blades Natural Beauty, told me about this ages ago, and I'm hooked. It's amazing!]
Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow-wise I like Couleur Caramel as they have a great color range from natural tones to bright blue and green as well as loose sparkles. This range proves that natural doesn’t have to mean brown earthy tones! You can also make up your own palettes, which is an added bonus.
Cheeks and Highlighters
For a blusher I love the Lip2Cheek by RMS, just use your fingers to dab onto cheeks and up along cheekbones for a healthy glow. The Living Luminizer is brilliant too, to use anywhere you want to add life to your skin. Try using as an eyeshadow base to add intensity to colored shadows. The gold cream eyeshadow is fab as well—it works as a gorgeous highlighter on darker skintones.
Lips
For lips, I have just discovered the Hurraw Lipbalms. They are divine. I am currently using the black cherry, it tastes delicious and has a hint of color. [Siobhan loves their balms, too! But coconut and vanilla more than fruit.] For more of a statement, Elysambre have a great lipstick range, they have a fabulous matt red that I have used on many shoots
and it always gets commented on. Plant Love also have some lovely bright colors, again putting an end to that old belief that natural lipsticks don’t come in nice colors! I add shine with a gloss from The Organic Pharmacy or Lavera. Check out Couleur Caramel too.
Foundation and Powder
I am still experimenting with foundations and concealer. There are lots of great mineral powder foundations but I like to use a liquid or cream consistency at work. So far I have been really impressed with Jane Iredale’s range including the Circle/Delete Under-Eye Concealer and the Active Light Under-Eye Concealer (which is a great replacement for YSL’s Touche Eclat!). [Alexandra's note: This is one of my favorites too, and I use it to conceal redness around my nose as well as for dark circles.]
My kit is still not completely natural, but it is certainly getting there. I have some great products that are giving superb results. By having cleaner products in my kit, I hope to show that you don’t need to use harsh chemicals to look good!
Now we want to know: What are your favorite natural makeup lines?
Image via Louise’s portfolio site
Last week Josie told us why we should use our fingers to apply makeup (just make sure they’re clean, y’all!), and this week she dishes on the sliding scale of “green,” her other favorite sustainable cosmetics brands and how traditional makeup used to wreak havoc on her skin.
When you were modeling all the time did you notice a difference in your skin and hair from all the product used? Did that have any part in you going clean?
With 17 years of modeling experience, I’ve spent a lot of time in the makeup chair. There were days I’d have makeup caked-on and I often got break outs. I never heard about healthier alternatives that were functional enough to be used by professional makeup artists. If I had, I would have asked that we use them. This is what inspired me to start my own line. It was also perfect that I was pregnant around the same time I was developing the line, because it definitely made me more aware of what I was putting inside my body and on my skin. I wanted to stay away from toxins as much as possible.
Where do you stand on the sliding scale of green? Totally clean without exceptions? Or do you bend the rules sometimes?
I was born into a family that cares about environmental and social issues, so being green and natural has always been an important part of my life. I try to reduce my carbon footprint whenever possible—one of my favorite things to do is compost in my backyard!
As for my brand, it has always been a luxurious, high-performance line that uses many natural and organic ingredients. As we’ve progressed, I have found that select synthetic ingredients are essential to high-performance cosmetics and since these will remain in some formulations, I am implementing ways to bring balance to this equation. Planting thousands of trees, donating profits to eco-organizations such as Global Green USA and the Natural Resources Defense Council, etc. Also, our packaging will remain compostable, biodegradable and/or recyclable. I am committed to being as authentic and transparent as possible as my line continues to grow.
Are there any exciting new discoveries you’ve made?
I’m really excited about my new mascara. We found a great way to introduce natural blacker-than-black mascara that really performs, while also giving back to a great cause. The formula features a breakthrough ingredient: double silica encapsulated carbon black. It offers unbeatable shine, the deepest carbon black available and water resistant, long wear benefits.
What’s your absolute favorite product from your own line?
My absolute favorite product is of course my 100% pure organic argan oil. It’s the ultimate multitasking product. I use it as a daily moisturizer, to heal rough cuticles and to fix split ends.
Other than your own, what are some other favorite clean brands?
I love Jo Wood Organics, Lulu Organics, and Duchess Marden.
Now there’s a face you can trust, are we right? Josie Maran, the foxy model and makeup maven behind Josie Maran cosmetics answered a few of our burning questions about beauty and products. We’re going to run it in two parts. Here’s the first chunk where she tells us about a—gasp—waterproof mascara, and some insider beauty tips. Next up? More modelly secrets, her favorite other natural lines and more.
What are some common booboos you see in makeup application—and how can we fix them?
One thing I see a lot of is eyeshadow mistakes. Blend, baby, blend! Apply your colors and then take a clean eyeshadow brush and go over what you’ve done until it blends together beautifully. Also, curl your lashes. This is such a small step that so many women skip but it makes a huge difference. Curling your lashes really opens up your eyes and pulls a whole look together. I’m actually totally addicted to curling my lashes.
Do lots of models use natural products?
As a model, it’s hard to use natural products because, unless you’re carrying your own kit around, you’re at the mercy of the makeup artist who is doing you for the job. On top of that, there haven’t really been [many] high performance natural makeup products that hold up for photo shoots or runway. However, I do think that models (like everyone else) are becoming more conscious about what they put on their bodies—especially in terms of skin care. In fact, the gorgeous supermodel Brooklyn Decker just gave a shout out to my argan oil saying she can’t live without it! Every day makeup artists have been asking me to help them clean out the toxins from their kits, and we send them healthy high-performing cosmetics from my line to use on their clients.
We bend on waterproof mascara and antiperspirant on occasion. You told us in the past that creating a good mascara was crucial to you—and yours is great—but could natural ever replace truly waterproof?
It is true that a good mascara is like the holy grail. And guess what? My new mascara is natural and water resistant! You can have both! Two ingredients—the organic cerifera wax and the organic beeswax—help keep the mascara on your lashes, while the argan oil conditions and volumizes at the same time. I’m also so proud of the GOGO mascara because of the cause behind it. GOGO stands for Get One, Give One. We’ve teamed up with City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment center, and for every GOGO we sell we are donating one to a patient or survivor of cancer.
If you could offer women one beautifying tip, what would it be?
Use your fingers when applying makeup. Don’t be afraid—the result is natural and clean. And, of course: Smile!
What is your number-one favorite natural ingredient to use in products—other than argan?
Argan Oil IS my favorite natural ingredient! I use Argan Oil in almost all of my products for it’s moisturizing, anti-aging, and nourishing properties.
Stay tuned for part two!
Get excited, people: We have some new pics for you to feast on. In case you missed it, last Monday, inspired by Rabbit Write’s no-makeup week, we threw down a gaunlet of our own: Just one day, leave the house and go do something (anything, really) without makeup on, then send us a pic! This was not meant as any kind of diss to makeup; we love the stuff. But when you apply it day-in, day-out, you might very well forget what you look like without it. And according to some recent studies, a whole lot of women are afraid of going bare-faced.
What we learned? Well, see for yourself: We think these women look gorgeous. With all the heavy foundation, spray tans and photoshopping we’re accustomed to, there’s something almost exciting about seeing so many unadulterated faces. Wouldn’t you agree?
And now a round of applause please for the brave beauties featured above:
1. Jenn, Los Angeles; 2. Aster, Ultrecht, Netherlands; 3. Kristina, Greeley, Colorado; 4. Lauren, Toronto; 5. Shannon, who also posted, from Bend, Oregon; 6. Kimmy, Plano, Texas; 7. Karen, Durham; 8. Brianna, Los Angeles; 9. Maria, Barranquilla, Colombia; 10. Tina, New York; 11. Katie, Toronto; 12. Anne and Octavia, Toronto; 13. Mia Davis from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Boston; 14. Katherine, who also posted; 15. Meaghan-Rose; 16. Nicola, Toronto; 17. Samantha, who also posted; 18. Laura; 19. Cat; 20. Carolina, Los Angeles; 21. Michelle, Montreal; 22. Sara, New York; 23. Marisa, New York; 24. Leeyanne, Charlottesville, Virginia; 25. Simone from Simoneleblanc.com, Los Angeles; 26. Kaity, New York; 27. Kim and Sukie, London; 28. Sarah, New York; 29. Emma, of Pastfashionfuture.com, New York; 30. Katy, Philadelphia; 31. Olivia, Rhode Island; 32. Kelly, Austin; 33. Erika, New York; 34. Jessa, from Bladesnaturalbeauty.com, New York; 35. Maeve, Montreal; 36. Tosha, from Essentially Basic, Midway, Utah; 37. Ione, Sechelt, British Columbia; 38. Christine, Los Angeles; 39. Trudi; 40. Kate, New York; 41. Cyrena Lee, New York; 42. Katherine, New York; 43. Virginia from Beautyschooledproject.com, New York; 44. Shine, from Ishineoutloud.com
In keeping with this whole makeup theme, we want to know: What’s a typical makeup day for you?
I work from home most days, so I often don’t wear anything. But if I do leave the house? Hells ya. Even a little trip to the grocery store has me putting on a face. Nothing too heavy, but definitely some concealer and a quick smudge of color on my lips and cheeks. Mascara has become a 50/50 for me: I tend to either go intense on the eyes—and that means using our DIY charcoal liner—or really neutral with a darker lip. Ok, your turn.
Ladies, thank you for all the great shopping tips—keep them coming! Today Emma Pezzack from the awesome Future Natural store (another good one to check out, by the way) has us thinking about mascara.
She’s posted about her favorite clean mascaras, and it’s a great selection. But here’s our question for the natural makeup gods (or Emma, or anyone else who knows): Is it, could it ever be, can I dream of the possibility of a natural waterproof mascara? I love mascara, and frankly I’m not that subtle with it: I love glooping it on heavy—even on my lower lashes as I try in vain to imitate the Twiggy look above. But, unless you want to be a racoon, that requires waterproof!
A quick visit to SKIN DEEP reveals that the first ingredient in most conventional waterproof mascaras is isododecane, which gets a zero on their rating. That may just be on account of lacking data though. It sounds like this stuff is a solvent, that in some forms also works as a plasticizer. At any rate, I’d like to understand whether it’s the key to waterproof mascara—and hey, if it’s not so bad, maybe someone could make a semi-natch version with it.
I could live with that, how about you? Also, share! What’s your favorite natural mascara? Found any that don’t run?
This is our favorite makeup application trick because it appeals to our completely lazy side while also working and looking nice. Here goes: Instead of layering on your lotion or sunscreen (or both) and then finishing with mineral powder, foundation or heavy concealer, try a two-fer! Squeeze some lotion, argan oil, coconut oil or suncreen into your palm, then sprinkle about a quarter teaspoon of loose mineral powder into the goop. Rub your hands together to blend, and then sweep your hands over your face, starting at the center and moving outward.
You basically get the effect of a nice tinted moisturizer (with SPF!), but with a few perks.
First, because the minerals market is so huge, it’s easier to color-match perfectly to your skin tone. It may take some doing, and you might want to combine two different colors to get it just right, but it’s doable.
Second, the pure oils and the minerals are known quantities. There won’t be any surprise reactions to mystery ingredients.
Third, because minerals can look like garbage on dehydrated skin, this eliminates that problem altogether by building in the moisture and adding a little sheen.
And finally, because you get a nice light coverage, you don’t have to worry about the maskface that sometimes comes with foundation or poorly applied powder.
As always, make sure your minerals are clean—no parabens, silicone or extra crap in there—and same goes for whatever you’re mixing it with.
Have you tried it? Got any other application tips to share?
