Feb launch: mineral make-up

KISS AND MAKE-UP

The growing mineral make-up market allows consumers to make positive ethical purchases and still look good. Moira Paulusz and Annette Hanford report

After a slow start, demand for organic/ mineral make-up is growing as consumers realise that being eco-aware equates with the need to make a positive statement through their product choices.

NVEY ECO LIPSTICKS Sophisticated manufacturing processes mean performance is no longer compromised, and that the products retain their organic profile while delivering high-performance colour. Recyclable/recycled packing also pushes home the eco-message. Check out three of the most recent organic/mineral make-up lines that have been launched onto a growing market.

INIKA’s tagline is “made of Australia”, and justifiably so: the crushed mineral pigments in the products are made from the rocks of Australia. Many mineral cosmetic companies add fillers or potentially harmful chemicals to their products, and ingredient listing laws mean some of these may not even be mentioned on product packaging.

INIKA IS MADE OF AUSTRALIA What makes Inika different, says the company, is what is not in the products, which are guaranteed to be free from harsh chemicals, fillers, talc, bismuth oxychloride, GM ingredients, parabens (minerals are inert, so do not need preservatives), and fragrances, making the range suitable for women with allergies, sensitivities, problem skin conditions or those simply wanting a natural product. Founded by “divas of decadence” Miranda Bond and Jenni Williams – the duo behind the healthy woman network (www.thrivinghealthywomen.com.au) – it was important to both that their products not only met their strict all-natural criteria, but were also functional and beautiful.

Inika means “small earth” in Hindi, reflecting the company’s strong commitment to the environment.

As well as being 100% vegan and cruelty-free, all cardboard used in packaging is re-cycled, as is the paper used for promotional pamphlets and material. The company also puts money – used to off-set its carbon emissions – into tree planting projects and renewable energy research. For those new to mineral make-up, Inika’s starter kit contains all the products needed to get you started, including an instructional DVD giving application tips and techniques. There are four kits available (from light through to dark skin tones) which contain: Kabuki foundation/bronzer brush; a liquid primer; foundations in summer and winter shades; and bronzer.

STARTER KIT As well as a range of bases and bronzers, the line also has a setting powder for oily skin or to reduce the appearance of large pores; a highlighting Illuminisor for a soft, radiant glow; multi-purpose eyeshadows; eyeliners, brow pencils; mascara; and lipsticks and lip liners. And, as well as brushes and seasonal colour collections, the company also has clever products such as the Puff Pot – a refillable blusher jar with no-mess application – along with jumbo, retro-style, creamy crayons. NVEY ECO is another “green”, organic make-up brand from Down Under – and it comes with impressive credentials: it is OFC-certified (Organic Food Chain), and certified by the Australian government. The company had to meet a strict organic-certifying standard in all ingredients and processes, which prohibits use of certain ingredients. This means no talc has been used in the powder-based products, and the line is paraben-, sodium laureth sulphate- and GM-free; contains no petroleum-based ingredients; and is not tested on animals.

NVEY LIPSTICKS The comprehensive line – which includes foundations, powders, eye shadows, concealers, mascara, blushers and lipsticks – was created after six years of stringent research, testing and access to the expertise that comes with 46 years’ of experience in the beauty industry.

NVEY EYES CEO Rohan Widdison believes make-up is more than colour, so the formulas blend plant and mineral ingredients with botanical extracts and powerful antioxidants that nourish, protect, condition and energise skin at the same time, while also exploding the myth that going green reduces the performance and application of make-up. Meanwhile, Thalgo has also launched a natural, ethical, affordable, organic make-up line, COULEUR CARAMEL.

COULEUR CARAMEL The brainchild of two young French entrepreneurs, David Reccole and Cedric Ferreol, the skincare treatment line combines organically-grown, Ecocert-certified ingredients with the latest cosmetic technology. The duo, who worked together at a traditional French cosmetic company, became convinced an opportunity existed for an ethical, affordable and organic treatment make-up brand that eliminates the synthetic and respects the skin and the environment.

NATURAL, ETHICAL, AFFORDABLE According to its founders, Couleur Caramel is not just about selling cosmetics and generating profits, it is about encouraging the consumer to make a positive statement through their product choices, which will ultimately change the world into a better – and greener – place. Couleur Caramel has four central tenets:

* TO RESPECT QUALITY AND HEALTH -- the range is paraben-, mineral oil-, and phenoxyethanol-free, and contains no oil-derived products. Where possible, organically-grown, plant-based active ingredients are used.

* TO RESPECT NATURE -- packaging and display materials are created using often-recycled and always-recyclable materials such as wood, metal and cardboard, and most containers are refillable. The company adheres to the principle of sustainable development, defined by the United Nations as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

* TO RESPECT PEOPLE -- the company looks for sources that can provide Fair Trade raw materials, such as sesame oil, Kalahari melon oil, baobub oil, and mafura butter.

* TO RESPECT ANIMALS -- the products are tested on volunteers under the monitoring of an independent laboratory and never on animals.

The comprehensive collection encompasses eye shadows; bronzers; compact and loose powders; blushers; highlighters; eye liners; mascaras; eye, lip and eyebrow pencils; lipsticks and lip glosses; foundations; concealers; nailcare and polishes; and cleansing milk and tonic lotion, together with make-up tools and brushes.