Nontoxic Makeup 101: Build Your Own 6-Item “Capsule” Makeup Collection
Non-Toxic Makeup Doesn't Have To Be Complicated (My Favs Here)
We can all agree that what we put in our bodies affects our health…but it’s time we think about what we put on our bodies. Did you know that your skin absorbs 70% of everything you put on it? Chemicals, parabens, and artificial ingredients, oh my! Whatever you put on, your body ends up processing. The scariest part? It is estimated that an average woman’s daily personal care products contain over 160 chemicals (…most of which have never been tested for safety). And we are absorbing alllllll of that—chemicals and all.
When these toxins are absorbed through your skin, they add to your body’s toxic load and need to be filtered out by your liver + lymphatic system. Long story short: the chemmies in your traditional skincare products are harming not only your external skin, but your internal health as well. I don’t know about you, but I am absolutely committed to using exclusively high-quality, all-natural products on my body—from head to toe.
“Okay, Kate, I get it. Switching to naturally-based products is important. But what if I DON’T WANNA?”
Girlfriend, I soooo get you. I procrastinated cleaning up my makeup bag for so long because I felt overwhelmed and didn’t want to give up my old “bad” favorite products. But holy moly, I am soooo glad I did. Today I am gonna walk you through *exactly* what you need in your makeup bag. What do you say, are you ready to clean up your act?
how i transitioned over to natural makeup:
I took this process superrrrr slowly. When one “bad” product would run out, I would replace it with a cleaner version. I experimented with 1–2 items from 4 major nontoxic makeup companies, and I quickly realized that there were two brands that stood out amongst the rest: ilia makeup and W3LL PEOPLE. Not only did I love that ingredient list, but I loved that their products *actually* worked.
You’ll notice that I pretty much exclusively cover these two brands in this post. Why is that? Because they are the brands I use and trust and can give honest reviews on. I am someone who tends to stick with a company and shop it allllllll if I love their products, and mission. I’m all about simplicity, and that goes for the brands I shop from!
is this post sponsored? nope.
That said, I've pretty much tried it all from W3LL PEOPLE and ilia, so you’ll see super thorough reviews below. :)
full transparency: if i haaaaad to pick one brand, i do prefer ilia makeup, but they are slightly more expensive. if you are ready to invest, i couldn’t recommend them more! 10/10 would recommend to a friend :) but…. coming in not far behind in 2nd place is w3ll people. this brand is a bit cheaper and is alsoooo genuinely amazing. in general— ilia gives more of a glowy/dewy/fresh look and w3ll people is more of a matte finish— it just depends on my mood for which i use! i will give more pros/cons of each as you read this, but trust me, everything on this post is a good option and you really can’t go wrong :)
also NOTE: these companies did nooooot sponsor this post or pay me to write these reviews whatsoever, but I did use commission links so that I get a portion of whatever sale you make! (Thank you in advance for using the links! It doesn’t cost you a penny more but you are directly supporting me which I am genuinely so grateful for!) As always, these are just my honest opinions! Pinky promise. Cool? Cool.
okay, so here’s how this post works….
I designed 3, 6-piece capsule collections of natural makeup to get your started. one of them is my favorite brand ilia, one for my runner-up w3ll people, and one capsule of MVP lineup (faaaavs from both companies). These mini, 6-piece collections will have you covered from foundation to eyes to lips to cheeks! I wanted it to be super simple, but to cover allllllll your needs. If nothing else, these 6 items are exactly what you need to get this natural makeup party started! (Look right below for these small but mighty collection.)
ilia beauty 6-piece collection:
my absolute fav clean makeup brand.
Get ready for that dewy glooow!
the super skin serum foundation: i mean, WOW. hands. down. my favorite item in my makeup bag. truly. it a foundation + serum + SPF 40 all in one. it is soooo lightweight but somehow covers the skin and evens out the tone. if you love the “i’m not wearing makeup” (but lol i’m totally wearing makeup kind of look, GET THIS.
true skin serum foundation: this is a bit heavier foundation for acne / dark under eyes and it provides lovely coverage. it is also packed with serum. what sets it apart from other foundation? it’s packed with aloe leaf, rosehip, jojoba and marula oils which help soothe irritation, tame redness, + plump fine lines. makeup that is actually good for your skin? okay.
THIS. MASCARA. here is the real honest truth, i had cleaned up every. single. item. in my makeup bag… except mascara. no matter which natural mascara I tried, i found they didn’t measure up to my classic “bad” mascara. they flaked, smudged, and didn’t hold up throughout the day. so, as a result, i kept using the same tried + true (but toxic) mascara I’d been using since junior high…….then i found ilia’s clean mascara. guys, a clean mascara that actually works. do yourself a favor and get it.
the color haze: multi-use color that blends beautifully: lips, cheek bones, eyelids. soooo versatile and buildable hue. (this is like the clean version of glossier products!)
oooooh, this highlighter powder: the secret to that poppin’ cheekbones gloooooow. throw it on your eyelids, lips, brows, cheek bones, cupid’s bow…. 11/10 would recommend. I have NEVER used a highlighter that works this well.
bronzer, baby! we all know i am a bronzer freeeeeak. i loooove using bronzer to contour and give a sunkissed glow, and this from ilia is meets my semi-diva-ish bronzer standards
an ilia makeup before + after
3 minutes, 6 productS. THat’s it.
if you want to see more thorough product pics + videos + play-by-plays of ilia products, hop on over to my instagram where i have a whooooole “ilia” highlight of me applying the products, showing my favs, etc.
ILIA PROS AND CONS:
PROS:
in general, these products give a glowy, dewy look unlike any other makeup i’ve tried. you feel like a glowing, sun-kissed goddess hahahahah
products last alllll day on my skin— have been very very impressed by how long-wearing these are
plastic free shipping— woot woot!
hands. down. the best clean mascara I have ever tried
GORGEOUS branding. i don’t know if this is a factor to other people besides me but maaaan does it make my day when my products are beautiful!
SPF and skin health is a huuuuge focus in the products
if you are worried about picking out the correct shade online, they have an amazing shade selector quiz (worked great for me!) or you can email customer support your current brand/shade and they can make recommendations
CONS:
not 100% clean! i want you to beaware that ilia ranks worse than w3ll people on EWG clean scale rankings. I find that it does work better/last better than w3ll people…. but maybe that’s because there are a few semi-unclean ingredients compared to w3ll people. DEFINITELY cleaner than most makeup— but still not 100% clean. so it’s a choice up to you if the extra-special performance is worth the worse EWG score!
products can sell out FAST. i feel like once you try this company, you’re hooked for life so often my shade will be out of stock because they are so popular!
w3ll people 6-piece collection:
a great option for natural makeup with a more “Matte” finish
BIO TINT MOISTURIZER: This product. My MVP. It is the most beautiful “light coverage” foundation—heavy enough to cover discolorations/breakouts, but light enough where it looks like you’re not even wearing makeup. pro tip: sometimes I mix this with facial serum for a nice dewy glow
BAKED FOUNDATION POWDER: Mmmm, a nice foundation powder that has beautiful coverage. I will wear this alone or layer it on top of the bio tint moisturizer^^ for really solid coverage.
CONTOUR DUO: Whooooo doesn’t love a good cheekbone pop and sun-kissed skin? One product: two uses. It’s a no-brainer.
EYEBROW TINTED GEL: Ahhhhh, eyebrow gel. That thing that I NEVER used and now I can’t live without it. Gives ya a strong brow and transforms the eye region. Yes yes yes.
MULTI USE COLOR CREAM: Use it on your lips, your cheeks—wherever you want a pop of color. This product is soooo versatile. Highly highly recommend!
NONTOXIC MASCARA: Okay, honesty hour— i muuuuuuch prefer the ilia mascara personally, but i am reading a lot of reviews that also love w3lll people mascara so I wanted to include it! Since this is a w3ll people focused natural makeup capsule, I wanted to make sure I gave a mascara rec— apparently a lot of people like it, but i just didn’t think it lasted as well as ilia’s :)
w3ll people before + after:
Here is a little mini play-by-play of my morning w3ll people makeup routine. Literally takes me 5 minutes (not all steps are included here!), but I typically do 1) bio tint moisturizer 2) foundation powder 3) bronzer 4) a little highlight 5) brow gel 6) mascara. That’s it! I just wanted to show you some #nofilter transformation of solely W3LL PEOPLE products. (I personally hate when someone does a makeup post and alllll the photos have insane filters on their face. Like, sis, show me what this makeup ACTUALLY looks like!)
PROS AND CONS OF W3LL PEOPLE:
PROS:
man, this stuff is CLEAN. basically every product EWG certified. if your biggest factor is nontoxic makeup, you really can’t beat w3ll people
gives a more hearty, solid coverage than ilia— w3ll people definitely gives more of a solid “matte” finish (as opposed to the more dewy, natural look of ilia)
they also off plastic free shipping!
an eco-sustainably run business
offers samples of different shades to try out orrrr you can email their customer support to ask shade questions
CONS:
for some reason shipping usually takes longer from w3ll people for me. not a big deal for me, but just wanted to share!
less beautiful packaging (again, not sure if this matters to people that aren’t me, ha!)
okay, and for the MVP lineup…
my favs from both brands
To be honest, I think I just created the ultimate natural makeup starter pack. *hair flip* If nothing else, invest in these 6 items and you are SET.
to wrap it up—
I believe beautiful skin starts from the inside out—beautiful nutrition, drinking lots of water, good sleep…but some beautiful makeup doesn’t hurt. :)
Alllllllright, that’s a wrap! All of my natural makeup favs! Do your body, your skin, and your detoxification processes a favor—switch to natural makeup. I completely know it can seem overwhelming, but start small! Start with one small choice, one new product. You don’t have to transform your entire bag in one day—take it slow and enjoy the process! Your body will thank you. :)
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