Get a Spring/Summer make-up look the natural way
From scarlet power pouts to Seventies-style shimmering eyes, make-up will be worn to be seen this summer. So, it's just as well the latest collections from our favourite organic and mineral make-up ranges allow you to go natural while looking fashionably unnatural!
In the same way that ethical fashion doesn't equal a wardrobe of beige-coloured plain Tees, neither does natural make-up mean a barely-there look. Brands like Lavera, Green People & Neal's Yard are developing their make-up ranges to include more products and more colour options that work well with the hot looks of the season.
We love a new lipstick as much as the next girl, and we're partial too to a new season look. So without further ado, here's a selection of the beauty looks you won't be able to resist trying out in your bedroom this Spring. We've added our product tips too, and it's all available in BigGreenSmile.com's new natural make-up department. Woo hoo!
Seventies Retro
This fashion story was all over the catwalks and, thanks to a recent Gok Wan episode, it's all over the high street stores too. It's pretty, it's easy to wear, and you'll only occasionally look like an escapee from a fancy dress party.
A top natural make-up choice for the Seventies look is Green People's Eco Eye Trio in Aqua; the colour pigment is totally naturally derived. This certified organic mineral eye shadow contains organic jojoba oil, beeswax and sunflower oil, and promises a gentle crease-free formula.
Blend all three colours together on lids, into the socket and below the eye for a full-on catwalk look. For an even more intense colour, dampen the applicator before applying. With eyes this bright, keep your base neutral. Try Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder, which has a matt finish, and apply with the Green People Kabuki Make-up Brush.
If you fancy a Seventies lip, as opposed to eyes, Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer, available in oodles of shades, gives a lovely pearlised finish.
Scarlet lips
It's an arresting look, this one; alabaster skin, subtle eye make-up and lips so lovely, luscious and red. Swoon. And where to start with product tips? Well, there's no end of choice for scarlet lips the natural way.
An orange-toned red is great for tanned or darker skins, and often more flattering to blondes. It was also a particularly hot catwalk choice too. Burt's Bees Lip Gloss in Zesty Red is definitely one to try.
Pale-skinned brunettes can look gorgeous in deeper, blue-toned red or burgundies. Think Dita von Teese and try Lavera Beautiful Lips Lip Stick in Deep Red.
If a gloss is more your thing, Neal's Yard Remedies Lip Gloss in Rosehip, or Yes To Carrots Lip Gloss in Red Hot are a treat. For a stain instead of a gloss, try Yes to Carrots Lip Tints in Ready Red. Fortunately, any finish, as long as it's bold, is a winner this season.
By the way, you won't be drummed out of town for sporting a fuchsia lip, instead of a scarlet. Green People Organic Lipstick in Cherry or Lavera Beautiful Lips Lip Stick in Red Berry Charm have a hint of fuchsia about them.
The new bronzed
This look is about that natural healthy glow we all love to have year-round, with the dial set at medium. So, not so natural that you can't see it, and not so bronzed you look like you've stepped off the beach in Florida, circa 1985. We're talking peachy glow as opposed to super-tanned.
Lavera So Fresh Mineral Powder Rouge in Shimmering Apricot Light, containing natural essential oils and enriched with organic flower extracts, will do the job nicely, as will Green People's Pure Blush in Peach. Build up layers slowly to get the right depth of colour, and apply to cheekbones to nod at the Eighties without the sun damage.
A good base for this look is a tinted moisturiser. Try Lavera Trend Sensitive Organic Tinted Moisturising Cream.
Softened Sixties
The Sixties kohl-eyed look has been around for a few seasons now. This year's take on it is a softer version, with a switch from blacks and greys to purples and browns. It is good news for all of us, as a smoky eye created in brown is much easier to wear than black, which can appear harsh and is easy to get wrong.
A tip from the beauty editors this season is to sharpen the look with a harder line of eyeliner close to the eye rim, in a matching shade to the shadow, to make eyes pop.
To get the look we recommend Neal's Yard Remedies Eye Shadow in Truffle, with 100% natural mineral colour, and Lavera Soft Eyeliner in Brown, which is Vegan Society approved. A flick of Lavera Volume Mascara in Brown finishes the look.
Is natural make-up the right choice for you?
If you're still debating whether to swap your favourite make-up brands for natural alternatives, here's a reminder about why natural is beautiful, courtesy of Green People:
- Lipsticks can contain crushed beetles. ‘Carmine', ‘Cochineal' or CI75470 is a red pigment used to create a vivid red lipstick. Consider this, it takes 70,000 insects to make one pound of cochineal dye.
- Mascara may contain Mercury. Legally allowed as a preservative, it can accumulate in the body over time. Toxicologists worldwide recommend avoiding it wherever possible.
- Foundation can harbour 24 different chemicals. Amongst them Polymethyl methacrylate, which adds a soft and smooth feel but worryingly is linked to cancer, disrupting the immune system and causing skin allergies.
- Propylene Glycol is a main ingredient in anti-freeze. A known skin irritant found in foundation, lip products, eye shadow and mascara, it alters the structure of the skin by allowing synthetic chemicals to penetrate and enter the blood stream.
