Top 5 “Less-Toxic” Everyday-Makeup Products
Believe it or not, an ingredient list on a primer was the thing that kickstarted my entire “less-toxic” journey of 2021. Makeup was actually the first thing to be purged—nail polish came second. Finding “less-toxic” makeup options that fit the bill for me actually ended up being harder than I thought, but after a couple trips to Sephora and a good dose of research, I ended up finding these five products that I use daily to create a natural and low-maintenance makeup look.
A quick note before we start: I am not as well-versed in makeup ingredients as nail polish ingredients, but the main thing I personally tried to avoid while shopping was Tocopherol Acetate and (lesser so) Tocopherols. As always, please don’t form your opinions or habits just based on mine; I always encourage you to do your own research and make the choices that are best for you. I’d like to learn more about specific makeup ingredients in the future and compile a list like I have available for nail polish, but when selecting these products earlier this year, I primarily used resources from the EWG to check ones I wasn’t sure about. I chose these based on the research I did on their brands and ingredient lists. Please leave a comment if you have any further questions and I’ll do my best to answer! So, to sum it up, don’t just buy one of these because “I said it was ‘less-toxic’” in this post—please do your own research beforehand just in case any of these contain an ingredient you’re personally not a fan of.
Today’s blog post is actually a collab with Simone from the Beautymone blog! Her website is so gorgeous and she has so much insightful content about high-end makeup and beauty, so make sure you check out her post as well.
When I first purged my makeup collection, I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to find any “less-toxic” options that would be good-quality or look the same or work as well. I remember the last time I wore a full face of my old products—I was so sure that was the last time I’d feel confident with my makeup. But now, almost four months later, I can happily say that I love the products I replaced those with and feel so much better every time I use them. So, if you’re going through your own “less-toxic” journey, I want you to know that I understand how challenging it is and I’m telling you that there is so much hope. You will get through it, you’ll learn a whole lot, and you’ll find new products to love just as much, if not more!
1. ILIA True Skin Serum
As you’ll see, I actually have two products from ILIA in this post. I really like this concealer. The last one I had before my overhaul was the NARS Creamy Matte Concealer (I believe that was the name) and I have used concealers from Tarte and Pacifica in the past. This one has such a nice formula—it’s not too thick or too runny. When I repurchase this one day, I might try to go a shade lighter since this is the shade “Suma“ and it’s just a tiny bit too warm for me and my pale skin. Very happy with the natural coverage of this one! I don’t wear foundation, so if I want to cover any blemishes or my sleepy under-eyes, this works so well.
2. ILIA Limitless Lash Lengthening Mascara
Finding a new “less-toxic” mascara was definitely one of the biggest challenges when doing research, but I ended up going with this one from ILIA as well. Before this, I had been using the Glossier mascara and had recently tried the TikTok-famous Sky High mascara from Maybelline. The Sky High one was super impressive, so I was pretty sure nothing would live up to that. At this point, I can’t really remember a huge difference between this mascara and the others I’ve used. I don’t think it holds a curl as well as Sky High did, but it does apply really smoothly, it doesn’t get clumpy, and in my experience, lasts pretty well throughout the day. As far as I know, this one is not water-proof, but that’s never something I look for in a mascara since I hate the struggle of taking it off. 😆
3. Glossier Cloud Paint
I was not a fan of this when I first started using it, since I’ve been a powder blush girl since forever. However, after I got rid of the Cover Girl blush I’d been using, I turned to this one and realized it actually didn’t contain Tocopherol or Tocopherol Acetate, the two things I’d been mainly avoiding in my cosmetics. I gave it another chance and found that I really enjoy dabbing it on my cute little Miss Piggie beauty blender from Ciate. I really like this peachy-pink shade “Beam” and how it brightens up my pale skin tone. Applies and blends super smoothly and, for me, it works well with the ILIA concealer if they happen to collide on my skin.
4. bareMinerals Endless Summer Powder Bronzer
Since the spring, I haven’t been using this bronzer a ton, but it was a big part of my makeup routine during the winter months. I love the color of this one—it’s super pigmented, so a little goes a long way. I have the shade “Faux Tan“, which, once again, I feel like is a bit too warm for me, but it does go pretty well with the ILIA concealer I have. I like doing some contour with this and a fluffy brush. It would also work well as a light eyeshadow, I think! Like I said, I haven’t been super into bronzer for a while, but when I am, this has been my go-to.
5. Pacifica Beauty Color Quench Lip Tint
I discovered this lip tint toward the end of April, and boy, do I loooooove it. The first thing that got me was the scent—when I opened this, it just smelled so nice and fruity. This are nice and hydrating, plus they provide a nice wash of color. I have this one in two different shades, but this one is my go-to and my fave. This one does in fact contain Tocopherol, but I’ve found that it is very difficult to come across a lip product that doesn’t contain Tocopherol since it’s also known as Vitamin E and is usually used as a moisturizing agent in a lot of products. I try to avoid it where possible, but as I’ve mentioned before with various ingredients, of all the ingredients I’ve ever researched, it’s still pretty low on my list of personal concerns. However, I am so happy that I was able to find a majority of cosmetics that don’t contain it!
I had so much fun putting together this blog post, so I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of my “less-toxic” faves. I actually recently redid my entire Amazon storefront, so you can check that out if you’d like to see more of my go-to “less-toxic” options.
Once again, make sure you go check out Simone’s post to see her picks!
What are your go-to “less-toxic” makeup products for everyday wear? Leave a comment below and let me know if you’d like to see more makeup-related posts like this!
Have a polished rest of your day,