The best natural makeup you can buy

Janine Clements

Jun 14, 2019, 22:44 IST

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Jane Iredale/Facebook/Business Insider

When it comes to natural makeup, it's hard to know which brands you can actually trust.
Many products claim to be natural but contain potentially harmful or irritating synthetic ingredients.
For a high-performance makeup range that's formulated from natural, organic, and non-toxic ingredients, Jane Iredale is our top pick.

Natural beauty has exploded in the past few years. Everyone is talking about "clean beauty" as people have become more aware of the potentially adverse effects of certain synthetic chemicals that are often found in makeup. The more careful people become about what they put on their skin, the more popular natural makeup has become.

The biggest difference between "natural" and "synthetic" (or traditional) makeup is the ingredients. Most synthetic makeup products contain chemicals like parabens, phthalates, and sulfates, which can irritate skin. But unfortunately, due to lack of regulation in the US beauty industry, many products labeled "natural" actually still contain these chemicals. Even when doing our research, we found it wasn't always easy to get definitive answers on exactly what ingredients were used by some brands.

The one thing that is more defined is that products cannot be labeled "organic" unless they're USDA Organic-certified, which means formulated with at least 95% organic ingredients that were grown and produced without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics, and formulated without GMOs, toxic chemicals, parabens, synthetic fragrances, or nanoparticles. However, in California products can be labeled "organic" if they are made with just 70% organic ingredients.

The ingredients list of makeup products can be overwhelming, and it's often in very small print. An easy way to check product safety is to visit the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database and verify the safety ratings of more than 73,000 beauty products.

One of the biggest concerns with natural makeup has been poor quality and effectiveness. However, thanks to the increase in shopper demand, there's a new generation of makeup brands with bigger and better ranges, and highly effective products formulated with safe and natural ingredients.

I was initially very skeptical about how good natural makeup could be, but after reading about irritating ingredients found in regular makeup and testing a wide range of natural products myself, I've converted. With our opinions backed up by beauty experts and buyers, we've come up with the best natural makeup brands you can trust.

Here are the best natural makeups you can buy:

Best natural makeup brand overall: Jane Iredale
Best non-toxic makeup brand: RMS Beauty
Best cruelty-free makeup brand: Mineral Fusion
Best organic makeup brand: Ilia Beauty
Best affordable natural makeup brand: Burt's Bees

Updated 6/14/19 by Jada Wong: Updated copy, formatting, links, and prices.

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The best natural makeup brand overall

Jane Iredale's makeup is packed with natural, organic, and non-toxic ingredients, and the products deliver exceptional results.

Jane Iredale is a line of mineral makeup formulated with high quality, natural ingredients designed to nourish the skin and enhance its natural beauty. The company is known for its multitasking products and wearable shades. The products are free of perfume, alcohol, synthetic chemicals, and artificial dyes. The makeup is also cruelty-free.

We tested the entire makeup line to see if it lived up to the hype, and the Amazing Base Loose Mineral Powder ($46) is now one of my favorite foundations. This multitasking product comes in 12 shades and works as a foundation, concealer, and sunscreen with SPF 20, plus it soothes your skin and is water-resistant. I loved the coverage and it didn't irritate my sensitive skin.

The Longest Lash Mascara ($35) comes in a squeezable tube and adds volume and length. The Eyeliner Pencil ($17) comes in seven wearable colors and glides on smoothly.

The Pure Moist Lipstick ($25) is also amazing and has a subtle fruit scent. Available in 27 colors, it combines powerful pigments with nourishing natural oils like avocado and jojoba and fruit extracts like pomegranate. I love the PurePressed Blush ($30), a mineral blush that comes in 12 gorgeous colors and has great staying power.

It's not just us who think Jane Iredale products are amazing. The makeup line gets great praise on The Good Trade, The Trendspotter, and Natural Living Ideas. The makeup is hugely popular with Amazon shoppers and Nordstrom buyers too based on the high number of reviews on many products.

Pros: Free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, oil-free, certified cruelty-free, vegan, suitable for sensitive skin, wide range of products and makeup shades

Cons: Expensive

The best non-toxic makeup brand

For non-toxic, food-grade makeup that delivers great results, RMS Beauty is a great pick.

RMS Beauty is a clean beauty brand that prides itself on the simplicity of its makeup products. The makeup is formulated with unrefined raw, food grade, and organic ingredients, and it's free of toxic chemicals and artificial preservatives. It also bears the "Clean at Sephora" seal which means products are made without certain ingredients, which you can see the full list here.

The award-winning "Un" Cover-Up Concealer/Foundation ($36) can be used — you guessed it — as a light foundation or concealer, and it comes in 16 shades. It evened out my skin tone well. Makeup artists and celebrities swear by the Living Luminizer ($38), and I agree that it's a must-have for your makeup bag.

The Volumizing Mascara ($28) is good for sensitive eyes. Some shoppers said that it doesn't give much volume, but I added a couple more coats and it built up nicely.

The Wild With Desire Lipstick ($28) is also great and comes in 15 beautiful shades. I was impressed with the high color from the rich pigments. For lips and cheeks, the Lip2Cheek ($36), which is available in nine shades ranging from Blush Nude to Deep Berry, is also very popular. I love the natural effect it produces.

In addition to be being highly rated by She Knows, Refinery29, and Allure, Sephora shoppers give the brand glowing reviews across the board.

Pros: Non-toxic, cruelty-free, gluten-free, no artificial preservatives, GMO, "Clean at Sephora" seal

Cons: Pricey, mascara might not be as voluminous as expected

The best cruelty-free makeup brand

For a fabulous, mid-priced makeup line that is certified cruelty-free and non-toxic, Mineral Fusion is hard to beat.

Mineral Fusion combines pharmaceutical grade minerals, antioxidants, natural ingredients, and the latest technologies to provide makeup that is safe, protective, and effective. All the products are Leaping Bunny-certified, which means they're cruelty-free. They are also free from parabens, gluten, artificial colors, phthalates, and other harsh ingredients.

The highly-rated Pressed Powder Foundation ($22.21) comes in 15 shades and is amazing. You can build it up where you want more coverage, and it has a matte finish. I love the Concealer ($17.84), a creamy duo that comes in four color options and is great for blemishes and dark under-eye circles.

The Lengthening Mascara ($14.81) is a rich, gentle formula that made my lashes look longer and fuller. The Eye Liner ($14.06) was soft and easy to apply.

The Mineral Fusion Lip Stick ($14.54) is now my new favorite lipstick. It comes in 15 colors and contains vitamin E and fruit oils to moisturize. There is also a fabulous 3-in-1 Color Stick ($14.60) for cheeks, eyes, and lips that comes in four shades. My favorite shade is Terra Cotta.

Mineral Fusion is rated the top mineral makeup brand on Best Reviews and is featured on Project Grace as a great cruelty-free brand, though it does point out the brand's limited range of colors. Shades are wearable and pretty, but not the most exciting as there aren't any bold blues or bright purples to play with.

Pros: Certified cruelty-free, vegan, gluten-free, made with non-toxic ingredients, great for all skin types

Cons: Can be hard to find in stores

The best organic makeup brand

Ilia Beauty is our favorite organic makeup brand thanks to the impressive range of pigmented colors and organic ingredients.

LA-based Ilia Beauty escapes the conventions of organic and natural beauty, and is highly rated by beauty experts and buyers alike for combining natural beauty with bold pigments and products.

It was started in 2011 by Sasha Pavsic, and not only do the makeup products contain up to 85% organic ingredients, their effectiveness rivals many traditional brands. Note that this means products are made with organic and natural products, so you'll have to check ingredients accordingly; I was fine with the combination of the two.

The True Skin Serum Foundation ($54) comes in 18 shades, and nourished my skin with aloe leaf juice and jojoba oil while evening out my skin. The Mascara ($28) added volume and length, but still looked natural on my lashes.

The Pure Eyeliner ($24) is available in four colors and is buildable depending how dramatic or natural of look you like. However, it did smudge a little after wearing it for a few hours. Both are great for sensitive eyes.

The Tinted Lip Conditioner ($28) comes in 16 stunning colors and is basically a lipstick that feels like a balm or lip treatment instead. It's beautifully creamy with a semi-matte, natural finish and stayed on my lips for a long time, moisturizing them too with olive oil and vitamin E.

I also loved the Multi-Stick ($34) for lips, cheeks, and eyes. It comes in eight colors but I think it's more suited for lips and cheeks than eyes as the color families are orange, pink, and berry.

We're not the only ones who love Ilia Beauty. Publications like Allure, Huffington Post, and The Trendspotter all give rave reviews, and the brand gets good reviews in general Sephora.

Pros: Made with up to 85% organic ingredients, certified cruelty-free, vegan, great for sensitive skin

Cons: Expensive

The best affordable natural makeup brand

For superb, wallet-friendly natural makeup made from ingredients that are safe for your skin, Burt's Bees is our top pick.

The choice is still pretty limited when it comes to affordable, natural makeup, however, we absolutely love Burt's Bees. This iconic brand may be famous for its lip balms, but it has developed a superb, affordable makeup range that's simple, natural, and socially responsible.

Ingredients are 98.9% natural and nourishing, like fruit oils, honey, and vitamin E. All the products are formulated without parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrolatum, or synthetic fragrances, and they're Leaping Bunny certified to be cruelty-free by. Products do incorporate animal byproducts though, like honey and beeswax.

The Goodness Glows Liquid Foundation ($14.97) is a full-coverage mineral foundation that comes in 18 shades for a variety of skin tones and undertones. It lasted all day and I liked the dewy finish. Some customers did comment their bottle smelled really heavy, but I didn't notice or mind it.

Of all the products I've tried from Burt's Bees, I love the Nourishing Mascara ($9.43) the most. It gave me a natural look, didn't smudge, and stayed on all day. The Nourishing Eyeliner ($9.43) comes in three wearable colors, and is smooth and easy to apply.

The Lipstick (prices vary) is an Allure Best of Beauty Winner, and comes in 19 pigmented shades. The hexagon-shaped Natural Blush ($9.43) contains bamboo, honey, and vitamin E to nourish skin, and gave my cheeks a natural glow that didn't fade throughout the day.

Burt's Bees is rated highly by Allure and Byrdie, and the makeup line gets great reviews on Influenster.

Pros: 98.9% natural, Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free, affordable price tag

Cons: A more limited selection than some other more brands, not all products were as effective as other brands