Green Picks for Beautiful and Natural Eye Makeup


I love makeup, especially the one that makes my eyes feel sexy and glamorous. Even on my worst day, I can just dab a little mascara and it can transform me in seconds into a goddess. When I first started becoming green, I worried that I would have to seriously compromise in the beauty department. Luckily, these days so many wonderful companies, from big-name brands to small independent dealers have developed eco-friendly product lines that offer much the same quality and value, but without all the added chemicals. Not only are they better for the environment, they can also be better for your skin. If you’re not sure how to start, I have put together a quick eye make buying guide to help you out featuring the best new products and new colors for Fall!

Shopping Tips
  • Whenever you purchase a new product, always read the ingredients list carefully and look for the third-party certifications such as USDA Certified Organic and Leaping Bunny. Stay away from lengthy ingredients lists and misleading labels.
  • Look for cosmetics that don't have any chemical emulsifiers, binders, synthetics, fillers or paraben preservatives and that use botanicals and minerals.
  • If nothing else, avoid cosmetics that contain ingredients included in The Green Guide's "Dirty Dozen." Of those twelve, the most commonly found in cosmetics are antibacterials, coal-tar dyes, 1,4-dioxane (a contaminant of "PEG," sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate and other -eth ingredients), formaldehyde, fragrance, mercury, nanoparticles, parabens and petroleum distillates.
  • Use products that contain no more than 10 ingredients. The fewer the ingredients, the less likely you are to be exposed to a potentially irritating or harmful chemical.
  • Powdered products generally require fewer potentially irritating ingredients.
Top Green Picks

These top picks for eco-friendly eye makeup will make a perfect addition to your natural makeup regimen:

BeingTRUE
Eye Shadows- offers twelve new shades for Fall 2009, BeingTRUE’s latest collection is inspired by gemstones. The shadows are rich, well-pigmented, and available in matte, natural and shimmer textures. They contain antioxidant complex of Vitamin E, Green Tea, White Tea, which helps shield the skin from the environment, UV damage and moisture lost. They are priced at $16 per pan and $5 for a refillable single compact.

Nvey ECO Organic Eye Shadow- This formula is enhanced with chamomile and vitamins and is milled with a base of corn silk and jojoba oil for an extra smooth feel. These eye shadows are ideal to use on sensitive and/or dry skin as the all-natural ingredients include plant oils and no irritants. They are available both as single units and as palettes of 5 shades. They are priced at $24 individually and $61 as a palette. Available in both shimmer and matte in a variety of colors, you are sure to find your perfect combination in this selection.

Honeybee Garden
s PowerColors Stackable Mineral Colors PowderColors are completely vegan as they are free of dyes, talc, petroleum and other additives. These versatile powders are a blend of pure mineral pigments in a striking range of colors. They can be used as eyeshadow and eyeliner. These are a great bargain at $4.99 per color.

Afterglow Organic Eyeliner Pencil made with 100% natural ingredients and nourishing organic oils such as organic sesame seed oil, organic castor seed oil and organic beeswax form a creamy, moisture-rich formula for smooth application. For $22, you can choose from 3 beautiful shades, Forest Green, Orbit Brown and Black Gravity. Afterglow Cosmetics focuses on offering natural color cosmetics, free of many of the synthetic preservatives, bismuth oxychloride, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes and fillers found in traditional cosmetics.

LAVERA Voluminizing Mascara and Eyeliner At $28.50 for both, the simple black eyeliner is made from organic beeswax and palm oil and the voluminizing mascara from organic jojoba oil and rose. Lavera is one of the best-selling beauty lines in Germany and their natural formulations have the seal of approval from BDIH, which strictly regulates cosmetics. As with all LAVERA products, these items are certified 100% natural, paraben-free, cruelty-free and contain no heavy-metals or synthetic ingredients.

Josie Maran's Newest Mascara in Brown Brown mascara is a very easy, everyday makeup item. At $22, this mascara is a paraben and fragrance free formula that contains a handful of organic ingredients like Jojoba oil, Argan oil and Beeswax to condition and strengthen as it lengthens and defines.

Longona Eyebrow Pencil- We all love to keep our eyebrows nicely arched and what better than with this is a all- natural, gluten-free eyebrow pencil. Longona is Germany-based leading supplier of natural organic personal care products. You can snag this item for $10.99 at Natural Europe, a market place for European natural beauty products.

EcoTools 5 Piece Bamboo Brush Set

This EcoTools 5-Piece Brush Set includes a Blush Brush, Ey
e Shading Brush, Eyeliner Brush, Lash and Brow Groomer, Concealer Brush and Brush case made from recycled materials. EcoTools Brushes features sustainable bamboo handles, synthetic Taklon bristles and sleek ferule made with recycled aluminum. I love this set, it is a great steal at $16.99. You can find this item at Ulta.com.

Hope you enjoyed this quick guide! What other eco-friendly makeup products do you like to use? Please share your ideas and comments!

Photo credit: Mineral Magic at Flickr

2 comments :

  1. I love those ecotools brushes!! They are super soft! Better than my prescriptives ones & wayyy cheaper!

    How is that LAVARA mascara?? Is it waterproof?? I have been using the Dr. Hashuska's mascara but I have yet to find a good waterproof volumizing one!

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  2. Thanks for your comment! The Lavera mascara is great for a natural look, it is not waterproof, but it is volumizing. The great thing about is that thanks to jojoba and wild rose oils, this mascara doesn't dry out and flake everywhere after using it for a while so it lasts longer than most mascaras. It is also great if you have sensitive skin.

    As far as waterproof mascaras, Bare Escentuals makes several types of mascaras, including a waterproof one, that are made from natural ingredients. You can check out their Weather Everything Mascara at: www.store.bareescentuals.com/

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