The Safest Makeup?

Photo: Carlton Davis/Trunk Archive

There’s a little known brand based out of Santa Monica, Calif., that plans on not-so-quietly shaking up the $65 billion beauty industry. Beautycounter calls itself the safest beauty brand on the market, with a “never list” of over 1,500 ingredients it deems too harmful to include in anything that touches your skin — from sunscreen to lip balm. (To put that into perspective when compared with other brands, the United States has only banned or restricted only 11 ingredients from cosmetic use, versus the European Union’s 1,300.)

Beautycounter launched in March 2013, with cleansers, moisturizers, and oils — plus a ringing endorsement from Vogue. Makeup artist Christy Coleman, who works with women such as Miranda Kerr and Connie Britton, was on board from the start, but it’s taken them this long to develop color cosmetics that meet their standards. "We went into development three years ago," says Coleman.  "But we had to walk away from labs that couldn’t meet our high standards of both performance and safety. As a makeup artist, I have a personal investment in creating a product that performs as well as any high-end brand."

On Thursday, they launched Tint Skin Complexion Coverage ($38) and Touchup Concealer Pen ($28), both lightweight formulas that still deliver coverage — without the chemicals you usually find in the stuff you rub all over your face. "Apply the concealer in an inverted triangle, and blend with your finger," says Coleman."This technique brightens your eyes and gives you the look you’re after."

For more tips, watch Coleman’s how to video below!