Make-up Routinefeatured

It’s a work in progress, but I’m starting to learn a lot about the toxic ingredients that are present in so many of the products we put on our skin. One of the resources that has helped me identify safer cosmetics is EWG Skin Deep. I am not being endorsed or receiving any compensation, it’s just something I refer to when searching for products.

About two years ago, I began researching non-toxic cosmetic companies and two that really stuck out to me were Ilia and W3ll People. It helped that I could find them at a local Target and Sephora. It also helped that they weren’t going to break the bank! Here is my honest review:

W3ll People: This was my first attempt at using a non-toxic make-up brand, and I was not disappointed!! I love the convenience of the sticks, all available in the Narcissist foundation (now called Bio Stick Foundation), bronzer, and blush, which makes for quick application, and allows you to build color as needed. I also love the convenience of it being sold at Target! Their eyeshadow pallets come with 5 colors, ranging in tones from cool to warm. Their Bio Brightener Powder is probably my favorite product – it calms down my shine while also brightening, and has lasted me over a year at this point, with plenty more to use. The mascara is not my favorite – goes on well, looks good, but I look like a corpse bride by lunch time with the amount of flaking under my eyes.

W3ll people is EWG verified (more about that here) and lasts all day. It’s also very reasonably priced, with most products ranging between 22 and 30 dollars. The foundation and bronzer do feel a bit heavy when you first apply them, but I don’t notice it throughout the day.

While the Narcissist stick foundation was my favorite, I cannot find it at any target within a 20 mile radius of where I live. This led me to try a few products from my next contender: Ilia.

Ilia was a brand that continuously showed up in the top 5 as one of the best clean make-up brands you can buy. The fact that it’s sold at Sephora didn’t hurt, either. I purchased the True Skin Serum Concealer, True Skin Serum Foundation, Multi-Stick, and Limitless Lash Mascara.

Ilia is a bit more expensive than W3ll People, with products ranging from 28-54 dollars; however, with some products, you are getting more (1oz of foundation compared to .4oz), so it’s quite comparable. Ilia also feels light going on, and you can build coverage and/or color as you see fit. I like the Limitless Mascara for two reasons: it comes with a dual-sided brush to build volume and separation, and you can buy a smaller size to test it out before purchasing the full-size! I also don’t notice much flaking.

If you watched my reel on Instagram, you probably noticed that I was using products from both companies, and that’s just how I roll! I don’t notice much difference between the bronzer and blush sticks, so I would probably stick with W3ll People since it’s price point is a little better. I love the Ilia True Skin Serum Concealer and True Skin Serum Foundation because they go on creamy and light, but you can add more if you feel the need. I won’t give up that Bio-Brightener Powder because while I love the “dewey” look these products create on my skin, I need to tone down the shine juuuuuuuust a bit.

It’s been about 18 months since I started using more natural products on my skin, and I truly feel like it’s made a difference. My skin feels softer, I don’t notice dry patches like I used to, and it seems a bit healthier overall. Could be a coincidence, but who knows. Hope this helps! Any questions? Comment below, or follow me on Instagram and leave a comment there!

You can shop these products at Iliabeauty.com or wellpeople.com. Happy shopping!