In 2016, Into the Gloss published an article about sustainable makeup recommended by Emma Watson. In the article, Emma goes over what’s in her daily makeup bag, her favorite skincare products, and even her favorite shades of lipstick.
If you’re coming from my Emma Watson makeup YouTube video, you saw me trying on these exact products for a casual Belle cosplay. I even went out downtown just to see how the makeup would weather an entire day.
As the article mentions, it’s hard to be 100% sustainable… especially when it comes to makeup. It’s a bit expensive and a little hard to gauge since it’s popularity hasn’t become mainstream quite yet.
But if you want a full comprehensive look at what I think of Emma’s favorite sustainable makeup products, then keep on reading 😉
Sustainable Makeup Recommended by Emma Watson
Out of all the makeup products Emma recommended in that article, I decided to just go with the basics. As I said in the video, I don’t tend to glam it up much. I’m more of a fan of light and subtle makeup (unless it’s for cosplay!).
That’s why I only picked out a foundation, an eyebrow gel, mascara, eyeliner, eye shadows, and a lipstick (for a total of $107.89!).
I didn’t go for Emma’s favorite shade of lipstick, but I did buy it from the same company. Likewise, I picked out eyeshadow from The Body Shop because she recommended X from that store (and she applauded their environmental-friendly practices). I
Here are the exact makeup products I purchased:
- FOUNDATION $38.34: RMS “un cover up” for light skin (she also uses their powder but I decided to skip that because I’m on a budget)
- MASCARA $18.50: DHC Double Protection mascara in black
- EYEBROW GEL $21: Jane Iredale Pure Brow Brow Gel in blonde
- EYELINER $21: Jane Iredale Liquid Eyeliner in black/brown
- LIPSTICK $18: Lilu Lolo Natural lipstick (in the color Rouge)
- EYESHADOW $12.05: Various brown colors from The Body Shop
Sustainable Makeup Review
The reason I wanted to try sustainable makeup is two-fold.
One: I wanted to review it. And
Two: I am very self-conscious of waste. I cringe when food is thrown out and I hord as many of cosplay materials as possible in case I can recycle even the tiniest scraps of fabric or foam.
Because my videos tend to be off-the-cuff, I wanted to give you a comprehensive analysis of what I actually think of each of these sustainable makeup products recommended by Emma Watson:
RMS “un cover up” Foundation
As I said in the video, I don’t like wearing foundation. I have oily skin, and I tend to break out any time I use it. I was curious to see if this would happen with a sustainable foundation. Sadly, it did make me break out.
Considering the size of the foundation and the price, I don’t think this is a sustainable product I would buy again anytime soon.
DHC Double Protection Mascara
This mascara is definitely all about giving your length over volume. I prefer the latter, however, I will say that this mascara is tough!
In a good way.
I also didn’t realize until way later that it’s a water-resistant mascara. Usually, I don’t like to wear water-proof mascara because it’s a pain to take off. The DHC mascara actually had me second-guessing that choice though. I loved not having to worry about the mascara smearing and for the size, it’s a pretty good deal!
This mascara is about $8 more than your standard drug store product. If you’re in need of some length, I definitely recommend this sustainable makeup product.
Jane Iredale Pure Brow Brow Gel
Let me just say, my eyebrows are the worst. They’re a dark blonde and super thin. But they are also really long.
I’m not a pro when it comes to makeup– but this is especially true for eyebrows. I’ve used cheap eyebrow gel before, but it always looked like I just smeared brown grease over my eyes.
This stuff is a little different. I could instantly tell the quality is higher than your standard eyebrow gel and the color was spot on. I still like using eyeshadow to fill in my brows better, but this is the only stuff I’ll use to securely lock in my eyebrow look.
Jane Iredale Liquid Eyeliner
As soon as I opened this eyeliner, I was disappointed– not gonna lie. The bottle is very tiny, albeit eloquent. I usually use black eyeliner, but Emma recommended brown as a natural way to play up your eye.
I have to say, despite everything, I still didn’t really like this sustainable product. It comes with a thin tip brush which I loved(I know a lot of people prefer pen eyeliner), but it didn’t stick. And I always put primer on my eyes.
This eyeliner seemed a bit too diluted for me. After application, I could tell it needed a bit to dry, but even then, it didn’t seem to want to stick.
Absolutely no luck with winged eyeliner, either.
Lilu Lolo Natural Lipstick
Instead of going for Emma’s recommended fierce, bright red shade, I went with Rouge for a more natural tone. This is the color I would use if I were to do a Belle or Hermione cosplay. Actually, it’s just a color I prefer in everyday life!
The first time I wore this, it seemed very flaky. However, I am prone to chapped/dehydrated lips so I figured it was my fault.
It was.
This lipstick glides on flawlessly and it lasts way longer than any NYX lipstick I’ve used (sorry NYX). As a sustainable makeup product, I give this 5/5 steaming cups of coffee!
The Body Shop Brown Eyeshadow Refills
Even without primer, I found that The Body Shop’s eyeshadows didn’t crease! They stayed on all day without much fuss and I didn’t have to retouch at all. They’re very pigmented, which is a must for me, and I actually like the little glimmer they have.
The only thing I’m not a fan of is the fact that they come in individual packets. There’s no easy way to store them! That being said, I’m excited to try out even more products from this eco-friendly store.
