Durango Herald, Katie Burford
Published February 4, 2008
Alarmed about my makeup's potentially toxic ingredients, I mulled what to do. Join the thousands of perfectly attractive Durangoans that go makeup-free? Just couldn't bring myself to do it.
Reporter Katie Burford applies mineral eye shadow and powder foundation by Gourmet Body Treats, Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer and Honeybee mascara. The brands offer natural alternatives to traditional cosmetics.
Instead I began researching natural alternatives. My main resource was the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database, which rates nearly 28,000 products using data from government agencies, industry panels, academic institutions and other credible sources.
After hours of plugging in products I found in local stores and on the Internet, I settled on my purchases. I ordered mineral eye shadow, powder foundation and eye liner from Austin, Texas-based Gourmet Body Treats and mascara from Honeybee Gardens in Pennsylvania.
Gourmet Body Treats disavows parabens, dyes, sulfates, mineral oil, talc, petroleum or other dangerous chemicals, while Honeybee Gardens pledges to use "only the finest organic ingredients."
The mascara and eye shadow cost about what my drugstore brand, L´Oréal, did. The eyeliner and powder were a bit more, and the powder came in a much smaller container than I was accustomed - the company has a rule to package their products so they'll be used before they expire.
I was interested to find out if these alternatives would perform as well as my drugstore makeup.
The first challenge was working with so much loose powder, especially applying eye shadow with an angled brush rather than a sponge applicator. Dark colors were especially perilous because when I attempted to wipe the dustings off my cheek, it left a large, bruise-looking smudge. Now I hold a tissue under my eye while brushing them on. (If you'd like a demo before taking the mineral plunge, visit a local vendor such as True Beauty or The Spaaah Shop.)
The mascara, it's true, is not as voluminous as my old brand, but I can bulk it up with an extra coat. The eyeliner doesn't leave me with the sensation of tightness on my lids the other brand did, though, through the day, some of it transfers to the crease of my lid.
For lips, I've tried various Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer colors; I like that they don't dry my lips the way many lipsticks do. I recently read that the Clorox Co. bought Burt's Bees. I guess this is not a bad thing, so long as Goliath makes good on its promise to become more like David.
