Holistic make-up artist and nutritional therapist Sjaniël Turrell shares her favourite natural and organic red lipsticks.
SWEET & SAFE KISS COQUELICOT No.16 by Absolution Cosmetics:
The lipstick collaboration between renowned French makeup artist to the stars, Christophe Danchaud, and French natural beauty brand Absolution Cosmetics was one of clean beauty’s first true rivals to commercial level, 1950s siren, matte red ala ‘Ruby Woo’. A striking semi-matte orange-red that stays on and does not dry out your lips at all. Not only are Marion Cotillard and Nicole Kidman among the fervent celebrity fans, it is a firm favourite of organic makeup artists everywhere. With 96% of the ingredients from natural origin and 27% organic it is a worthy swap.
£25; Available at Absolution Cosmetics
WILD WITH DESIRE LIPSTICK in REBOUND by RMS Beauty
All organic beauty fans already have some RMS products on their list of must haves. Founder Rose-Marie Swift is well known in the industry for being a purist and formulating her products in the cleanest and most sustainable way. Rebound is a true ruby red with a balanced undertone that compliments most skin tones. It is packed with organic and wild crafted, nourishing oils that keep your lips moisturised whilst giving a highly pigmented, long-lasting satin finish.
£30; Available at RMS
TUXEDO by AiNSEL
Ainsel is a wonderfully unapologetic British brand with the mottos “More Art. More Beauty. More Self-Love.” It encompasses London at its finest. This powerful matte dark wine-red makes a statement in more ways than one and you’ll find it difficult to distinguish it from your commercial favourites even though the formulation is handcrafted and natural. The lipstick comes in an appealing see-through acrylic case and it arrives in a reusable and fully recyclable “AiRSEL” packaging with free world-wide shipping. What’s not to love!
£24; Available at AiNSEL
SCARLET SOAKED SATIN LIPSTICK by Burt’s Bees
Burt’s Bees have added a great range of lip products over the past 2 years and the packaging is stunning too. This is the quintessential French girl red – perfect for every day wear. It has the feel of a lip balm but with full, opaque pigment that can be dabbed on without worrying too much about precision edges, it lends itself well to a stained effect but will also give you the full strong red lip if that’s what you’re aiming for. Ingredients are 100% natural, plus the price tag make this a brilliant buy.
£9.99; Available at Burt’s Bees
99 RED BALLOONS LIPSTICK CRAYON by Ilia Beauty
Ilia has been ahead of the game for the best lipstick selections in natural beauty for a number of years now with quite a few amazing red options (among many others) – they also name all their lipsticks after songs! 99 Red Balloons is a true red with a somewhat brick red tone and comes in a clever twist-out crayon design. The moisturising satin formula is 54% organic, gluten free and vegan.
£22: Available at ILIA
ADORE by Kjaer Weis
Adore is your classic ‘40s Hollywood starlet red with a velvety, satin finish and deep blue red pigments – it applies with luxurious feel. It is Certified Organic and sustainably designed. If you’re a fiend for beautiful (and eco!) packaging, then this is the lipstick for you – products are refillable and the stunning metal casing is designed to last which makes it all the more beautiful.
£44; Available at Kjaer Weis
TIMELESS by The Beauty Archive
Certified Organic and vegan, this red comes in a small, recyclable glass pot so that it can be used for lips or cheeks in varying degrees. A stunning bright red with an ever so slightly coral undertone makes it a great colour to give your spirits and face a lift. Use your finger to dab it on for a sheer, stained effect or use a lip brush for fully fledged impact.
£22: Available at The Beauty Archive
ALL OVER COLOUR in IKURA by (M)ANASI 7
This highly innovative and sustainable Stockholm brand has all the elements of Scandinavian chic. Ikura is another multi-use pot for both lips and cheeks. A warm, vibrant red with more yellow undertones has surprisingly vivid depth on single application with your finger, which is great if you don’t like the feeling of thick lipstick residue and still want colour that lasts. Organic certified, gluten free and sustainably designed this is the perfect all-rounder for the design conscious woman.
£35: Available at Manasi 7
SWEET & SAFE KISS THÉÂTRE No. 08 by Absolution Cosmetics
The bluer tone version of the bright reds in Absolution’s selection is once again a great rival for those seeking the very strong lip look. It has such great staying power that one can confidently eat a meal and not worry that it’s all disappeared. As the name suggests it has a theatrical feel – when Marion Cotillard was filming period drama Allied in London they sent her makeup artist out to buy this red to use on set upon her request.
£24; Available at Absolution Cosmetics
FOREST BERRY RED MOISTURE-BOOST NATURAL LIPSTICK by Antipodes
New Zealand brand Antipodes is much loved and well-known for their skincare range and their newly added makeup selection is pretty great too. This red has warm undertones with a touch of pink – think raspberry red rather than the deeper blue berry tones that lends itself well to all skin tones. The formula is moisturising with a semi-matte finish and the colour stains your lips which means that it stays on for ages even when you feel like the residue has worn off. It is also certified vegetarian and fragrance free, with boxes made from 100% biodegradable cardboard from sustainable forests.
£21; Available at Antipode
*All natural and organic certified products are cruelty free by default
** Generally, the reason natural lipsticks would not be certified vegan is because it contains beeswax (which is actually very good for the bees). Specifically with reds (because they are not easy to find in nature), some will contain cochineal extract which comes from the shells of cochineal beatles. Cochineal extract may be labelled as Carmine, cochineal extract, natural red or E120.