With summer right around the corner, you might be looking at your makeup bag thinking it needs a little revamp. We get that, babe! Moreover, we also get how difficult it can be to find products that not only perform, but that are also here for your health, and the planet’s. With all of the effort you put into having a natural skincare ritual on lock, shouldn’t your makeup routine also measure up? We think so. And if you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you. Check out the clean makeup below that will step your beauty game *way* up.

What is “clean” makeup?

When you think “clean”, think non-toxic and natural. A clean makeup routine will typically involve products free from icky ingredients such as parabens, talc, silica – and the list goes on and on.

However, we don’t want you to think that assessing whether a product is clean or not needs to involve searching high and low, or doing extensive research. And while we prefer sticking with brands we know are always clean, we know that’s not always evident. I mean, that's why we do all this rigorous analysis for you gorgeous!

To this end, the EWG Skin Deep website is a lifesaver. If you’ve ever wondered just how safe your favorite mascara is, all you need to do is type it in and scan the information that comes through. It’s an easy, efficient tool in getting you started on your clean makeup or skincare journey, and will get you Marie Kondo-ing that beauty cabinet of yours in no time.

Oh and speaking of cleaning and purging? If you need the lowdown on how to Spring-Clean that vanity of yours – click here .

The perfect partner to your BBE self-tan… Kosas Bronzer

Now this baby will step your glow game *way* up. Not to mention, if you’ve started with a killer natural self-tan first, this bronzer will pair beautifully to give your face that extra bit of luminosity. In fact, we'll spell it out right here: BBE's self-tanner topped with a bronzer is D R E A M Y.

Kosas’ Sun Show bronzer is talc free, and made with nourishing shea butter. For real, it literally helps moisturize your face! On top of that, it is buildable and long-lasting meaning you won’t have to constantly reapply throughout the day (but you totally could if you wanted to)!

Oh and pro-tip: This bronzer looks divine as a quick and easy shadow in your eye crease. Forget looking around for multiple products when you’re in a rush to get out of the door, and let this gem work double duty!

Lily Lolo… the clean blush you’ve been waiting for.

Talk about beautiful hues and unreal textures. This little UK brand will make you love clean beauty more than you already do.

Lily Lolo is recognized for its attention to clean ingredients that won’t irritate sensitive skin babes. They started with the creation of their now highly coveted mineral foundation and grew to a full-blown makeup line from there. From concealer to lipstick, you can curate your entire clean makeup collection with this vegan-friendly brand - guilt-free!

We especially swoon over Lily Lolo’s “Life’s a peach” pressed blush that is universally flattering, and so easy to blend. And if you’re into peachy corals, these guys have a Coralista Cheek Duo that will get your heart pitter-pattering, we promise. This dynamic duo includes a highlight, perfect for complimenting that natural self-tan we’re so obsessed with.

The clean makeup you’ll always want to have in your back pocket…

Let’s face it, every babe needs a go-to lip gloss in their collection even on the most casual of days. But putting toxic ingredients on our mouth? We’re so not down with that.

If you’re looking for a clean product that will give you the glossiest of pouts, look no further babe. Bite Beauty brings the fire when it comes to the gloss game, and does so with clean ingredients. Their range of shades is luscious, and we can't get enough of their plumping glosses in particular.

And while we’re on the topic of gloss, we have to give a shout out to Tower 28’s shine on lip jellies. Forget sticky gloss that your hair constantly gets stuck in. Seriously, who has time for that?

This stuff is high shine and low maintenance. What’s more, this lippie smells delicious and will leave your pout feeling moisturized thanks to the nourishing apricot oil it packs.

Certified organic makeup you’ll find yourself repurchasing on the reg…

Still with us? These next gems on our lineup of clean makeup that will step your beauty game way up are cult faves. And let's just say that finding yourself the perfect eyeliner and mascara combo *clean style* is not always easy. Trust us, we’ve done the legwork.

Antonym Cosmetics though? They’ve got the liner and lash game down packed. Their Lola Lash mascara will separate and add volume to your lashes, no extensions required. Forget clumping, this brush is everything.

And their creamy, easy to apply liners? Totally unmatched in the clean beauty world. From browns to jet black, Antonym’s liners are the ones that quickly become your holy grail and that you constantly find yourself reaching for. Plus, let's be real. Every glam girl needs a great liner in her life, right?

You should also know that Antonym is known for their cruelty-free brushes, that make makeup application easy peasy. Easy to wash, easy to use, and certified vegan baby! What’s not to love? Good brushes are a makeup collection essential, and you can feel good about investing in these.

So if you’re looking for professional results without compromising on clean ingredients, that is what Antonym is all about. Go on girl, we see you clicking add-to-cart!

The clean eyeshadow quad you’ve been missing in your life…

Here’s the thing, babe. Every girl boss needs a reliable eyeshadow quad in her life that she can always count on to make her look and feel fresh. Quads are amazing for travel, and for minimalist makeup collections where you don't want to have dozens of products to lug around. What's more, with the right brushes you can use your shadows to double up as liner if need be!

Finding that perfect quad, and having it be clean though? Not so easy. Vapour Beauty however has killed the eyeshadow game and brings you a neutral quad you’ll literally have forever. The colors are beautiful on all skin tones, and can take you from the office to cocktail hour in a cinch.

What’s more, you can feel good treating yourself to one of these babies knowing that Vapour Beauty is seriously into your wellbeing and the earths. They have a forward-thinking recycling program, and they also give back by donating to the Dream Tree Project. Suffice it to say, they are one amazing clean makeup brand.

And p.s. remember the glorious EWG link we hooked you up with at the beginning of this blog? Well, Vapour Beauty has earned Champion Safety Status from them!

The clean highlight that’s calling your name…

Because everyone needs a blinding highlighter in their life to feel extra snatched, any day of the week.

But what’s better than a highlighter? Well, a highlighter and a gloss duo that any natural babe would love. We are sort of obsessed with PYT Beauty’s no bs attitude (their words, not ours!) when it comes to clean, natural makeup products. And their Shimmer Bundle is the perfect introduction to their brand, for anyone! It includes a highlight that slays, and a neutral lip gloss to pair it up with.

PYT Beauty is committed to leaving harsh chemicals out of all of their makeup. They’ve banned 1300 toxic ingredients from their products, and they understand the importance of having clean makeup on your face that won’t hurt your health.

And while safe, natural makeup is their priority – they stress that it still has to look “damn good”, and it does!

The queen of clean makeup removers…

This list of clean makeup that will step your beauty game way up would be remiss if we forgot about an integral part of your glam routine - removing it!

When it comes to natural makeup removers, there is only one that reigns supreme. BBE’s makeup remover is effective, yet oh so gentle on that precious skin of yours.

In case you didn’t know girlfriend, tugging at your eyes to get that clean mascara off is so not the move. The delicate skin around your eye area is so, well, delicate! And if you want to keep those peepers and the rest of your face looking fresh for life, you need a makeup remover that works without any heavy lifting! BBE’s natural makeup remover is packed with organic aloe vera and refreshing cucumber extract. Basically, you’ll feel like you just left the spa after using it.

While you’re building your clean makeup collection, consider going clean in all aspects of application and removal. From your face wash to the cotton pads you use to remove all of that glam – you can opt to make all of it better for you, and the environment.

Ready to get glam the clean way?

We’re sure one of the clean makeup essentials above has you ready to spruce up your beauty cabinet. Or, maybe these clean beauty essentials gave you the motivation to do a complete vanity revamp!

More importantly though, we hope this “Clean Makeup That Will Step Your Beauty Game Way Up” blog helped break the stereotype that natural makeup can’t be as good or as effective as the other guys. It's 2021 girlfriend, and you already know we think natural is the only way to go.

Trust us when we tell you: you can totally have your clean cake, and eat it too.

Smiles & Bronzer,

Carey <3