I have tested quite a few natural beauty products in the past year. But never 100% natural make-up. I have heard rumours that natural make-up oftentimes just doesn’t cut it, generally because it doesn’t offer that great coverage. But as I am on the hunt to swap my cosmetics drawer for a natural alternative, I figured it’s best to give one of these all-natural make-up brands a shot and see where testing leads me.

Words: Johanna Raudsepp

Vapour Beauty is a U.S. beauty company that creates luxury performance natural, chemical-free make-up and skincare products. They promise to deliver flawless, glowing skin. Before receiving the products to try out, Vapour offers a unique online service for its clients. You can send their beauty expert a selfie of yourself and, based on that, they will try to match you with the best shades possible for your skin tone. I love that little special customised service, because when you order make-up online, it’s often easy to get your tone wrong and end up feeling disappointed with your purchase. Now on to the products.

#WeAreTesting: 100% Natural Luxury Make-Up by Vapour Beauty

*Image credit: Sander Sokk*

I tried their Stratus Luminous Skin Perfecting Primer, the Atmosphere Luminous Foundation, and the Siren Lipstick. All of the products are in stick-form, which is quite unique. And as I later found, very convenient for when you’re travelling. I took these with me on my latest airport journey and, because they’re not liquid, it’s really easy to take them with. Handy for refreshing yourself at the airport. Before trying, I did swatches on my forearm to get a little demo. The products looked promising, especially the foundation. All of them have a nice creamy texture and are indeed as luminous as promised. Expectations: I don’t expect a matte finish, more like a glowing skin look.

Firstly, I primed my face with the Stratus Primer. It smells nice and has a soft feel. However, it didn’t seem to absorb into my skin, not even after 10 minutes. The primer made my skin feel quite greasy for applying make-up on top of it. I tried patting it in a bit and spreading it evenly on my face before applying the foundation. They matched my fair skin with shades 110 and 115 of the Atmosphere Luminous Foundation and I find that to be very accurate. With a light summer tan, I’m a 115, and normally I would go for the 110. The matching process was most certainly a success. The primer made applying the foundation a bit difficult, as the foundation itself also has a creamy texture. I felt like it was just sliding on my face, and not really sticking the way I prefer. I made a second attempt. I took all my makeup off and applied the foundation without the primer. It seemed to make a great difference. You definitely need to buff it in a bit. Shade 110 blended perfectly with my skin tone. It left my feeling glowing and fresh: qualities that I think good daily make-up should have.

"I love that little special customised service, because when you order make-up online, it’s often easy to get your tone wrong and end up feeling disappointed with your purchase."

Now on to the Siren Lipsticks. I got shades Naive 421 and Bold 420. Naive is a lovely brown nude. It popped up quite brown-ish when I swatched it, but on the lips it created a lovely nude tone, great for everyday. I’ve been grabbing that lipstick every time I go out. It has become one of my favourite lipsticks to date. Bold is more of a night-out shade with a darker berry red hue. When the translucency of the formula doesn’t bother me with the nude Naive, it does a bit with this red. It leaves a lovely pigment on your lips, but for a bold colour, I would love for it to be less translucent. I needed more of a pop. The formula is medium sheer; soft and creamy, and slightly glittery. If you don’t like the glossy finish, then the Siren Lipstick probably isn’t for you. The shape of them proved to be a bit difficult, but after a few rounds of practice, I got quite handy with the flat-top shape of their lipstick. I absolutely love their fruity-berry scent, though!

Overall, I’m quite impressed. I will keep trying the primer with other foundations, because I really want it to work, despite the first attempt of use. As natural make-up products, they’re definitely lightweight and don’t leave your face feeling drained after a long day. Vapour has a much bigger range than the three product types I tested, so I believe there’s something there for everyone. They carry a good range of shades, too. I’m eager to try out their other beauty sticks in the future, because the products I reviewed showed potential. If you’re looking for a natural alternative for make-up, I encourage you to try out a few natural products to find what works for you. But I just want you to know, there definitely is a more eco-friendly alternative to match your beauty needs.