PLAY TIME. BEAUTY & WORDS_ Nicola Brittin PHOTOS_ Julia Kennedy

When I was a kid I was told that the way they make marshmallows pink was by crushing a certain beetle that’s found living on cacti. Now, I was going to write this is probably a bit of truth from the ‘olden days’ but now a legend children tell each other.

It turns out I’m wrong! That’s exactly how many red-based pigments are made. Carmine (its official name if you’re looking on an ingredients list) is used extensively in the cosmetics and food industry. Mind blown.

What that story/ truth does tell me is that brightly coloured pigments don’t scream Eco. When we were 5 years old choosing our pick n’ mix or using our first multi-coloured kids eyeshadow palette, I don’t think our parents were under any illusion that these things weren’t full of chemicals and made in slightly dubious factory settings.

So can make up be conscious and colourful?

As a make up artist I want my colours to be punchy. I want to slide my finger over that deep blue or emerald green and find the exact same colour on the skin.

As a consumer I don’t want it made of crushed beetles!

And to be fully transparent, when researching the brands I was going to use for this shoot, it would have been a lot easier to go ‘Against Animal Cruelty’ then find a fully vegan option/ brands that use no palm oil or only reusable/biodegradeable packaging.

All of this has left me with so many questions which I hope to answer over the next few month’s but lets start here. What I used for this shoot with my beautiful small helpers…

The first brand that surprised me was MUA Make up Academy. 100% vegan and available in Superdrug. On top of that, they are probably one of the most colourful brands I know… The line includes glitters (thick and thin), rainbow like powder eye shadow palettes, a breath-taking line of foundation colours and a nice lot of lipstick shades.

As an MUA myself, I couldn’t use the brand exclusively and would be keen to speak with them about why their products are mainly Matte. Is this a by product of going entirely vegan? But what a lovely surprising way to start! The prices are incredibly low too which is great, but I worry this is reflected in it’s packaging. All plastic and no talk of where it comes from.

But lets give MUA Make up Academy a round of applause. A high street brand that is 100% vegan!!! Spectacular.

The other brand I used for this shoot was Ben Nye. A brand that sits slightly more central on the spectrum and no judgement if you’ve never heard of it as it’s a theatre, movie and FX make up brand. They are not 100% anything but I feel they are an important brand to mention because they are TRYING and do it very well. A good chunk of their products are vegan and a lot of their shadows/bases come in reusable tin or plastic palettes.

What separates this brand from the others that have a part vegan product list is that they are producing some of the tricker items. Waterproof paints, latex, fake blood, hair colours and glitter glue to name a few.

So if you’re vegan and into drag…this brand is for you.

If you’re vegan but want a fresh scab for your Halloween look this year……this brand is for you.

If you’re a vegan synchronised swimmer…this brand is for you.

If you’re vegan and training in FX make up….this brand is for you.

This is the start of my journey and I hope to speak with these brands and others. Get a real idea of what goes into these products and what problems they have producing others without compromising their ethos.

I hope you agree that conscious playful make up exists and now you have a place to start when looking for a purchase…… and there is much more to come.

All images using a mix of : MUA Make Up Academy Tropical Oceana Palette and Eye Define Felt Liner. Ben Nye Lumber Metallics Palette

Make up by Bailey, Pixie, Tallulah and Myself. :)