Vancouver Fashion

Vancouver's online fashion culture magazine

Jeanette’s Picks: Sappho Cosmetics

August 18th, 2010 | Published in Beauty

Click here for larger version. Photographed by Jamie Mann. Model is Tanys for Agence Emme. Makeup by Jeanette Schwarz using Sappho Cosmetics.

Jeanette’s Picks – Jeanette Schwarz, local makeup artist and String Magazine Beauty Editor, goes on the hunt for toxin-free makeup–and the findings have never been better.

Sappho Cosmetics: makeup that loves you

Sure, you love your foundation, but has your foundation ever loved you back?

Behold: Sappho Cosmetics, the guilt-free, good for your skin, good for the earth, all-natural, non-carcinogenic makeup that many of us have always dreamed of. But will it live up to the standards of the makeup artist in me? Not many all-natural products have, unfortunately, so I was skeptical. Nevertheless, the list of requirements for makeup I use was a breeze for Sappho Cosmetics:

Goes on easily and looks natural? Check.
Reasonably priced? Check.
Has great pigment? Check.
It’s really toxin-free? Check.
Smells great and feels good on? Check, and check.

In fact, the foundation smells so good that my clients have told me that they feel like they’re getting an aromatherapy treatment along with their makeup application. The cherry on the pie was when I discovered that the rest of the line stacks up, too. The pressed powders and eye shadows are packed with pigment, meaning great colour–and I feel good about using them because I know they’re safe to use. Hence Sappho Cosmetics’ motto: “Makeup Fearlessly.”

Sappho Cosmetics was created by none other than local, Emmy-nominated makeup artist, JoAnn Fowler, whose impressive resume reads like a Hollywood party invitation. She is no stranger to the world of makeup–nor to A-list client standards. She has worked on the film sensations Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse, and with countless celebrities including Tyra Banks and Drew Barrymore. But it was on the popular show, the L Word, that she started to really put importance in using all-natural makeup lines, when she was prompted by the cast to use paraben and phalate-free products. Believe it or not, these products are hard to come by, though there are many lines claiming to be toxin-free. Due to that fact, JoAnn was not able to find a makeup line that was completely free of toxins and that didn’t compromise quality at the same time, so she went on to create her own with uncompromising ethics and strict ingredient guidelines. And so on set at the L Word, Sappho Cosmetics was born. The sweetest part? The foundations are named after the actresses that inspired them.

Where the line lacks in glitzy, bells-and-whistles packaging, it makes up for with biodegradable containers and packaging–even using animal-friendly brushes. And from the tip of that makeup brush to the ingredients used, every last detail has been accounted for. Sappho Cosmetics boasts the following qualities:

• Paraben, phthalate, dimethicone, gluten, mineral oil, and phenoxyethanol-free
• Synthetic chemical-free
• Foundations are coloured with minerals suspended in organic aloe juice and organic jojoba oil
• Preserved with organic essential oils
• Full of anti-oxidants
• Non-comedogenic (it won’t clog pores)
• All ingredients in their products are disclosed

All in all, Sappho Cosmetics is a great line–and many other people seem to think so, too. This year, at the International Makeup Show in LA, Sappho Cosmetics completely sold out. Actors, actresses, and makeup artists are eating it up – and so am I. Choosing cosmetics can be hard, and when you are conscious of the chemicals used, it’s even harder. However, Sappho Cosmetics fits the bill, so look no further.

Find Sappho Cosmetics at Finlandia, Health on the Drive, Dream Designs, and at sapphocosmetics.com.

Published in Beauty

Fresh off the press

Archives >>

Attached Photo Gallery

Fresh in Beauty

Beauty Spotlight: Lavera Naturkosmetik

See the quality for yourself of Europe's acclaimed all-natural makeup line, Lavera Naturkosemetik, with a beauty shoot shot by local photographer Taseda Knight.