Review: Physicians Formula Organic Wear Makeup

I, like many of other women out there, am very concerned with the ingredients in the personal care products I use and the health of our planet. I know it may seem like a frivolous way to demonstrate it, but I have decided to give organic makeup a try. Physicians Formula Organic Wear Makeup is described by the manufacturer as "the first 100% natural makeup in the U.S. with certified organic ingredients; 100% cruelty free, 100% free of parabens, 100% free of synthetic fragrances, 100% free of harsh chemicals,100% free of synthetic preservatives, and 100% free of GMOs." Phew!!! Isn't that a mouthful?

Okay, let's get to the nitty-gritty: I bought the 100% Natural Origin Perfect Complexion Kit for mediun complexions; it included a concealer, pressed powder, and bronzer. Separately I bought the line's blush in Rosy Organics. The kit was a good value, its retail price is $24.95, the blush is $11.95; the concealer stick is $6.95 and the powder and bronzer are $13.95 each if you buy them separately. If you want to try this line, try the kits; there are different kits to choose from (they have different products in them).

So, when I got home I tried the products, first I mixed my own version of a tinted moisturizer--the line does make tinted moisturizers with SPF 15 but for some odd reason none of the stores I have gone to are stocking it--it or the liquid bronzer. Anyway, after putting on my tinted moisturizer, I used the concealer stick; the color is too light to be considered appropriate for medium complexions, so I mixed it with my old concealer--which is a bit dark, so that worked out fine. After the concealer I applied a bit of powder with the brush that comes in the compact (the compacts are a bit bulky since they are made of cardboard, cute though). The brushes for this line are made of goat hair; the bristles are a bit coarse so I switched to my regular powder brush. I then applied the bronzer and the blush and finished off with another light dusting of powder to set everything.

This is NOT mineral makeup. This makeup is made with botanicals, the powders, bronzers and blushes in this line contain natural ingredients like olive, soy, grape seed, and jojoba oils, and also cornstarch. I like the fact that the makeup contains cornstarch. I have oily acne-prone skin that stays matte about 1 hour at the most (it is even worse in the summer) and this makeup absorbed the oils in my skin without looking cakey. The bronzer gave me a very subtle hint of color and shimmer that did not make me look like I had slathered Vaseline on my face. The blush was a bit of a challenge: at first I bought the Blushing Organics blush, the color is absolutely beautiful in the compact but it disappeared when I put it on, even after really piling it on. So I went back to the store and got the Rosy Organics blush instead. The colors may look a bit weird but when you apply them, they are nice and subtle. If you want a dramatic look you will have to apply plenty of blush. I think that this is not a bad thing; this makeup is much more forgiving when it comes to application, the nice natural subtle colors blended nicely with my own skintone (I'm a Latina) and I did not have to worry about putting on too much, it's kinda hard to put too much color on.

The ingredients in this makeup line are really nice, they really soothe my skin, I noticed that the blemishes that I already had didn't get worse, in fact, they improved--I kid you not. The cornstarch in the formulas really soaks up the oils on your skin to keep you looking fresh, not perfectly matte like a powdered doughnut, but natural-looking. The blush and bronzer do not seem to rub off as easily as other makeup brands I have tried, I guess it is because of the cornstarch; since cornstarch absorbs oils, the makeup won't "slide" off your face on a slick oily surface. This makeup would be a great choice for teens, this is as close to goof-proof as makeup can get, and the results are beautifully natural.

The thing I do not like about this line is that they have not included (yet) colors for women with richer complexions. The line goes up to medium (I would say light medium) complexions. I think that such a nice product needs to consider the needs of women of color; heck, I want a concealer that is good for my skintone, and I'm medium!

I am pretty pleased with this new line from Physicians Formula. I think it is important that they are certified organic and that their ingredients that come from plants come from organic farming. And after reading about all those bad-for-you ingredients in makeup, it is nice to know that there is an affordable alternative in the market today.