You know how giddiness ensues this end when a brilliant new brand launches? I got that last month when introduced to Aussie favourite Nude by Nature for these reasons:
- Nude by Nature is a mineral brand that’s devoted to making a product that is that is good for the skin. This means most the range includes: kaolin clay (more dear than some clays, but much better for skin – it absorbs oils throughout the day without leaving any flatness), Vitamin C-rich kakadu plum (to brighten and protect), and comforting jojoba esters.
- Not content with merely filling the make-up with beneficial ingredients, they’ve also omitted anything that doesn’t service/is likely to irritate the skin (bye bye, silicon, petrochemicals and irritating bismeth oxychloride, which features heavily in most mineral make-up as it gives the skin a ‘healthy sheen’).
- They make the top selling foundation in Oz – not the top selling mineral foundation, note – the top selling one without any caveats. This is even more impressive when you bear in mind that the brand has been going strong for eight years over there, meaning that excitement and ‘newness’ has nothing to do with the sales.
l to r: Nude by Nature Perfect Primer, Sheer Light Illuminator, Perfecting Concealer and Sheer Liquid Foundation.
While those things are promising, I obviously wouldn’t still be all enthusiasm if NbN hadn’t earned its place in my stash on account of performance. Here’s what I’d recommend spending your cash on from the range if you want to jump aboard the whole skincare/make-up thing (you may notice most my recommendations aren’t powders – surprisingly for a mineral brand, they do liquid formula really bloody well)…
Nude by Nature Perfect Primer / This smells like baking. Like the kitchen when my mum’s been baking her lemony Christmas biscuits, to be precise. That moment when I smooth it on my face is pure joy to me. What does it do, exactly? Why, it primes. Perfectly. By this, I mean: it ameliorates dryness, regulates oiliness, softens and, finally, leaves skin smooth and ready for base.
Nude by Nature Luminous Sheer Liquid Foundation (I have it in W2) / It really pleases me when a brand has accurately named their product. This is absolutely the case here: this foundation is sheer and adds luminosity. If your skin’s almost perfect, a thin layer will do the trick. If not, buff a little bit of their mineral powder on top or add…
Nude by Nature Perfecting Concealer (I have it in Sand) / This is a creamy concealer that is fairly fluid – think an ultra-rich foundation and you’ll get the idea. As I sometimes like to play fast and loose with make-up (dare devil that I am), I often use this to add more coverage to the foundation by mixing a little drop of this in with it.
Nude by Nature Translucent Loose Finishing Powder / I’ve put this in because it is a dream on skin that becomes increasingly more oily over the course of a day.
Nude by Nature Sheer Light Illuminator / Those of you who are dearly in love with Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfectors will like this – it, like Becca’s effort, is a warm highlighter without any shimmer/glitter/grease that lifts foundation, highlights the skin and revives tired old make-up. Use it on your body, too, if you intend on flashing skin.