Toxic Glam: What’s Hiding in Charlotte Tilbury, NARS & Vieve – And What I Use Instead

Think your makeup bag is safe because it’s “luxury”? I used to think that too - until I started breaking out, feeling "yukky", and wondering why my skin felt heavy and didn't match my wellness efforts. Spoiler alert: it was the makeup.

The powders I was breathing in, when doing makeup for clients, left me feeling chesty and congested; can you imagine what that is doing to your body?

You see the "wellness babes" on Instagram, doing pilates, drinking matcha but all the while lathering toxic cosmetics and "beauty" products into their skin. Baring in mind your skin is the largest organ in your body, and absorbs EVERYTHING you put on it INTO the body. So while you are smashing your gym sessions, sipping your greens, maybe even tracking your cycle… but you are still still slapping on foundation laced with hormone disruptors.

Most women I work with either trust that the luxury brands are safe - because how could they be allowed to put toxins in their products right? Or they think they’re using “clean” makeup because it says “natural” on the label.

Truth bomb: that word means nothing.

The “Luxe” Brands That Aren’t So Clean

I used to love Charlotte Tilbury’s glow. Vieve’s pigment payoff? Unreal. And NARS? Their Orgasm blush basically lived in my makeup kit.

But once I started digging into what was actually inside those "high -end" brands… I couldn’t unsee it.

Here’s what I found:

🚫 Charlotte Tilbury

• Phenoxyethanol – synthetic preservative, microbiome disruptor

• Parfum/Fragrance – endocrine disruptor, common allergen

• Dimethicone – traps sweat/bacteria under the skin

My skin looked flawless but FELT icky, like a makeup hangover

🚫 NARS

• Talc + PEGs + parabens – inflammation triggers, hormone-disrupting

• Synthetic dyes (e.g. Red 7 Lake) – irritant for sensitive skin

Pretty glow, but came with regular breakouts and itchy skin.

🚫 Vieve

• Benzyl salicylate – flagged for reproductive toxicity

• Silicones & fragrance – luxurious feel, not clean or skin-safe

Scored shockingly low on the Yuka app - some products 0/100.

💡 “You wouldn’t eat toxic food – why wear it?”

What to Look For Instead:

You don’t have to sacrifice glam to protect your hormones, skin, and long-term health.

✅ Ingredients to Seek Out:

• Jojoba oil – balances sebum and nourishes

• Zinc oxide (non-nano) – SPF protection, anti-inflammatory

• Aloe vera & chamomile – soothes irritation

• Rosehip & carrot seed oil – skin regeneration, vitamin-rich

• Fruit pigments – natural colour, antioxidant-packed

These are the products I wear, use on clients, and recommend for clean glam:

✔️ 100% Pure

• Pigments from fruit and veg – not synthetic dyes

• No parabens, silicones or PEGs

Their primers and pencils are my daily go-to's.

✔️ Ere Perez

• Skin-loving oils like oat, carrot and jojoba

• Breathable foundation, blusher, tints

Carrot Pot blush = effortless gym-to-glam.

✔️ Bellápierre

• Loose mineral powders, no fillers

• Vegan, safe post-facial or for breakout-prone skin

Their mineral blush is my go-to for natural flush perfection.

💌 Want clean, skin-safe makeup for your next event?

🧼 Your skin. Your hormones. Your health. Clean beauty starts here.

Book in for an organic makeup session here:

BOOK NOW