Although I’ve been using natural and organic hair and skincare for years now I’ve been slower to switch over my make-up bag, mainly due to cost and waste. Last month I finally started the move to natural make-up brands by swapping over a few of my everyday staples: blusher, concealer, mascara, eyeshadow and liner. Here’s how I got on:

Benecos Natural Powder Blush in Mallow Rose
I love this natural blusher by German brand Benecos! I was looking for a cream to replace my amazing Bobbi Brown cream blush and I really didn’t think a powder would do the job. I’m delighted to say I was wrong. The colour is a perky bright pink, it’s speedy to apply and it lasts a full day in the office.

Benecos Natural Concealer, Light
This has been a bit of a disappointment. The coverage just isn’t good enough on bags and it’s quite drying, resulting in a cakey finish. I wanted a natural concealer that could match my outstanding Clinique Line Smoothing Concealer, which was always going to be a tall order (it really is EPIC!). It is quite good on blemishes but I’ve still relegated it to the ‘everyday-going-nowhere-special’ tray.

Benecos Natural Mascara Maximum Volume in Deep Black
Mascara is really personal, right? I like mine thick and clumpy (normally Maybelline and most recently their Colossal Volum’ Express) and initially found this didn’t give me the volume I wanted. But I’ve gotten used to building up the layers and it has grown on me. Its major flaw is that it runs quite badly and so rainy days see me sneaking peaks at my reflection checking for panda eyes. Not a good look.

Lavera Illuminating Eyeshadow Quattro Palette in Indian Dream
Continuing with the German brands, Lavera’s natural mineral eyeshadows have stolen the show for me. This little palette is great for a neutral day-time look or a smokey brown evening one. Can be applied dry for subtle shimmer or wet for a more dramatic effect.

Lush Eyeliner in Quietly Motivated
I’ve been sworn off Lush products since my disastrous shampoo and conditioner experience and this eyeliner hasn’t won me back. It looks pretty but it barely shows when you apply it and seems to disappear completely within an hour or so. Don’t waste your money.

Natural credentials: Benecos and Lavera products are all certified natural and free from artificial ingredients.

Available from: I picked up everything apart from the Lush liner at Whole Foods, Kensington but Lavera and Benecos are also widely available online.