Christmas appears to have come early for eco-beauty junkies with the launch of H&M Beauty and Honest Beauty. Let’s take a closer look at both lines, shall we?
Honest Beauty
Though Jessica Alba’s Honest Company has been hit with major controversy over their sunscreen (they are currently facing a $5 million class action lawsuit for “deceptively and misleadingly labeled and marketed” products), they forged ahead with their intended launch of the highly anticipated Honest Beauty line.
Comprised of 17 skincare products and 66 makeup products, the entire range is geared towards women aged 15 to 35 years old. “My impetus in wanting to launch this line was around diverse beauty and celebrating diversity,” Jessica tells Fashionista. “I found it very challenging to find the right colors and foundations and I would often mix two or three different ones.” The line has colors and formulations that work on a variety of skin tones.
Like the Honest Company, she’s made it a point to make the line accessible for women, and not just for “rich folks”—the most expensive item in the range is $34. “We are building a prestige brand, but we are offering it at a price point that is within reach. That has been challenging operationally as far as figuring out what that sweet spot is, where we’re willing to take a hit on margins, and will certain things ever scale,” she tells WWD.
Eco-friendly pointers: Formulated without parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde carriers, PEGs, MCI/MI, steareth-n, synthetic fragrances, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, petrolatum, mineral oil, SLS, SLES, sulfates and chemical sunscreens. Instead, their ingredients include naturally derived botanicals such as chamomile, calendula, aloe vera, rosehip, and green tea.
Packaging: The line is sleek and chic—totally different from the cutesy look of Honest Company products. Honest Beauty sticks to cool grays and pinks, along with mirrored finishes for their packaging.
Price point: $8 to $34
Star products: Jessica’s personal favorites from the line include the Everything Primer ($27), Refreshingly Clean Powder Cleanser ($22), and the Refreshingly Clean Makeup Remover Wipes ($10).
The reviews: Fashionista’s Cheryl Wischhover has called the line “pretty impressive.”
Availability: While the range is currently available on their website, WWD reports that Honest Beauty will have a pop-up in The Grove in Los Angeles on Sept. 25.
Photos courtesy of Allure
H&M Beauty
Retail giant H&M announced the launch of an eco-conscious H&M Beauty line (not to be confused with the brand’s general makeup line) back in May of this year, boasting of an intended 700 product lineup—and they’ve made good on that promise. In fact, they’re planning on extending the line to include 1,000 products down the line.
Because the range is so massive, there is a diverse range of product categories spanning makeup (the foundations alone offer 20 different shades) , hair care, body care, fragrance, beauty tools, nail polish, and hairstyling tools. Best of all? This mass market beauty line is totally eco-friendly.
Of course, that’s not to say that the line is boring, unlike most eco-friendly beauty lines that mostly stick to “safe” and “natural” color palettes. “You have your basics, your favorite products that you use every day, and then there are the more experimental colors,” H&M Beauty’s concept designer Sara Wallander told Vogue. “If you usually do a smoky eye, why not do it in eggplant or inky blue? You can keep your ordinary look, but just mix it up with new hues.”
Eco-friendly pointers: According to the company, the line is “organic, Ecocert-certified, and sustainable,” which means all ingredients are “paraben-, silicon-, GMO-, synthetic fragrance-, and dye-free.”
Packaging: Though the line is unquestionably inexpensive, the look of the packing is not. Elegant and premium, the line is mostly monochrome with gold accents. Not too shabby, considering that the packaging is made of recycled materials.
Price point: $2.99 to $24.99
Star products: With such an expansive lineup, it’s difficult to narrow it down to the best ones, but Vogue has singled out the Beachy Keen Salt Water Cream ($10), Clean Canvas Lip Scrub ($12.99) , and the Rose Reverie Body Cream ($7.99).
The reviews: In their gushing review of the line, Vogue has proclaimed that it’s “Time for a larger bathroom cabinet,” while Refinery29’s Maria Del Russo writes, “we’re loving the products and shades, we have to say we’re also insanely impressed with the packaging.”
Availability: While beauty editors and a few bloggers have already gotten their hands on the products, the line will launch to the public online on Sept. 17, and rollout in stores on Oct. 1.
