Eeeek, one of my goals this year was to collaborate with a brand on a custom product, and it’s happening! 🥳 I teamed up with local cosmetics company Au Naturale to create two custom colors for a lip stain and blush. It was totally fun putting my own twist on their makeup and I CANNOT wait to show you what we came up with together!
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About Au Naturale Cosmetics
Au Naturale was actually one of the first clean makeup brands that I dabbled with back in the day. Plus, they are local to me in Wisconsin so they have a special place in my heart. They truly have so much greatness to offer.
- Wisconsin-based company (specifically, Green Bay! #GoPackGo)
- They make their cosmetics themselves in their on-site lab (most companies outsource production, sometimes even overseas!)
- Vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, ethically-sourced ingredients (and use USDA Certified Organic ingredients when possible)
- Incorporate conscious color pigments (the iron oxides are Ecocert + COSMOS certified and micas are child labor free)
- No synthetic preservatives, nanoparticles, animal by-products, gluten, parabens, or fillers are ever used
- Some of their products are in recyclable aluminum ♻️
- Use sustainable palm oil from Palm Done Right in some of their formulas
- The founder, Ashley Prange, is constantly petitioning for the Clean Beauty Revolution and fighting for stronger cosmetic regulation in Washington D.C. 💪
- You can find their products at select Whole Foods in the beauty section
Related post: “Clean Beauty Revolution! My Faves from Au Naturale Cosmetics [Organic & Vegan]”
The Inspo Behind the Colors 🎨
Since Au Naturale creates products on-site in their proprietary lab, they are able to make small custom batches and play around with colors — hence this collaboration! Their Creative Director Paige definitely nailed it and perfectly brought my inspiration to life.
There’s not really ONE specific point of inspiration for what I chose; overall I love the saturation of nature during the summer, especially late summer into fall. And when August rolls around, you can definitely feel a sense of slowness creep in and the hum of summer drones on.
The August flower (according to the Farmer’s Almanac) is a gladiolus, which is a symbol of endurance, integrity, and strength. It blooms mid-summer into fall and can be the most gorgeous shades of violet and deep pink. And seeing all the wild thistles in the meadow when I go for a summer hike makes me so happy! Along with the flowers, I feel like berry and watermelon tones are just soooo pretty this time of year for makeup.
It might sound silly, but I have this light purple jumpsuit that I’ve basically been living in all summer long, and for whatever reason, I have been so attracted to lilac purple hues lately. I was also flipping through my Colorstrology book and was so drawn to the purples and deep pinks in August.
I wanted two products that would work well worn together, but also be amazing on their own. I think these colors are suitable to be worn in any season, too (you know I am going to wear them year-round!). So here’s what we came up with… (I can hardly contain my excitement, eeeeeek!)
Pssst…these are only available for a limited time so grab them while you can!
su/Stain Semi-Matte Lip Stain in Sandía
Sandía means watermelon in Spanish! 🍉 These lip stains are one of my all-time favorite natural lip products; I’ve been using them for years! They are long-wearing, highly pigmented, hydrating, nourishing, and smell fabulous. The name su/Stain is a play on words because they are a lip stain, but are also formulated with sustainable palm oil. So cool!
Sandía is the perfect berry color that gives a pop of saturation without being too bright or too pink. The color is extremely versatile; you can wear it to a casual brunch with the girls, romantic date night, or just because. I adore the natural matte finish.
These are a beautiful blend of goodies like organic castor seed oil, jojoba, cocoa seed butter, and shea butter fruit. They won’t dry your lips out and the color stays for hours. You’ll surely enjoy ‘em!
Eyes and cheeks in Thistle, Lips in SandíaPure Powder Blush in Thistle
Mmmmm this buttery loose powder is so lovely. It has a wonderful payoff (a little goes a long way, trust me!) and has a slight radiance to it so you get a luminous glow (but not an intense sparkle). I tend to like a subtler blush look, so I literally only use a dab or two and I’m set! But you can totally use more for a buildable, bolder cheek. A light layer can be more sheer and translucent, but a thicker layer packs a punch! The color lasts all day long and the trampoline mesh in the jar is very helpful because you don’t get too much product at once.
I personally feel this specific Thistle blush color is really hard to come across. Most blushes are either way too pink, red, or bronze. I wanted something that had a cooler lilac hue to it. And you bet we got it! 🙌
Pro Tip: You can also use this blush as a powder eyeshadow! Yay for multi-use products.
Shop Thistle Powder Blush Here
I sure hope you love them as much as I do. If you happen to pick up one of these goodies, I’d be honored to see ya show it off or hear how you like it 💚 Be sure to stock up before they’re gone forever!
