Sisters and Co-founders - Vanessa & Leesa
When we started working with the team at Match My Makeup they were keen to understand what motivated Leesa and I to start The NATIVES Co. In celebration of our second birthday we thought we’d share with you what motivated us to begin our journey, and what keeps us passionate about clean and natural beauty.
Vanessa: While not an entirely new concept, clean and natural and organic beauty has truly matured in the last decade. Having spent many years travelling internationally I found my skincare and wellness purchases spanned across the Continents including Australia. As a qualified Organic Skincare Formulator, I wanted to create one destination where the conscious consumer could shop all natural and luxury skincare with confidence making quality well-informed purchases that work. Leesa and I spent two years curating our offer, trialing, and testing every product, looking to only pure and potent ingredients as a standard.
The deeper we delved into our search the more passionate we became about bringing our edit of Indie Beauty Brands to the forefront in Australia. It’s an exciting time in the intersection between beauty and sustainability. Thanks to Indie beauty founders that have challenged the status quo of a trend chasing and profit driven industry we now have greater transparency, accountability, and sustainable product development. Simply, we no longer have to choose between quality skincare and makeup versus natural and sustainable.
We believe in making it easy to purchase well and consume less by enabling our community to make educated choices about the products they choose.
Leesa: Our customers and our commitment to our community is our number priority. We take pride in aligning ourselves to the conscious consumer that seeks real results from their skincare and wellness products.
Driven by our love of science and determination to bust any misconceptions about the efficacy of all-natural skincare, we have curated an offer of products that are grown in nature and perfected by science. This love of both science and nature has led our edit and our ethos where you can trust in products that are clinically proven through rigorous independent studies, certifications that support the potency and purity of formulations and ingredients, and Brands that don’t just stop there. We are committed to bringing Brands that are also socially, economically, and environmentally conscious while delivering these incredible products!
Leesa: We search for innovation in traditional and emerging markets that utilise science and harness the power of nature for a simple and effective approach to skincare, makeup and wellbeing. We hand pick the best products for the face, body, hair and well-being that support graceful, positive ageing and healthy wellbeing rituals.
At The Natives Co. Clean Beauty is also high performance. The ingredients along with the efficiency of the product is equally important when selecting our edit of Clean Beauty. We created our own Clean Code that talks to 4 key pillars -Clean, Green, Pure and Potent – these define our strict standards in defining what we call Clean Beauty.
We have used our knowledge of science to create a list of toxic and unsafe ingredients that we can’t live with in our skincare, makeup and hair care products. That is our everyday standard that we live by so we can go about learning and educating ourselves and our community about natural ingredients that work. We have developed our Clean Code that easily calls out a product’s attributes at a glance eg. Certified Vegan or Scientifically Proven and so on, so our customers can shop products that align with their own values.
Vanessa: The journey for me started as a personal choice over 20 years ago, when I saw mainstream skincare as only being a short-term superficial fix. Out of necessity I started making the switch to all natural and organic skincare. I realised the incredible benefits and results in my skin. With my own experience at hand, I educated myself formally to understand the science behind natural ingredients and formulations. The pivotal point was understanding that so many of the ingredients in the products I had been using had no benefit to the health of my skin, they were simply there to improve the product’s hand feel or as a cheap filler. Why was I paying for products that had no long-term benefits when I could use natural and organic products that my skin loved?
Having spent many years researching and learning about skin science I have adopted a holistic approach to “treating” the skin. Natural botanical ingredients never cease to amaze me! I love that nature has given us everything we need to nourish and feed our skin. The right formulations work with the microbiome and do not disrupt the barrier, resulting in calm, clear and radiant skin. Strong skin can ward off environmental aggressors that cause premature ageing and skin concerns, strong skin is more hydrated and balanced and hydrated skin looks younger!
Vanessa: We are committed to the long game! For Leesa and I our lifestyle aligns to the ethos of our business. We live and breathe this space, we are passionate about it and we see it extend to lifestyle Brands as well, not just Clean Beauty. We are very considered not just in our approach to our edit but also in reaching out to our customers. Engaging with and connecting with our community brings a better understanding of their needs and what they would like to see from us.
We see opportunity in the face-to-face connection with our community, and who knows after the challenges of COVID and lockdowns abate hopefully an opportunity presents itself for us to spend more time in person with our loyal customers.
Vanessa: As eco-consumers continue to vote with their wallets, we see Indie Beauty Brands gaining pride of place in our vanities and leading innovation with multi-tasking and multi-functional clean beauty formulations that address the skin holistically, not just specific concerns. These clever formulations not only lead to better long term skin health but allow us as consumers to buy less, creating less waste and positively impacting our planet.
High-performance, skincare in makeup is one trend that is here to stay. Modern all natural and organic makeup is emerging to the forefront, and we are seeing a number of celebrity MUAs proving that natural pigments are just as long-wear and colour intense as traditional makeup Brands. There’s a real movement that encourages loving your own skin. This has led to the emergence of skin-loving makeup that showcases our complexions and our uniqueness.
Vanessa: There are 4 products that I cannot live without in my routine. La Fervance Elcat Extraordinaire is a truly remarkable balm that has transformed my skin. I use it every night over the AMALA Skin Perfecting AHA Sleep Serum and I wake with firm, plump and calm skin. I’m in my mid-forties and this routine is my fail-safe combination.
I have been practicing makeup artistry well before I did any education on the craft! The SAINT Flawless Radiance Skincare Foundation is my every day and special occasion foundation as I can control the coverage, use it sparingly for a super light sheer look or layer with a brush for going out. I have a little redness to control, and this formula keeps that at bay. I wear Linen in Winter and and Warm Ivory in Summer for a perfect match. I love lipstick and love the rich Manuka base formula of the Madame Gabriela Clean Lipstick in shade Sydney at 8am, it’s a great nude that suits all skin tones and it lasts the morning out.
Éclat Extraordinaire
Sydney At 8AM
The Madame Gabriela lipstick luminous satin-finish formula works to impart moisture and the perfect true nude pigment; well-balanced and lightweight nude with a pink undertone, in a lipstick that feels incredible on the lips.
Best for: nourishing nude cover in pale to medium-dark skin tones.
Volume: 4 grams
Leesa: I continue to be impressed with the quality of natural and organic products that are coming to market. My newest obsession is VENN Probiotics Cica Complex Biome Booster. Certified Microbiome friendly, the significant improvement in the condition and texture of my skin has been well worth the investment.
For a bit of indulgence and skin boost I am a mask devotee. Twice a week I use the Flower and Spice Masquerade Customizable Clay Treatment. It not only deeply hydrates and softens but also clears any congestion, leaving my skin balanced and clear.
With my skin feeling healthy and glowing , I love the Au Naturale Semi-Matte Powder Foundation for a tint of colour. I mix a little powder with my face oil (Flora Mirabilis is my usual go-to) to make my very own customised CC Cream. I can wear it sheer or easily layer it with a powder brush for more coverage. It’s the perfect match for my skin tone and this powder is super lightweight, the no-spill package is easy to carry in my makeup bag for mid-afternoon touch ups.
Probiotics Cica Complex Biome Booster
VENN’s microbiome balance system™ in a supercharged serum that soothes, strengthens and renews the skin barrier. Lifts the skin for a perfectly revitalized and balanced complexion.
Best for: All skin types, including for post-treatment, reactive and sensitive skin.
Volume: 30ml
Semi-Matte Powder Foundation
Face Oil
Leesa: COVID has us all rethinking our choices and our future. We are seeing a shift in consumer behaviour toward wiser more ethical purchases, as well as an adjustment in the types of beauty products consumers are investing in. Beauty that is about self-care and wellness, but also mindful and conscious consumption are habits we hope stay long after COVID-19.
COVID has presented many challenges for retail. Obviously in-store customer experience has had a huge setback. But these have been taken up by e-commerce willing to embrace technology and fast track enhanced customer experiences online. Apps like Match My Makeup that elevate the online user experience and give the consumer confidence to make online purchases of products like makeup, that have traditionally been an in-store sampling purchase, is taking e-commerce into the future.
Effective and low carbon footprint online shopping is allowing e-stores like The Natives Co to take new, clean beauty options to more customers around the country. We think it’s an all-round win, for the customer, for clean Indie Beauty and for the environment.
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