I had the utmost pleasure to be a judge another year for the #cleanbeautyawards.
The annual Clean Beauty Awards, organized by CertClean is North America’s certification for safer skincare. Multiple categories, and products are reviewed and judged by an independent panel of indie and green beauty experts.
I was busy testing out and reviewing 4 categories, namely lip care, face masks, lipsticks, and hair treatments. You know my fondness for lip products and it’s a category I previously reviewed in the past for the 4th CertClean awards (link )
The reason I enjoy taking part in this initiative is that it remains a fantastic way to uncover under-the-radar brands. Brands that are either new or geographically remote.
I’ll not be giving away the highest scores, however, I’ll give you an overall sentiment for each category and highlight certain products that did surprise me.
Let’s meet the contenders in the lip care category (in no particular order)
Saint Tropez at 11AM by Madame Gabriela Beauty
GAIA Gloss by MisMacK Clean Cosmetics
LoveMarie Lip Gloss by MarieNatie Cosmetics
Chai Tea Tinted Lip Butter with Hyaluronic Acid by Pickle’s Potions
Vanilla Coconut Lip Balm by Obm Natural Beauty
Partridgeberry + Mint Wild Herb Infused Lip Balm by East Coast Glow
Lavender Lip Balm by NO-MELT LIP BALM
I was not disappointed, the 7 lip care products do what they are supposed to do, namely nourish and condition dry, cracked lips. I thought the selection was very varied, you had some luxe versions such as Saint-Tropez by Madame Gabriela Beauty but you also had some easy-going and original alternatives such as Pickle’s Potions and lotions.
Now the Gaia Gloss surprised me for one thing: this product could also fit in a makeup category, this clear jelly works fabulously for that glossy-wet eyeshadow look that you see in editorial features. I applied it over lipstick and all over my eyeshadow and you see how it instantly adds this wet effect.
The lipsticks
Juniper Lip n Cheek Tint by MG Naturals
Lip Tint – Winter romance by Birch Babe
Lip tint – Backcountry Diva by Birch Babe
Lip Tint – Absolutely Fabulous by Birch Babe
Lipstick Crayon in French Kiss Certified Organic by Megan Potter
Organic & Plant-Based Lipstick by Carolina Cosmetics
Luxe Lipstick by MarieNatie Cosmetics
The lot comprised a mix of sheer and opaque lip tints, with colors ranging from nude to deep berry, there were different textures as well. Once again, the only familiar brand remained Marie Natie.
I did initially feel that certain products came with an advantage, such as Birch Babe and MG Naturals with both doubling as cheek blushes. The versatility is always a big plus but since they are in the lip category, I strictly focused on their performance as lip products.
Since they are all so different in texture, colors, and format, one key aspect when it came to judging the products was to check if the performance matched the product description.
The face masks
Activated Charcoal mask by Kaelen Harwell Organic Skincare Products
Superpower Pore Clarifying Clay Mask by Blume
Face Compost Purple Power Mask by Eco By Sonya Driver
Arabia’s Secret Face Mask dual-action exfoliating Scrub by Skay Skincare
Marine Luminous Hydrating Mask by AYSWE
Epoch® Glacial Marine Mud by Nu Skin
Another eclectic mix, for every skin type. The lot comprised hydrating pore-refining, exfoliating, purifying, and revitalizing masks. I was familiar with Eco by Sonya, and I had heard of Blume and Nu Skin. Certain products such as the activated charcoal mask by Kaelen Harwell brought me back to the early days of green beauty with its simplicity (activated charcoal was a staple back then) others were more intriguing, for example, Skay Skincare’s Arabia’s Secret face mask which had an unusual texture, more like a “dough” texture but fortunately, it spreads and applies easily. The formula also piqued my curiosity with the use of Honey, dates, black seed, rose, and Sandalwood. Sheet masks were also represented with AYSWE.
Hair Treatment
Stress and imbalances have creaked havoc on my hair and I’ve been actively working on restoring some life and health to my fine and fragile strands. Keep in mind that I have fine, oily, and fragile hair so most products quickly feel heavy or greasy on me. I got to test out some traditional hair oils infused with botanicals extracts, but also texture mists, detanglers, and leave-in conditioners.
Strong Roots Hair Oil by Srida Herbals LLC
Triple Treat Tonic by PUUR Ingrid
Smooth Hair Oil Complex by JYano Natural Hair Care
Weightless Leave-In Conditioner by Lovesong Beauty
Mermaid Mist: Hair Texturizing Mist by Buck Naked Soap Company
MASAMI Mekabu Hydrating Shine Serum by MASAMI
The Masami serum contains silicone and this is up to your personal preference, I personally do not use in my routine any silicone-based hair products but naturally, I made an exception for reviewing purposes. For those who have no particular issues with silicone, this might be a product to keep on your radar. One product that did surprise me was the leave-in conditioner by Lovesong Beauty. Leave-in conditioners are usually better options for fine and oily types but still, there’s always a risk of weighing down the hair – but Lovesong Beauty keeps its word, the product is indeed weightless.
The verdict.
Coming very soon. But for now, my lips are sealed (no pun intended) on those with the highest score. Feel free to guess which ones did.
Were you familiar with any of these products?
Take care,
Disclaimer: Not paid or sponsored. Products sent for reviewing/judging purposes. All opinions are my own
