About Natio
Natio is an Australian brand of cosmetics that is available in department stores and chemists in Australia and New Zealand. Underpinning their brand is a philosophy about creating make up and skincare that’s kind to the environment and uses only plant-derived, vegan ingredients. Also most importantly for me, is that they do not test on animals.
In New Zealand there is an extensive variety of makeup and skincare brands, but very few are dedicated to not testing their product on animals. This is most definitely not a thing here yet, as though the country is still stuck in the 90’s. This is an absolute deal-breaker for me. Natio, Lush, The Body Shop, Nivea, Antipodes, Trilogy and a handful of others don’t do it and they are the only brands I will buy.
Natio BB Cream – medium
I have been using this BB cream for the past 3 years and without fail it makes my skin look remarkable. I have pretty good skin anyway but it does smooth out and correct minor redness. It leaves a dewy and fresh feel to the face. I prefer to use this in place of a foundation. At around $17.95 at the Life Chemist in Auckland this is a steal compared to other BB creams out there.
Downsides, there are none. I give it 5*/5
Natio mechanical eyebrow duo – medium brown
Although I had previously been using MAC eyebrow pencil, I soon refrained from that after I discovered that they actually test on animals! I was searching for a good quality alternative that was cruelty free. The Natio mechanical eyebrow duo was the one. It has staying power and it remained on my face, not streaming down it when I was stuck walking in a thunderstorm one day. The colour looks natural on me and not too caked on. The only reason that I can’t give it a five star rating is that I compare this eyebrow pencil to Benefit and MAC and found it wanting in a minor way. 4.5*/5
Intense lip crayon – dusty rose
This creamy lip crayon works as both a great lip liner and overall lipstick. It’s moisturising and creamy and it also blends very well with other colours. The feeling of the product on the lips is really lovely. The only downside is that it comes off relatively quickly when you have your cup of tea or whatever. For that reason I would rate it 4*/5
Natio lip colour
Unassuming by name but lovely by nature, this lip colour is a stock standard kind of lipstick that does what it says on the tin. It doesn’t last very long on the lips. However Natio does moisturising and soothing lipsticks and crayons really well. This is some compensation for the fact that they don’t last all that long. The colours are vivid and dewy and look amazing, but you will need to reapply. All round though, this is a great budget option for the budget conscious and cruelty-free conscious consumer. I got the bright red flame shade and it really was bright and looked great on me, although somewhat intense, good shade for power dressing. 3.5*/5
Mineral eyeshadow palette – petals
This is the perfect travel sized palette of colours. It comes in three varieties nude (neutrals), petal (pinks and purples), and mocha (browns). As brown eyeshadow always makes me look sick, I always opt for the pink and purple colours. This mineral eyeshadow can be compared to MAC’s famous range. I found that the Natio colours are lovely, intense and shimmering in the same way as MAC’s eyeshadow, although for a quarter of the price. I found that the mineral eyeshadow from Natio stayed on and lasted through a thunderstorm outside – the ultimate and only test. The mineral powder feels soothing, soft to touch and it’s easy and simple to blend together the different colours on your eyelids. The palette itself is made of a solid plastic that feels high quality, not cheap when you hold it. I rate their mineral eyeshadow a solid 5*/5 and I would definitely recommend it.
Define eye pencil – black
I prefer old-fashioned kohl pencil rather than the mechanical pencils which don’t seem to leave a bold and intense enough line. This kohl pencil from Natio is really great. I compare this to Benefit, Lush and Mac’s range of eye pencils and found that this one beat them all. In terms of staying power, colour intensity and how it feels on the skin, it feels like a high-end eyeliner but for a budget price of less than $20.00 NZD. I would recommend this one for budget conscious and cruelty-free conscious consumers. 5*/5
*I did not receive any financial compensation for this review and I did not receive free products at all. If you would like me to review your products fairly and honestly, you can email me about it at contentcatnip [at] gmail [dot] com
Content Catnip 