Eight months ago I was searching my next step in clean makeup and I was OVERWHELMED. Colicky baby, busy life, working, mom-ing, all with 10 tabs open on things I’m looking up and researching. I had a DM inbox of people asking what makeup I used, and I DIDN’T WANT TO BE HONEST. You know I’m all about the journey and being proud of wherever we’re at, but what I’d once been proud of just wasn’t where I wanted to be in any more. I needed some steps forward so I didn’t want to be, or share, where I was at anymore. But I didn’t have time or energy to research.

Then an email landed in my inbox – thanks Megan. Now stop for a second cos honestly, I’ve had SO MANY over the years and said NO. I didn’t want to use or try Beautycounter makeup.

So many reasons:

Three years ago I said no cos I didn’t want to spend my money like that.

1 year ago I said no because I heard so many great things but I didn’t think they cared about the environment. That matters.

9 months I said no because I didn’t want a company with a direct sales option even if they had store fronts, sold at Target, and had regular online shopping too.

8 months ago I almost said no as I rubbed my Maybelline in every day and wanted to make changes without hours of research and ingredient looking-up. But I had to be real with where I was at. I needed the one stop shop, easy option. So I said I’d try it… and not tell ANYONE. Jared rolled his eyes at me. I looked through the site, and I loved knowing everything was free from their 1500 ingredients long ‘Never List’ of potentially harmful ingredients, I loved reading the sustainability report and knowing they actually really were taking massive strides forward.

7 months ago, my first order arrived and I loved it ALL. I started with 5 things, but I felt SO much better putting it on. Like, really good. And honestly relieved. I knew every ingredient was rigorously tested for safety. I finally felt good putting on makeup again.

I’m very specific about what I’ll allow in my home, but EVEN stricter on who I’ll partner with in business. It’s important to me, so naturally while I loved not spending the hours researching every ingredient of every product. I did then do a ton of research on the company before deciding to partner with them. I listened podcasts with the founder, I read a lot, and really I fell in love with the her values and the company’s mission and achievements. (Which let’s be real are nothing if there aren’t also great products, but by this point my two minutes to put on makeup had become a little self care ritual and I was loving it so that box was happily checked.)

But now I want to pay it forward. I didn’t go on my clean makeup journey to partner with any company, I starting using it to feel better about my makeup bag without being overwhelmed. But I’ve LOVED the company the last 8 months, and getting to help you switch products to safer too has been amazing. I didn’t know so many of you were where I was too needing the one-stop-shop, simple, everything’s cleaner/safer/better option without thinking too hard. And just like talking about cast iron skillets, food processors and used clothes shopping… I love getting to help you.

So I’m making May the pay-it-forward month on a little space I snagged: @whole.beauty – it won’t be another account to follow daily year round (I don’t have time to do that lol) but for the next 10 days of May I’m putting my time there and I’ll be on daily! It’ll be all the info I have, what’s helped me, ways to SAVE, personal deals from me where I can, videos, Q+A, I just want to help anyone who wants to make changes to cleaner and safer things. And mostly, it’s a private account unlike my usual one… so I can give. stuff. away. 

Beautycounter is SO not the only way but it’s what’s REALLY worked for me at this point, and they definitely seem to be mega leaders in the industry taking widespread strides forward from ingredients, to lobbying for safer laws. And all with products that literally grace the red carpet of every major award ceremony. But mostly, they safely graze the almond butter smeared carpet of my life, and make me feel good about putting them on my face, about rubbing the sunscreen into my kids, and stop me totally panicking when a baby is literally eating my lipstick. 

If you want to follow along, read my journey, make a switch, get all the deals I can think up and give, and a bunch of giveaways from my own pocket cos I want to help… find me at @whole.beauty this month and we’ll see how a POP UP works on instagram!

Kezia x