It’s been a year since I went 100% gluten free and not just in the food I eat, but also in my beauty products as well. I was super discouraged when I found out about how many makeup companies have gluten in their ingredients. I started feeling hopeful when seeing some companies share the term “gluten free” in their marketing, however I quickly learned that most companies do not have clean product lines so their products that are made from gluten free ingredients end up becoming contaminated and containing gluten when produced. I wrote a blog post titled, “Why Is Gluten Free Make-Up Important and Is It Actually Gluten Free?” that talks more about how to do your research, what to ask makeup companies, and what companies are actually gluten free.
Since getting rid of my gluten containing makeup, I’ve tested quite a few different gluten free makeup brands that I’m excited to talk with you about today! Some of these products are connected to affiliate links and some aren’t. I would never recommend something to my readers that I don’t use myself or believe in. Thank you for your support in reading this article and ordering through my shopping links if you choose to try my recommendations. It means a lot to me!
FARMASi
My first experience with gluten free makeup was a gift from one of my friends who is also gluten free and is a makeup artist. Heather, @heathernartistry, did my makeup for a photo shoot and a year later she gifted me the Farmasi CC Cream, 3-in-1 face palette, and a liquid matte lipstick. She saw on Instagram how frustrated I was about not being able to use any of the makeup that I’ve been using for years and she opened my eyes to Farmasi and I’m never looking back! I had been using Bobbi Brown’s foundation stick for probably over 5 years and I loved how I could build my own coverage based on how little or how much I wanted to use. It was the perfect under eye concealer or full-face foundation. Then, I just started using IT Cosmetics CC Cream for photo shoots and events, which I thought was life changing how easy it was to apply, the amount of coverage it offered and how long it lasted. That is until I tried Farmasi’s CC Cream; I wear “Light”. Farmasi’s CC Cream is not only a fraction of the cost of IT Cosmetics ($16.90 compared to $39.50), but Farmasi’s CC Cream is similar to Bobbi Brown’s foundation stick in that you can build on your coverage and it’s not so sticky and thick like IT Cosmetics, so it’s perfect to wear to work, run errands and to photo shoots and events. Even if IT Cosmetics was gluten free, which oddly enough it’s not considering the creator based the brand off of dermatology approved ingredients for all skin types especially sensitive skin, I wouldn’t go back!
Other products I love from this company are the 3-in-1 face palette (bronzer, highlighter and blush trio), the full coverage concealer stick ($11.90), mascara starlook ($19.90), matte liquid lipstick ($11.90), deep look dipliner ($3.95), and mono brow powder in light brown ($12.90). I still have a lot more products I want to try, but so far I’m really happy with everything I use from Farmasi. I love how inexpensive the cost is of their products and how great the quality is. One of my favorite things about Farmasi is the fact that they have a “gluten free” icon on the web page for each product that is gluten free. The one thing to stay away from is their hair products. Good news, they use separate machinery when producing their gluten free products so there’s no contamination!
COLORESCIENCE
My dermatologist turned me onto the Colorescience Sunforgettable brush-on sunscreen initially. It’s so perfect for on-the-go SPF that simply brushes on like a powder. Then when I started working from home due to COVID, I wanted to give my face a break from makeup. My dermatologist recommended Even Up by Colorscience. I first tested a sample to see if I liked it, then I purchased directly from my dermatologist while they were having a sale. It’s definitely an investment, but it’s so worth it. It’s a clinical pigment corrector that contains SPF and is water resistant. Since I’ve done so much damage to my skin from not using gluten free products, I don’t feel comfortable leaving the house or joining a Zoom call without an coverage on my face. There are some days that I don’t want to deal with putting makeup on at all. This is a cross between a tinted moisturizer and a CC Cream. It isn’t as creamy as a CC Cream, but it also doesn’t completely soak in like a moisturizer. It’s almost like it sits on top of your skin, without feeling like a thick layer, and blends any discoloration while also protecting your skin against SPF and harmful blue light like from your computer screens. Sometimes I’ll add light makeup on top like a concealer, blush or powder.
DERMALOGICA + JULEP + 100% PURE
I started using Julep and Dermalogica long before I was ever concern about gluten free beauty products. I love Dermalogica’s HydraBlur primer. It has a slight tint that activates when you put the primer on your skin for neutral coverage and it blurs fine lines and pores while minimizing oil and shine. From Julep, I love their So Plush Hydrating Lip Gloss, It’s Whipped Matte Lip Mousse, It’s Balm Lip Crayon (best hydrating lip color), Cushion Complex (great creamy under eye concealer!), and Insta-Filter. I learned about 100% Pure more recently, about a year ago, and I really like their lip carmel and some of their skin care products. I included a photo of the BB Cream, but after using these other face products I actually don’t use this one as much. It feels a bit stickier than the others and doesn’t provide as great of a coverage, which is pretty typical for most BB Creams in my experience.
JANE IREDAL
Another brand I found out about from my dermatologist (she is also GF) is Jane Iredal. They sell clean beauty, mineral makeup and natural skincare. I love their mineral foundation, which is a pressed base mineral compact. It comes with a sponge to apply it to your face, but I use a big powder brush most times instead. It also has SPF! The first time you purchase, it’s a little bit more expensive because you are purchasing a reusable compact. Each refill is less expensive since you keep using the same compact. So far this has lasted me really well! I’m interested in trying more of this makeup and will report back when I do.
SEINT
I came across Seint (previously Maskcara Beauty) from my friend Lauren, @whatlaurenloves. She creates makeup videos that display quick, easy and timeless makeup looks. She mentioned that it’s gluten free and I figured it’s worth a shot! I’d never done contouring or really used a full makeup routine of cream-based products. I went to Lauren’s house so she could color match me and give me a quick makeover. It was so fun to play around with her products.
Right away I loved how the products all fit into magnetic compacts so that you can truly customize the colors that you need. I hate purchasing a trio or a palette and only using two of the colors. Then I started touching the brushes. I’ve never had brushes this luxe before. They’re high quality and thick, but also easy to clean especially with their Houdini brush cleaner spray that dries in 5 seconds. Having double sided brushes that do different things just feels like you’re saving money!
Lauren contoured my face and I was so impressed by how classic and polished my makeup looked. I was actually running errands in my yoga clothes that day, so I was afraid of looking super made up, but it was actually the perfect amount of makeup to look and feel good throughout the day. I remember it being hot out and needing to wear my mask later on, which I was super surprised that my makeup stayed put and didn’t rub off on anything. I think the key is using a setting spray afterwards!
I knew I wanted to get a full face of makeup with new brushes and the palette was included in my purchase. I bought: two highlighters (this would be similar to a foundation and I wanted one that is a little lighter and a little tanner), a contour, a bronzer, two illuminators (this would be similar to a traditional highlighter), and two blushes that also can be used as a lip color. The brushes I purchases are the IID Brush (to use the highlighter and the contour) and the Blush/Bronzer brush.
I was nervous about doing it myself that I kept waiting to use my makeup for when I was actually leaving the house and then I’d run late and tell myself I was going to mess up and take longer so I wouldn’t actually use it! Funny thing is I finally used it on a random workday and I videotaped myself. In total it took me 10 minutes to do my makeup. I couldn’t believe it! I had a YouTube tutorial up in front of me and the helpful card that you get with your purchase. It was super simple. I was very happy with the results. Check out the YouTube video below to see how easy it was.
Follow the link, if you’re interested in ordering with Lauren or go to her website for tutorial and helpful info!
