If you asked me what I never skip in my makeup routine, I would say it’s base products. Blushes, eyeshadows, and eyeliners are fun to play with, but a good foundation or a BB cream is what actually makes makeup flawless.
ZAO is a green makeup brand from Italy, which has won quite a few awards for its ethical, sustainable, and natural products. All of the range has Ecocert certification, and most of the range is vegan. ZAO makeup comes in a beautiful bamboo packaging, which, according to ZAO, is long-lasting. What I also like about this brand is that it offers makeup refills. As much as I was tempted to buy that beautiful bamboo and glass jar with Silk Foundation, my rationality won, and I ended up with a less fancy, less expensive, but still nice and recyclable refill tube.
The Silk Foundation is available in nine shades. The shade I own is 701 Ivory – a light yellow/neutral, which matches my light skin. Most organic foundations tend to be too dark or too pink for my skin tone, so I was over the moon when I received this one, and it was a perfect match.
It is described as light textured foundation with a slightly powdery finish and coverage for a long lasting for someone who wants a natural complexion. The term slightly powdery should’ve been a warning for me that it might not be suitable for dry skin. But actually, it’s not so bad. I do have to moisturize my skin well before applying this foundation, and it sticks to dry patches (especially on my nose), but overall, it settles really well, leaving my skin even and natural. I think normal/combination skin types would like this foundation. Because it’s a cream foundation that dries quickly, it’s easier and much faster to apply with fingers or a damp sponge. The stippling brush was just not useful at all. I would say the coverage is between light and medium with a semi-matte finish.
Available at ZAO, Naturisimo for $43/£34.95 for 30ml.
Have you tried ZAO makeup?
I’m Inga, the creator of this online place called Organic Beauty Blogger. Since 2013, I’ve been on a mission to redefine beauty by sharing my insights into the world of green beauty.
this sounds lovely! I’ve found that most natural foundations require a lot more skin prepping than the conventional formulas. I’ve gotten kind of used to that though and now I really love them :)great post Inga!
Thank you, Tianna! I agree that natural foundations require more prepping, and once you “get it”, application is a breeze 🙂
Sounds alright!
Thanks! 🙂
I have two products from ZAO – their bronzer and liquid eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner is amazing and of course i love the bamboo packaging. Bronzer is also nice, but i think i should have picked different shade. Haven´t tried their foundation yet, but it ison my wishlist 🙂 I usually go back to my mineral foundation, i hate when liquid/creme ones highlight any dryness. I love CC cream by Physicians formula, but even their lightest shade is too dark for me and i can use it only in summer.
Oh I have the same problem with base makeup products, they’re always too dark. Which ZAO bronzer do you have? I’ve been considering getting one as well, but they all look warm (I prefer cool or neutral).
I have Golden Copper, it is warm, so probably not a good shade for you 🙂 It looks golden on my face and it is slighty shimmery (but the shimmer is subtle).
Enjoyed reading your review! Always nice to find a new organic foundation. How was the longevity?
I would say it stays on well (lasts 6-7 hours for me), but I think the longevity will depend on your skin type, so if yours is oily, you might require touch ups during the day.
Hi Inga! Love your blog. Very informative and well written. It’d be great to connect – I’ve just started a blog about organic and alternative healthy living: http://www.sheasoul.co.uk 🙂