Beauty
13 Australian Beauty Brands You Should Know
Especially if natural products are your thing
I’ve never been to Australia, but I imagine it’s as unpretentious, nature-loving paradise—at least, that's what it seems like from the beauty products it produces.
Australia is making real headway on the environmentally conscious side of the beauty market. The country's beauty brands have really great natural products (a necessity thanks to the country's stricter product regulations), with simple local ingredients and formulations. Most are organic, vegan, and/or cruelty-free and—as a bonus—a lot of them also have really chic packaging.
Some of the more mainstream brands you probably already know of and covet—Aesop, Becca, Lipstick Queen, Jurlique—but there are a bunch of untapped others that deserve a spot in your #shelfie. Ahead, we bring you some of our favorites that will soon become your favorites, too.
Cute Gen Z yellow packaging aside, Asarai carries some of our favorite products in rotation right now. We’re partial to the red clay brightening mask, but the retinol serum is also worth checking out.
Asarai, Sleepercell Retinol Serum, $44.95, available at Asarai.
We stan a natural scent that isn't just us dabbing on essential oils in the morning. One Seed’s scents are vegan and cruelty-free and this particular one was once described by Eluxe Magazine as being “the best organic beauty dupe for Chanel No. 5.” So, there’s that.
One Seed, Freedom Eau De Parfum, $66, available at One Seed.
Evo brings you all of the buzzwords: “environmentally friendly,” “paraben free,” and “sulfate free,” along with quality products that leave your hair soft, manageable, and with added bounce.
Evo, Mane Tamer Smoothing Shampoo, $30, available at Birchbox.
Using local Aussie ingredients, Mint Skin’s products are comprised of targeted treatments for varying skincare concerns. There are deep cleansing products for congested skin, nourishing ones for dry and wrinkled skin, and pore-refining items for dull skin. We’re partial to the Rosa line because we’ve never met a rose hip product we didn’t like.
Mint Skin, Roses & Velvet, $34.95, available at Mint Skin.
Honestly, if there’s one product we would hope wouldn’t be filled with synthetic ingredients it’s the one we’re using near our eyes. Inika’s vegan mascara is one of the brand’s best-selling products not only because it's kind to animals but also because it elongates lashes like no other.
Inika Organic, Long Lash Vegan Mascara, $33, available at Inika Organic.
Begin your journey toward a smoother body and peace of mind with an oil from Tahi. Each is made using plant extracts and is intended to enhance your well being. This particular one is formulated with lavender oil, almond oil, and manuka oil.
Tahi, Marino Be Calm Oil, $32, available at Tahi.
We first encountered Red Earth last summer during the Indie Beauty Expo and, as you can see, we’re still raving about its products. The brand has three main lines: Kakadu plum, which helps brighten; Tasmanian sea kelp, which aids in hydrating; and goat milk, which nourishes. All of them are worth checking out.
Red Earth, Hydrate Refreshing Cleanser, $20, available at Red Earth.
This brand’s minimal packaging isn’t the only thing it has going for it. The selection includes everything from cosmetics to candles and is made with the environment in mind. The brand’s motto—keep it clean, kind, and simple—applies to the formulations, but can also be applied to the packaging which, yes, we’re not over, and can see it sitting pretty on our vanity.
Musq, Antioxidant Toner, $32.19, available at Musq.
Frank keeps things as simple as its one syllable name. The brand's core product is its coffee scrub, but it's since come out with a shimmer scrub as well as a lip one, and a couple of other body products. The moral of the brand: Exfoliation is your friend and you should probably be doing it more.
Frank Body, Shimmer Scrub, $19.95, available at Frank Body.
When we talk about lip products from down under, Lucas Papaw’s ointment probably comes to mind first, but Lano’s ointment should be a very close second. It’s made up of sheep sebum found in wool, which maybe sounds gross, but is actually incredibly moisturizing and forms a very thick barrier around your mouth.
Lanolips, 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm, $17, available at Nordstrom.
Sienna Byron Bay embodies non-toxic beauty, down to the wooden cap, which is made up of locally sourced timber, and is intended to cut down on the use of the plastic typically used in other nail polish tops. The polish itself is vegan, cruelty-free, and doesn’t include a lot of toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, xylene, benxophenone-1, and others we can’t pronounce.
Sienna Byron Bay, Nail Lacquer in Dream, $18.64, available at Sienna Byron Bay.
ModelCo was founded by a pair of agents and was originally created for models so that they could have simple products to wear to castings (easy-to-use, can be thrown in a bag for quick fix-ups). You don’t have to know how to walk a runway in order to use them though, nor do you have to be Hailey Baldwin, who collaborated with the brand last year.
ModelCo, Highlighting Trio, $14, available at ModelCo.
Leif’s goal is to celebrate all Australia has to offer—from its rainforests to the outback—by way of its scents and ingredients. This moisturizer combines a trifecta of Australian native botanicals and will transport you Down Under faster than you can say Vegemite.
Leif, Lemon Myrtle, Sandalwood & Eucalyptus Body Balm, $32.73, available at Leif.
