For the month of August, MECCA Brands, Australasia’s leading beauty retailer, reveals its second iteration of MECCALIFE, a campaign bringing thoughtful beauty brands to the fore, celebrating everything from mindful makeup to refillable products and sustainable packaging solutions.
Empowering consumers to make informed decisions when it comes to beauty, MECCALIFE will look to support those who are wanting to actively shop in line with their values. The campaign recognises the pioneering voices of sustainable beauty who are taking on the hard feat of making shifts in their business, weighing up commercial gain for environmental gain, driving community actions and raising awareness of the small everyday actions they can take to help the environment.
From August onwards, all MECCA stores will have an in store TerraCycle bin that has been manufactured in Melbourne from 100 percent post-consumer waste. The bins have been made using the empty beauty containers their customers and team members have recycled through TerraCycle, and even the signage on the bin is made from PVC-free vinyl, which means when the bins reach their end of life, the vinyl signage can be easily removed and recycled through a soft plastic recycling system.
The conscious brands taking part in the MECCALIFE are vast and varied, but some of the top picks for their luxe take on sustainable practices are:
bareMinerals
bareMinerals believe in beauty that’s good to your skin (helping to improve it both instantly and over time), the community and the planet. As the name suggests, minerals are the heart and soul of the brand, with their original – and bestselling – powder foundation containing only five mineral ingredients. bareMinerals carefully select synthetics that work in harmony with plant-derived ingredients and minerals to help improve formulation quality or performance. The brand’s ‘The Power of Good Fund’ donates 1 percent of sales towards the transformation of women’s lives through learning and literacy by way of the Hopewell Fund.
Conserving Beauty
Conserving Beauty might be a Melbourne-based start-up beauty brand, but they’re on a big (read: huge) mission – to reduce the beauty industry’s water footprint. How? They’ve become Australia’s first waterless beauty brand, meaning absolutely no water is used in the production of their products. None! Launched in 2021, this newcomer is truly making waves in the beauty world; the brand created the world’s first fully dissolvable makeup wipes, which were swiftly picked up by TikTok and sold out just two weeks after launch. They’re also the first global beauty partner of Water Footprint Network and use compost-friendly cartons made in Melbourne from 100 percent post-consumer waste, alongside recycled glass bottles and jars that can be re-recycled via Australian and New Zealand kerbside bins.
Ellis Brooklyn
An unmistakable air of New York City cool permeates this collection of exquisite scents founded by The New York Times beauty columnist Bee Shapiro. Ellis Brooklyn is focused on superior ingredients, technology and redefining luxury with its commitment to thoughtful sourcing and innovative compositions. The brand’s fragrances are PETA-certified and vegan-friendly, and they make an annual contribution to the Carbon Fund to offset their carbon footprint.
Emma Lewisham
Want glowing, nourished skin, but also want to stick to plant-derived formulas? Enter: Emma Lewisham. The New Zealand-born brand has truly taken the beauty world by storm, developing luxury, science-led skincare (that actually works) using plant-derived active ingredients. Emma Lewisham hopes to lead a movement towards a circular and climate-positive beauty industry, where refills, recycling and regeneration are the standard. Through their own ‘Beauty Circle’ program, the brand takes back used packaging to be refilled or recycled.
ILIA
After founder Sasha Plavsic read the ingredient list of her favourite lip balm and discovered they were not ideal for use on the skin, she set out to recreate her own range, ensuring products were considered and effective. It became ILIA’s goal to challenge the conventions of the beauty industry by creating potent makeup formulas that also work to help protect and revive your skin. Along the way, the vegan-friendly brand learned that not every plant-derived ingredient is good for your skin, nor is every synthetic bad. Thus, they carefully and consciously select ingredients to push the boundaries of innovation. ILIA is striving towards completely sustainable packaging through the use of recycled aluminium, glass components and responsibly sourced paper.
Kosas
Founder Sheena Yaitanes launched Kosas in 2015 with four lipsticks, inspired by earthy blends of neutral and pink hues she made in a painting class. With a mission to create makeup for skincare lovers, Kosas’ sensitive-skin friendly formulas are designed for those wanting more out of their makeup (and less steps in their routine). Featuring plant-derived actives such as pink algae, passionfruit leaf extract, bamboo stem extract, avocado oil and konjac root, Kosas’ products promise to never compromise on performance. Manufacturing with partners who have green energy initiatives, Kosas’ products are proudly microplastic- free and use ethically sourced mica – amongst other considerations – and are housed in tubes made from biomaterials.
RMS Beauty
Since 2009, RMS Beauty – created by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift – has set itself apart by incorporating raw, food-grade, organic and wildcrafted ingredients into formulas (in a way that is as close to their freshly picked state as possible). The brand’s hero ingredients include buriti oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and RMS’ herbal blends inspired by adaptogen properties. The range includes refillable products such as their primer and upcoming foundation, plus other innovations like Eyelights, a cream eyeshadow that comes with a key to ensure every last drop of product is used. RMS Beauty also offers a variety of multipurpose products, designed to help reduce product waste and excess, including their bestselling Lip2Cheek and Signature Sets.
Sans [ceuticals]
For New Zealand-based, plant-derived skincare brand Sans [ceuticals], what they leave out of their products is just as important as what they choose to put in. This ingredient-conscious ethos is just one of the many the brand stands by; their line-up of simple-yet-effective multifunctional products uses active ingredients to help relieve sensitive skin conditions, stimulate cell regeneration and nourish damaged hair – all while ensuring the way they manufacture their products keeps the health of our planet front of mind. Their skin, hair and body offerings are designed to simplify daily routines while minimising clutter and waste: the current collection uses a mix of recyclable glass and aluminium.
Westman Atelier
Dreamt up by Gucci Westman, who has more than 20 years of experience as a celebrated editorial makeup artist, Westman Atelier is centred on luxury finishes, efficient formulas and plant-derived ingredients. The brand has a passionate commitment to researching and reassessing ingredients as new information comes to light. Westman Atelier proudly collaborates with innovative labs, artisans and tech companies to reduce their environmental footprint. At this time, all secondary packaging is recyclable. (HELENE RAVLICH)