One To Consider For Your Green Beauty Routine? – My Zao Makeup Review

Overall Rating:

4.8/5

Product Range = 5.0

Value For Money = 4.7

Coverage = 4.8

In our quest to look beautiful, we use products that have a negative impact on our environment. So in my Zao Makeup review I look at sustainable alternatives to minimise my impact.

Conventional makeup contains synthetic ingredients that are mostly made from petrochemicals, which harm our planet, and is packaged in plastic.

Finding eco-friendly alternatives is therefore vital, if we want to live a more sustainable life. I have done a lot of research into this topic, in this review I will share my experience with Zao’s makeup. But first…

Who Are Zao?

Founded in 2012 in France by four nature-loving friends, Zao was from the outset designed to be a makeup brand with deep environmental values. While I prefer UK-based businesses, Europe is the next best thing.

They produce all their products in Europe, so their carbon footprint is still very small.

Led by their wish to minimise their environmental impact, the four co-founders set about to create 100% natural and organic makeup that is free from nasty synthetic chemicals.

They also wanted to reduce the waste their beauty products produced, which is why the came up with refillable makeup. The first of its kind, nonetheless.

As Little Plastic As Possible

And it was clear from the start that the refillable cases can’t be made of plastic. Instead they opted for bamboo, an eco-friendly source material, if grown sustainably.

While they still use plastic where absolutely necessary, this use is explained in detail on their website, demonstrating high-class transparency, which is important if you want to avoid companies who practice greenwashing.

All plastic they use is recyclable, according to their website. But it has to be kept in mind that they are a French company, and in France more plastic items can be recycled than in the UK.

For example, the plastic shrink wrap their refills come in, are unlikely to be recyclable at home here, but might be recyclable at supermarkets with bags. But it’s best to check this with your local council to make sure.

Sustainable Packaging

So although they still use plastic, it’s way less than with conventional makeup products. First, because they only use it if absolutely necessary rather than as the standard.

Second, because the outer cases of their refillable makeup is made of bamboo, less plastic is needed, with refills being smaller.

Zao‘s packaging is also sustainable. Together with cardboard boxes they use eco peanuts as fillers, which are plastic-free and dissolve in water.

One thing I really appreciate about them is they continuously look for ways to become even more sustainable. This is what I want to see from companies.

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Excellent Choice Of Products

The first thing that struck me was that Zao has a good product range. You can find anything your heart desires. From lipstick and lip gloss, to foundation, concealer, mascara, eyshadow, blush, makeup brushes, nail polish and so much more.

They also have a skincare range, with anything your skin could ever need, such as moisturiser, cleanser, scrub, mask, and more.

And the best of it is that they all contain only natural ingredients, which isn’t just better for our environment, but also for your skin. Even better, Zao uses organic ingredients as much as possible, which is evidenced by the COSMOS ORGANIC certification.

This is great for anyone who wants to clean up their beauty routine by swapping all their beauty products for eco-friendly alternatives.

My Experience With Their Mascara

As part of creating a sustainable beauty routine, I reduced the amount of beauty products I use, so I only tried their mascara for now.

You can choose from different types of mascara, such as volume mascara, velvet mascara and aloe vera mascara.

I opted for the latter, because I liked the nourishing aspect of it. Containing not just aloe vera but also castor oil and shea butter, it will care for my lashes while also giving them the colour I want.

The mascaras come in different colours, such black or dark brown for the aloe vera one. I chose black, as that’s the colour I always used.

Application Without Clumping

The first thing I noticed when applying the mascara was that it didn’t clump, which is great news. There is nothing worth than clumping mascara, right?

The thin application brush nicey separated my lashes giving them the appearance of volume and length.

I have used a volume mascara before my switch to eco-friendly makeup, but I have to say that the Zao aloe vera mascara gives very good definition. If you prefer more volume, you can opt for their Daring Volume mascara.

Singler Layer Or Built Up

One thing I love about this mascara is that one single layer is enough to coat your lashes well. That’s ideal for day makeup.

But it also layers up well without getting too thick and sticky. I had it before where layering just made my lashes stick together and looked really weird.

So if you’re going out on a night and want more, you can easily build up the mascara to the level you’re happy.

Long Lasting

The first time I used the mascara I only wore it for an evening as we went out for meal and drinks with some friend. It lasted very well, and still looked great at the end of the evening.

It’s worth mentioning that Zao mascara isn’t waterproof, because it’s very difficult to do this using natural and organic ingredients. But that doesn’t mean it’ll disappear if you wear it all day.

I did just that, when we went on a day out. And while there was the odd little smudge under my eye, it was easy to wipe away. Besides I had it happen with other mascaras, including waterproof ones.

I even tried it on holiday, when we went out for a posh meal in the evening. With temperatures still in the high 20s to low 30s (degrees Celsius) and high humidity, I wasn’t sure how well it would hold. But it held well. At the end of the evening there were a few smudges, but nothing too bad, so I was impressed.

Easy Removal

Removing mascara after a long day can be quite a chore. At least it was with my old mascara. It took ages to get it all off and I had to use quite a bit of eye makeup remover.

Zao mascara is different, it wipes off easily and quickly. I don’t even need special makeup remover, my face cleanser is enough. I rub it over my lashes, wash it off and it’s all gone.

That’s great, because it means I don’t need to use an additional eye makeup remover. That saves money and time, and it’s better for the environment. Win-win!

Simple To Refill

Once the mascara is empty, it’s very easy to remove the tube, rinse it, and dispose of it in your recycling bin.

All you have to do is unscrew the metal ring and take out the tube. You can then insert a new one. The tube has a grove on one side, which fits a small metal bit poking out, so you can easily see how to slide in the refill tube.

Then screw the metal ring back on and close the bamboo case. It’s so simple and there is no waste, because the plastic tube can be recycled.

All in all, I have to say I love this eco-friendly mascara and am so glad I made the switch.

What Others Think

I always like to see what other customers think, as it gives you reassurance. This is especially important for my Zao makeup review, given that I only personally tried the mascara.

A quick internet reserach showed that while there are some reviews on Trustpilot, it’s only a handful. The profile also isn’t claimed, which isn’t a surprise, as it costs businesses to claim it.

The majority of these are negative, which isn’t great. Some of them are about the mascara, which surprised me. One said that it was so runny it couldn’t be applied and was impossible to get off.

Amazon Reviews Differ Depending On Seller

This is the oposite of what I have experienced. As you can also buy Zao’s makeup on Amazon, I checked these reviews. And they vary depending on the seller.

The aloe vera mascara I bought has ratings of between 3.1 and 4.3 stars. Many negative reviews complain about the plastic refill. However, it has to be said that as it’s made from PET plastic (same as water bottles), it can be recycled in the UK at home.

Which is not the case with conventional mascara. Others complain it has been sent in a jiffy bag, but that’s down to the Amazon seller, not Zao.

General Positive Reviews Overall

Overall, most Zao products sold on Amazon have mostly positive reviews. Many of the negative ones are about deliveries or how the product arrived, which has more to do with the Amazon seller than the makeup.

The positive reviews like the eco-friendly aspect, the coverage of the powder makeup, the quality of the lipstick, and the fact that many products are good to build up like the blush.

Give It A Go

So where does this leave us? Personally, I wasn’t put off by these reviews, because I know that makeup is something very personal and what one person loves another hates.

And there were many people who raved about the products. They might not be perfect, but they are eco-friendly, don’t contain nasty chemicals, and can help you live a more sustainable life.

So give it a go. Maybe don’t buy all the beauty prodcuts you want at once, but try one or two first. That’s what I did with the mascara, and I’m glad I did. I love it.

Not Cheap, But Well-Priced

I would say that Zao makeup is in the middle price range, not cheap but also not expensive. When you buy one of their products for the first time, it’s more expensive, as you also buy the bamboo case.

However, this will last you a long time and the refills are actually quite reasonably priced, given they use high-quality natural ingredients and no nasties. And you can change colour if you want to try something new, without having to get a new refillable bamboo outer case.

And that works for pretty much all their makeup. If you fancy a different coloured lipstick, you can buy a different shade refill. I like that.

So I would say, you get great value for money and you can turn your beauty routine green.

Conclusion

To round off my Zao makeup review, I can say I recommend it to anyone who wants to go green. Their extensive range means you don’t have to compromise and get a straight eco-friendly alternative for your current makeup products.

Because they only use natural ingredients, you can ditch a huge amount of harmful chemcials, which make conventional makeup bad for the environment.

While not the cheapest, Zao makeup products are reasonably priced. I love the idea of refillablel makeup, becasue it seems so silly to buy plastic cases and bottles which are then just thrown away.

Give Zao a go and join the relvolution of green beauty.

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