PRODUCT REVIEW – NUDE BY NATURE
In my ever burning quest to find cosmetics that look fabulous on and off the stage and don’t overload your body with toxins, I ordered from the much hyped Australian brand Nude by Nature. Summary: great sales pitch, poor customer service, mixed opinions on the actual products – read on for details of what to avoid.
NUDE BY NATURE –
I was sucked in by their slick advertising and ‘FREE’ offers. It really annoys me when products are offered for free but are not really. In this case, when you rung you were offered some free samples but you had to pay postage and agree to sign up to ongoing products being mailed and billed to you – groan. So immediately I was unimpressed. Normally I would hang up on them after such antics but I had been re-inspired to clean up my make-up drawer and here was an apparently natural brand I hadn’t tried.
The pleasant salesgirl on the phone was really very good at selling and they had a number of ‘deals’ available. I wanted to try the eye shadow and mineral foundation and have no ongoing contracts. Somehow it was the best value if I purchased 2 packages. The skin package that included foundation, blush, liquid mineral concealer, mineral bronzer, mineral finishing veil, brush, lip gloss, and tinted moisturiser and a how to DVD and a separate eye shadow pack that actually had 3 packs of 3 tones of brown eye shadow and 2 little brushes.
The package arrived in reasonable time minus the DVD. Don’t bother ringing their customer service line, you get asked to leave a message and they will get back to you but they never do (it’s been months).
NATURAL MINERAL COVER – LIGHT SKIN TONE
When I purchased these products over the telephone they asked me what my skin tone was like. I said I was very fair, she said there were 3 tones and I should consider the medium tone as they are quite light. Since it is rare that I meet someone fairer than myself and am usually the lightest or second lightest tone available in foundation – I chose the light tone figuring the bronzer would surely be able to help if it was a little too fair.
Mistake!! Why have a light tone available when the only people that could wear it would be the Cullen’s? My skin is so fair that people joke that I glow-in-the-dark. I have met a few people fairer but seriously, this line of cosmetics is for vampires of Caucasian descent only!
Look to be fair, (LOL pun intended), I can get away with it but only just. I don’t look all that well wearing it and its coverage of imperfections is not nearly as good as similar products by Revlon or Minerelle that I have tried before it. So if medium is for light skinned people then dark must be for tanned types and I guess they don’t give a crap about the market for other ethnicities!
Since I was minus the DVD I was left with a tiny package insert to guide me on recommended use of their products. I should say here that a few years back I signed up for a free demo and lesson on how to use mineral products with the Minerelle range and have used mineral powder type foundations for years so I am not a newbie but still I was perplexed. The coverage of the product was so poor, I figured I was using it wrong but from what I could tell from the pamphlet I was using it correctly.
Safety
I asked about the safety of their products when I phoned. The sales girl just gave me a whole heap of spin – we are the best, blah, blah. They then put me on to their resident expert – that pretty much said the same thing. I am still not sure about their credentials in this field so I looked up the individual ingredients on the EWG website. The ingredients were indeed in the low to moderate toxicity range with scores from 0-3. This is pretty good going and would make it one of the safer options on the market. The L’Oreal mineral powder foundation I was using previously scored a 6 for some ingredients in comparison (out of 9 – 9 being the worst). So at least in this field this product did well. One concern was that the zinc oxide used is quite safe if not inhaled (then it is highly toxic apparently). Being a powder though, inevitable some is inhaled. I started using powders because of their touted safety and while I still use them, I am becoming increasingly sceptical of all brands because they are not being rated for respiratory safety.
According to the NUDE BY NATURE website, their foundations “offer natural sun protection with a high SPF guard against damaging ultra-violet rays whilst being water resistant.”. According to the Environmental working group these kind of statements are a load of codswallop. No product is water resistant and in this case the SPF factor is not even stated. What is the high SPF? 10? 15? Does it protect against UVA and UVB? I feel it would have been much more ethical to state that it is non toxic and leave the bull shit out.
The EWG is a great place to go for more info on toxins in make-up, mostly American info but you can look up major brands available in Australia too and check ingredient safety.
Packaging
It comes in a pleasant circular 8 gram container with a brown screw top lid and a plastic insert inside to help avoid spillage and over loading your brush. The lid only says nude by nature on it however and the container is the same size and look as the blush. This means you have to pick both up to see which is which. The finishing veil and bronzer are in a smaller but similar container and they are both identical looking from above too as are the 3 eye –shadows meaning putting on your Nude by Nature make- up involves a lot of picking up pots and putting them down again trying to work out what product you are holding. The screw top lid prevents spillage in transport but adds to fiddliness on an everyday application level.
My summary with 5 stars being the best
Product: Natural mineral cover – light-skin tone
Effectiveness: 2
Packaging: 3
Safety: 4 (by comparison)
Price: promotional pack I bought is no longer available online but a 15g pack is $39.95 + postage (or free Australian postage if you spend over $50)
Size: 8g
Suitable for day wear: yes (if pale)
Suitable for stage: No
Overall Star rating: 3 
FINISHING VEIL
According to the little pamphlet, one uses this if you want to get that ‘airbrushed’ look. Ummm, when is there a time you are applying make-up that don’t want to haven’t airbrushed look???? I mean seriously, if you go to the trouble of putting on make-up, it’s to look flawless or as close to as you can. Using this product in combination with the mineral cover did improve coverage but felt like yet another unnecessary step. With both products in use it had a similar (barely) effect as a single use of a L’Oreal mineral foundation. For every day wear it was a tedious extra thing to have to do. For stage? Well I used it separately to reduce shine over the top of a liquid foundation I used. For that it did OK. It came in a 3g screw top container that was much smaller than the ‘cover’ meaning you may have to purchase more before your ‘cover’ runs out if you use it on a daily basis. Does it ‘diffuse wrinkles’ as the web site spin states? Not that I could tell. Powders have a habit of doing the opposite.
BRUSH
The Nude by nature package comes with an absolutely excellent brush for applying the product. It is a really soft synthetic fibre with fine bristles. It is a lovely brush that is superior to the ones that come automatically with similar L’Oreal products for example.
***** 5 stars for the brush
As you can tell from the tone, I got off on the wrong foot with Nude by Nature – I can’t stand heavy sales pitches and spin. I have continued to use their products because I can’t afford to buy stuff and not use it if it is at least partly decent. When I run out – I will try a different brand however. I will review the bronzer, blush, tinted moisturiser and lip gloss from this pack in a different product review. I did actually like some of their stuff so stay tuned. You can buy their products here, despite everything I have said it is still one of the safer options available and better for you than most standard supermarket and chemist brands.
I aim for Mondays to become ‘Make-up Mondays’ where I tell you what natural products work and what don’t.
With online shopping most products can be purchased from anywhere in the world but if you are after American reviews then I would like to recommend the excellent “glamorganic goddess” blog.
Have you used these products? What did you think? What’s your favourite natural foundation?
Comment below.
Jade Belly Dance 
May 28, 2012 @ 18:25:43
Hey thanks for that, I always feel a little bit lost when trying out new products 🙂 I’ve got my regular stuff now but it’s always good to find out new things about other ranges.
I just wanted to say, about the packaging: I know they probably wanted it to look sleek, slender, attractive and good? But this design really looks cheap as hell. No creativity, no customer information and they’re interchangeable.
Truth be told; I’d walk right past that if I saw it in a store.. If only for the information part. =/
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May 28, 2012 @ 18:38:18
I think they went for a ‘natural’ look but didn’t think usability through. Altogether they don’t look too bad sitting on your counter but you grow to hate them with each use as you can’t work out which one is which.
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Jan 07, 2014 @ 17:59:01
I use this on an almost daily basis and absolutely love it. It’s the only makeup I can use that doesn’t irritate my skin. I also have a vey fair completion. It gives me great coverage. I would rate this product 4 1/5 out of 5
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May 29, 2012 @ 12:39:13
The lack of information about potential respiratory problems caused by long term powder inhalation is worrying, as there’s more to worry about than zinc oxide in that regard. Some time ago I saw a health expert on the TV saying he was expecting to see an increase in women with lung problems in about 10 years time resulting from use of mineral powder makeup.
After seeing that I was too chicken to try any mineral products at all, particularly as they are expensive and I too can’t afford to let anything languish or throw away products that aren’t right for me.
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May 31, 2012 @ 18:40:28
I suspected possible problems but didn’t know for sure. Thank you for sharing Cathryn. I think I will switch back to liquid foundations for my next trial. There is such a cloud around your face when you use mineral powders and a lot of residue on your sink too as it settles.
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Oct 13, 2013 @ 01:22:51
The only inhalants that are an issue are nano-particles, most minerals are too big in micron size. If it’s finally milled (especially Titanium Dioxide, a carcinogen known to pass the brain barrier), then steer clear. But oxides like Zinc & Iron are actually minerals we need anyway, so they’re relatively safe.
Our bodies are extremely resilient, we constantly inhale dust & dead cell particles. The circulatory system (especially in our lungs) is good at detoxing out–but to err on the side of caution, you may want to hold your breath when applying minerals. Or turn it into a pressed powder or foundation (there’s plenty of DIY tutorials).
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Mar 30, 2014 @ 08:05:42
Thank you! I am fielding questions about this stuff all the time. Good information. I have seen one ‘natural’ company proudly advertising nano particles in their products! The nude by nature cover was just not as impressive to me as the 3 other brands I have tried out. Very little cover for a ‘cover’. I am totally hooked on the expensive but gorgeous Inika liquid foundation at the moment but have thought about venturing back to powder foundation again, especially for travelling as it is one less liquid based thing to leak!
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Apr 25, 2013 @ 13:40:22
Hi, thanks for your review. I have started using another AUS product called earthy essences. I use the liquid mineral foundation, tinted setting powder (sheer is a little too pale for me) and the mascara. I make my own cleansing lotion and moisturiser. I found it was a little tricky getting used to using ‘clean’ makeup as it requires a bit more effort, which is no doubt why the other companies put all that rubbish in. I have to put it on carefully a section at a time otherwise it clumps and it HAS to have setting powder or it doesn’t last. I gotta say though, for all it’s more effort and not as great as my nasty old stuff, my skin is GLOWING. I was thinking about getting some nude by nature eyeliner and eyeshadow as I can buy them in the chemist and avoid postage but based on your review I feel like avoiding them just because of their sales ethics! Have you tried any other brands since? What have you thought of them?
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Apr 25, 2013 @ 14:09:41
HI Kait, thanks for your comment.
I haven’t tried Earthy essences. Did you buy it online?
I found that Nude by Nature takes the combination of the cover, bronzer and finishing veil to get an acceptable look but am still worried about the inhalation risk, I mention in the review. I haven’t tried the Nude by Nature eyeliner but have tried their trio of brown eye shadow which I reviewed here – https://jadebellydance.com/2012/06/18/nude-by-nature-eyeshadow-review/ . I have continued to use the eyeshadow for day wear and have gotten used to the loose powders, I do think they have been better for my skin than the Revlon product I was using before but when they run out I will try replacing them with another brand like zuii (which I reviewed here https://jadebellydance.com/2012/06/11/natural-stage-make-up-zuii-eyeshadow/ ) or Inika (which I reviewed here https://jadebellydance.com/2013/04/08/a-natural-solution-to-eye-shadow-fall-out-natural-make-up-review-fall-out/ and here https://jadebellydance.com/2013/03/20/best-stage-eye-shadow-yet-natural-make-up-review/ ). Buying Nude by Nature from the chemist will stop the hard sales pitch so you shouldn’t have to deal with their heavy handed marketing, the eyeshadow is reasonable for the price- just not my favourite. The only eyeliner in any brand that I have reviewed so far was as a part of the silver Inika pack (see last link) and it was pretty nice stuff, but it is not cheap. I have also trialled but not yet written the review for 2 liquid eyeliners, in green and purple from Suncoat. There was a 2 for one deal on them when I bought them so it made them quite affordable. They are a sugar based solution and while not really up to standard for stage use – I have had fun using them for every day looks. I really must write that review up. Please write back and tell me what you end up buying and if its any good! I love to hear about other people’s experiences. – Jade ❤
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Oct 13, 2013 @ 01:44:45
I recently discovered this company too, I believe their line is called Elusyion. They’re the only makeup line that I’ve found with ingredients that are minimal, vegan & allergen-free (except for those sensitive to zinc or mica).
There is something I find questionable though. Their liquid products are all water-based, yet have no preservatives–not even the healthy kind. Are they hiding a preservative they’re afraid to list? Or do they sanitize their liquids somehow so bacteria/fungii can’t breed? Is the additional rose water a preservative?
I like product companies to be transparent & if their sales-pitch is “No preservatives” but they have products that can easily be contaminated, then as Ricky would say “Lucy has some explaining to do”
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Mar 30, 2014 @ 07:59:55
Yes, it is a bit of a interesting situation when no preservatives are listed at all. I don’t believe rose water would be enough to do the trick but perhaps other ingredients do it. Did you write to them and ask?
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Jun 05, 2013 @ 14:04:35
Thank you for the review Jadebellydance. I was seriously considering buying Nude by nature after trying Thin Lizzy’s (yuk) but after your review there is No Way I’ll be buying it. I was hoping that your review would be a positive one because Thin Lizzy’s is so crapped out, it makes my skin look orange. Is there any Mineral product out there that works??? – Becky
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Jun 12, 2013 @ 13:48:29
OK, if safety is not an issue then yes there are many mineral products that wont turn you orange. I started out using minerelle (which I haven’t analysed for safety, so it could be good) then started using l’oreal because it was easier to source. Both worked well in their jobs but the l’oreal product was full of talc and I was concerned about breathing it in, as with powdered products you inevitably breath in quite a lot of it. Overall though l’oreal’s mineral foundation’s toxicity was still low-moderate. Nude by Nature didn’t work as well as either of these brands I mentioned and was annoying in the number of products needed to get a decent look. Lately I have been mad keen on Inika as everything I have tried of theirs is great but then again so is the price (ie expensive)
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Jul 03, 2013 @ 09:03:04
I’ve been using Nude for quite a long time now. I used to like it, but now it seems to make my pores look huge & my skin look saggy. It even gives me wrinkles around my eyes! IM ONLY 20!
I mix light & medium together to get my shade. I’ve got really oily skin so I’m addicted to the finishing veil.
I wouldn’t recommend anyone buy this. It can be very messy & unless you have oily skin, it won’t look natural
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