What a year it has been for me with skincare! I went from being a makeup artist who basically couldn’t give two hoots about skincare, apart from how it pertained to my work—ie. it needed to do what it said on the tin for a few hours, and that was about it.
However this is the year I discovered organic skincare, thanks to blogging for HowBigIsYourEco. I was expecting to find a few winners and some nice boutique-y brands, but in no way was I expecting to have my skincare preconceptions turned on their head. I thought it was all much of a much-ness and that chemical moisturisers probably (just quietly) did the job better. Not so. I have discovered so many amazing brands this year that perform BETTER than their chemical counterparts, and are certainly better for you, the planet, your conscience, and in some cases, your wallet as well.
This week, I have discovered another gem in Korres, the Greek brand. They have a huge range of products—over 400, and cover everything from shower gels to moisturisers, skincare, suncare, hair products and makeup too (which is a rare find). And talk about luxurious! The shower gels nearly make you want to pass out they smell so good (I’m currently using Basil and Lemon) and the Guava Body Butter is rich, creamy and decadent. Plus the smell really does remind me of holidays in Greece, hiking through an olive grove and heading down to the beach for a glass of retsina and a plate of fresh calamari. Mmmm. I nearly hallucinated myself a holiday there!
Korres was started in 1996 from the first homeopathic pharmacy in Athens and its products are natural and certified organic (with EcoCert certification). They develop the products based on efficacy and primary and applied research findings, and their values: skin and environmentally friendly formulas, and avoiding the use of chemical substances like mineral oils, silicones, parabens, and propylene glycol, amongst others.
I wouldn’t be worthy of the name makeup artist if I didn’t mention their makeup line, either, and Korres has thankfully not jumped on the “mineral makeup” bandwagon. They create beautiful, wearable shades and extend their skincare properties and environmental focus into their makeup range—for instance, their eyeshadows are made with sunflower and evening primrose oil, and their lip balms (which are gorgeous, by the way), hydrate the lips with shea butter and rice wax. So if you have trouble with conventional cosmetics, this could be the line for you.
Korres is now sold in over 30 countries around the world and has stand-alone stores in Athens, London, Paris, Singapore, New York and Dubai, amongst others. It can be found in Australia at Kit Cosmetics, nation-wide.
- Makeup Mole: Apivita
- MakeUp Mole: 2010 EcoBeauty Awards
- Makeup Mole: Mecca Cosmetica
- Makeup Mole: Aves Cosmetics
- Makeup Mole: Nude Skincare
