Naturally . . . 100% natural make-up

When I heard that Paris-based natural make-up brand Couleur Caramel had come to Ireland – and that its products are applied to famous faces at Cannes Film Festival every year – I was eager to try them out for myself. I popped out to Virginie Claire Beauty Centre in Harold's Cross, Dublin to meet the French woman who brought the brand to our shores. The trip was well worth it.

Virginie Vuillaume, who studied beauty therapy in Paris, has been running her Dublin salon for 20 years. When she decided to introduce make-up application to the salon's list of services, she wanted a brand consistent with the natural and organic products she was already using for skincare treatments. Couleur Caramel fitted the bill.

“It’s the first professional make-up that’s 100 per cent natural,” she said, waving a hand over the Couleur Caramel display at the front of her salon. The place is small, intimate and has the warm hominess of a charming countryside B&B.

I usually go for light coverage and natural shades when it comes to make-up, but since I was putting Couleur Caramel to the test – and had dinner reservations – I asked for a bolder, smoky-eyed look.

The products contain natural, Ecocert-certified organic ingredients and come in cute eco-friendly packaging. It’s a fairly extensive range with a good variety of colours and foundations that come in liquid, loose and compact form.

“It doesn’t clog your pores and it doesn’t pollute your skin,” said Virginie as she picked out colours to suit my skin tone.

She started with the range’s Pre Make-up Base (€26), a cream you apply on top of your daily moisturiser. It’s meant to illuminate and prime the skin so it better holds the make-up.

From there she applied Dark Circle Concealer (€14) and Compact Foundation (€33), a creamy stick formulation best dabbed on with a foundation brush. She finished off my complexion with Silk Powder (€26), a sheer veil made with rice – no talc, so it’s not drying – to mattify, and a touch of pressed peachy blush (€23) to brighten my cheeks.

The completed look was amazing. My skin appeared even, dewy and completely natural, and it felt like I was wearing nothing at all - no heavy mask, just healthy glowing skin.

Mineral make-up is usually the go-to foundation for the health conscious, but not everyone likes its matte finish. This combination of stick foundation over the make-up base is a great alternative for those who prefer a dewy look. And the stick can provide medium to heavy coverage depending on how you build it, but it stays feeling light. I’ve been trying these products out at home since and loving the results.

The eyeshadows (€13) are also impressive. They’re highly pigmented, hold well and come in a range of matte and shimmer shades. They were complemented with expertly applied eyeliner (€18) and mascara (€20) and I had my red carpet-ready smokey eyes.

The mascaras won’t make your eyelashes 10 times larger and they aren’t waterproof, but they do add length and thickness that still looks natural, and I much prefer a mascara that doesn’t require a lot of drag to remove – it’s better for your skin. The lipsticks (€17) are great in terms of colour – I went for a pop of pink – and texture, but I’d like if they had a bit more staying power; I had to top up a couple of hours later.

Overall, I love this range. You can go natural or bold, the finish is light-weight and everything glows, covers and holds. No wonder make-up artists love it.

For a list of stockists, visit coleurcaramel.ie.

[ kharris@irishtimes.com ]