Nicole Richie: ‘Makeup has power. You can transform yourself into another being’

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Nicole Richie has a new interview with People Style to promote her collaboration with Urban Decay. She’s representing a new eyeshadow palette called Naked Petite Heat, which has those rose gold color shades everyone is talking about. It’s not available until February 22, but the regular Naked Heat palette is here. (We are using affiliate links but this is not a sponsored post. I actually use this brand and wanted to talk about it.) I have three Urban Decay palettes, Naked, Naked 2 and the Smokey palette which was on sale for half off before the holidays. I also use Urban Decay eyeshadow primer and it makes my eyeshadow last much longer. It’s a good company and judging from this interview they picked the perfect spokesperson. Nicole talks about makeup, fashion and hair and I loved reading her responses. I found myself agreeing with her on almost everything and she phrased it well.

“Makeup has … power,” Richie tells PeopleStyle. “You can transform yourself into another being, which I think is really amazing. I know women who feel most like themselves when they have a full face of makeup on and that makes them feel strong about themselves. We as women have every tool that we need in order to feel our strongest. best self. I don’t think that makeup has to hide you. I think it can accentuate what you already have.”

And while Richie loves makeup, she draws her well of strength from the way she dresses, saying “I feel that way [empowered] about fashion.”

“My fashion choices are extremely emotional,” she explains. “I am somebody who likes a lot of color around me. It elevates me. I’m very passionate about color and I know that it has a direct effect on the energy that I have around me. And so when I’m putting something on, that definitely changes the way that I feel and the way that I approach the day.”

Right now, there’s a certain shade that really speaks to her, she says: “If I’m sick or I’m having my ‘monthly-not-feeling-too-great-about-myself’ woman moment, I’ll wear a bright color to make me feel a little more alive. I hated pink for so long and I’m really gravitating towards a magenta and hot pink this season. That’s what’s so fun about fashion, you can really hate something for a long time and come back to it later and you feel a totally different way about it.”

[From People]

While Nicole says she doesn’t wear makeup everyday, I could relate to everything else she said about it. I feel similarly about makeup, like it gives me power to get through the day and it transforms me somehow. I also get a thrill out of fashion and putting together outfits. If I’m feeling down I just do my hair and makeup and pick out a nice outfit and I feel so much better. My mom tells me I’ve always been fussy about my hair and clothing since kindergarten so I don’t think I’ve been overly influenced by the patriarchy or anything. There’s a real joy in hair, makeup and fashion and some women just love to focus on those things. Now I just have to resist spending money on this eyeshadow I absolutely do not need. I’m trying to purge stuff this spring and I’ve had to fight the urge to buy things. There’s also a thrill in shopping but it does not last as long as the stuff that clutters up your house.

This video of Nicole dancing with Twitch is so cute! (Use the right arrow to scroll to the video)

@houseofharlow1960 🌈

A post shared by Nicole Richie (@nicolerichie) on

Also, Nicole is starring on a Tina Fey comedy on NBC called Great News. I haven’t heard much about it.
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photos credit: Getty, Instagram/Nicole Richie and WENN

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63 Responses to “Nicole Richie: ‘Makeup has power. You can transform yourself into another being’”

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  1. Milla says:

    Oh dear… Make up has power. Go buy it now. And go buy unicorn blood and rainbow poop, cos it will make you a better person… That’s what I’m reading.

    I am sick of consumerism. Buying things you don’t need. Things that harm your skin and your confidence.

    • Anna says:

      Thanks for the comment. SPOT ON.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Wow. It’s pretty sad that that is all you managed to take away from her comments.

      • Slowsnow says:

        Please @Valiantly Varnished. It’s not sad, it’s just the way you feel when some vapid comment about “feeling hot about pink” is pushed down your throat once more by yet another celebrity who has never studied any of these things for you to buy yet another product. Even the writer agrees it’s tempting to buy but she prefers not to, because we are cluttered by all these choices, most of them not even good for the skin or the environment.
        Note that if you hadn’t used the word “sad” about such a heartfelt comment, I wouldn’t have written anything but clearly @Milla is venting about a perfectly healthy overdose of consumerism.

      • KicktheSticks says:

        Agreed. It was such a hateful negative comment but it seems to be a typical response from that poster.

    • realitycheck says:

      Milla! That is exactly how I feel every time I read these types of comments. Vapid consumerism in each corner of our lives! If only people saw the amount of toxins that go into these products then onto your face and ultimately into the environment, nobody would ever wear makeup.

      Feel powerful by doing good in this world, not going out and buying makeup.

    • Ashby says:

      @Milla
      I could not agree with you more.
      Buy this, buy that, more junk, more stuff, buy, buy, buy.
      I’m sick & tired of consumerism.
      Yes, we desperately need to buy more make-up, more clothes, more shoes, more of everything, because that’s what makes women stronger.
      Not a good education, not climbing a mountain, not learning a new language, not mastering a musical instrument, not volunteering, not running for office – no, no it’s make-up and stuff to make yourself into Barbie!!!
      Not to mention what this does to women’s financial health and of course the chemicals you load up as a woman from all the cosmetic products showed down our throat every single day. How many women honestly understand the ingredients in these products?
      No wonder breast cancer is off the deep end!

      • Erinn says:

        “No wonder breast cancer is off the deep end!”

        Yeah! Let’s go back to the 1800s – there was CERTAINLY less breast cancer then. And the rates couldn’t be chalked up to early detection/awareness AT ALL.

      • Spicecake38 says:

        As someone recently diagnosed at a young age with breast cancer I can say I am reevaluating everything I will be putting into my body from now on.Carcinogenic chemicals in what we eat,drink,wear-natural and organic is something I’ll be aiming for,and I’ve gone makeup free for a few years now and haven’t ever felt better about my skin.

      • Jeannie says:

        I feel like all these various screen names are just one person having a conversation w themself. It’s weird (well, not established commenters like valiantly varnished and erinn).

    • KicktheSticks says:

      Makeup does have power whether you like it or not and for those that enjoy it, let them enjoy it. To each their own. If you enjoy a bare face and a makeup free look, go ahead and enjoy it. Some of us love makeup and love to play with color and express ourselves, or we like how it makes us feel. No need to be judgmental and negative.

    • maisie says:

      What she said.

      SO so so so so so so so so so so so so so so tired of oppressive beauty crap.

  2. Nancy says:

    Just ask a Kardashian, the makeup goes over the new face you just bought. Actually, in this case, it’s Nicole’s little sister who is morphing herself into Kourtney K since she hooked up with Scott. These people are so sad and superficial.

  3. deets says:

    I’d love UD more, except they always have too many shimmer/sparkle colours.
    Unless it’s a highlight it’s not always great for hooded or ‘older’ eyes.
    The basic palettes are awesome for travel though.

    I go back and forth on makeup. I have complicated feelings on the standards it presents, the almost requirement so that you seem professional makes my anti authoritarian tendencies perk up, but also have really dark under eye circles and uneven skin tone.

  4. Cinderella says:

    I admit I can’t do without it. Love Nicole’ s style.

  5. KBB says:

    Great News is a fantastic show. It’s like the spiritual sequel to 30 Rock. I wasn’t crazy about it the first few episodes I saw, but I started watching it regularly this season and went back and rewatched season 1. Solid show. I really hope it gets renewed for a third season.

    It’s kind of funny to hear Nicole hawk makeup because she is never wearing it when she’s photographed. She’s one of those I imagine that doesn’t put it on unless she’s got a makeup artist to do it for an appearance.

  6. swak says:

    Don’t get the whole make up thing. Pretty much went through my whole life barely wearing any and in the past 25 years or so have worn none – even to work.

    • Indiana Joanna says:

      I’ve never been a makeup person either, although I love the colors (but not glitter) and am drawn to a lipstick with a clever name. I do spend money on reasonably priced skin care products and sun screen. But most of my “beauty” routine is to use coconut oil or CeraVe moisturing cream.

      • Amy Too says:

        I love cerave. I buy big tubs of it. It’s great for my skin. I use that and argon oil. I sometimes have acne but since I started treating my skin like it were dry instead of oily, the acne is so much better and I don’t need to use specific “acne” products. Those never worked well anyways.

  7. Tiffany says:

    She is excellent on Great News. I thought she would fade with a cast like that but she is a scene stealer every episode.

    There is a parody Bad Blood video she did as her character. Hilarious

  8. Valiantly Varnished says:

    I agree so much with what she said as well. About makeup and fashion. I have only really gotten into makeup seriously over the last uear or so but I have alway been into fashion and expressing myself through what I’m wearing has always been important to me. Makeup has only become an extension of that. Makeup CAN make you feel more powerful. There is power in being able to confidently rock a red lip or a bold eyeshadow color

  9. BendyWendy says:

    I hate the judgment around makeup, from both directions.

    I wear makeup when I feel like it and I don’t when I don’t. I’m not more feminine when I wear makeup, and I’m also not less feminist. I’m not more righteous when my face is bare, etc.

    I’m just going about my life doing what I like, when I like, which is supposedly the whole point.

    • Valiantly Varnished says:

      Thank you! There is definitely a whiff of that on this thread. Makeup or no makeup is a choice and one isnt more righteous for NOT wearing it and one isn’t more feminine FOR wearing it.

      • Val says:

        I totally agree! No need to “glam shame” – its OK for a woman to spend as much or as little time and money as she would like to spend on her outward appearance without it having to MEAN anything. Sometimes its just for fun and self expression, sometimes its for professional purposes. It is naive to think that women aren’t going to face negative repercussions in some fields of work and in other areas of life if they aren’t well groomed, polished and look their best. Is that an unfair, detrimental double standard? Yes! Should I be judged for conforming to that standard anyway in order to safeguard the advancement of my career? No!

      • Ksenia says:

        Thank you! Was beginning to get disgusted w some of the disdain and implicit criticism directed at makeup wearers on this thread. Judging what other women choose to wear or don’t wear is not only non feminist, it’s also not the sign of a decent human being. Everyone should be free to do what makes them feel their most empowered and happiest, so long as it intrudes on and hurts and no one else. What’s so hard about that?

    • Milla says:

      Its a matter of choice. But this dramatic statement…. it’s wrong. It’s a wrong message and it’s basically teaching young gals to shop shop shop cos you can never look pretty enough.

      I don’t judge people who wear make up but I think this aggressive propaganda is hurtful and needs to stop at some point.

    • Slowsnow says:

      The person who loves makeup the most in my house is one of my sons. Luckily he’s a ballet dancer so he gets to use it sometimes or during the wee-ends when there is no school – he takes some of mine and calls it a day.
      I agree that when people start waxing poetics about make-up it feels very vapid to me very quickly and the opposite also is problematic (unless it’s mandatory in a job which I definitely don’t agree with).
      @Milla does have a point though. I get that you feel more secure or more yourself if you wear make-up, or on those days where your complexion is just off, but the word “empowered” here feels wrong to me. It’s not a question of power but of confidence.

    • littlemissnaughty says:

      People who run around acting like it’s the end of the world are so annoying. It’s not makeup that’s the problem, it’s consumerism in general. Buying something is not the issue. The reasons why you buy things and why you buy a ton of it, that’s the issue.

      I love makeup. For a while I wouldn’t leave the house without it but for the past 10 years, I’ve calmed down, grew up, and now it’s a hobby I indulge in. It’s fun to play with, like crayons when you were a kid. It’s not a necessity but neither is the 3rd pair of shoes. I bet we ALL have more than 2 pairs of shoes. Come on now. It’s hard to fight beauty standards or even keep your head above water sometimes and we can always have a discussion about the hows and whys but Nicole Richie choosing the word “empowering” or whatever for an ad (!) is not what I would talk about.

      It’s all smoke and mirrors. It’s just makeup.

      • Slowsnow says:

        I disagree. Words are very important. If she had said feminist instead of empowered it would have been different. Or of she’d said “I feel myself” or “I feel creative” those would have been very different statements.
        Also disagree with the “ad” thing: we read more ads than books or any other thing due to their omnipresence and the words used in them are very important.
        Have you ever seen ads from the 50’s? I am sure a lot of people from that decade would have said they were “just ads” and now you see them and they are really vile.
        See this site swapping the gender roles in ads and tell me it does not reveal what society is all about: http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/18/photos-show-sexist-ads-50s-gender-roles-reversed-7241104/
        Along with the now famous lady Doritos…

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        How is feminist better than empowered? Words matter, yes. But empowered can simply mean confident. I personally don’t feel empowered by makeup at all but how can it be feminist? And I stand corrected, she didn’t even say empowered. She said makeup has power. Which is definitely true.

        And re the ad: I didn’t mean that words don’t matter in ads. But this isn’t Nicole Richie giving an interview, it’s Nicole selling something so of course you take it with a grain of salt.

        We all know that marketing and advertising are sexist as hell. It’s not a 1950s thing either. Just stand in front of ANY shelf at the drugstore and look at the color coding. It’s the dumbest thing. We recently had some serious health issues in the family and my dad refused to (temporarily) use my mom’s incontinence pads because the packaging is purple and looks all girly, apparently. I told her to get the ones for men. “Where is the difference?” Well, mostly, the packaging is black and blue. It’s ridiculous, really.

        I digress. How people can still take any ad seriously is beyond me.

      • Ashby says:

        Sorry, I disagree with this.
        We have way too much consumerism as it is, we don’t need one more ad to tell women & girls that make-up is empowering.
        To me, power is to have money for retirement, so I don’t have to eat cat food when I stop working, paying off my house, exploring the world, creating memories, finish my second PhD. and not collecting more stuff another celebrity is hawking that I do not need.
        I have nothing against wearing make-up, it’s a personal choice, but I’m not spending “ONE SINGLE PENNY” on toxic make-up, because “PINK” is in this year and next year it’s “GREEN” and it’s promoted by another celebrity that gives not a hoot about me or my finances or my health!
        I wear very tiny amount on my eyes and I buy it from the health food store organic.
        Cancer is the last thing I need in my life.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        I was waiting for the “toxic” crowd. I’m assuming you’ve never driven in a car or been on a plane? Can we keep some perspective on what is actually making us ill? And as I’ve said, you probably own things that other people would consider frivolous or unnecessary. We all do. It’s a matter of degree and amount.

        I never understand why makeup is such a divisive issue. It’s a symptom at most, not the problem.

      • Slowsnow says:

        @littlemissnaughty I never said feminist was better than empowered, I probably wasn’t clear: it was an example for how changing one word car alter meaning. Like a change of a colour can change a room.

        Nicole IS an ad: she is selling a product and is paid for it so she is using specific words that work like an ad. And the whole “We as women have every tool that we need in order to feel our strongest best self” rubs me the wrong way too.

        Disclaimer: I am wearing mascara 😉

        Of course make-up is a divisive subject as it touches upon: self-image, body issues, expectations re: women opposed to men etc. It’s also an aesthetic issue, which can also be divisive.

        Finally, I get your point about toxicity but we cannot avoid driving a car to get places we need to go as social humans or taking a plane to visit relatives or work but we can avoid to give money to those exploiting the planet and our pockets. HOWEVER I don’t know if this brand is problematic at all so I am just trying to make sense of your argument against Ashby which for me doesn’t completely work but is a sad reality.

      • littlemissnaughty says:

        @Slowsnow: Yes, of course makeup is linked to all those things. And I should’ve been clearer. I don’t get why it’s so divisive among women. If a man tells me I don’t even need makeup, I get quite … rude. Like I’ve been waiting 33 years for a man to tell me that! Hallelujah, I’m finally allowed to go without! Get the f*ck out.

        But I really do think it’s just a symptom. Which is why for me, now that I’m in my 30s, I can look at it as a tool and as a fun hobby. Everything that’s wrong with the beauty industry is like a nicely packaged and scented version of what’s wrong with society re women, our physical appearance, power etc. Men run these companies, they decide what’s beautiful, they decide we need to have airbrushed faces, no cellulite, perfect nails, hairless bodies, full hair and it ALL needs to look effortless and cost a fortune. And of course, women of color are treated like 2nd class customers. Which, from a business standpoint, is the dumbest thing they’re doing. And of course just a sh*tty thing to do.

        So when women proudly and condescendingly tell me they don’t wear makeup because TOXINS and CONFIDENCE? There are VERY few people who don’t care about their appearance. Makeup is often the least of it. I just find it so disingenuous. And sure, we need to travel. But most of us don’t stick to necessities, do we? I sure don’t. Nobody I know does. It’s hypocritical.

    • KicktheSticks says:

      AMEN. People need to just let other people LIVE. If someone enjoys makeup, great! If someone prefers a bare face, great too! Wearing makeup does not make me a “slave to the patriarchy” or whatever. It makes me feel pretty and confident and sometimes I wear lots, sometimes I wear none. I swear these so called “feminists” are so judgmental of other women that it’s downright shocking.

  10. Erinn says:

    I like UD. The first foundation I had properly matched was the naked weightless foundation. It really doesn’t feel like I have anything on – and yay for finding a shade match.

    I did test out a fenty primer this morning. I had a sample to try, and I finally cracked it open. If my foundation is still looking good after work, I think I’m going to have to go buy it because it felt GREAT on my skin- and actually improved the look of it before adding foundation. I was eyeing the foundation as well – Sephora finally has my shade in stock online. But I’ve been kind of flip flopping between that and the Huda Beauty one which is currently out of stock, so I haven’t ordered yet. Has anyone tried both of these? Or either one, really. I’d like to hear feedback.

    I like makeup. It’s fun for me. I find it relaxing. I don’t NEED it – like I don’t cry at the idea of going in public without. But I do like to cover some blemishes and fill my brows a little bit. Because I’m super pale I usually add a hint of blush because I sometimes look ill if I don’t. But I go out without it every once in a while and it’s not a big deal for me. Dealing with chronic illness, I don’t always have the energy to go do it. But when I do – I end up feeling better. There’s something about putting on a little makeup that cheers me up when I feel like crap. It kind of lets me push the symptoms to the back a bit when I can manage to look in the mirror and look brighter and healthier – it allows me to feel more ‘normal’ and like myself.

    Some people spend a ton of money on coffee and eating out. Some people smoke a ton of cigarettes. Some people travel all the time. Some people buy a ton of clothes. I like to splurge on makeup occasionally, and it’s OKAY. There’s a lot of people who think that they’re above it – and that’s fine. Nobody HAS to like or use makeup. But it doesn’t make those of us who do enjoy it somehow less. It doesn’t mean that we’re somehow crippled confidence wise – or pushing unrealistic beauty standards, whatever. Sometimes it’s just a relaxing, kind of fun thing to do. And I do it for ME. I’m not getting done up to attract someone, or to make some sort of statement. I do it because it’s fun.

    • DianaB says:

      Spot on, Erin! People get so preachy about make up. I work all year long for traveling, make up and books. And I don’t feel the least bit bad about it. Spend your money however you wish and mind your own business. I tried the fenty beauty foundation and it was awsome, great coverage, felt really like skin and lasted a long time; couldn’t buy it because my shade was out of stock and by the time I traveled back home it was still not available. I’ve heard the huda beauty one gets cacky. Hope that helps.

      • Erinn says:

        That’s exactly the kind of info I was looking for, DianaB. I’m going to have to put an order in soon – the nearest sephora is a 3 hour drive for me, so online orders it is. I had wondered about cakeyness – so thanks for passing that along.

        After trying the primer this morning I was like “well crap… I’m going to have to buy the primer and the foundation now”.

      • KicktheSticks says:

        Hell yeah! If people want to spend money on beauty products and fashion, all the power to them. It’s THEIR CHOICE. I love makeup, clothes, books, shoes and bags. I also love many other things. It doesn’t make me shallow, vapid or stupid or less empowered. It’s the kind of woman *I* want to be whether some preachy other female likes it or not.

    • Ksenia says:

      Thank you, Erinn! I feel the same…I wear makeup when I want to, not bb/c I’m buckling under the male patriarchy, lol. (That’s absurd to me, frankly.) I wear m/u when I want to pick myself up, because *I* like it when ** I** look better to myself, not to attract more male attention or approval. (And many men, most of those I know, prefer makeup-free faces anyway, so exactly how is wearing makeup a way of keeping the patriarchy alive and placated?) And all this crap about makeup causing cancer and other deadly disorders—-yeah, well, so does sugar and salt, caffeine, certain waters, medications, cars and planes, wine, deodorant and even bras, depending on which new medical scare is the most trendy. You could spend your whole life avoiding that life, if you want to fear all the things that can kill you. (Which is basically everything.) You can choose to restrict yourself from living a full life, and shun makeup and whatever else you choose to, but don’t self righteously put that onus of consuming, life diminishing fear on to anyone other than yourself.

  11. TaniaOG says:

    I love makeup! I just think it looks refined, polished and professional. I also have terrible rosacea so for me makeup is transformative. I feel that as I get older I need to spend more time on hair and makeup. When I was younger I could get away with no make up and not doing anything with my hair. That said, I don’t feel “obligated”. I just see it as part of my self care routine and it makes me feel good!

    • Pandy says:

      That’s funny. As I get older, I feel less need to do my hair and make up. I do still enjoy lipstick though. I feel that’s enough polish, at least on the weekends.

      • Spicecake38 says:

        Same here pandy.For me the older I get the better I look sans makeup.I still curl my eyelashes,and wear lip gloss,but I feel better more natural.This is just a personal choice not a jab at anybody wearing makeup.

  12. Jag says:

    I’m not into doing my makeup yet, but watch various beauty gurus on Youtube. If you want to donate your gently used makeup, consider donating to Project Beauty Share. thataylaa is one of the women I watch, and she always promotes that charity when she does her 15 days of foundation. I won’t put the link here, but if you look up “15 Days of Foundation ANNOUNCEMENT!! WHAT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON…” you’ll see the last one that she did – I think it was cos she does them regularly – and she talks about the charity and has the address in her description box.

    Zabrena, Stephanie Nicole, Denistlava Makeup, and Stephanie Lange are other favorites. I’m hoping to buy my first “real” palette and start experimenting once I get some brushes. I’m an 80’s child, so all of this priming, blending, contouring, highlighting, and doing winged liner is definitely a learning curve for me because I just used to do a red lip, black eyeliner and mascara, and a sparkly purple – or black – lid. lol

    Hopefully the new palette will be as good as the others. Zabrena shows a lot of inexpensive dupes for the big name ones, including Naked Heat, if memory serves me. I’m going to be getting the Profusion Cosmetics Sultry Palette from Target, and the Wet N Wild dupe for the Anastasia Modern Renaissance, too. (It doesn’t have all of the colors, but can’t beat the price!)

    Now I’ll be excited all day thinking about new makeup. lol

    • Erinn says:

      I watch Rachhloves, KathleenLights, Tati, and nikkietutorials for the most part. There’s another blogger I started watching that I found on recommended, but I forget her name. If you use instagram at all – @dupethat and @futilitiesmore are pretty handy for finding swatches and dupes as well.

  13. JA says:

    I like what she’s saying but hope to the lord, she’s taking her own advice and loving herself and not doing things to maintain her thin frame. She’s naturally short but over the years she’s gotten soooo thin. She says she’s kicked drugs a long time ago but me thinks she’s switched one addiction for another. I love her attitude so again hope she’s living the life she’s selling to us all.

  14. LIONOHHHH86 says:

    Makeup is great and I like wearing it sometimes but it’s not going to transform me into some other worldly beauty. Unless you’re already beautiful or really skilled most of the time you look like yourself but with makeup on.

  15. Ashby says:

    @littlemissnaughty

    Yes, I drive a car to get to work and earn a living, I also get on planes to visit my parents and
    take a vacation once a year after a long year of working and going to school.
    I do not live a toxic free life by any means, but I avoid poisoning the planet and myself as much as possible.
    Nothing is perfect, but why would I buy over priced and over hyped make-up full of chemicals being hawked by yet another celebrity when I can buy it at the health food store and it’s better for my health and the planet?
    I’m sure Nicole Richie, Jennifer Lopez and host of other celebrities don’t need my money to survive.
    I rather pay for the good, clean product than for the ad.
    I bet the celebrity spoke person & marketing costs more money than the product itself.
    I think the reason make-up is such a divisive issue is because we are bombarded with ads to buy things that are not just not needed, but they are often hurting our health, our planet and our finances.
    Most people in the Western World have more stuff than they need, except of course SAVINGS!

    • Erinn says:

      I’d look into how makeup at health food stores is regulated.
      “the much more popular “natural” label, along with labels touting products as “clean,” “pure,” “safe,” “green,” and “eco-friendly,” are not held to any national standards, either. “Natural” is not federally defined or regulated, and products labeled this way aren’t subject to any safety testing. ”

      While on the flip-side Jane Iredale is a HUGE cosmetics company and the “products have undergone third-party EcoCert certification as Natural Cosmetics, which means that at least 95 percent of their ingredients are “natural” in origin, in that they are derived from renewable resources and manufactured by environmentally friendly processes, and that at least 50 percent of all the plant-based ingredients in their formulas and at least 5 percent of all ingredients by weight come from organic farming.”

      And you’re making trades. A lot of products that have dropped parabens and phthalates are using natural preservatives that are less effective when it comes to keeping out bacteria and mold. Then there are the natural preservatives like grapefruit seed oil that can interfere with medications.

      So a big, widely used brand isn’t necessarily worse for your body than something you can find at a health store. Personally, I’d rather pay for a product that I can find a lot of information on, search for reactions other people have had, etc.

      • Ashby says:

        Maybe in the United States, but it’s very different here.
        It’s very strict, companies can’t just make stuff up or they will shut them down.
        I have extremely sensitive skin and I never had any problems.
        I’m also a chemical engineer and I tested several things in the lab.
        I will always support the brand that I have tested than something that is heavily advertised by celebrities and pushy marketing.

  16. ash says:

    oooo gosh…. here go the makeup slut shamers …

    claiming to be ultra feminist and yet laments how they never wear a drop and its super consumerist lol….

    i support women thus i support women who want to own their look, love, sex, health, education, family dynamic, and thus LIFE…. i support nicole’s general message in this.

    • Slowsnow says:

      I don’t see any make-up shamers here. I took issue with the speech about empowerment through make-up and it being a feminine thing that women have to feel better.
      I, for one, at a time where we are finally exposing some very stale patriarchy behaviour find it unwelcome to have this kind of speech related with make-up although I like it (make-up). It’s beautiful, it’s sexy, it’s a way to build a persona or to feel more like yourself, it gives you confidence. It certainly does not give you power. It takes away time in the morning, it makes you feel unwanted/fugly if you’re not using it and it is mandatory in certain jobs like the suit for the man.
      This took some of us to the whole hyper-consumerism and the disingenuousness of someone talking about yet another brand of make-up as if she was reinventing the wheel. Just sell your product for what it is: cute colours and nice quality or whatever. Also, it is true that there are lots of terrible chemicals in a lot of brands which are not even, most of the times, cruelty free.
      Please listen before you infantilise someone else’s point of view as “shaming”.
      I could very well say you are shaming critical thinking.

  17. leidub311 says:

    Great News is HILARIOUS! Awesome show, very funny, love Andrea Martin.

  18. NYC says:

    To each his own, I don’t care, if people wear or do not wear make-up. I just wish people would read labels and actually had a good understanding what they are putting into their bodies, on their hair and skin. Just try to imagine the number of chemicals used by the time you take a shower, wash your hair, condition your hair, put on a deodorant, body lotion, moisturizer, make-up and on and on. I’m really sick of the constant push to buy stuff by celebrities, it goes on and on. More and more stuff that we most likely don’t need. In the meanwhile we are sinking into more consumer debt. Many people have big mortgages, car loans, credit card debt, but very little in savings and most people can’t retire, because they didn’t save enough. I get sad when I see the statics of how many women live in poverty. Big part of the problem is that we are being constantly told that we need more clothes, make-up, perfumes, shoes, bags. accessories and many other things to be pretty, desirable, cute, wanted, sexy, professional and valuable to society. Of course many women buy into these unrealistic expectations. Hence no money.
    I wish women would spend more money to educate and inform themselves, and of course for their future and less on these frivolous things.

  19. Bailie says:

    Please, Nicole, stop pushing make-up that none of us need. We have enough make-up to last a lifetime. Who needs more chemicals in their daily routine?

  20. Lisbon says:

    I often don’t understand make-up.
    Red lips look like clown lips to me.
    Blue eye shadow is hideous and black eyeliner is outright scary to me.
    Pink eye shadow?who wants a pink eye look?
    The long nails like Khloe Kardashian is sporting are very ugly.
    I rather spend money on having good, healthy skin than on make up.
    I mostly make my own skin care products and I use Kosmea’s amazing organic rose hip oil.
    It’s lovely and has one ingredient instead of 9. Has the best moisturizing effect on my skin.
    I’m extremely careful what I put on my skin as much as what I put into my body.

  21. Shannon says:

    I don’t always wear makeup. But I do when I have a business thing, or even an outing with friends or church … OR to see my mom LOL … something about the smell, the process, idk – for me, it just makes me feel more ‘finished.’ And yes, that adds confidence. I don’t spend a lot on it but for me just a little bit makes a big difference just in the way I feel. Idk how much it makes a difference on how I look and that’s not really my purpose. It’s just some kind of ritual of like, ‘I’m here for serious.’ I know it’s not that way for everyone. Since my hair’s gone crazy and I’m aiming for a pixie cut this weekend, I think makeup and dangly earrings will play an even bigger part in my life going forward LOL

  22. april says:

    What you wear, your hair, jewelry, anything you put on your body transforms you, not just makeup.

  23. Sam says:

    I’ve gone through breast cancer.
    It wasn’t easy.
    I’ll watch everything that I put into my body, on my skin and hair until the day I’m gone.
    No more buying into advertisements of what I should wear as a woman to look this way and that way. They are not getting a buck out of me. I’ve been using organic virgin coconut oil for my skin and it has never been better. I’ve simplified my life, less is more, simple is better for me.
    They are not fooling me with their fancy ads with celebrities selling poisonous make up and skin care products. I’m done. I’ve been making my own and at least I know what’s in it.