Ere Perez: vegan, cruelty free and natural beauty
Defining vegan, cruelty free and natural beauty
Having grown in popularity over the last five or so years, vegan, cruelty free and natural beauty are the latest revolutions to hit the skincare and makeup industries. More than just a trend, natural beauty has emerged alongside a rise in wellness and detoxification, with consumers becoming more and more interested in what they put in their bodies and how it affects their appearance. So what does 'natural' beauty actually mean?
Natural beauty usually refers to makeup and skincare products that are formulated without nasty chemicals. The experts at Gritty Pretty go one step further, believing the term 'natural' means products made without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, or preservatives. Nowadays, consumers are much more educated on the sorts of harmful ingredients beauty products can contain, often opting instead for as few ingredients as possible.
Enter Ere Perez – a vegan, cruelty free and natural Australian makeup and skincare brand. Originally from Mexico but now located in Sydney, director and founder of the brand Ere has always had a dedicated passion to natural beauty. She decided to create her own brand with nourishing active ingredients, antioxidants, vitamins, organic oils and natural colour pigments, staying away from known irritants such as perfumes and chemical colourants. "Our products are created with a cocktail of powerhouse botanicals and plant-based super ingredients," Ere says. "We’ve chosen a star ingredient for each product, based on performance and benefits to the skin, and incorporated it into the names." I caught up with Ere to learn more about her brand and what makes it the obvious choice for natural beauty.
Sitting down with the brand's founder, Ere
Why do you believe natural cosmetics are better for our health and wellbeing?
Nature is full of healing potential. Detoxing your cosmetics is a great way to lighten your chemical intake. Just because it goes on the skin, doesn’t mean it doesn’t get inside your body! Switching to natural cosmetics lowers your chemical exposure, while introducing your skin to beautiful natural ingredients that work wonders. It’s a win-win situation.
Why was it important to create Ere Perez as a vegan, cruelty free and natural beauty brand?
At Ere Perez, we promote kindness, wellbeing and an ethical lifestyle, so it was vital these values flow into our products – we like to walk the talk. Animal testing is not necessary these days, and we support cruelty-free consuming. If you don’t need to harm animals, why would you?
Your Oat Milk Foundation is extremely popular – what makes it so unique? What are the benefits of Oat Milk and how does it lend itself to a foundation?
Yes, our oat milk foundation is a favourite! It’s unique because it doesn’t clog pores, like some foundations. So you can wear it all day, and your skin still breathes. Oat milk is incredibly nurturing for the skin with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties [and] vitamins C & E. All of this is combined into a creamy lightweight formula that is like a great breakfast for your face.
Now onto actives and ingredients
Is the entire range suitable for true sensitive skin? What would be your recommended products and actives/ingredients to look for if you have sensitive skin?
Our range is totally sensitive-skin friendly. Lots of traditional makeup products can clog pores, create breakouts and irritation because of all the impurities they use. Often, the skin problems people want to hide with makeup are caused by the harsh ingredients in the formulas. We do the opposite. We look after your skin. Our products are perfect for sensitive skin, but for me it’s all about the eyes – we have to protect them! Our natural mascaras are the best for sensitive eyes, they don’t cause redness or itchy eyes. Your skin and eyes will love our products!
What are some of your favourite active ingredients that feature in the Ere Perez range, and what do they do?
Oh there are so many! [Our] arnica concealer features arnica, a wonderful natural healer, used in traditional remedies for centuries and great for assisting with blemishes. Our quandong green booster serum is full of active superfood ingredients, like raspberry seed, vitamin A and quandong, which has twice the vitamin C of oranges. Quandong is an Australian native, full of potent antioxidants that fight free radicals and signs of ageing, while brightening skin.
Where do you source your ingredients?
Our ingredients come from all over the world, depending on where the ingredient is found. We love our uniquely Australian ingredients like Australian blue cypress and quandong. We also include botanicals from Africa, Mexico, the Mediterranean and Asia. It’s a global love-affair with sourcing the best, highest performing ingredients for skin. Sustainability and cruelty free are important to us, so that goes into it as well.
My Top Picks
QUANDONG GREEN BOOSTER SERUM
The first thing I noticed when applying this serum was the instant relief I felt on the dry areas of my skin. With ingredients like chlorophyll, spinach leaf, vitamin E, alfalfa & raspberry seed, this serum delivers essential enzymes as well as vitamin A to my skin for a subtle glow. Its high level of vitamin C also helps to fade any pigmentation or scarring I have. Find it here.
OAT MILK FOUNDATION – LATTE
Having sensitive and pale skin, I've always struggled to find a foundation that is both a light enough shade and doesn't irritate my skin. This medium coverage cream foundation is formulated specifically for sensitive skin, and can be built up to a more full coverage. It has a hydrating formula, containing oat milk, peach and vitamin E, meaning that my skin isn't feeling dry and taught by the end of the day. I love it in particular for my eye area, which can often feel heavy under my usual foundations. Find it here.
CARROT COLOUR POT – HEALTHY
As soon as I saw this creamy natural balm, I knew I had to have it. With my clear love of multi-use products, I use this as a blush, lip pigment and an eye shadow for those minimal makeup days. The hero ingredient of carrot is full of antioxidants, known for keeping the skin soft and hydrated – this combined with being a cream product makes it a much better alternative to a powder. Find it here.
AVOCADO WATERPROOF MASCARA – BLACK
This mascara is waterproof, smudge-proof, has a full black coverage and doesn't irritate my sensitive eye area. It's formulated with mamey and avocado oils, which are known to stimulate growth, regenerate and strengthen lashes, and is easy on the eyes when removing. Find it here.
What's your favourite natural beauty brand? Let me know below! X
