Kosas Cosmetics
First things first. I want to share a little background on the brand. Kosas was founded in 2015 by Sheena Yaitanes and began with the Weightless Lip Color collection, with all orders shipped from her kitchen table. Since then, Kosas breakthrough products have included Tinted Face Oil and 10 Second EyeShadow amongst many others. These products have been such breakthroughs because they are taking a totally new approach to makeup and beauty. A tinted face oil?! Yes! And even though I wasn’t sure I would love it, it totally lives up to the hype (more on this totally unique product below).
*Affiliate Disclosure: I do have affiliate links in this blog post. If you purchase something from my link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. This comes at no cost to you, but is paid by the company. I do not take becoming an affiliate with any company lightly. If I am, it’s because I believe in the company and their product.
Kosas offers some of the best natural beauty makeup products. You seriously can’t go wrong with a Kosas product. The pigments are rich and colors are beautiful! They remind me of my conventional favorite MAC products with their bold pigments and packaging. It makes you feel like you’re not sacrificing at all!
But of course, none of this means anything if the ingredients don’t live up to the claims being made by a brand in order to achieve these amazing colors and long lasting performance. Well, Kosas didn’t necessarily set out to be a clean beauty brand. But when you are looking for effective and skin loving ingredients as a brand, you will end up with clean ingredients!
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Is Kosas A Clean Beauty Brand?
Simply put, yes, Kosas products are clean! The Kosas brand bans over 2700 ingredients and follows the EU, Sephora and Credo Beauty clean standards. Some of the ingredients that they ban from their products include:
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Sulfates
- Talc
- Formaldehyde
- BHA/BHT
- Propylene Glycol
- Polyethylene Glycol
- Phenoxyethanol
- Petrolatum
- Aluminum
- Undisclosed “Fragrance”
- Dimethicone/Cyclic Silicones
So, you may be wondering if there are any questionable ingredients in Kosas makeup products…
As far as questionable ingredients Kosas is pretty much in the clear other than few. The first is mica, which is in a lot of their formulas. From their foundation, concealer, to eyebrow pencil. While mica in itself is not a questionable ingredient it is often not responsibly sourced. I reached out to Kosas on their Mica Sourcing and here is what they said, “We only use 100% ethically sourced mica. We source our mica from the US from privately owned mines to ensure that child-labor is never used, and that miners are paid a fair wage and treated well.”
The other ingredient that comes into question is the artificial dyes in their lipsticks, lip glosses, and blush products. They are very miniscule compared to the entire product but they’re still there. I do use some products with artificial dyes. But it’s important to know the sourcing and to consider the amount. Many makeup colors cannot be made without the use of synthetic colors. The amount in most formulations is literally less than 1%- if you think of how big a tube of lipstick is, in the formulation there is less than 1% of synthetic color. I’m ok with a little synthetic color. I know some people aren’t. You have to make that decision for yourself. The only instance I would have synthetic dyes in my products is in makeup products. I don’t want to be rubbing synthetic dyes over my whole body. The reason it’s in makeup is because it serves a purpose.
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Top 10 Kosas Makeup Products
Tinted Face Oil
This is a hydrating spin on foundation that feels light and leaves you with a glow. I thought I wouldn’t like it originally but after I gave it a try, I realized how wrong I was. The Kosas Tinted Face Oil offers such good coverage, a lot better than I thought. It gives my face an overall polished and pulled together look. Plus, it looks so dewy and fresh. My skin literally looks like it’s glowing! Especially great for skin in the winter as it gets colder. I have featured Kosas Tinted Oil in my Top 9 Natural and Clean Foundations and the Best Foundation for Women Over 40. It even made it on Allure’s Best of Beauty 2019 list! Get it here!
Related Content: Kosas Tinted Face Oil Review
Weightless Lipsticks
This was the first clean beauty lipstick brand that really stood out to me. Not too hydrating where they bleed, but moisturizing enough. I may have every color! If you follow me then you know I love a good Kosas lipstick. These lipsticks are highly pigmented, last and plump the lips all at the same time. They come in so many great colors too. Some lipsticks feel too heavy, or not hydrating enough- Kosas really nailed the formula on this one. I have all the lipstick shades and love them all! Check them out here.
Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer
I included this new concealer in my Best Clean Beauty Concealers so of course it must be included here. I absolutely love this formula, which really is unique compared to other brands I’ve used in the past. It’s very brightening and really wakes up your whole complexion. It also helps to hide dark circles. I love that it has caffeine to help de-puff the under eye area and hyaluronic acid to add hydration. If you’ve been looking for a new concealer, look no further. Get it here!
Related Content: Kosas Revealer Concealer Review
Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25
This foundation is one of their newest launches and it’s so good! It feels like a foundation on the skin, offering great coverage, but doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy. I love the coverage it has! Often you can only find a tinted moisturizer with spf in it and the coverage isn’t great. This not only offers great coverage but spf as well. It has a really creamy finish that helps to blurb imperfections and minimize pores. A definite new fave for spring and summer! Get it here!
Related Content: Kosas Foundation Review
Brow Pop
I have been using the Brow Pop for over a year and love it! It’s hands down one of my top go to brow pencils in clean beauty. I wear the color dark brown. It looks so natural on. It has a bit of a matte finish to it too, so it doesn’t feel like it gets everywhere. I also love how there is a spooly on the end of the brow pencil, makes it easy to brush the product through your brows. It comes in 10 colors too which is so nice since brows are all over the place when it comes to shades. Get it here!
Lip Fuel Lip Balm
This is just an all around great lip product for hydrating the lips everyday. I like the clear, but it also comes in some tinted versions as well. It not only hydrates but nourishes the lips as well. Get it here!
The Sun Show Moisturizing Baked Bronzer
This bronzer is unique because it’s made with shea butter and it’s silicone free. It hydrates your skin and not only gives you a bronzed look but an overall glow. It feels so lightweight on the skin- such a weightless formula. I love how easy it is to apply- you really can’t mess up when applying. It comes in 3 shades, Light, Medium and Dark. I wear the Light and Medium most but I’ve even tried the Dark and loved how the color looked on my skin. It almost has this creamy texture to it because of the shea butter. If you’ve been looking for a new bronzer- allow me to introduce you to The Sun Show Bronzer! Get it here!
10-Second Eye Gel Watercolor Eyeshadow
This is a gel watercolor eyeshadow. You apply it and then tap with your finger and let it set for 10 seconds. It’s not super opaque like you might think but more of a watercolor consistency. These are great for a pop of shimmer or for layering over eyeshadows. They come in a variety of colors too. I love the colors Electric, Simmer, and Blaze. Get them here!
Air Brow Clear Lifting Treatment Gel
This is a clear brow gel for helping keep your brows in place. I love applying my eyebrow liner first and then using the clear brow gel after to tame the brows and set them. Get it here!
Color + Light Palettes: Creme
These palettes are great for adding warmth with the color side and then highlighting other parts of your face with the highlight side. They come in so many different combinations too. I really like the 8th Muse color combo. It makes it super convenient for travel as well! Get them here!
Kosas Makeup FAQ’s
What does Kosas stand for?
Kosas is a Sanskrit word that translates to ‘sheath.’ It is referring to the energetic layers that surround your soul. There are 5 layers in Eastern Philosophy of which the physical layer is just one of these. Meaning, we are so much more than our physical beauty.
Is Kosas makeup available at Ulta?
In checking, I wasn’t able to find Kosas products at Ulta. However Kosas is carried at Sephora, Aillea, The Detox Market, and Credo Beauty!
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What are your favorite Kosas makeup products?!
When looking and credo and detox for years I always glanced pass Kosas thinking I’d never try it, I didn’t like the look of it honestly. I loved my ilia and vapour but I ended up trying Kosas and there is no going back im in loveeee with these products
Ahh! Love hearing this Kayla! Isn’t it funny how we don’t think about certain brands and then they end up being some of our faves?! So excited you found a new brand to love. 🙂
I really like the product – but the customer service is horrible – no one answers the phone number that is listed – they offer sales on products that are on back order and then do not honor sale price once item is back in stock – I was told “ sorry, that is are policy”
Hi Donna,
I’m sorry to hear that! I haven’t had that experience but it’s good to know.