Inika Review: Organic Makeup

May 5, 2017 (updated February 17, 2023) — Written by

Inika collection all laid out on a white background

So The Choosy Chick reached out and asked me if I wanted to try an organic makeup line called Inika Organic and I think we all know the answer to that, Yes! Yes! A thousand times YES! So first I want to tell you about The Choosy Chick and then my Inika review!

The Choosy Chick

The Choosy Chick is an online nontoxic shop for natural and organic skincare products, makeup and more. I connected with Margot online when I started blogging. We both share a passion for nontoxic living and a love for New England. Margot started The Choosy Chick because she wanted a place where people could come and shop for personal care items without having to worry about toxins, research ingredients, or vet products for performance. Margot selects the items she stocks with thoughtfulness and care. You should have been a fly on the wall for our toothpaste conversation – she asks all the right questions, trust me!

Finding a shop like this is so refreshing. Why!? Well, believe it or not, under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, cosmetic products and ingredients do not require FDA approval before they go to market. The law also says that products commonly referred to as “personal care products” are also considered cosmetics including moisturizers, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail polishes, eye, and facial makeup, shampoos, perms, hair colors, some kinds of toothpaste, and deodorants.

The FDA says it’s the “responsibility of cosmetic manufacturers to ensure that their products are safe when used as directed”. (More on that here.)

What does this mean? Well, it’s pretty much like running a bank on the honors system. Manufacturers are left to use whatever ingredients they like and sell it as skincare or makeup or whatever.

This often translates to ingredients that are cheap and synthetic, not to mention includes the use of known toxins, known carcinogens, known endocrine disruptors, and the list goes on and on.

Why? Because using cheap ingredients with an immortal shelf life means a higher margin for the manufactures. It’s a no brainer really.

Point being there are toxins in most all conventional personal care items and makeup and to save yourself from going crazy, it’s nice to have a place to come to where you can shop with confidence knowing all items have been vetted for your safety.

Okay so once and a while Margot will send me some goodies to try and it’s always a good day when a package from The Choosy Chick arrives. This time it came chalk full of Inika goodies.

Organic Makeup

Okay so before we get on with the show, I just wanted to mention one more thing. Often we hear the term “organic makeup” or “organic mascara” or organic whatever when it comes to makeup and skincare.

The FDA also does not regulate the term “organic’ as it applies to cosmetics, body care or personal care (surprise…surprise..). However the USDA DOES regulate the term “organic” as it applies to agricultural products through its National Organic Program (NOP). What this means is that if a cosmetic or body care product contains agricultural ingredients and can meet the USDA/NOP organic production, handling, processing and labeling standards it may be certified organic under NOP regs.

RELATED: Read more on clean beauty certifications here and why brands choose certain certifications.

To be USDA/NOP certified organic, 70% of the product’s ingredients must be certified organic. You probably won’t find 100% USDA certified organic makeup because even nontoxic cosmetics contain natural elements like micas, titanium dioxide, iron oxides etc and these are impossible to USDA certify organic as they are not derived from agriculture.

Inika’s Certifications

That being said there are some other standards we can look at. Here is a list of Inika’s certifications:

a screenshot of the inika certifications from their website
inika certifications

So to be honest, I haven’t heard of most of these certifications but I like that they are available to us as consumers so we can look them up if we want to know more. And of course we always have the ingredient list to reference because certifications aren’t everything. It’s all in the ingredeints.

Okay so enough tell, more show! Let’s see what it looks like on!

Okay so here I am wearing Inka’s:

  • Baked Mineral Bronzer in Sunkissed, $49
  • Certified Organic Vegan Lipstick in Pink Poppy, $29
  • Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in Choc Coffee, $29
  • Certified Organic BB Cream Foundation in Beige, $45

But first, Inika Organic Vegan Long Lash Mascara!

10/2017 Update: So I got my hands on some Inika Organic Long Lash Mascara a few months ago and it was like all of a sudden nothing else mattered! I’ve tried probably 15 nontoxic mascaras and this one BY FAR is my fave. It lengthens, adds volume, goes on with a medium viscosity, and is super buildable. One coat and you are ready for a trip to the grocery store – three coats and you are ready to rule the world!

Inika Mascara brush close up is a thin bristle brush

The brush is perfection too. It’s a classic shape brush with medium length, tightly packed bristles. It picks up enough product from the tube and delivers it evenly – no clumping or spider lashes. It goes on with a medium wetness – not too wet and not too dry. I mean really, it’s just so right! Comes in black and brown. Unscented. Buy yours here! $33

BB Cream Foundation

Inika BB Cream styled on a white background

It was love at first swipe with Inika’s Certified Organic BB Cream. If you have never heard the term “BB cream” – it’s a product that is typically lighter in texture than a foundation and is used to even out skin tone. Beige is a perfect match fore me. It goes on even with very light coverage. I have it on in the pic above (purple shirt) on my cheeks, nose and chin but not my forehead. I love that it is sheer enough that there is no delineation. You can see how my freckles, hyper pigmentation and a few of my broken capillaries (ugh!) show through. The coverage here doesn’t cover or hide, it lightens everything and makes it a little more even. This formula is super natural and breathable. Perfect for everyday wear.

The Inika Certified Organic BB Cream contains 80% certified organic ingredients which is higher than the NOP and the Australia Organic Food Chain threshold of 70%. I also love that it has prickly pear oil, pomegranate, avocado and jojoba oils to help moisturize as well.

RELATED: Read more about organic foundations here.

I like wearing this as is or as a primer to my foundation. Beige works for me but I may be able to do Honey too. Get yours at The Choosy Chick! Literally wear this every day. $45

Pressed Mineral Eye Shadow Duo in Choc Coffee

Inika eyeshadow styled with other inika products on a white background

This duo comes with a matte dark brown (Choc) and a slate shimmer (Coffee) and I can’t get enough. First of all, the colors are so beautiful. Understated but bold and perfect for day or night. Each works as a solo lid color or you can do Coffee on the lid with Choc in the corners and along the lash line or vice versa. I’m wearing Coffee as an over all lid color in the pic above.

These work fantastic with or without a primer with minimal creasing. (I’ll give you a sec so you can read that again and let it resonate). They also last. (Another moment).  Love the colors, love the performance. Check and check. Grab your duo at The Choosy Chick!

Certified Organic Vegan Lipstick in Pink Poppy

How pretty is this shade!? Classic yet playful. Understated yet put together. This pink is putting a pep in my step. I mean, who doesn’t need this color!?

Inika boasts this is the first certified organic + vegan lipstick formula on the market. It goes on creamy, sits light and lasts for hours. It uses argan, avocado and jojoba seed oils to create a creamy application without drying out lips. It’s also vegan with the absence of beeswax, Carmine and animal derivatives. Available in 12 colors – I think Auburn Ambition is up next!  Grab your shade at The Choosy Chick!

Baked Mineral Bronzer in Sunkissed

Inika bronzer open and styled on a white background

The proof is in the pudding with this bronzer. I am wearing it in the pic above as a blush with just a spot of Gabriel’s blush in Willow on my apples. So natural, I just love how this color matches my skin tone. I apply this with an angled blush brush and it goes on fine with no pilling or clumpy color deposits. A sunkissed glow at its best.

The thing to watch out for with pressed colors like eye shadows, blushes and bronzers is the additives + binders used to press the colors turning them from loose to packed. Another common offender is talc. Talc can be contaminated with asbestos fibers, posing risks for respiratory toxicity and cancer. Studies by the National Toxicology Panel demonstrated that cosmetic-grade talc free of asbestos is a form of magnesium silicate that can also be toxic and carcinogenic. Inika does not use any talc or toxins to bind their colors. Make sure you check labels before buying!

Get yours!

When you try a few things from a line that leave you wanting more, you know you’ve found a winner. A big thanks to The Choosy Chick for finding and sharing this line with me. Worth a try for sure! They also have a trial pack that sells for $10, check it out.

Also, code: THENEWKNEW will save you 10% on M.O.T.D’s cruelty free, vegan makeup brushes show above.

Tell me what you think if you try something!

Common questions about Inika Organic:

Is Inika makeup good?

Inika is an organic, vegan & cruelty-free makeup brand with a large product range that actually works! (Their BB Cream is the best).

Is Inika made in Australia?

Yes, Inika is made in Australia.

Is Inika vegan?

Yes, Inika Organic 100% vegan.

Inika
  • Price
    (5)
  • Ingredients
    (5)
  • Effectiveness
    (4.5)

Summary

Inika is an organic, vegan & cruelty-free makeup brand with a large product range that actually works!

Overall
4.8

Pros

  • Certified organic
  • Certified vegan
  • Super-effective
  • Affordable
  • Large number of colors and shades

Cons

  • Available mostly online

By Lisa Fennessy

Lisa is the founder of The New Knew. Passionate about clean beauty, organic eats and nontoxic lifestyle, Lisa writes to create awareness. Conscious consumerism and informed decisions will impact the marketplace, our health and THE WORLD!

4 Comments

  1. Reply

    Margot

    Hey Lisa – How awesome is this? Thank you so much for reviewing everything about INIKA – including the certifications that are specific to their area. The BB Cream is gorgeous on you – glad the shade works!

    Have a Happy Mother’s Day!

    1. Reply

      Lisa Fennessy

      Yes! You picked out the perfect shade for me, thanks so much! And it’s important to know what we are buying – love taking a minute to talk about the different certifications. xo!

  2. Reply

    Danielle

    Hello, I love your work. So great to find reviews for natural makeup. I am based in Europe and trying to choose a bright lipstick, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation etc (all clean of course) and was wondering if you prefer Inika or Ilia? I don’t know which to try! Thank you!

    I am a 40 year old woman, Caucasian.

    1. Reply

      Lisa Fennessy

      Hi Danielle! I prefer ILIA overall. Incredible performance. Hope this helps! xo, Lisa

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