On Our Radar: We Put Ere Perez’s Plant-Based Make-Up to the Test

If health food stores are part of your weekly shopping rounds, you might already be familiar with Ere Perez. Its plant-based products were created by a Mexican-born Sydneysider (the brand’s namesake) in 2002. With a degree in nutrition and certifications in naturopathy, Bach flower remedies and acupuncture, Perez combines elements of each of her studies into her minimalist skincare and make-up brand, which focuses on using foods and native Australian botanicals in its formulations.

Five Ere Perez make-up products, reviewed

If you’re someone who just likes something on their lashes for a bit of definition, this fits the brief. It’s a natural-look mascara, the kind that can pass for your real lashes, and applies clean without transfer or smudging. The formula is completely synthetic-free; even its binding agents and emollients are 100 per cent plant-based. Aside from the avocado oil, there are five other plant oils. Great for everyday use, it’s a comfortable wear, just don’t expect Twiggy-style length or volume.

This foundation reads like a skin tint: lightweight, buildable coverage, cushiony on the skin and a glowy finish that isn’t shiny or filled with mica sparkles. A small amount blended out will give a sheer coverage, like tinted moisturiser, but if you prefer medium coverage you can build up to that by layering. Importantly, it doesn’t feel like it’s wearing you and it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin (two points that are non-negotiable for me). Oats are often used in skincare for their reported moisturising and calming properties, hence the oat milk here, and Vitamin E is a natural emollient that softens the skin. The shade range is limited, but there are complimentary exchanges if you buy online and get the shade wrong.  

This is marketed as a hybrid concealer/foundation that you can level up or down depending on the depth of coverage you want. Personally, I wouldn’t be using it as a foundation, because although a little goes a long way, used all-over, it could blanket the skin. If, however, you’re someone who doesn’t like wearing a base but does want to cover redness, spots or pigmentation, this is ideal. The formula is creamy and dense, working well when applied with fingers or a brush – the latter helps work it into the skin more. The key ingredient here is arnica, which has been used in homeopathy for years, and more recently in cosmetics for its reputed soothing benefits. The shade range is very limited and the formula is not as forgiving as the Oat Milk foundation, so it can be hard to match your skin tone.

Designed for lips and cheeks, this multi-use crayon uses coconut and baobab oils for moisture. It’s creamy and comfortable to wear. As blush, it gives good control and because of the hydrators, blends out well, melting into the skin. The finish is matte, but not chalky or flat, and the pigment can be layered and build up for more intensity. It’s one of those easy throw-in-your-bag kind of products.

Lip stains are particularly fashionable right now, but Ere Perez’s version has been around for more than a decade. It’s a personal favourite. The beetroot here is used for its antioxidant properties and as a natural pigment. It also features blue agave as a humectant, ensuring the dry down isn’t tight or unpleasant on the lips. For me, this rivals some of the big-name lip and cheek tints on the market, with a long-lasting stain that ranges from a slight flush (one or two drops) to bold colour if you apply multiple coats.

The verdict

I’ve used Ere Perez products throughout my 20-year career, and what I find impressive (aside from the interesting use of vegetables in its formulations) is that the products behave like cosmetics you’d find at Mecca. The formulations are as good, if not better, than many of their synthetic competitors.

If you’re looking to reduce your chemical load and try more plant-based cosmetics, you could build your whole routine from the range and not notice the absence of synthetics (in terms of performance or wear). My top picks are the Oat Milk foundation, which behaves like something double the price, gives a flattering, glowy finish and feels great on the skin, and the Beetroot cheek and lip tint for its versatility, long wear and timelessness – it’s still relevant a decade on. Plus, a little goes a long way, which is what cost-of-living dreams are made of.

ereperez.com

On Our Radar is a new Broadsheet series where beauty editor and co-founder of the weekly beauty newsletter Gloss Etc, Sarah Tarca, takes a deeper look at beauty and skincare brands people are talking about.

We hope you like the products we recommend on Broadsheet. Our editors select each one independently. Broadsheet may receive an affiliate commission when you follow some links.