TRAVEL TALES | New Zealand's top beauty brands

RECENTLY MY husband and I went off the grid in a rented 1991 Toyota camper van, driving around New Zealand's countryside hopping from winery to winery, staying in a wild bird santuary, hiking around Anchor Bay, relaxing at Hot Water Beach, polishing our heels in the black sand beach at Piha, eating endless Persimons in Matakana, floating in the sulfurous, steamy waters around Auckland... it was an unintentionally healthy getaway jam packed with wellness (even our jam was made from grapes right off the vineyard), nature and pretty fantastic natural beauty products. Yes, I made a point of stopping in every chemist I could find and they were chokka with manuka honey products, thermal clays and all sorts.

The movies (Eagle vs. Shark) and TV shows (Flight of the Concords) that make New Zealand look and sound boring and bitty are wrong. Well, they're wrong if you like beauty (and wine).

So have your pen at the ready because you'll want to jot down these names for the next time you're on the hunt for new beauty game particularly if you've gone more organic with your beauty. You'll notice most brands are niche, eco-aware, free from some common nasties in mainstream brands, locally or sustainably sourced and quite proud of their Kiwi heritage.

NEW ZEALAND'S FINEST BEAUTY BUYS

Skinfood (although I did find this Korean brand called Skinfood too) is a super affordable range that retails at Waitrose. I started using it when in graduate school back in 2004. Standout ingredients include coconut palm, essential orange, avocado oil, sunflower oil, witch hazel, manuka honey, aloe vera, lavender oil and tea tree oil. The second ingredient in their Light Moisturiser is Aloe. All the products are unisex and, frankly, get the job done at a great price point and without a ton of the nasties.

Snowberry is high-end natural skincare with stand-out serums and cleansers. It's stocked in chi-chi places like Colette. Branding done by Rob Ryan, ingredients like Algae Extract and Pullalan, bio-active peptides, Phytic acid and Totarol.

Karen Murrell makes skincare, bodycare, men's grooming products and cosmetics that are certified organic. Her range of natural lipsticks is gorgeous. Even the packaging (including lipstick tubes) are biodegradable (starting just 100 days after thrown away). All contractors ensure they use ethical working conditions and all of her products are free from parabens, artifical colourants and fragrances, petrochemicals, harsh detergents, talc, TEA and other toxic ingredients. 

Living Nature was created by New Zealand's only Miss Universe. It's one of the more ubiquitous Kiwi brands. There are dozens and dozens of SKUs and many of their skincare and cosmetics have won Natural Health Magazine Awards in the 20 years since they launched. They're certified organic by the German body BDIH. 

Evolu Botanical Skincare is a gorgeous range. Every product starts from a base of the evolu essence, which is pure botanicals and New Zealand spring water. Plant extracts and bioactives are added to this base alongside 100% pure cosmetic grade essential oils. Evoluve is free from parabens, petrochemicals, minerals, phthalates, sulfates, artificial colours and fragrances. The only animal products used are beeswax and lanolin. Shop by skin type or condition.

Huni is all about the Manuka Honey with proprietary honeycomb packaging. Ingredients are sustainably harvested and it's anti-ageing products have been tested in independent trials to diminish the signs of ageing.

Kio Kio body products use no parabens, petrochemicals or derivatives or propylene glycol, PEGS, silicones, GMOs, artificial colours, synthetic fillers, isothiazolinone, DEA or TEA, IBPC, harsh detergents or surfactants. The water used in its products is from New Zealand alpine ranges with high amounts of skin-nourishing silica. The four scent are Pacific Tiare & Ti Kauka, Rainforest & Koromiko, Frangipani & Puriri and Citrus Petal and Tarata (all very New Zealand-South Pacific).

Parrs manufactures many of the products you see in the chemist at the airport in New Zealand, from Wild Ferns manuka honey products to thermal mud products, tea tree oil, New Zealand lanolin and items from the mineral spa waters found there too.

We'll finish this bad boy tomorrow with 8 more amazing Kiwi beauty brands that you have to know about! Until then, check out our favourite new French beauty brand!

READ PART II of the best New Zealand beauty brands...

TREND MILL | Creamy-mauve-plum nails. Yes, it's a thing.

AND IT does feel a bit early 90210 (the real one). Brenda (who just published a new book, Badass) and Kelly both would have worn this nail polish with their high-waisted, pleated shorts (or, early '90s favourite, overalls), rouched white socks, applique waistcoats, wispy fringe and matching lipstick. So what once was old(ish) is now new again. The fashion cycle shortens with every turn, doesn't it?

Get your pick of top creamy-mauve-plum nails:

1. Rescue Beauty Lounge in Bruised
2. Glamour Woman of the Year Nail Polish
3. Models Own Cream Polish in Purple Ash
4. E.L.F. Nail Polish in Rosy Raisin
5. Essie In Stitches
6. CHANEL Le Vernis in Rose Confidentiel
7. Sephora by OPI in Do I Know You
8. YSL La Laque in Purple Rose
9. Estee Lauder Pure Color Nail Laquer in Surreal Violet
10. Zoya Nail Polish in Kate and Dawn

TRAVEL TALES | Products you're not packing in your makeup bag but should be!

 

I'VE FILLED two passports with stamps over the last two years (My TV is from 1994, so, no, not rich. Just different priorities). That's a lot of travel. At first, I was shamelessly carting around bags of beauty crap. Multiple items of the same product, things I never even opened, full bottles of cheap shampoo I could just as easily pick up wherever I landed. What a waste! And so onerous. I was forced to be static by my heavy luggage, was constantly worried and a huge target (girl struggling up stairs of a station with two huge bags? Like a sitting duck). So, I've learned and honed and now have a makeup bag that's no bigger than a pencil case when I travel. I pick up cheap, bulky items (like shampoo/conditioner) when I arrive since I like raiding the local chemists anyway. And what's the point of carrying something that takes up 30% of your luggage real estate but costs so little? Doesn't add up. While this isn't my definitive list, it's one that I highly suggest for anyone who cares about what they like and feel like on the road.

SwissDent Pure Mouth Spray (£9.50)-- It's anti-bacterial so won't just cover bad travel breath (no, yours doesn't smell good after sleeping -- mouth dangled open -- in economy class for six hours either) but help prevent the reason for it. The tiny bottle is no bigger than a tube of lip balm but all you need is one spray for minty (tho not unnecessarily sweet), bacteria-free breath. Essential when on-the-go and meeting with people, drinking multiple coffees, all day long.

Deborah Lippman The Stripper To Go ($10 for a box of 6 mitts) -- Soon to be available at the new House of Fraser Apothecary concept boutique. Deborah Lippman has created a genius little finger mitt that fits over the tip of one of your fingers with enough non-drying remover to take off even dark varnish on all ten nails, without leaving stains. Plus the lavender scent is nicer than the usual Acetone odor. One or two of these tiny mitts take up no space in your luggage, weigh nothing and there's no chance of remover opening and spilling all over the contents of your case.

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