Honestly BEAUTIFUL

Introducing the brands embracing transparency

The increase in information about ingredients, formulations and results online has brought about a shift in the dynamic between brand and consumer. In a world accustomed to fake news, the buzz phrase for this year, according to market research experts at Mintel, is ‘radical transparency’. The Ordinary – the name alone speaks volumes about its rejection of false promises and fancy jargon – launches its new 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder (€5.50, theordinary.com) this month. As a pure form of vitamin C, you can mix the powder into any other water-based serum or moisturiser, as and when you want to apply it; this reduces the amount of time that it is in contact with water and maintains the efficacy of the treatment. So the results – rather than an over-egged promise – speak for themselves. Glossier is another brand that has broken the industry mould. By crowdsourcing ideas for products via its online platforms, it is able to tailor new launches to likely customers. But doing so makes it even more vital that it delivers on those ideas and expectations. View the Generation G lipstick in Cake (above right) or Like (right, €15 each, glossier.com) online and you will see a simple explanation of the sheer, matt and ‘dialled-down’ pigments that adapt to your natural lip colour (pictured left in Like). Over at Lush, every ingredient in every product is listed online and linked to a page explaining what it does and where it comes from. On a sleepy winter morning, the citrus, grapefruit and seaweed Whoosh Shower Jelly (€9.60, lush.com) not only feels energising, but honest as well.