Makeup Without the Breakup – Here’s Six Brands Leading Refillable Beauty
- Words by Peppermint
words KAYLA WRATTEN images SUPPLIED
If you dig around your beauty bag or pull up your latest skincare shelfie, what kind of packaging can you see? From tubes of mascara to bottled cleanser and your tried-and-tested foundation, the majority of our beauty buys are bound in single-use plastic packaging that’s easy on the eye but disastrous for the planet. Yes, even makeup has its ugly side!
There’s a lot of plastic waste clogging our landfills and waterways once we’ve tossed our empties. Even cardboard can have its downside. Data taken from Zero Waste Week revealed that the cosmetics industry produces more than 120 billion units of packaging around the world each year, equating to a loss of 18 million acres of forest annually. Yikes!
Luckily for us, a myriad of makeup, skincare and fragrance labels are pushing beauty boundaries by embracing sustainable alternatives. Enter the refillable beauty movement, where everything from glossy lip balms to creamy concealers can be replenished, helping us to blitz our cosmetic waste.
According to Netherlands-based organisation LCA Centre, if reusable packaging reigned supreme in the bathroom, an enormous 70% of the carbon emissions associated with the cosmetic industry could be reduced! In light of this great news, we’ve rounded up the cult labels leading the beauty ‘refillution’ in every step of your routine.
Face oil: Foile
Immersed in serene, mint-green interiors and a wave of clean beauty products, stepping into Bondi-based concept store Foile feels like drifting out to sea. As a new refillable beauty bricks-and-mortar boutique, the unisex brand offers a range of affordable oils dubbed Foile Classics that cleanse, moisturise, remove makeup… the list goes on! Whether you fancy locally grown hemp oil or argan oil from Morocco, once you’ve emptied your glass bottle of goodness you can head back to Bondi for an in-store replenishment starting at just $12.
Foundation: Honeypie Minerals
Hands up who wants flawless matt coverage foundation that doesn’t cost the Earth? The reigning queen of mineral makeup, Honeypie Minerals founder Claudia Keogh has you sorted with her beautiful pots of loose mineral powder handmade in small batches in England. The nourishing foundation, comprised of vegan, skin-loving ingredients such as Mica and Zinc Oxide, can be replenished with compostable pouches made from plant-based materials.
Lipstick: Lush
We all know bathroom buff Lush has long been a source of sustainable wisdom, bringing naked bath bombs into our tubs for sensuous soaks and package-free pampering. But did you know they’ve created some pretty nifty refillable makeup, too? Their naked cosmetics collection boasts solid foundation in 40 inclusive shades, a vegan concealer stick and refillable lipsticks for eco-friendly kisses. Each shade arrives in a wax sleeve that can be peeled away to slot into your existing lipstick case – easy as pie.
Bronzer: Eco Minerals
Sign us up for the whole shebang from beauty brand Eco Minerals, hailing from coastal hotspot Byron Bay. With bonus points for its natural SPF 24 sun protection, the loose powder bronzer is a fast track to sun-kissed skin that makes us feel like we’ve just returned from a sojourn in the sun. For makeup without the breakup, keep hold of your empty jar and restock with biodegradable refills.
Mascara: Kjaer Weis
Slept in and need to freshen up fast? Swipe some natural mascara from New York City label Kjaer Weis over your lashes and you’ll be good to go. Made with organic ingredients for nourished, lustrous lashes, this lengthening mascara arrives with a sleek silver wand and is designed to be refilled every three months.
Eyeshadow: Ere Perez
Growing up in Mexico with a mother who created home beauty remedies, it’s no surprise the eponymous founder of Ere Perez has established a clean cosmetics label that’s quickly gained cult status as the best in beauty for botanical ingredients and a glowing complexion. We’re obsessed with the eyeshadow palettes, as each shade, from golden Caro to peachy Maura, is available as a refillable magnetic single.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
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🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
