503
All three of these perform perfectly well,
but in truth it is difficult for me to judge, since
before I blow-dry my hair, I always coat it
with an iron-clad gel, superstrong enough
to turn my wavy-not-in-a-cute-way tresses
into a semblance of the stick-straight bob
I crave. The 98 percent–naturally derived
Garnier Fructis Pure Clean Styling Gel, a
very pleasant product with a TerraCycle
partnership (you send in your empty tube;
they repurpose it to make new recyclable
products), is not up to the task, nor is the
100 percent–vegan Yarok Feed Your Hold Hair Spray able to conquer
my limp locks. So I hightail it back to my reliable göt2b Ultra Glued
Invincible Styling Gel, which is so tough it boasts a picture of a scary
guy with a mohawk on the box.
The next morning, I scrub myself with Ren Clean Skincare Atlantic
Kelp and Magnesium Anti-Fatigue Body Wash—the bottle is made
from 100 percent–recycled plastic, 20 percent of which is culled from
the ocean—but is this really waking me up, or is the shower just doing
its thing? Then I give Vapour Soft Focus Foundation a spin. The Taos-
based company has a serious commitment to renewable energy and a
goal of using 100 percent Day Light Solar by 2022 at its headquarters
and production facility, and—nice surprise!—I love this and would gladly
use it when this research project ends. For the trademark dots on my
cheeks, meant to make me look like a cross between a Victorian doll and
a 1920s flapper, I have—editorial secret—long relied on mere lipstick,
and Guerlain Rouge G in Deep Plum is sustainable because its tube is
refillable. Not only does it look like a tiny chrome cocktail shaker, it is
quite capable of giving me an unnatural blush. But just when it seems like
it will be easy for me to do my part in saving the planet, there is trouble
brewing for my lips. Admittedly, not everyone wants to look as if she
has just bitten into a poison apple—but I need a lip pencil so dark, it’s
almost black and capable of creating the upper-lip points my Cupid’s
bow depends on. I try the darkest shades from both Dr. Hauschka (the
antibacterial witch hazel in their liners is grown in their own herb garden!)and 100% Pure (their pigments come from
fruit, vegetables, and tea! They even print
their recyclable boxes with nontoxic soy
ink at their 100 percent–solar-powered
San Jose production facility!). Alas, they
both are very pretty but too gentle, too
sweet, for my kisser, and I am forced to
return to my beloved MAC Cosmetics
Nightmoth, which—just saying—is made
of wood, not plastic.
Now for the most fraught part of the
experiment: Will I be able to relinquish my
precious T. LeClerc compact, even for a day? If I can bear the thought
of it, there are refillable alternatives that include a delightfully petite
Golden Alligator Slim Compact from Estée Lauder, so chic it could
nestle cheerfully in a golden alligator Birkin. Or I might consider
Antonym Cosmetics, which claims that their products contain 98
percent (or higher) natural ingredients; the packaging is made from
what I think is wood (sustainable!) but turns out to be bamboo (even
more sustainable!). If I ever decide I want to channel Stevie Nicks
instead of Sally Bowles, Antonym is the powder for me.
In the end, even if I am not ready to abandon my T. LeClerc anytime
soon (I wonder if Madonna is still using it?), it is nice to know that there
are plenty of laudable goods out there, striving to help us look beautiful
while at least attempting to keep the Earth beautiful, too. And I guess
that’s really the heart of the matter: We want products to make us feel
cool and gorgeous and transform us into the person we always wanted
to be—a fantasy version of ourselves, no less powerful for being so elu-
sive. And if these powders and potions, these shampoos and sprays can
also do no harm—and guide us toward a saner, smarter future—won’t
they literally become the sustainable stuff that dreams are made of? @A staggering 152.1 billion
units of beauty and
personal-care packaging
was sold globally in 2018,
and very little of
the resulting waste,
including plastic items,
will actually be recycledAISLES OF MAN
As we grapple with an environmental crisis of our own making, the cosmetics
industry is eyeing a more sustainable future courtesy of responsible
© ANDREAS GURSKY/COURTESY OF SPRÜTH MAGERS/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S, INC. © 2019 / WESTIMAGE. products that still perform. 99 Cent II (diptych), 2001, by Andreas Gursky.