Brand: ILIA
ILIA fits perfectly in the Florissana ethos. A focus on quality, while obtaining to use the most natural ingredients and make products in the most eco-friendly and ethical way possible.
The brand was founded because at the time it was nearly impossible to find a colour line that offers products that are a combination of skincare and colour, without only offering off-trend, muddy hues and disappointing packaging.
Our skin is our largest organ, and can absorb just about anything we put to its surface. ILIA is formulated with this in mind, and dedicated to creating the purest products possible. The ethical-sustainable approach embodied in each piece is filled with certified organic bio-active botanicals that nourish and rejuvenate the skin.
The quality of the product is mirrored in its packaging. Most of the products are housed in a sleek recycled aluminum case. Each product is filled with up to 85% bioactive organic ingredients. A combination of on trend pigments and super nourishing elements has set ILIA apart from the conventions of organic beauty.
ILIA launched its first collection of 6 Tinted Lip Conditioners in Vancouver, Canada in 2011. The philosophy behind the now LA based brand grew from the curiosity of understanding the ingredients on the back of a lipstick box a few years prior by its founder, Sasha Plavsic.
Contrary to many organic cosmetic brands on the market at that time, Sasha referred to her roots in branding and focused on the visual aesthetic of the line. Once the contemporary packaging was in place, it was important that the quality of the product performance stood out as something new and unique in the beauty industry. From here, she sought out several chemists and an organic supplier to create an ethical product and maintain full visibility from start to finish.
| Health | Zachary Ilia, the founder's younger brother and now business partner, suffered from acute asthma and allergies as a young child. Their mother who changed their diet to natural and organic products after trying different remedies. The change of lifestyle allowed her brother to heal. ILIA was founded on the ideology of safety, simplicity and transparency. Their high quality ingredients are sourced from organic farmers around the world and manufactured in an organic certified lab. The formulas consists out of the safest, cleanest ingredients and are created from scratch by Sasha and her team. |
| Sustainability | Most products are also housed in a recycled aluminum case embodying their stance on sustainable living. All products are produced in the USA, working closely with several laboratories where they are in control of the creation and production process. |
| Ethics | Their labs are Leaping Bunny certified, meaning they don’t believe in testing their products or ingredients on animals. ILIA uses USDA certified organic ingredients and all the products are certified gluten- and dairy-free. |
ILIA was one of the first natural make-up brands that I fell in love with. I was searching for items that would be as good and last as long as the conventional products I was used to using. It took me a long time to find replacements that I loved as much or more as the old ones. I started using ILIA's products back in the day when they only had cheek and lip products (and maybe also mascara). No foundations, eyeshadows or face powders yet. The lip products alone were enough to keep me going back for more, as the colours were (and still are) much more vibrant and not muddy or generic like a lot of organic brands were (and - again - still are).
I have used their lip products for a long time, and tried out other products as they released new items. The Vivid Foundation is the first natural foundation that I have actually liked (I later also tried the Gressa one, which I love equally). It doesn't change colour drastically while you're wearing it, which was a problem I encountered a lot with previous natural foundations.
It can be difficult to find mascara's that are not black when looking for natural cosmetics. Thankfully ILIA makes four different shades. I use the lightest one as a brow gel, which I would highly recommend! You can also use them as liquid eyeliner when you use them in conjunction with an eyeliner brush. Multi-use at its finest!