Recently, I was honored with the opportunity to sample THEVI Cosmetics, which have been designed for women of the “New Ethnic Market” – that is, light to dark skinned women of Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descent. THEVI Cosmetics promises to deliver compatible, beautiful cosmetics to compliment these women in every shade from summer-ready brights to office-friendly neutrals. So which products made the cut – and which did not? Read on to find out!
THE BEST
THEVI Mineral Powder SPF 8 ($20.00, TheviCosmetics.com). Like other mineral-based powders, THEVI Mineral Powder is devoid of the preservatives, talc, oil, waxes, fragrances, and other chemicals that traditional powders so often provide. However, unlike other mineral-based powders that I often feel as though I am shellac-ing on with a brush, I found that THEVI Mineral Powder was light enough to apply with a powder puff, but could still be built on in layers (most likely due to the fact that the main ingredients are polyethylene and zinc stearate, not heavy zinc or titanium oxide as with typical mineral powders). The powder also includes vitamin A as retinyl palmitate, and antioxidant vitamins C and E (which can boost the power of sunscreen when provided in higher concentrations). I also enjoyed the fact that the subtle warm tones of the powder complimented, not overemphasized, the yellow undertones of my Asian skin. One caveat: With this or any other SPF-containing powder, don’t expect the full SPF reading listed: any powder product requires about 14 times the amount of normal powder application to receive the SPF listed on the package, so a powder with an SPF of 8 is really providing an SPF of about 0.5 with normal use.
THEVI Mineral Powder SPF 8 Ingredients List: Polyethylene, Zinc Stearate, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Tricaprylin, Nylon-12, Boron Nitride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Magnesium Myristate, Lanolin Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, May Contain: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Ultramarines, Manganese Violet, Carmine, Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green, Red 6 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Red 27 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake.
THEVI High Impact Lipstick ($13.00, THEVICosmetics.com). Ingredients-wise, the product contains a small concentration of vitamin A as retinyl palmitate, vitamin C as ascorbyl palmitate, and vitamin E (tocopheryl acerate). The main ingredients – VP/hexadecene copolymer and tricaprylin – are commonly found in lipstick and deemed safe. But what I really like about this lipstick is not so much the ingredients, but that it glides on smoothly and evenly, and looks and feels great on the lips. Like the other cosmetics for the “New Ethnic” woman, the shades definitely compliment warm (yellow or olive) undertones in the skin, and that’s a great thing! I didn’t find it to be particularly long-lasting, nor did I find it shiny enough to forgo the gloss, but that’s okay – without sunscreen in the lipstick, I had to apply my Neutrogena Moisture Shine Lip Gloss with SPF 20 ($14.38 for two, Amazon.com) anyway.
THEVI High Impact Lipstick Ingredients: VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Tricaprylin, Trioctyldodecyl Citrate, Polyisobutene, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Polygylceryl-2 Diisostearate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ceresin, Tridecyl Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate,Tridecyl Trimellitate, Triisocetyl Citrate, Octyldodecanol, Polyethylene, ParaffinRetinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Propylparaben,Butylparaben, Fragrance, May contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Carmine,Manganese Violet, Red 6, Red 21, Red 27, Red 28 Lake, Red 30, Red 33 Lake, Orange 5,Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake.
WHAT I’D PASS ON
THEVI Automatic Lasting Eyeliner ($12.00, TheviCosmetics.com). Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think that this castor oil-based eyeliner is the one for me. While I love the fact that it contains soothing aloe and chamomile, it just didn’t work for me: Within a few hours’ of application, I noticed that I officially had a bit of a raccoon-look going. Nothing extreme, but I certainly have had better experiences with eyeliners that have a silicone at the top of the ingredients list. (This may be due to the fact that silicones are amongst the least volatile of compounds used in cosmetics, according to the textbook Principles of Polymer Science and Technology in Cosmetics and Personal Care). I personally am sticking with my silicone-based Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner in Black-Brown ($6.49, Drugstore.com) for now, but maybe I just touch my eyes too much for a castor oil-based liner, who knows?
THEVI Automatic Lasting Eyeliner Ingredients: Castor (Ricinus Communis) Oil, Beeswax, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Caprylic/ Capric Triglyceride, Isopropyl Lanolate, Ozokerite, Carnauba (Copernicia Cerifera) Wax, Synthetic Wax, Calcium Carbonate, Microcrystalline Wax, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Matriciaria (Chamomilla Recutita) Extract, Propylparaben, BHT, May Contain: Mica, Red Oxide of Iron, Yellow Oxide of Iron, Black Oxide of Iron, Titanium Dioxide, Bismuth Oxychloride, Ultramarines, Manganese Violet, Carmine, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Chromium Oxide Greens, Chromium Hydroxide Green
OVERALL OPINIONS
The THEVI Cosmetics line is definitely a fun assortment of warm-toned cosmetics products for women of Asian, South Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean descents. I think that the products demonstrate just how far cosmetic science has come: Just a decade ago, it was almost impossible to find cosmetics that complimented ethnic skin tones without looking harsh or cakey, or even completely turning some alien shade of orange, and now there is a complete line of products designed exclusively for warm skin tones. I definitely approve! Let me know your thoughts in Comments below.