Professional Beauty’s Hannah Gay received the holy-grail of beauty compliments when wearing this Australian made, salon-stocked foundation.
It’s been a good few years since I was last asked to present my ID.
At 31 years-old, I haven’t yet reached a point where looking ‘old’ is so much a concern as looking tired is (I can blame my active toddler on that).
I’d be lying if I didn’t dwell often on the post-pregnancy melasma that sits squarely on my forehead. Or on the nasolabial folds that have begun to set in. And don’t get me started on my dark circles – now embedded thanks to countless sleepless nights.
And while I’m proud of my skin and the care I’ve put into it over the years, I’m still one to vouch for the freedom a great foundation can give to put our best face forward.
Beauty therapists are at the forefront of great skin. Having worked my way through a bevy of unbelievable facials throughout my career, it feels remiss to slap on substandard makeup after one. Not all makeup is suitable for use post-treatment, just as not all makeup can provide a secure level of coverage.
I was first introduced to Australian clean mineral makeup and natural skincare brand, Lust Minerals a few years ago. The brand is recognisable by its signature pastel packaging envisioned by founder, Stacey Hollands.
A former beauty therapist, the Queenslander and now mother-of-two made an initial investment of $10,000 into the business nine years ago. That investment went on to grant Stacey $1 million in sales within the first 18 months of operation. By the end of the 2022-2023 financial year, Lust Minerals was projected to hit $10 million.
Stacey’s humble beginnings are not unique, having got her start in the linen closet of her Sunshine Coast home. Her focus rested on formulating with toxin-free ingredients after losing her father to cancer in 2011.
Read more on Stacey Hollands’ story in our 2023 interview here.
I met Stacey at a Sydney media event earlier this year. She explained how working with cosmeceuticals would often leave her with burns on her hands. This realisation pushed Stacey further in her desire to develop a range that was as free of chemicals as possible. In an attempt to substitute out potentially cancer-causing ingredients, the Lust Minerals makeup line instead utilses highly concentrated and natural ingredients that work “like a multivitamin for the skin,” Stacey shared.
The brand first launched into the B2B space where it has held a firm footprint since. “I launched into salons as this was an industry I was very familiar with,” Stacey said in a press statement. “When I reflect on where we started nine years ago, it was myself running the business as my ‘side gig’ with the product stocked in a linen cupboard in my home. Fast forward to now, we have moved into two different warehouses, an office, and 20-plus staff members who are on this journey with me.”
Today, Lust Minerals also sells via the brand’s website with no plans to enter the bricks-and-mortar retail landscape. The brand’s Pro Finish Liquid Foundation is a best seller – so much so that one tube sells every two minutes globally.
I’d hurriedly applied the liquid over SPF one weekday morning, racing to daycare drop off before making a pit stop at the liquor store to collect a drop for that night’s dinner. Across the counter, I made eyes with the sales assistant who I’d watched scan my face in confusion. “Can I please check your ID?” she asked, my expression suddenly matching hers.
Watch Lust Minerals’ Pro Filter Foundation in action below:
It was the first time in many years my age had been questioned. Despite the countless facials and donning of other base products, nothing had ensued a response quite like that I’d received wearing Lust Minerals. Pro Finish provides full coverage without the feel of a heavy cream. Its liquid is easy to control and blend, and is resistant to pilling. It also comes in a broad shade range; 16 to be exact. As my day of wear drew to a close, I struggled to find a reason to fault it.
Despite the countless facials and donning of other base products, nothing had ensued a response quite like that I’d received wearing Lust Minerals.
My experience with Lust Minerals has prompted me to try more of the range. On the shelf, products are eye-catching. And with an established address book of Australian beauty salon stockists, Stacey’s early links to the industry are never far away.
To stock Lust Minerals at your beauty business, visit their website.
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