News — Vapour Organic Beauty

Vapour Beauty High Voltage Lipstick

I’ll admit I’m an obsessed lipstick collector. By highlighting our lips, we draw bold attention to our voices. I regularly ask strangers what they’re wearing and it’s surprising how much they like to share. I know my best friends’ shades and brands. Many of us wear a signature shade of lipstick, as we would perfume, as a symbol of empowered identity.

Pushing Boundaries of Performance

Maximum pigment with comfortable long-lasting wear was our goal when developing High Voltage Lipstick. We invite this kind of performance challenge—it’s our passion. The intensity and brightness of color we achieve without the use of FD&C pigment and silicone is—remarkable.

Spellbinding Color

We choose to use only cosmetic grade mineral pigments and natural carmine. This could produce murky muddy neutrals since we won’t use chemical FD&C yellow and red. Vapour products are made without FD&C pigments due to their coal tar origin and human health and safety issues. Instead, we opt for minerals with a mixologist’s touch.

Our deep knowledge of plant-based ingredients is combined with an expert understanding of how to achieve gorgeous color. Color is a fine art: emotional, psychological and expressive.

Keeping it Clean

Clean ingredients are important in lipstick because ingestion is unavoidable. We do eat quite a bit of the lipstick we wear. So, we choose ingredients considering their impact on human and environmental health. We look at how they are grown, how they are processed and the effect that has on the finished product. We believe in keeping it clean with the power of plants.

Silicone is the status quo in lipstick because it’s a cheap way to suspend pigment and achieve glide. We reject it because it’s a potential skin irritant made by a process involving fossil fuels. As a more sustainable solution we use an intelligent combination of moisturizing plant waxes and oils. The magic is in the perfect ratio that suspends our pigments for perfect even color payoff on the lips.

Color Theory

We utilize color theory and our range of eleven High Voltage Lipsticks show it in action. The shades work beautifully across a wide range of skin tones because colors are multidimensional and pigments are natural. They pick up on your unique skin tone and look beautiful on everyone. Never artificial or plastic.

My Fave

MADAM is “my” shade—my go-to—I can’t live without it and I’m never without a stick close by. It’s also the shade I riff off of when the mood strikes. I wear PRIMAL under MADAM to create a cool deep rose, and layer CHEMISTRY on top of MADAM for approachable warmth.

Lipstick is a chance to step away from your own convention. Dare to try a new look for a new day’s adventure.

Article Written By: KRISTINE KEHELEY

The views expressed in this article intend to highlight alternative studies and induce conversation. They are the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe & Chic, and are for informational purposes only, even if and to the extent that this article features the advice of physicians and medical practitioners. This article is not, nor is it intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and should never be relied upon for specific medical advice.

1. What inspired you to create your brand?

Vapour grew out of a desire to create color cosmetics that embody qualities we value. Namely, cosmetics that perform like a conventional brand but actually nourish the skin and support wellness. Kristine and I share a common vision of bringing integrity and joy to women through an experience of their own unique beauty.

-Krysia Boinis Vapour CEO, Co-founder

Creativity is my higher calling and creative people are my tribe. I identified as an artist as a child and have always trusted in Beauty as a Healer. In parallel with exposure to art, my childhood is filled with memories of my mother's magical perfumes and awe for my older sister's European cosmetics. I feel fortunate to have been able to use this sensory and somewhat mystical love of beauty in all of its forms to co-create Vapour. Once Krysia and I started we haven't looked back.  

-Kristine Keheley Vapour Co-founder, Formulator

2. If you could go back to the beginning of the creation of your brand what would you do

differently?

I don’t view any of the challenges we have faced as failures. When we make a wrong choice or an obstacle presents itself we get into problem solving mode and get nimble and creative to find a solution. We view challenges as learning and growth opportunities and find ways to navigate these challenges. So far so good!

 -Krysia

3.What advice do you have to offer for those entrepreneurs in the green beauty industry just starting out?

Advice: think big and be open to radical shifts of understanding and implementation. 

You cannot get stuck and must always find a positive way through discouragement and failure. Failure is a vital part of the creative process especially when you're in pursuit of the new. Patience is required and that is a learned quality for me; I get there through focus and the choice to work hard. Fundamentally, put yourself in the way of inspiration and constantly seek learning and improvement. It is a never ending process. 

-Kristine

4.What is your most favorite product you have created and why?

Essence Restorative Treatment + Stratus Skin Perfector + Atmosphere Foundation = My best skin. I love all three.

-Krysia

Atmosphere Luminous Foundation. It's what started this for me. Atmosphere Luminous fills in fines lines and makes my skin look perfect.

–Kristine

5.What ingredients are never added to any of your products?

We use a 70% Minimum Organic ingredients.

NO toxic chemicals, NO Synthetic Fragrance, NO Parabens, NO Petroleum, NO Phthalates, NO FD&C Pigments, NO Dimethicone, NO Animal Testing, NO Phenoxyethanol, NO Fillers, NO Irradiation, NO Nanoparticles, NO Gluten, NO GMO’s, NO Water, NO Alcohol

6.What is the best beauty advice you have received?

Be yourself and be confident in your own unique beauty. It all starts inside. I love seeing a woman in a bold lip because I know she's adventurous and has stories to tell.  

-Kristine

7.What sets you apart from the sea of competition?

We’re so hands on and we manufacture Vapour products ourselves. We set a high bar of excellence for ourselves and our products. We are transparent and we sincerely care about every choice. Ever since the beginning of Vapour, we agreed it was about remaining open to a state of constant evolution. We take that responsibility seriously and we truly love to create beauty.

-Kristine and Krysia

What sets you apart from your competitors? 

We are alchemists and innovators of organic beauty products.

Purity, health, performance and sensory joy are paramount to the Vapour experience.  To discover that pure formulas are more pleasurable and effective than conventional ones is beauty enlightenment, indeed.

What are the ingredients you never use in your products and the reasons behind this decision?

As a young girl I loved creating Halloween costumes, which often included monster makeup, for neighborhood kids. My mom had one rule: “use anything in the kitchen except what’s under the sink.” Anything that was edible was fair game so (monster) makeup ingredients included peanut butter, egg shells, gelatin, and rolled oats. A powerful idea was planted: food is what you eat, and what you put on your skin. 

In making Vapour we choose wholesome organic, whole food ingredients. We’re putting on the body that we would be happy to put in the body.” 

We never use toxins of any kind. Vapour is 100% natural. It contains 70% organic ingredients and 30% mineral pigments and essential oils. That is it. Vapour contains No chemicals, No parabens, No phalates, No animal testing, No nano-particles and No irradiation.

Vapour is colored exclusively with minerals and carmine. Mineral pigments, iron oxides and micas have been used as colorants since the cave paintings of Lascaux in 15,000 BC. Carmine is simply the best natural way to achieve red and it has been for more than 2,000 years. Its first recorded cosmetic use was in England in 1523.

Vapour does NOT contain lab-created FD&C or Lake Colorants like some cosmetics claiming to be “natural”. FD&C colorants are suspect because of proven toxicity dangers. They contain coal tar and petroleum. Health concerns range from tumor growth and neurotransmitter alteration to ADD in children.

Vapour does NOT use plant colorants. Water based plant pigments mean aggressive and often toxic preservatives (such as parabens) are necessary to keep the product safe for use. Chemical preservatives are not necessary in Vapour because Vapour products are all water free.

What is your #1 favorite product from your line and why? 

My favorite products are Stratus Instant Skin Perfector worn with Atmosphere Foundation. The alchemy of these two products worn together is pure Vapour magic. They are designed to work together to give a flawless complexion and our signature Lit From Within Glow and they deliver. Any desired look can be built from a flawless canvas with our vast assortment of over 100 shades.

For example, Stratus 902 (stick) in combination with any of our Atmosphere foundations will virtually erase the look of rosacea or uneven red pigmentation. Vapour co-founder Kristine created 902 to erase the look of her own rosacea…and it works.

We have created versions of these two products for every skin tone and skin type. Stick formulas for dry skin and Soft Focus in pump bottle for combination skin. (Please refer to our stratus and foundation finder charts for the best versions for you.)

What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Do what you love. (And I do.)

What can we expect from your brand in the near future?

I won’t spoil the surprise!

If you could go back to the beginning of the creation of your brand what would you do differently?

In creating Vapour we are creating a new standard for purity and performance in color cosmetics. It is a process; we make decisions today based on the best available information and then learn something new tomorrow that propels us in a new direction. It’s an adventure and the joy is in the journey.

What is the best beauty advice you have received? 

Beauty is an inside job. Being beautiful is feeling beautiful on the inside. I feel beautiful when my heart is open and I am serving others.

When it comes to beautiful skin it’s all about plant oils. I moisturize my skin with plant oils rather than creams. Plant oils are super compatible with skin and provide moisture and nutrients without any fillers. A typical cream is about 70% water; that’s water that does not penetrate to hydrate skin, so it is just filler. Plus, creams require aggressive preservatives and pure oils do not. Plant oils are also versatile. They can help normalize over active oil glands and at the same time nourish and moisturize dry skin.

Any make up tips for fall looks and trends? 

Naturally radiant skin is always in style and who doesn’t want it? Vapour’s new HALO Illuminator is an easy way to get Vapour’s signature Lit From Within Glow. Our Halo formula is never chalky or ashy and gives a candlelit glow anywhere it is applied (cheeks, under brow bone, collar bones) through the dispersion undetectable of ultra-fine particle mica.

We all love Vapour Beauty see in just a few minutes how to use many amazing Vapour Beauty products in this quick video.