Inika were founded in Sydney and have earned world wide recognition as a brand that upholds strict requirements when it comes to their organic, natural and vegan makeup. They are also Halal. They are 100% Australian owned.

The website states:

Our Certified Organic Vegan Lipsticks challenge the notion of conventional lipstick by providing effortless nourishment and hydration without compromising on performance or colour.

Certified Organic Argan, Avocado and Jojoba Seed Oils create a creamy, flawless application that feels as luxurious as it looks.

They are certified by The Organic Food Chain Australia and Organic Cosmetic Italy (this applies to the Eye, Brow and Lip Pencils).

They also have certification with the Vegan Society UK, Choose Cruelty Free Australia and are Certified Halal.

You have 12 months after opening to finish one before they expire. In Australia we can buy them for $39.00 AUS for 4.2g or 0.14oz. They have a dedicated US site and they are priced at $29.00 US.

Ingredients:

Packaging:

Each lipstick comes in a black cardboard box that is coated to make it feel almost like suede. The tube itself is a matte black material that matches the suede feel of the box. On each side of the lid, you will see their logo and the shade is on a sticker on the bottom.

Texture:

There is a lot of shimmer in each of these shades but you don’t feel any grittiness. To me, the bullet is quite firm on first touch but will warm up. It never builds up to feel heavy. It has minimal slip and doesn’t feel too slick. I find the scent similar to the Axiology lipsticks with an extra hint of sweetness. It lingers a little.

Opacity:

As the opacity starts off sheer, you can apply easily from the tube. Pressing harder will result in better colour pay off but it’s light to medium for the first layer. You can layer up to medium to full. I find that the shimmer is the hard to take off so I think it’ll help with it’s staying power.

Swatches:

Auburn Ambition & Flushed

Auburn Ambition

Auburn Ambition is a fiery red, with a lot of gold shimmer. It reminds me of Dorothy’s ruby red shoes. It’s probably better suited for warm skin tones as the gold will help bring out warmth already present. The formula is really nice. It’s not too slippery and does not dry matte. The shimmer in it really helps with the sheen and giving your lips dimension. The one thing I don’t like is that the shimmer is incredibly hard to take off.

Flushed

Flushed is indeed a flush of pink with purple. For me the purple comes through quite strongly. I dislike the silver shimmer in this. It just doesn’t suit me. I think applied lightly I can wear it but with more the silver becomes too noticeable and too frosty on me. Again the formula wears with a sheen that isn’t too glossy. The shimmer is also really hard to remove.

PROS:

• Certified organic ingredients that will help moisturise your lips
• Completely vegan
• All shades in the range are vegan
• Nice formula which isn’t too wet or gritty, even with the amount of shimmer included
• Shimmer included might help with it’s long lasting wear

CONS:

• Not unscented (and for me it’s quite strong and lingers)
• Shimmer
• Hard to remove shimmer

Final Word:

I definitely like Auburn Ambition more than Flushed but I’m still on the fence about shimmer in lipstick, especially when it’s so strong. The formula is great though, especially if you want a product that doesn’t feel glossy or too matte and dry. The vegan ingredients and the exclusion of dyes also means that it is one of the cleaner lipstick brands you can try, so if you don’t mind shimmer then there’s a whole range of colours that might suit. I do believe they have released some matte shades.

Purchase here: Official website (you can change between countries in the top left hand corner)