The ultimate “green” lipstick developed right here in Canberra
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Canberra lipstick queen Karen Green is obsessed with the ultimate “green” lipstick.
And by that, we mean she wants lippy-lovers to look gorgeous in her bespoke pink and red stains which are made from environmentally-sound products and which now come in revolutionary sustainable packaging.
After years of product development, Karen has created a “yuckies-free” lipstick in a completely biodegradable corn-starch pot.
Karen, a former model, has always argued lipstick applied with a brush allows for greater control!
Just Lippy was launched in 2016 when Karen could no longer ignore her environmental conscience and wanted lipstick without an ingredients list as long as her arm, not to mention something which had no animal ingredients.
She set about devising a product she could trust and at first had to resort to using plastic tubes because of the limited alternatives around. She then swapped to small metal tins with product to be applied with a finger or brush.
“I make them from scratch with as few ingredients as possible and without anything derived from petroleum or coal. They are not tested on animals, are plant-based and you can feel great about the fact that they are plastic-free!”
As a painter, Karen was also able to create the exact shades she sought out at the makeup counter but could not quite lay her hands on.
In fact, it was a quest for a particular colour lipstick at age 16 at the cosmetics counter in the then Grace Brothers Belconnen that led Karen into a modelling career when she met a modelling agent who saw her potential.
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Many years of strutting catwalks later and Karen returned to Canberra to follow her artistic passion and be near family, eventually raising her kids here.
But her side-business in lip colour has always been ticking along as she sells online and at Handmade and the Old Bus Depot Markets.
Karen has never quite been satisfied with metal pots for her colours, embarking on a journey to produce a compostable container that can withstand the rigours of surviving in someone’s makeup bag or handbag for extended periods but also not contribute to landfill once it has been used up.
Conventional lipsticks in their plastic tubes are a source of considerable waste.
Serendipity played a role in Karen’s ingenious new packaging.
She met Dave Jacquier through Trove, a handcrafted goods cooperative.
Dave is a 3D printing specialist, setting up his one company, Game Candy, after working in soil science for 25 years with CSIRO.
“I was blown away when Dave told me you could print with compostable filaments and in various colours! Well, that was the moment I knew what I had to do. Dave assisted with 3D printing infomation, making the prototype and the original bulk print run of my new compostable container! He’s since taught me how to do it and I now use my own printer.”
Meanwhile, Karen’s mum’s partner, Lyle McLean is a Chartered Professional Mechanical Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia. whose previous roles in manufacturing included time in Germany assisting the likes of Mercedes Benz. Lyle designed the container and his attention to detail means “the lid shouldn’t fall off in our handbags!”
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Both men assisted Karen in their spare time as she sought to bring a corn-starch lipstick receptacle to the masses.
“I wanted something fun but also stylish— and it’s size means lippy lovers get good value which is important to me.”
Just Lippy now comes in six colours including Earthy Velvet Dusty Pink, Light Brick Red, and Deep Berry Chocolate which Karen says are the result of years of conversations with lippy lovers and which represent her vision.
“The colours I make are really Australian tones—you can see them everywhere in our stunning landscape. I want the colours to last, so the pigments are rich and stay on! I also add loads of luscious oils to love our lips and help them feel gorgeous and moisturised for ages.”
You can check out the range at www.justlippy.com.au
