Crunchi Makeup Review (what to buy and what to skip)

As a skincare and makeup junkie, there are very few brands I haven’t tried. However, there’s one brand that I was wary of trying for a while: Crunchi. I had heard that their products didn’t apply well or stay on for long, and considering I have high standards when it comes to makeup, I wasn’t interested. Yes, I prefer clean and safe products, but they must perform as well as my non-clean makeup. And in my experience with Beautycounter (another clean, non-toxic brand that recently shut down) the makeup didn’t last very long or look very good (with a few exceptions like the foundation and lipsticks).

So when a friend of mine sent me some Crunchi makeup to try, I was skeptical. It’s rare that a product blows me away, so I’m shocked to admit that there are now a handful of Crunchi products that have made their way into my daily makeup routine. I really like these products. I applied them for the first time on camera in this reel.

In this post, I’ll share some background on Crunchi, including what makes it a clean brand, what kind of products they carry, and how shopping from Crunchi works. I’m also sharing a detailed review of the products I’ve tried and my recommendations for what you should buy and skip.

Note – I have only tried one Crunchi skincare product and wasn’t impressed, so I’m thinking with my current skincare routine. I do love the makeup from Crunchi though.

Let’s jump in.

My Crunchi Makeup Review (what I like and what I don’t)

Is Crunchi Truly Non-Toxic?

Yes! Crunchi is known for being a squeaky-clean beauty brand. They test every ingredient they use, and everything in their products has been validated as “safe” via a 30-step screening process. They have a long list of “banished” ingredients you’ll never find in their products. See the Crunchi banished ingredients listed on their website here. The US doesn’t have a standard definition of “toxin-free” in the beauty industry. Still, Crunchi has defined “toxin-free” this way: It does not contain any ingredients known to cause harm or health hazards, based on available ingredient data and research. Non-toxic makeup is better for you because it reduces the risk of skin irritation, allergies, and long-term health issues. It’s also generally safer for the environment.

Every single Crunchi product is vegan (with one exception- the Hydrogloss Lip Oil contains organic beeswax) and gluten-free. And while almost every ingredient is natural, Crunchi does include a few synthetic ingredients (safety tested, of course) to help with performance, efficacy, and longevity. One of my favorite things about Crunchi is that its products are made here in the USA. Read more about Crunchi’s mission and safety standards on this page.

Okay, let’s get to the good stuff now!

My Crunchi Cosmetics Review

Today, I’m breaking down the best (and worst) Crunchi cosmetics, along with my recommendation of buy, maybe buy, or don’t buy. I also have a Crunchi promo code at the bottom of the post, if you decide to buy anything!

My ratings are explained below:

• Skip – not worth buying since there are better alternatives
• Buy – if non-toxic is your most important criteria, the product is acceptable but not my favorite
• Must Buy – it’s one of my favorite products, non-toxic or not!

Sunlight® Facial SPF 30 – SKIP

Technically, I guess this Sunlight® Facial SPF 30 isn’t really a makeup item, but I wear SPF daily underneath my makeup, so I include it in this review. The Sunlight® Facial SPF 30 is a non-toxic face sunscreen but it leaves such a white cast that I can’t use it. Better options are the Crunchi Tinted SPF or this non-toxic face sunscreen from OneSkin. (OneSkin SPF was the winner for the best sunscreen in my Best of Beauty awards!)

Smart Primer – BUY

I’ve started wearing this Smart Primer under my foundation almost daily and I feel like my skin looks SO good. It smooths my fine lines and pores and gives my skin a really smooth canvas. It also helps my foundation to last all day long, which can be a challenge with clean products!

Beautifully Flawless Foundation – MUST BUY

The Beautifully Flawless Foundation makes my skin look really good. It’s a medium to full coverage foundation (more on the full side). I’ve found it challenging to find a non-toxic full-coverage foundation, and this isn’t perfect. I don’t love how it feels on my face for the first 30 minutes after I apply it – it’s heavy until it settles in. I think this is an excellent option if you’re looking for a non-toxic, full-coverage foundation, but I still reach for other foundations in my bag more often.

The main ingredients in this foundation are snow mushroom, organic botanical sunflower and aloe. The Snow mushroom hydrates, smoothes, and plumps the skin, while the sunflower and aloe give you a smooth, buildable texture. I use shade 2.5.

Sunlight® Tinted SPF 30 – MUST BUY

The Sunlight® Tinted SPF 30 is a definite yes. This is my favorite Crunchi product by far, since it’s the perfect tinted moisturizer! Not too much coverage, not too little, not too greasy, not too drying. I’ve tried many different brands (Beautycounter, Ilia, Elta MD, Wonderscreen, Tarte) and I like the Sunlight® Tinted SPF 30 the very best. If you buy just ONE thing to start, get this. I actually love it so much that I named it my favorite tinted moisturizer of 2024 in my Best of Beauty awards blog post.

It’s hydrating, and the SPF does not dry me out (rare for tinted moisturizers). The coverage is better than the other clean-tinted moisturizers I’ve tried. It also doesn’t have any weird smells, unlike my other favorite tinted moisturizer (Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint, which I’ve also reviewed) and it doesn’t leave my skin looking greasy (like Dime Beauty Wonderscreen, another clean brand I’ve reviewed).

This tinted moisturizer’s SPF is non-nano mineral zinc oxide, a safe form of SPF. It also contains vitamin C and niacinamide to brighten the skin and minimize the appearance of pores. Squalane and hyaluronic acid help hydrate and lock in moisture.

If you prefer an even lighter base that truly feels like a no-makeup makeup, you might love the Oliveda Skin Tint, which you can read about in this Oliveda Makeup Review.

Read my full review of the Crunchi Sunlight Tinted SPF here.

My Alibi® Liquid Concealer – MUST BUY

Definite yes. The My Alibi® Liquid Concealer brightens and covers so well – it even covered my dark circles flawlessly on a particularly hard day, after being up all night with my baby. I love the small packaging too. I’ve been grabbing this over my Tarte concealer (reviewed here) and ILIA concealers. It’s made with a superfruit oil blend, which hydrates, smoothes, and depuffs the under eyes. It also contains snow mushroom, which gives it that smooth texture and helps brighten the area under the eyes.

Solarise® Bronzing Duo – BUY

I’ve been loving the Solarise® Bronzing Duo lately, but it is VERY pigmented so it can be hard to apply and blend. So, be sure to use a super fluffy brush to diffuse the product and you’ll love the sunkissed glow it gives me. This bronzer comes in a two-shade pan, and it’s talc-free.

Cheekmate® Liquid Blush – MUST BUY

Absolute yes. The Cheekmate® Liquid Blush is the second-best Crunchi makeup product I’ve tried (or maybe tied with the concealer!). It’s super pigmented and looks fantastic once you buff it in. If you’re new to liquid blush, however, it may take a bit to get used to. You only need a tiny dot of product and blend it very well with a fluffy brush, since it’s easy to overdo it.

The pigment is made of 100% pure earth pigments that are naturally derived and long-lasting. Plant squalane gives it a smooth, lightweight texture. Snow mushroom and meadowfoam seed oil hydrate and plump the cheeks, and licorice root extract is a natural antioxidant that protects the skin from environmental stressors.

Nutribrow® Eyebrow Pencil – BUY

The Nutribrow® Eyebrow Pencil is another solid product. The color is the best I’ve ever found in a brow pencil and easy to apply. However, it doesn’t have any fancy frills that other brow pencils do (you have to sharpen it yourself, and it doesn’t have a spoolie on the end) which I find rather annoying.

This pencil is made with fruit waxes, which keep the brows defined and sculpted.

Everluxe® Lip Crayon – BUY

The Everluxe® Lip Crayon is a buy because I love how it looks and applies, but it has a very weird smell that turns me off. But, this lip crayon is made with 100% pure earth pigments that are naturally derived and long-lasting and fruit waxes that give it a natural glide.

Hydrogloss® Lip Oil – MUST BUY

This Hydrogloss Lip Oil applies well and looks nice. It’s not sticky, and I like the shade options. I like that it doesn’t deposit too much product. It’s one I grab over and over!

This gloss is made with organic beeswax which gives it high shine, an organic fruit blend for hydration, and 100% pure earth pigments for natural color.

Highliner® Pencil Eyeliner – SKIP

HARD pass. This Highliner Pencil Eyeliner has a very stiff consistency and is very difficult to use. It required so much effort to apply that it actually irritated my eyes. If you really want a safe eyeliner, I suppose you could use this, but you may need to warm it up under a blow dryer to get it to work. I’d buy Ilia’s Gel Liner instead.

This eyeliner is made with sunflower seed oil for a creamy smooth application (I did not think it was smooth), and fruit waxes for smudge-proof wear.

Eyeshadow – BUY…or SKIP

I reacted to the Shadow Bar Enchanted Neutrals eyeshadow, pictured below, (which I realize might not be the case for most). However, I had no issues with the Shadow Bar Matte Neutrals palette and really like the shades. However, it’s not very pigmented so you do have to build the color. It blends easily though!

These shades are made of 100% pure earth pigments for long-lasting color (these are heavy metal tested) and organic olive and jojoba oils for smooth, buildable texture.

What is Crunchi’s Return Policy?

You can try Crunchi products for 30 days; if you aren’t happy with them, they’ll refund you. Unfortunately, you do have to pay for return shipping.

Where to buy Crunchi makeup?

Crunchi makeup is only sold online and has a direct-sales business model. In this model, someone receives a commission when you buy Crunchi using their link (this is called affiliate marketing). Like a realtor makes a commission when they sell you a house, I’ll make a commission when you buy Crunchi using the links in this post (so thank you!).

Bottom Line

I have been pleasantly surprised by Crunchi’s makeup. It performs better than expected, and I absolutely love the foundation, blush, tinted moisturizer, and brow pencil. Don’t forget that you can use the Crunchi Makeup coupon code ADVOCATE10 for 10% off orders when you use my Crunchi link.