The concept of green, healthy, non-toxic, better-for-you makeup has become more en vogue than ever. I, myself, have become more interested in clean beauty over the past year. The problem that I mostly face with cleaner beauty products, particularly eye shadow palettes, is that they can be really pricey and have little pigment and/or staying power. So, I was both intrigued and a little apprehensive when I received the No BS Palette from the brand-new beauty company, PYT Beauty. Continue reading below for my full review and exclusive interview with brand Co-Founder, Mary Schulman. 

Company Details:

PYT Beauty is a brand new clean makeup company that launched last month. The company consists of 5 women, including co-founders Amy Carr and Mary Schulman. The BS in their No BS products stands for bad stuff meaning their products are free from parabens, formaldehyde donor preservatives, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, paraffin, petrolatum, and PEG’s. The company is Leaping Bunny certified. 

Their products are carried in all Credo Beauty locations and will be coming to Ulta Beauty and Anthropologie this Fall 2018. The palette can also be purchased directly from the brand’s website. 

To start, I was reached out to by PYT introducing themselves and asking me if they could send their No BS Palette for consideration. I was shocked at first because I have such a small internet following and don’t always get things sent my way. What stood out to me was that they had thoroughly looked through my Instagram and website, and were excited that I was promoting the cruelty-free message which isn’t always the most popular or lucrative thing to be doing in the makeup, influencer world. Despite receiving this product in PR, I was assured that I could be completely honest when sharing my opinions. This review is also not sponsored in anyway.

Packaging & Shadows:

The component is slightly smaller than my hand. It is graphite in color with p/y/t BEAUTY written in a muted coral at the bottom right portion of the palette. NO BS is written on the left-side in a gray to black dotted ombre. The texture of the outer packaging has a soft, but sturdy feel to it (not that dissimilar from NARS packaging). It has a push clasp to open and close. The component also includes a decently sized mirror that has “Seize the Day” and “Own the Night” in the corners. The words do not obstruct the mirror in any way. It comes with a removable insert that has user-friendly instructions of what the shades are, how to use them, and how to take the look from daytime to nighttime. There are 8 neutral shades, 4 mattes and 4 shimmers.

The two largest shadows have the biggest pan size: Base (a matte, light nude) and Meet You There (a light rosy highlight). I think it’s pretty smart that they made these two shades the largest since they are likely to be used the most. Base is a great shadow to place all over the lid to set primer and even tone. Meet You There is a lovely multi-functioning shade that can be used on the lid, to highlight the brow bone and inner corner or use as a face highlight. I’m wearing it in all three sections in the photo above. 

The “Now” matte section includes Coffee Run (a light beige), Daytrip (a medium brown), and Nonstop (dark gray). The “Later” shimmer section includes Happy Hour (champagne), Rooftop (an olive-gold), and 2:02 AM (lilac). 2:02 AM is my absolute favorite shade from this palette! It looks beautiful all over the lid. 

I’ve been using the No BS Palette for about three weeks now and am happy to tell you that it is one of the softest, most pigmented eye shadow palettes that I’ve ever used from a clean beauty brand. I can wear it from 8 am to 8 pm and the shadows haven’t budged. And when I say soft, I mean soft. The shades feel like butter. The mattes do their job. They’re simple and neutral, but they’re really blendable and go well together. The shimmers are wonderful because they’re not crumbly nor do you have to dig into the pan to get pigment. You can easily get good color payoff by using a flat, packer brush or intensify the shades by wetting them or by applying directly with a finger. 

Product Description:

“Consider this your new go-to, on-the-go eyeshadow palette. 8 shades, including essential mattes and glam shimmer finishes (plus a mirror to do it on the fly). We know you hate hitting the pan on your favorite base shades, so that’s why we made them twice as big.

WHAT’S IN

Only quality ingredients. Shades that work for many eyes. Lash to brow, crease, corners…we’ve got you covered. Hypoallergenic. Not tested on animals.WHAT’S NOT

Formulated without parabens, formaldehyde donor preservatives, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, paraffin, petrolatum, and PEG’s, just to name a few.“

This product is: 

• Green
• $28.00
• Net Total 14 g / Net Weight 0.5 oz

Things to be mindful of:

• The shadows are soft. There is a little kickup when dipping the bush in the shadows, so remember to tap off the excess before applying. I found that I had zero fallout when doing this. 
• This palette is not considered vegan as it may contain carmine.
• It can take 2-3 dips back into the pan to build Coffee Run and Nonstop if you want more color saturation.

Final Thoughts:

This palette is beginner-friendly, portable (I can fit it in my back pocket if I wanted to), buttery smooth, buildable, and has neutral shades that flatter an array of skin tones. It’s hypoallergenic, so I did not encounter any irritation while using this product. It’s also extremely long wearing. I work long hours at an office job, so it’s nice to know that I have colors that are work appropriate and won’t fade away by the end of the day. I’ve spent upwards of $40-$60 on other green beauty brand eye shadow palettes, so I think the $28 price point will appeal to consumers who want to try out non-toxic products. 

If you are interested in the PYT No BS Palette, you can use my code PYTCC for 10% off and free shipping until September 10, 2018.

Lastly, from a beauty blogger standpoint, it’s awesome that a brand is so communicative and open to building relationships with smaller influencers. PYT was kind enough to to grant me an exclusive Q & A for Compassionate Chic. Below is my discussion with Audrey, VP of Finance & Technology & Mary Schulman, Co-Founder. 

1) What was your inspiration behind creating PYT Beauty?

Audrey: It all started with Mary’s daughter become interested in makeup.  Having been an entrepreneur in the natural snack food industry, Mary was already sensitive to ingredients both in the foods we eat and the products we wear, and she wasn’t impressed by the questionable ingredients and high prices she found in stores.  She reached out to Amy, her friend since college with a daughter of her own.  With a shared concern for harmful ingredients and a deep background in consumer insights and behavior in beauty, Amy was passionate about joining forces to tackle the challenge.

They set out to build a brand with integrity, and after more than 2 years of research and developments and seemingly endless product trials, PYT Beauty™ was born.

PYT Beauty Co-Fonders Amy Carr and Mary Schulman. Photo from PYT’s website.

2) The cosmetic industry is at an all-time high right now. The market is saturated with all different kinds of brands and products. What sets PYT apart?

Mary: We believe in delivering on our brand promise of No BS.   This means that we developed our products after listening, really listening, to what consumers asked for.  Customers are either being pushed by some fabulously wealthy supermodel in a fantasy-like setting or products with ingredients and sourcing stories that read like a tasting menu.

So we had a thought.

How about beauty products that just had the stuff you need and none of the BS.  

Cosmetics made with proven active ingredients, backed by decades of research that show

they work and are safe.  Long lasting, color-popping, with no bad stuff.

We want your makeup to set you free.

Harsh chemical free.

Allergen free.

Cruelty free.

Sticker shock free.

Guilt free.

That’s no BS.  And it is truly a beautiful thing.

3) PYT uses clean ingredients. Why was it important to you to create a non-toxic brand? 

Mary: The terms “clean” and “non-toxic” seem to be broadly used without a clear definition. Rather than adopting one of these terms as our own, we have defined our own positioning and we call it No BS (Bad Stuff).  This means all of our products are made with proven active ingredients, backed by decades of research that show they work and are safe. 

Additionally, it means our products are free from parabens, formaldehyde donor preservatives, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, paraffin, petrolatum and PEG’s to name a few.  

It also means that all of our products are leaping bunny certified.  

We believe the journey to a healthier lifestyle is a personal one.  PYT’s No BS stance is something we feel good about for ourselves and our daughters too.  

4) How would you describe the PYT customer?

Mary: The PYT Consumer is up for adventure.  She doesn’t take herself too seriously.  She is a loyal friend.  She is confident and comfortable doing her own thing.  She wants to make her mark on the world.  She is independent, sincere and hungry for great experiences.  

5) Why did you choose the No BS Palette as your first product launch?

Mary: No BS….. It was ready first.  We had decided early in our planning that we wanted to test 1 product (pre-launch) to make sure that our website, technology and fulfillment were working well before we launched our full product offering.  We weren’t quite sure what that “hero” product would be.  At first, it looked like it was going to be our manuka honey concealer because the research and development was moving the fastest (which is really code for the fastest of very slow), but ultimately our No BS Eyeshadow Palette was ready to go first and it made perfect sense for this to be our first “Hero” product.  

6) A lot of green and non-toxic companies have eyeshadow palettes that can be very high in price and not very pigmented or long-wearing. Why do you think this is, and how was PYT able to create a palette that is budget-friendly and has pigments that perform?

Mary: Wow, thank you…   It’s the most fulfilling experience when something we set out to do actually translates and someone repeats it back to us.  First and foremost when we set out on this journey we said, we must create color cosmetics that perform well enough that a consumer wouldn’t miss any of the ingredients that are in many of the high performing products out there today.  Once we got the formulas to this point our next goal was to make sure they cleared our No BS filter which includes being offered at a fair price, easy to use (e.g. in our No BS Palette we even include instructions) and of course contained none of the Bad Stuff.    

7) It’s great to see female-owned, independent brands coming to major stores like Ulta and Anthropologie. What do you think this says about the shift in the beauty industry?

Mary: We believe that our PYT Beauty consumer is looking for independent brands that they relate to and share common values.  There is something very special, at this early stage in our business, connecting with consumers that will experience this journey with us and grow with us.   As a women’s owned business we hope to be an inspiration to other women who have hopes and dreams to do the same, whether that be in the consumer products industry or any other that they are passionate about.

8) Do you test your products on animals (this includes ingredients, during production, and as a finished product) ?

Mary: All of our products are leaping bunny certified.  None of our products are testing on animals.

9) Do any of your suppliers/vendors test your ingredients on animals?

Mary: No

10) Do you sell or plan on selling to China where mandatory animal testing is required?

Mary: We are not currently selling to China and do not plan to sell to China.

11) At what stage did you decide you wanted your company to be cruelty-free?

Mary: Day 1, before we even named it.

12) When did you obtain your Leaping Bunny Certification?

Mary: Just as soon as we were able to get all the documentation over to Leaping Bunny, we did it.  

13) Are PYT products vegetarian/vegan friendly?

Mary: We use manuka honey in many of fo products so they are not considered vegan. 

14) Lastly, I’m so happy that a brand reached out to a small beauty blogger such as myself. What made you want to connect with smaller influencers?

Mary: In our search for No BS –  PYT Beauty Brand Ambassadors, we’re seeking influencers that care!  Because the influencer world is in our opinion, is a little crazy (anywhere from $1K – $1M for an Instagram post (gulp)!) In most cases, the large influencer expects to be paid for a post because other retailers/brands are paying them.  We however are on the hunt for those that are passionate about our product and want to spread the word organically because they love it, not because we paid them. We prefer to give product to those we think fit the brand, like Compassionate Chic, to form an honest opinion. We are also working with a PR company that seeks to find influencers that share our brand values. The influencers we want to join our PYT Beauty Brand Ambassador program will be handpicked by us, to preserve authenticity. We are seeking relationships with those that want to experience this journey along-side us.  The goal is that they grow their following as we grow ours!  

Originally published on August 26, 2018. All Photos by Amy Petrucci from CompassionateChic except when noted.