Move over Mary Kay, you’re over Avon – there’s a new independently-represented beauty brand taking over homes: Miessence. The best part? It’s eco-friendly! Started in Australia, Miessence was developed by the Organic and Natural Enterprise Group, a.k.a the ONEgroup. Miessence meets all organic standards in Australia, the United States, and Europe – it’s the first brand from down under to achieve such “pure” status.

Similar to Mary Kay & Avon, you can only buy Miessence products through a Independent Representative who makes commission off of how much they sell. If sales situations make your cringe, I’ve got a lady who is as no-pressure as it gets. My personal Miessence rep is Erin Ely out of Oregon. Eco-business or not, this woman is a delight to talk to & has one hell of an eclectic lifestyle.

Yeah, the products are organic and my seller is great … but how do they work? Thanks to Erin, I took on the task of testing nearly 15 different products from the Miessence line. Why? To give you the inside track on one of the fastest growing beauty brands, of course!

Since I reviewed a much larger collection of products than usual, I’m simply going to present my findings in two categories: Favorites and Not So Favorites (nothing is perfect, ya know?). Without further ado, let’s get to the findings!

:: FAVORITES ::

Aroma Free Roll-On Deodorant ($8.95): I hear folks complain about all-natural deodorants often, but this one is nothing but good. With only four ingredients, it takes “simple” to a whole other level. It is truly aroma free too – the product itself is scent-neutral. If you prefer to perfume your armpits, Miessence does have two other versions with scent.

Translucent Powder ($28.95): You’d be hard pressed to find a make-up powder that doesn’t do its job, but if you are going to use one, it might as well be eco-friendly, right? Most folks apply powder after foundation to help it stay in place. Since I don’t use foundation, the powder acts as a nice, colorless base to even out my skin tone ever so slightly.

Wind Up Jaffa Lip Balm ($5.95): It’s hard to screw up lip balm, but let me tell you, it happens! Thankfully, Miessence is right on with this one. With a subtle but pleasant taste, it goes on smooth, moisturizes well, and lasts for hours. As my teenage self would say, “it’s all good.”

Mascara in Pure Black ($22.95): Seeing how many different types of mascara are in the average drugstore still boggles my mind. Who needs that many versions of eye goop? Similar to their lip balm, Miessence’s mascara is an all-around classic that doesn’t disappoint. Few clumps, easy to apply, easy to remove, looks great. Since it is so easy to remove (I didn’t need eye make-up remover), I doubt this mascara is waterproof, but why would you swim with make-up on anyways? (rainy days are another story)

Probiotic Skin Brightener ($34.20): This is the only skin care product I tested that got my thumbs up. If eating probiotic bacteria is good for you, applying it to your skin should be too – right? That’s what Miessence says and I’m inclined to agree. After using it for just a few days, this skin brightener made my face, well, brighter! My skin tone was more even and I had an extra glow, though it didn’t do anything to reduce or prevent my blemishes.

Nourishing Hand Cream ($24.95): If you’ve never had dry hands, you are a rare breed indeed. For the rest of us, parched palms are probably a daily occurrence. Though I was disappointed with how long it took Miessence’s hand cream to fully absorb, I was repeatedly impressed with how long its moisturizing effects lasted. Looking for hard numbers? It took nearly 10 minutes for the “greasy” feeling to go away after an initial application, but the softness lasted almost 8 hours!

Shine Herbal Hair Conditioner ($20.95): Why do we care about our hair so much – it’s dead! Humans are strange, and I openly admit to being one of the strangest. For a little shine and lift, Miessence’s conditioner is right on the money, though I’m not a big fan of the price. I have very short hair, but I had to use even less of the product than usual to keep my hair from getting overly oily in less than 24 hours. Simply put: a little goes a long way.

Protect B5 Hair Repair ($28.95): For the fool hearty among us who damage their hair daily in the name of “style”, you’re probably angling for some extra moisture. Miessence’s repair spray certainly delivers. I never used it on my dry hair, but instead after just getting out of the shower – hoping the conditioners would help to seal in the moisture on my still-wet hair. It worked! This is another product where a little goes a long way; use too much & your hair will be a bit crunchy, like if you had used hairspray.

:: NOT SO FAVORITES ::

Purifying Skin Essentials [Cleanser, Skin Conditioner, & Moisturizer] ($97.95): I had high hopes for this collection, I really did, but you can’t escape the truth. My blemishes were not reduced by using these products. They all have a fantastic, soft scent, but didn’t do what my skin needed. The cleanser never made my skin feel clean; the conditioner was OK, but never seemed like it was doing anything; and the moisturizer was not strong enough – my skin was dry every morning and evening after using it.

Purifying Blemish Gel ($22.95): I tried this product both in conjunction with the Purifying Skin Essentials set & on its own, but it just didn’t reduce my blemishes. It smells great, feels great … but didn’t deliver the results I expected, even after using it for a full month.

Lemon Toothpaste ($9.95): While it cleaned my teeth comparably to other all-natural toothpastes, the lemon flavor was very unpleasant. After using it, I had to brush again with a different toothpaste to get the flavor out of my mouth. Maybe if I tried Miessence’s mint or anise versions, I would like them better, but the lemon turned me off.

Desert Flower Shampoo ($20.95): When asked by a friend what you think, this is one of those products that’s, “just OK.” Not terrible, but not great … wouldn’t buy it. The gel consistency was nice, but it was hard to spread around my scalp. After using it, my hair and scalp never felt fully clean. The website described the product as “ultra mild for daily use” – I’m thinking it might be a little too mild.