Kosas

Kosas is an American beauty brand that collapsed the distinction between makeup and skincare before most of the industry accepted there was one to collapse. Founded by Sheena Zadeh-Cherny and based in Los Angeles, it operates on a stated formula of one hundred percent makeup, one hundred percent skincare, and markets itself, accurately, as makeup for skincare freaks. The range covers complexion, cheeks, lips, eyes and body, with weightless clean formulas built around actives rather than coverage. Revealer Concealer, Cloud Set powder and the Wet Lip Oil Gloss have all become category reference points, and the products are designed for daily wear by people who want their makeup to be doing something useful while it sits on their skin. The brand's ingredient standard is one of the most rigorous in mainstream beauty. Kosas bans more than 2,700 ingredients and adheres to EU clean standards, explicitly excluding parabens, phthalates, sulfates, talc, formaldehyde, BHA and BHT, propylene glycol, PEGs, petrolatum, aluminium, synthetic fragrance and cyclic silicones. Products are dermatologist-tested and non-comedogenic, and most are gluten-free. Kosas is Leaping Bunny Certified cruelty-free. It is candid that it is not a fully vegan brand, though most products are, with the exceptions clearly identified rather than buried. The brand publishes the reasoning behind its ingredient choices as well as its exclusions, and its complexion shade ranges are unusually broad. Priced mid-range, Kosas remains founder-led, independent and a benchmark for clean, certified cruelty-free American beauty.