Toups & Co. Skincare + Makeup Review

A few times a week, I get a message that goes something like this:

Hey Heather, I’d love to try your charcoal soap, tallow skin balm, deodorant, or insert DIY recipe here, but I’m super busy right now. Can I buy some from you?”

There’s nothing I’d love more than to wrap up a little package for every request, but right now I don’t have the time (or storage space) to make and keep enough on hand.

Fortunately, my friend Emilie does, and she makes everything I just listed above, plus so much more. We’re talking clean makeup, a full skincare line, body care, specialty products for men, and baby care, ALL IN ONE PLACE.

Emilie is the founder of Toups & Co. Organics, which just happens to be located near one of my favorite coastal towns in Alabama. Since her little town is just a few hours from my little town, my daughter and I have actually driven up to offer our services as product testers. In other words, we went to play with her face masks and makeup.

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to try a lot of Emilie’s products, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you.

The Skin Balm That Started It All

Many years ago, I discovered by happy accident that tallow is uniquely compatible with our skin’s biology, leaving it supple and nourished after use.

Rich in fat soluble vitamins A, D, and K along with a saturated fat ratio that closely resembles what our cells use to maintain integrity, it absorbs easily without leaving a greasy residue behind.

Eventually, I posted this DIY whipped tallow balm recipe, along with a link to Emilie’s shop for a pre-made option. We’d already known each other for a few years by then, and I deeply respected her approach to formulating safely with essential oils.

At first, her shop only offered one type of product – tallow balm – but there were a few different scent options to choose from.

The first two I ordered to test – Sweet Girl and Frankincense – were absolutely amazing. The ratio of grass-fed tallow, virgin olive oil, and essential oils was just right, delivering deep hydration that felt amazing on my skin.

Those two scents are still my favorites – and both continue to be bestsellers – but Toups & Co. offers several other options that are also well worth trying:

Original Balm – Whipped to perfection for supple, smooth skin, this blend is made with 100% grass-fed tallow, organic olive oil, organic essential oils of lavender, bergamot, frankincense, and sandalwood.

Baby Balm – This baby-friendly blend nourishes and protects with grass fed tallow, organic virgin olive oil, and organic German chamomile and blue yarrow essential oils.

Vanilla + Almond – I haven’t tried this one, but it was described as “magical” in one review so now I want to. It’s made with grass-fed tallow, organic olive oil, almond extract, vanilla planifolia.

Unscented – This blend is made with just grass-fed tallow and organic olive oil, so it’s the best option for anyone sensitive to essential oils.

More Skincare Products I Love

True skincare starts from the inside out with collagen rich foods and overall good nutrition, but Toups & Co. complements that approach by offering deeply nourishing products that can only be described as skin food.

One thing I have always liked about their products is that the ingredient lists are short, recognizable, and organic whenever possible. Unlike some companies that focus on purity over performance, though, they prioritize both.

So while their tallow balm will probably always be my favorite, I also love their:

Glow Serum – This lght and gorgeously scented serum soaks in beautifully. I like to apply a drop or two on my cheeks and forehead when getting ready for the day, but it can also be used as face and neck overnight serum, too.

Seabuckthorn Cleansing Oil – This antioxidant-rich blend gently removes makeup using the oil cleansing method, and it smells like oranges and magnolia.

Resurfacing Mask – Made with blue C-phycocyanin algae extract that targets redness, breakouts, and puffy skin, soothing raw honey, antioxidants and arnica, this mask is amazing for brightening skin and improving texture.

Activated Charcoal Face Bar – This bars supports skin clarity without leaving it feeling dry. Highly recommend.

On my list to try is this Reparative Serum, which is infused with bakuchiol (nature’s retinol) and other ingredients that are designed to:

Target hyperpigmentation
Heal scars
Smooth fine lines
Plump dull skin

When I first looked at the ingredient list I was surprised, because it contains emulsifying wax. Most emulsifying wax contains polysorbate 60 – which is on my avoid list – so I emailed Toups & Co. to find out more.

As it turns out, their organic emulsifying wax only contains beeswax, lecithin, and copernicia cerifera (carnauba wax) – no polysorbate 60 or other junk.

This level of commitment to sourcing – even when most people probably won’t notice the difference – is part of what makes Toups & Co. unique, and why I love supporting them.

Top Natural Makeup Picks From Toups & Co.

As I mentioned, awhile ago my daughter, Katie, and I met up with Emilie to try out as much makeup as we could get our hands on.

All of it performed really well, felt great on our skin, and of course contained only safe ingredients – there were no synthetic fragrances, parabens, microplastics, PFAS “forever chemicals”, GMOs, or other stuff you’ll often find in conventional makeup. (1) (2) (3)

My personal favorites are:

Organic Lip Gloss
Cream Cheek Tint (This natural pressed blush is great, too)
Nourishing Lipstick
Highlighter
Eyeliner
Brown Mascara

There are quite a few things I don’t have a lot of experience with – for example, I rarely wear foundation – so if you’re interested in something you don’t see mentioned I recommend checking out the reviews on their site.

Also, and this section does not have a lot of photos because I don’t want Emilie to see how rough all her lovely products look after being doused in homemade eyeshadow that exploded in my makeup bag, but they do go with me pretty much everywhere. 🙂

Click here to see Toups & Co.’s full line of natural makeup.

Men’s Products

While some of Toups & Co.’s scents may not be spicy/woodsy enough to appeal to most men, there are some products that are either neutral or specifically formulated with guys in mind.

The frankincense balm is pretty much beloved by everyone, and this beard oil is infused with a fresh, forest-inspired scent plus nourishing oils that tame beard scruff.

And though I usually pay for all the Toups & Co. products I test, I recently received a surprise package as a “thank you” for including tallow balm in my holiday gift guide.

This men’s body wash, shave soap, and shave brush were included, so here are my thoughts on those:

Men’s Body Wash – The scent is not overpowering or overly masculine and it leaves skin feeling squeaky clean, which I think a lot of guys will like. In addition to commonly used natural ingredients like coconut oil soap, it’s also formulated with microbiome-friendly saponins like sarsaparilla root, yucca root, quillaia root and wild yam root.

Shave Soap and Brush – My kids and I all prefer my husband with a beard – which, fortunately, is his preference, too – so I tested the brush and soap on the back of my hand. It lathered well and left my hand moisturized, so I’m assuming it works well for its intended purpose.

I repurposed the shave soap for my legs (it works well) and use the brush for dry shampoo application.