There’s something so joyful about Stark. I felt it in my first email exchange with founder Jessica Lafleur, who’s across between sunshine and wonder woman, what with her work in social sciences, herbalism, fashion marketing, environmentalism. I knew I was doing something good for my skin and my spirit when I tried the Montreal-based brand’s 100-percent-natural products. While I normally do the talking on this blog, Jessica describes her brand better and truer than I could’ve myself:
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Stark is obsessively natural, simple without being boring, luxurious without being over-the-top, educates and empowers customers, and is made specifically for the needs of a city-dweller’s skin (and aesthetic). Oh, and the products had to look really great in their eco-friendly packaging, because why not make your everyday objects beautiful?
Filed Under: acne, combination skin, cypress purity and defense oil serum, grapefruit cleanse and hydrate balm, green tea detox clay mask, oily skin, stark skincare, white willow bark perfecting tonic
Hello lovelies! I'm Elizabeth Dehn, a beauty writer + lifestyle editor who's equally fanatical about lip gloss as juice cleansing. I live in Minneapolis with Mr. Bets and our white lab, Molly Thomas . . . 
I LOVE Stark!! Jessica is really good about answering questions and I love her products – especially the clay mask.
I love all the indie brands you’re featuring! I’ve recently decided to only purchase cruelty free beauty products from now on, and I’d much rather spend my money supporting smaller companies :) this series is super helpful at discovering new brands! And a reasonably priced beauty balm?!? Sign me up! This is fantastic.
I also ordered some natural, cruelty free deodorants based on one of Hannah’s posts from like, a year ago. I can’t wait to try them!! Switching deodorants is the only thing I’m reluctant about but I trust your (and the other BB girls’) recommendations. Thanks Bets!
@laura so glad! You will love any/all of these brands. Have fun and keep me posted!
@aileen – Of course you do, you natural beauty goddess you! Always ahead of the curve :)
I recently got the Shebang kit. I got it because of all the positive reviews on the internet. It’s not horrible, but it’s not great either. I’m being honest here with my experience so I hope this comment stays. I understand these aren’t conventional products, (and quite truthfully, I don’t use conventional products) but these products really do not smell or feel nice going on my skin.
I was first put off on the fact there aren’t any security seals on the products. Then I thought perhaps it was because they are sold on line. But still. Then when I opened my jar of cleansing balm, you could see that the top layer in the jar was touched. You can tell it’s filled by hand as the sides of the jar were not wiped and there was a mess where the cap screws on tight – the presentation of this product was not up to par.
The clay mask jar was also packaged in a messy manner. Before I even took off the cap, the clay powder was already on the newspaper wrapping and it was on my hands. I
I’ve tried everything in this kit and I will use it up, however I have tried better. When I finish using everything up, I’m going back to my old brand. I have to use it up as I bugged my hubby for this kit!
I use essential oils on a daily basis, so I’m used to how they smell.
Thanks.
Hi! This is Jessica from Stark.
I would like to address Stacey’s comment….at first I was a little surprised when I came across the comment, and then I was grateful for the candid feedback.
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First of all, thank you Stacey for taking the time to comment on your experience with Stark, and I sincerely apologize that your experience wasn’t so great. It’s rare that I receive this kind of feedback, and I want you to know that I really appreciate it, as it can help me look at ways of improving how we do business. Our company grew a little faster than we had expected, so we have experienced a few growing pains along the way! (I still hand-make every single product myself…as well as running the business from A-Z! It’s a little nutty at times, and will have to change soon.)
You’re right that the products are handmade and hand-filled, so unfortunately this means that we have not completely standardize our production process yet, although we are working on improving it week by week. Our jars should never arrive looking that messy, and I’m really sorry yours did. We strive to make the entire process of receiving and opening a Stark package like receiving a gift, and I’m sorry that your package did not arrive that way.
The safety-seal decision was something I struggled with for a while, but ultimately decided that more material isn’t the best I can do for the environment, and does not comply with our philosophy of less is more. However, your comment will make me think about the issue once again, and see if it’s a direction we should go in.
I’m also sorry you’re not really into the scent of the products… I agree that they are not your standard scents found in natural products, which is something I am actually happy about. I guess it’s one of those things that people will love, or just not be so into. As we expand the line, I will keep in mind the possibility of presenting a few more traditional scents.
So, again, thanks for taking the time to raise these issues with me. If there is anything I can do for you personally, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. jessica@starkskincare.com
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And Bets, thanks again for this awesome review!