puroBIO cosmetics

puroBIO cosmetics is an Italian organic makeup brand founded in April 2014 in Noci, in the province of Bari, in the southern region of Puglia [1]. It was started by Massimo Bruno and Michele D'Onghia, who had both worked in the herbal and cosmetics trade before launching the company [1]. The brand's premise, summed up in its hashtag #believeinorganic, is that certified-organic makeup can match conventional cosmetics on quality and price rather than remaining a niche compromise.

The company trades under the legal entity Mami s.r.l., registered at the same address in Noci [2]. It remains independent and active: its product lines are sold across several European markets and exported internationally, and the brand's own blog carried a new post as recently as October 2024 [3].

According to a founder interview with the Italian publication BioVeganShop, Massimo Bruno and Michele D'Onghia set out to make a makeup line that was safe for the skin from the very beginning [1]. Both had backgrounds in the herbal and cosmetic sector, and they described spotting a gap in the organic ("Bio") market: an excessive gap in both price and quality between organic products and conventional ones [1]. Their answer was to offer professional-grade organic makeup at accessible prices.

The company launched in April 2014 with a line of 19 certified, Made-in-Italy pencils covering everything from brows to blush [1]. It made its public debut a few months later at the SANA fair in Bologna, Italy's main organic and natural-products trade show, in September 2014. puroBIO describes humility, transparency and "always giving the best" as the three pillars of how it works [1].

puroBIO cosmetics is operated by Mami s.r.l., the company's registered legal entity in Noci (Bari) [2]. This is the operating company behind the brand rather than a separate parent group, and no acquisition history is recorded. The brand has remained independent since its founding.

puroBIO frames itself as a way to modernise organic makeup, which it presents as having traditionally been seen as limited or niche. In the company's words, "Innovation and be a viable alternative are the target for differentiate into a world of synthetics" — the aim being to make organic products, as it puts it, accessible and affordable for everyone. A core part of that positioning is price: the brand says it follows a nature-friendly policy that keeps packaging to a minimum, helping keep organic cosmetics within reach of a wider audience.

Formulation is central to how the brand describes itself. puroBIO says its products are made only with plant-based oils, vegetable waxes and mineral pigments, and that they leave out silicones, petrolatum, parabens, synthetic preservatives, dyes, perfume and gluten. A 2016 review by Makeup and Beauty Blog described the range as organic-certified, vegan-approved makeup at reasonable prices, and presented the quality as genuinely competitive rather than merely acceptable for organic products [4].

The brand's catalogue spans face, eye and lip makeup alongside skincare, with haircare and accessories also listed. Its signature lines include Twist & Go, a range of lip crayons and face sticks with a twist-up mechanism that the company markets as "the organic make-up that moves at your pace," and Balmy Gloss, which it describes as a product that "nourishes like a balm" and "shines like a gloss." Other named collections include Full Love Mascara, FillBrow and a Kintsugi-inspired limited edition. In its 2016 feature, Makeup and Beauty Blog singled out the Indissoluble Compact Powder, praising its finely milled, non-powdery finish [4].

puroBIO places heavy emphasis on certification. The company states that its products are certified organic to CCPB and AIAB specifications, and it lists additional approvals including NATRUE, Vegan OK and a "Nickel Tested" mark [5]. It says its products are cruelty-free under EU regulation 1223/2009 and carry PETA's Cruelty Free certification [5]. Vegan status is not universal: the brand advises that some products are suitable for vegans and others are not, and directs customers to check the label. It also states that products undergo dermatological and ophthalmological testing, with nickel testing on each production batch, and that they contain no microplastics [5].

All puroBIO cosmetics are made in Italy, according to the company [5]. Its sustainability messaging centres on the same nature-friendly approach that underpins its pricing: minimising unnecessary packaging and formulating without microplastics. These claims come from the brand itself rather than independent audit.

puroBIO cosmetics is active. Its website remains live with current product collections, its most recent blog post is dated October 2024 [3], and its products are distributed across multiple European markets. Beyond Italy, where it has been sold through specialist organic perfumeries, the range has been carried by the Austrian natural-cosmetics retailer Ecco Verde, which ships to more than 90 countries [4]. The brand continues to operate as an independent Italian organic makeup company.