Gloss comes off make-up Indian children are being employed in dangerous and poorly paid jobs, mining mica, the valuable mineral that is used across the world to give make-up its shimmer and paint its shine, a Fairfax Media investigation has revealed. But complex supply chains mean Australian consumers have no way of knowing if their make-up is tainted by the stain of child labour. Australian and international cosmetic companies - including Napoleon Perdis; make-up company the L'Oreal Group, which owns brands including Lancome, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Redken, The Body Shop and Yves Saint Laurent; and Heritage Brands, which owns Australis, Innoxa and Revlon - would not say where they sourced mica or who their suppliers were, despite it appearing on the ingredients list for products such as mascara, eye shadow, concealer, eyeliner and nail polish. Children as young as 10 were discovered mining mica in the eastern state of Jharkhand, India, which has the largest known mica deposits in the world. The grind and grief behind the glitter - Extra, Page 31