Sleeping Beauty-full: The experiment begins…

Once upon a time I dreamed I got a good night’s sleep.  It has finally occurred to me that I probably dreamed of a GREEN night’s sleep.

I’m mattress shopping, a task as important as husband shopping, and as critical for healthy relationships as it is for healthy complexions.  After much searching, I think I’ve found my Prince Charming: all natural latex with a wool topper.  I’m going with a rubber bed because I want that sproing-y feeling without the dust mite poop that winds up in spring coil mattresses (organic or not).  Dust mites and other wicked hangers on can’t live in natural latex, and unlike memory foam mattresses (chemical laden), natural latex is more like walking on rubber flip flops than in Birkenstocks (one bounces back, one molds to your shape).  My unconcious mind likes a little give.  I’m finalizing my decisions on  brand and purveyor, and I wanted to give you all a teaser.  Once I get it home and give it a couple weeks of careful scientific testing (including before and after photos of the circles under my eyes), I’m going to give you the full story.  Like, do you know Californians have more flame retardants in their blood than anyone else in the world?! Good news if you’re worried about spontaneous combustion, not so good if you want to live like a healthy spitfire.

Cloud photo courtesy of Flickr’s Catounetta

Oh, The Sweet Smell of Success: A natural deordorant that really works!

It’s 9am.  It’s the end of June, and it’s 65 degrees.  Did I happen to mention this is San Francisco?  It’s not SUPPOSED to be warm in June!  I’m supposed to be wearing a scarf and mittens right now!  Mark Twain once mused, “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”

Putting bothersome global warming issues aside for a moment, let’s talk about the real reason I’m taking notice.  Sweat.  Two years ago I made the decision to give up my paraben laden, aluminum based deodorant.  I had used the same brand for about 20 years.  Wow.  That’s product commitment.  It’s also an incredible amount of toxic buildup: a chemical compound  applied daily and directly to the skin, in the area of the lymph nodes– skin that sweats, opening its pores like a welcome party for increased risks of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  Oh dear.

It was time to shut that party down.  While I had tried natural deodorants in the past, I always placed my good sense of smell above my good sense, and found each natural deodorant lacking in protection.  But my concerns about parabens  grew greater when a dear friend was diagnosed with breast cancer.  So, two years ago, I decided to give it another go.

After 6 months of natural deodorant trials, I could find NOTHING clean that worked consistently for me.  It’s not as though it’s 100 degrees in San Francisco; I don’t sweat heavily, nor is my sweat particularly pungent.  I had tried at least 12 different natural deodorants, and finally, I simply gave up.  I bought a mainstream deodorant containing aluminum and all sorts of harmful ingredients but which DIDN’T have parabens.  It worked.

I’ve gone along, stink-free for a year and a half, occasionally complaining about the deodorant market, but unwilling to go through another trial.  So what that I’d eventually lose my memory and then my mind?  At least I smelled nice.

But then it happened.  I got a tip.  “The Healthy Deodorant” by Lavanila, (found at Sephora) is aluminum free, paraben free, and “100% natural”.   But does it work?  I’m here to tell you– indeed it does.

The scent is vanilla lavender, but frankly it smells a bit sporty.  Which is fine.  I’ll pretend to be an athlete.  What I love is the silky/creamy texture of the solid stick, the fact that it’s nice and clean, lasts all day, and WORKS.

Yes, it will leave a small white mark on your black t-shirt.  We’ve handled that before.  It’s fine.  What you need to know:  If you go for a run (why are you running in the heat when you could be strolling?) you will probably want to freshen up before going out to dinner.  It’s strong, but not THAT strong.  It’s strong enough that you don’t have to worry when you’re riding the city bus and it’s packed.  It’s strong enough that you can sit at the beach and smell only salt water in the air.  It’s strong enough for me.

Here’s the list of ingredients-notice there are no petrochemicals, phthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oils, silicone, synthetic dyes, sulfates, aluminum or parabens.

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Juice, Water), Propanediol (Corn Derived), Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Sodium Stearate (Coconut Derived), Silica, Carrageenan (Seaweed Derived), Stearyl Behenate (Coconut Derived), Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon Peel Oil), Inulin (Artichoke Derived), Saccharomyces Ferment, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide (Sugar Derived), Yeast Beta Glucan, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Valeriana Officinalis Root Extract (Valerian), Hydrastis Canadensis (Goldenseal) Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract (Goji Berry), Botanical Fragrance Blend.

Everything’s Coming Up Rosacea: A simple spell can mend your Mean Reds!

Ah, the Mean Reds.  Holly Golightly wasn’t talking about rosacea, but she might as well have been.  Women who suffer from this patchy, flaky, highly sensitive, and unflatteringly rosy condition are perpetually unhappy with the appearance of their skin and have frequently given up hope.

Rosacea is a dastardly villain, and once afflicted, a woman can no longer apply her makeup as whimsically as the rest of society might. Foundation will often seep into enlarged pores while refusing to lay smoothly on the surface skin;  this can produce an odd effect: dozens of visible pinpoints of foundation interrupted by islands of scaly red skin.  And heaven forbid you wear a blush on top!  EEEEEEK!

What to do, WHAT TO DO??  If you suffer from rosacea yourself, you have undoubtedly sought the help of a dermatologist, and may already be doing something topically to treat the condition.

But what if you’re still red all over?

Close your eyes and say “Hocus Pocus”.

While you’re doing that, I’ll tell you a story.  I had a client recently with a FABULOUS face; sparkling green eyes, cheekbones to die for, and a mouth so large that I could count all her perfect teeth when she spoke. (She’s a professional singer, so she’s lucky).  Big lips, long lashes.  Great brows.  Fabulous face, yes.  Fabulous skin….not so much.

The poor darling had a serious case of rosacea, bless her heart!  Her usual routine is a smattering of powder across her face, lipgloss and masacara–she’s a 30 second makeup girl.  Unfortunately, the powder she was using was orange–and while she was sure that it was counteracting the red on her face, I was pretty sure it was just orange.  We had a tussle.  Hair was pulled.  Makeup was thrown.  Suddenly, a green cloud of dust rose up from my kit and settled upon her face.

Hocus Pocus. It’s a mineral based powder by Larenim (mineral spelled backwards) that is ACTUALLY GREEN.  Now have we all studied our color theory, girls?  What’s the opposite of red?  Is it orange?  Blue?  Purple?  Very good.  It’s green.  A fine dusting of light green powder across red skin works miracles.

We experimented a bit, and found the best makeup scenario for her to be this one:

1. Apply a thin layer of aloe vera (or an aloe based makeup primer such as Mod’s) to the face.  Pure aloe is soothing, won’t clog your pores, and dries down to provide a barrier between makeup and your skin.  If you use liquid foundation and have rosacea and/or large pores, you must use a primer.

2. Using a soft brush, lightly dust Hocus Pocus over the red portions of the face only.  You may use a concealer brush dipped in Hocus Pocus for red blemishes, as well.  Hint: if your face is still damp from moisturizer or aloe, let it dry first! (Otherwise too much green is absorbed.  Hello, Wicked Witch!)

Note: We were both satisfied with the eveness of the skin at this point; she could have skipped foundation and gone straight to gloss and mascara, but she was having photos taken, so we went for flawless skin.

3.  Use your loose/pressed powder or pressed foundation (Larenim and ZuZu have nice ones) and pat over face gently, don’t “smear” the spell.  And don’t forget undereye concealer!

4.  Finally, a little bronzer will warm up the skin.  You may think about blush.   Wait first.  Putter about the house for a bit.  See how long it takes for your skin to begin acting like the lunatic it is.  Seeing hints of pink after an hour?  You should probably skip blush altogether.

Now, I’m not usually a powder, powder everywhere kind of girl.  I like to hand mix mineral foundations with organic face creams or balm sticks to match my clients skin, and to leave a bit of a glow when possible.  AND I don’t like the look of packed-on powder that results from using certain lines.  That said, some skin prefers NOT to glow.

Some skin hates anything with oil (no matter how natural), and is quick to anger, so it’s best to be reasonable and do our best to keep it calm and soothed.   Aloe vera is great for this combustable fiend.  Consider using it everytime you use makeup.  And Hocus Pocus is makeup witchery at its best.  Other than that, ladies, watch the alcohol intake, which can set off a flushing of rosacea (I’m not saying ‘don’t drink’–I’m merely saying ‘observe the effects of your drinking’), the same goes for spicy foods and spicy men.

The Mean Reds may be with you for a while.  Some experts claim rosacea is genetic (having to do with the “Celtic Curse”), some say it’s bacterial, some say it’s dietary, and some are simply clueless.  We do know that it affects three times as many women as men, and that the years between 30-60 are fun times for the Mean Reds to develop.  The ensuing flakiness is certainly annoying, but (contrary to popular thought) your skin can be GENTLY sloughed, depending on your sensitivity, which will make your skin feel better to the touch. Yes, you may be a tad red after a gentle scrub, but what’s new?

As for the color of the Mean Reds?  Say a little spell, and watch them disappear!  Hang in there, girls.  We’re pulling for you!

Clown photo courtesy of Sami Merriman, Flickr

All that Glitters is not Green: How to read between the lines

I really like fashion magazines.  There is a kind of art appreciation that happens while grazing through the seasonal spreads.  There’s often a story being told: Young, lithe girl finds herself in a dark forest in the middle of summer, wearing a bizarre conglomeration of haute couture and accessories au naturelle.  In this context, her bird’s nest bra looks….not out of place.

Fashion magazines are one part fantasy, one part delicacy, and ninety eight parts currency. They are not here for our aesthetic edification.  They exist soley to make consumers out of us, which is why I think it’s nice to view them exclusively in artistic terms, to appreciate the inspiration and vision that goes into the few extravagent vignettes tucked between the copious and predictably pandering advertisements.

Once in a while, I’ll read the copy, too, just for kicks.

The May 2009 issue of Elle magazine features “Face of Cover Girl” Drew Barrymore, and is calling itself the “Blue Issue” with a focus on designer eco-chic.   Intrigued, I dove in and was shocked to find a several page spread on green cosmetics!  Apparently, a large panel of makeup artists was chosen to vote on green picks, and the spread features the winners.

I had a mixed reaction: I was unsurprised by some of the winners (Physcian’s Formula Organic Wear for mascara and bronzer–two of their products which I’ve blogged about myself), and surprised to NOT see some of the greatest green lines on the market.  Dr. Hauschka, for example, was represented only by their clay mask, and 100% Pure (the cleanest line ever invented) was missing? Instead, there were several “winners” that I thought were “losers”.  I was glad to see the magazine devote pages of precious ad space to the concept of clean makeup, but that’s all it was: AD SPACE.

I thought about the magazine on and off all day.  I realize that a magazine’s first obligation is to advertising, not content.  (A number of “winners” had coincidentally rolled out large ad campaigns in recent months, including Physician’s Formula) While a concerted effort went into featuring lines which are branded as green, I doubt anyone went a step beyond–and say, looked at ingredients. (The green pick for tinted moisturizer was Josie Maran’s, which features a slew of questionable ingredients, including BHT, which pulls off a whopping 7 out of 9 offense on the Cosmetic Safety Database.  BHT is just another nasty substitute for toulene…ewww.)

That said, I noticed a few new “green” products which bear investigation.  The moral?  You have to find your OWN winners.  Never trust glossy pages with your health.  It’s not what they’re there for, and it’s certainly not what they’re good at.  They’re good at making you look, and making you buy.  If you don’t believe me, I’ve got a bird’s nest bra I’d be happy to sell you.

Check out Elle’s Blue Issue, and make up your own mind.  The underwater images are gorgeous, even if the Cover Girl isn’t green.

Images courtesy of Flickr’s Vichysoisse of Verbiage and Elle Magazine

Flawed: What we do to appear Flawless

I have a secret, and I’m going to share it.  I have found a holy grail among “natural” undereye concelears.

I’m going to preface my disclosure with another disclosure:  my current favorite undereye concealer is not as clean as the company would have you believe (their slogan is “Clean-Natural-Beauty”)

I’m also going to rationalize my use of this product by confessing that I suffer from extraordinarily dark undereye circles: I’m an insomniac, my diet suffers the perils of bad timing and low blood sugar, and hey– dark circles are largely heritary and hormonal, anyway.  (Let’s blame science!)

I’ve tried everything out there, and if it’s clean and green, I’ve tried it twice.   I really DO love 100% Pure’s peach pigmented natural wand concealer (not available on their website, but on QVC):  I like the consistency of the product, ease of use, and edible ingredients. I carry it in my purse for touchups (a surprise blemish, a fixer for smeared mascara, etc).  But (for me) it’s simply not dense enough to battle the darkness that lies beneath…

To really achieve a flawless looking undereye–and by that I mean this: when the skin beneath the eye matches the skin above the eye (brow bone)–I prefer a two step product.   One pinky/peach step, and one yellow step.  Most makeup artists agree.  The pink cancels out the greenish or bluish aspects of your circles, and the yellow step warms the skin up, and brightens the undereye.  Combined, they are magical.

I found my new concealer a few months ago, while perusing the cosmetics section at Whole Foods.  A nice counter person asked if I needed help.  I told her I was deciding between the clean stick concealers of Gabriel or MyChelle.  She said, “You know, my favorite is Mineral Fusion.  It’s really thick.”

Now, some people don’t want to hear the word “thick” when it comes to makeup.  Some of you naturalists are no doubt wrinkling your noses at the prospect of smearing a heavy concealer anywhere but over a hole in your living room wall.   But to me, it was like hearing, “Circles, what circles?”

What raised a flag for me, (and the reason I have not written about this product sooner) is the company itself, Mineral Fusion.  A company backed by Whole Foods (who often sport an enormous display of the line, next to a teeny tiny display for the completely clean makeup line by Dr. Hauschka) Mineral Fusion is NOT  the poster child for organic, green makeup.

The lipglosses contain petrochemicals (polyethylene being the worst offender, scoring a 6-9 on Skin Deep’s toxicity guide: polyethylene is determined by the  “safe” for use on skin by the CIR, assuming a low skin absorbtion rate (despite studies that show tumors developing on the areas of application by both American and British medical journals), we STILL KNOW that everything on our lips we eat….that’s major absorption!  I’m going to say that WEARING Mineral Fusion’s lipgloss on your LIPS means you’re EATING polyethylene, a little, everyday.  Maybe it’s meant to be worn on the earlobes, instead.

And while Mineral Fusion products are paraben-free, who cares, if we’re going to be ingesting disgusting ingredients? (By the way, the company is a proud donor to the Pink United Breast Cancer Research Foundation)  So when the gentle counter person said “Mineral Fusion!”, I understandably hesitated.

Then I tried the creamy concealer duo in “cool”.  ACK!  It works like nothing else.

I asked to read the ingredients.  Argh.  Number seven (out of nineteen ingredients).  You guessed it.  Polyethylene.

WHY?? Why do they do it?  Is it possible that polyethylene is sooooo important that they can’t make a fantastic product without it?  Clearly, there are 18 other ingredients that make this product work.  Can’t we just leave that one out?  Or is it possible that they’re in cohoots with the polyethylene producers? Is this some kind of flouride rehash, waiting to be exposed?

I was miserable.  And yet, I had never looked so happy, nor so well rested.   I held a magnifying mirror up to my face, and even under the hideous glare of energy saving flourescent lighting, I was magnificent.  A flawed flawlessness.

I didn’t buy it.  I bought the heartily clean MyChelle concealer stick instead, which I wore dutifully for a week.  It’s fine, but it’s no match against the dark void which exists beneath my eyes.  I went back to my 100% Pure, sniffling with resentment and heartache (nothing was good enough anymore).  Then I stopped wearing concealer altogether.

That’s right.  The girl whose mantra has always been “Concealer makes you look happy” was willingly going about looking like a sucidal heroin addict.  Finally, seeing my sad circles in the mirror day after day caught up with me, and I genuinely began to feel sad.

So I bought it.  I’ve been wearing Mineral Fusion’s concealer duo for two weeks.  I look like a new person.  I look younger, happier, healthier.   Ironic, isn’t it?

How does this all relate to my previous blog about “being Beautiful” (capital B) and “acting Beautifully”?  I’m not sure.  There’s a balance to be struck, I suppose, between finding the products that make us feel beautiful, and finding companies who are willing to act beautifully, themselves.

I have conceded this round to Big Industry, but as soon as someone develops the same product without using polyethylene, I will drop Mineral Fusion like a bad habit.  Which is, for now, what it is.

eyepatch image courtesy of Flickr’s  eye-patch

Pharmacy Phresh Organic Makeup

I wrote some months ago about the seeming demise of the Physician’s Formula new makeup line called Organc Wear. After watching the ad campaign “How Green is Your Makeup?” unfold in magazines everywhere, I had eagerly anticipated its arrival in my local Walgreens, and was surprised how quickly the line fizzled, and was pulled, due to “lack of interest”.

Now, I’ll admit, I wasn’t thrilled with the orangey, loose powder bronzers, and I was disappointed that even the lightest tinted moisturizer didn’t match my skin. But guess what, kids?

They’re back, and they’re better. Organic Wear, a green makeup line by Physician’s Formula, is reentering the market place with better product and a price point that leaves plenty of green in your wallet.

The line now features a black mascara (with adorable and recycled packaging) that I’ve worn for two weeks. It’s a solid performer, a workhorse, that can withstand two coats without clumping.

They have three pressed eyeshadow duos, also in recycled (pressed paper) packaging. I like the brown/champagne duo for blue eyes.

They also……drumroll, please…..feature a tinted moisturizer with spf 15 for people with IVORY TO FAIR skin!  (previously the lightest shade was Fair to Light) Well, folks, this is a revelation. A premade tinted moisturizer for the truly fair skinned girl. It’s the only one I’ve found so far that really is what it says it is, and I try ALOT of tinted moisturizers. I’ll be equally thrilled when they come out with one for darker tones, but for now I’ll embrace the fact that the green line didn’t get swept under the carpet simply because it didn’t have a succesfful first launch.

The company clearly went back to the drawing board and figured out what was keeping them from performing.

EVERY green makeup line needs a mascara. EVERY green makeup line needs pressed eyeshadows and bronzers.

And now you can buy a great line of green makeup brushes (ECO TOOLS) as well as green makeup (Physician’s Formula Organic Wear) in your local drugstore (or Target). You don’t have to be rich to buy organic. You don’t have to be privledged in order to dodge dodgy ingredients. You just have to be willing to try.

And try again. I’m glad I did.

AHA! The Beautiful Secret to Glowing Spring Skin

As Spring quietly approaches  in warm midmornings between rain showers and cool gusts of wind, I am made aware of texture.  Each early blossom that lifts off a tree reminds me that Springtime is the right time to tighten and brighten, to smooth and perk and prepare to be happier than I’ve ever been.

Spring is the ultimate season of happiness, creativity, and love.  Spring makes your heart and soul glow. Shouldn’t your face glow, too?

Your heavy, winter weather moisturizer is ready to take a break (unless you live in one of those states that is covered in sheets of ice until June).  As the weather warms, your moisturizer should feel lighter.  If your face sweats after applying your regular moisturizer in morning or night, you know its time for a change.

My spring favorite is AHA’s 10% alpha hydroxy moisturizer.  Not only is this product clean as a whistle, it’s light, and it sloughs off (rather the fruit acids peel away) old, dead skin overnight, leaving your face bare but for a gorgeous glow.

The AHA line (by company Nonie of Beverly Hills) is a great little group of products available at your health food store, and another bonus: They come in GLASS bottles!!

A little goes a long way with AHA, the price point is comparable with other natural lines (my bottle of moisturizer was around $25), and you FEEL the product working.  Best of all, my skin is extremely smooth, without having used a facial scrub in two weeks.

Here’s a note: When you use products with alpha hydroxy, your fresh, baby like skin will be vulnerable to sun damage– exactly what we’re trying to defy, right?  So MAKE SURE you use a tinted moisturizer or foundation with spf during the day.

If it’s your first time trying the tingling newness that alpha hydroxy acid imparts, start with a 5% product (AHA offers one), and use only in the evenings.  I’m an old hand at it, though, and adore the little champagne bubbles-on-skin feeling just before retiring, and look forward to it when I wake up.

Additional note: WASH your face when you wake, and wash away the dead skin from the previous night BEFORE reapplying the moisturizer to enjoy its full benefits!

AHA is safe to use under the eyes, as well, and I’m experimenting for the first time NOT using a separate eye cream.  (I’ll get back to you on the efficacy of this idea, although the line does offer an eye cream, as well)

Here are the ingredients for the 10% Alpha Hydroxy Moisturizer:

Distilled Water, Coconut Oil, Almond Oil, Wheatgerm Oil, Alpha Hydroxy Acids from Bilberry, Apple, orange, Grape, Lemon, & Grapefruit, Coconut Emulsifier, Orchid Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, & Oil of the Seed of Grapefruit.

That’s right-orchid oil! Just what a spring face needs: fruit and blossoms.  May your spring be a rejuvenation of all that is beautiful, including yourself!

To read more about the company & its products, visit them at:

nonieofbeverlyhills.com

On Being Beautiful: Because Makeup Isn’t Enough

I’ve been stewing this week over the choices I’ve been making on a daily basis.   Some are “good” (i.e. moral, ethical, healthy, or beneficial), some are “bad” (i.e. immoral, unethical, bad for my health, or detrimental in every way), and some choices I didn’t even realize I was making at the time.

We act out of habit, and out of comfort. It’s understandable.  We are human creatures, most of us.  This year I want to resemble something closer to a human being.  Someone who exists to embrace the spirit of living, to breathe, to expand.

I realize that this cannot be a New Year’s resolution.  First of all, it’s a little late for such a sentiment, and secondly, I don’t want to doom this idea to failure.

So here’s my plan: I am going to be beautiful everyday.

Sounds silly, I know.  But I’m not talking about covering up my dark circles and wearing a lovely shade of blush while taking out the trash (although this would certainly go a long way), I mean that I want to make choices and behave in such a way that I feel beautiful everyday.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of feeling like a failure when it comes to being green.  Yes, I recycle.  Yes, I buy organic.  Yes, I use ugly lightbulbs.    But I know it’s not enough.  It’s not enough to be a green makeup artist, either.  I can preach to you day and night about throwing out your chemical-laden, cancer-causing, planet-polluting makeup, and I can publicly endorse or eschew companies that claim to be green, but that’s not going to make the world more beautiful.

We, as women, must strive to act beautifully if we want to feel beautiful.                                                                And when we act beautifully, the world becomes beautiful.

What does that mean, to “act beautifully”?  For me, it means I don’t want to cheat on myself anymore.  I want to live with integrity–instead of this thing, this replacement for integrity which is so pervasive–this PC-ness of the green movement, this Modern Decency Law (the acknowledgement that the world is collapsing, and it is our duty to behave responsibly so as not to hasten our own demise), which many folks follow to the letter, ignoring the Spirit altogether.  I’ve encountered many “ugly” environmentalists. When there’s a law, whether real or imagined, there are always loopholes, and it is our nature to obey social laws while exploiting the loopholes.  We find ways to appear to do the right thing for all the wrong reasons.

What I want to do is ignore the law, and stop looking for loopholes!  I want to act from a place which supersedes  civilian code.  Instead of trying to do the “RIGHT” thing, I want to do the BEAUTIFUL thing.

I believe beauty can save the world.  But that’s not my aim.  I will champion beauty, for its own sake. I will strive to act as beauty would dictate.  (Which will prove difficult–I have a mean temper, and a righteous indignation that creeps about looking for places to sink its teeth).  I’m also profoundly lazy, a fact which I attempt to disguise by being “productive”.

No more.  My only mission now is to live beautifully.  And busy bees are not beautiful.  I will live with purpose.  This probably means taking my time when I do things.  I find that when I hurry (I’m a last minute kind of girl) I inevitably cut corners.  Not beautiful.

You’ve been there: you’re shopping for something or other, the store is jam packed with people, you’re in a hurry.  You don’t see what you really want, so you settle for something else–because IT WILL DO.  Aren’t you tired of that?  Aren’t you sick of making do?

It’s one thing to “make do with what you have”….a nice way to reduce consumption and live simply, or creatively; it’s quite another thing to “make do”  WHILE consuming!!  To “make do” because you ran out of time.  To “make do” because you just want to get it done.  To “make do” because you’re ready to get married and he happens to be the guy you’re dating.  To “make do” because you don’t know if you’ll ever be able to make a living as an artist, and besides, middle management pays better.

Let us stop MAKING DO. Let us simply BE BEAUTIFUL.

We can do this by first examining our lifestyles, and becoming aware of times when we act in hollow ways.  When we slight ourselves and each other– you’ve felt this before, a kind of pinging or aching in your gut.  Maybe you’ve recently decided to eat at home more often (for your health, your budget, or to enhance your sensual experience), but you’re ravenously hungry, you’re tired,  and there’s a mediocre Chinese restaurant around the corner….(That was me, last night).  So how do I feel today?  More beautiful, for satisfying my insta-craving for sodium heavy fried noodles?  Nope.  I actually feel a little dirty.

I love treating myself, but I gain more satisfaction from experiences CHOSEN in the light of day (in a calm, detached manner), rather than FUMBLED for in the dark (when I’m more likely to make do, especially given a low blood sugar scenario).

And how about you?  What are your weak spots?  When do you find yourself settling for less-than-beautiful?

I intend to spend more time writing about this idea of Beauty (capital B).   It is an intellectual and spiritual concept as old as civilization itself, and yet, somewhere along the way we became simple minded, distracted consumers.  We are allowing ourselves to be “sold” beauty.  But Beauty (capital B) isn’t for sale.   It is our task to manifest it.

I hope that we can share our ideas on this topic:  Please write in! I welcome your comments, experiences, and insights as we explore the path of Beauty of together.  I will continue to post product reviews as well as cosmetic beauty tips, but I am now firm in my resolution to preach Beauty over beauty.

Step One:  Identifying our “Making Do’s”

When Winter White Goes Wrong: How to make your neck match your face

Funny thing, necks.  We rarely give them much consideration.  When you think about it, your neck is merely a pedestal for the work of art that is your face, isn’t it?   Think again, girls.

Your neck is your face’s date to a ball. While you can arrive stag, wearing a scarlet gown that screams ‘look at me’, your appearance is more awe inspiring when you arrive with a gorgeous man who is wearing a matching scarlet hanky in his tuxedo jacket.  It says to the crowd, ‘Bask in the divine happiness which stands before you.  Admire our unity.’

Which is exactly what your neck should do for your face.  It is the man in the fabulous tux with matching hanky.  It UNIFIES the skin on your face with the skin on your decollete.  It’s not just a patch of go-between skin, your neck.  It is an isthmus of color.

I fear I’m losing you.  Here’s what I want you to do.  When you take your makeup off tonite, stand back and stare in the mirror with your robe open. (Not ALL the way, just the top bit)  Now, look–really LOOK at the difference in the color of the skin on your face, your neck, and your chest.  Sometimes you’ll see three different colors, sometimes just two.  But it is RARE to see only one tone.  There are reasons for this:

1. we use sunscreen on our face but not our neck or chest.  Therefore, our chests carry the effects of sun damage: freckles, sunspots, age spots, and a general darkness, thanks to all those cleavage baring shirts we love.

2. even though we forget sunscreen on our necks, the sun rarely finds its way there.  Therefore, our necks are nearly ALWAYS five shades lighter than our chests.

3. we’ve only recently begun to be vigilant about sunscreen on our faces, and truth be told, we often forget (especially in the winter) to apply it at all.  Therefore, our faces are often THREE or FOUR shades darker than our neck.

So what’s a girl to do?  Are we supposed to match the color on our necks, or the color on our faces?  If you choose a lighter foundation to match your neck, your chest won’t match (unless you apply makeup down the front of your shirt)  If your match the color on your face, your neck won’t match, and you’ll have that old telltale “Foundation Line”, even though you’ve actually taken the time to color match.

The solution? Match your tinted moisturizer or foundation to your face.  Then, use BRONZER to warm up the color on your neck. Simple as that.  Now, I go through bronzer love/hate phases.  Sometimes I like a snow petal look: a porcelain face with rosebud cheeks, skip the sun kissed look.  But if you’ve gone skiing, hiking, snowboarding, or have been just standing around outside admiring the winter, you’ve gotten kissed by the sun and your face is carrying a hint of red, if not an outright tan.  Bronzer (lightly applied) across the forehead, down the nose, on the chin, and at the cheekbones will mediate that redness, and then you’ll sweep it UNDER your chin and down the sides of your neck to close the deal.  And even if you’ve avoided the outdoors for the past few months, you’re likely not a porcelain doll.  You’ve got years of built-in color that’s just dying to be spread around evenly.

If you’re wearing your hair in a ponytail, don’t forget to sweep a little bronzer on the back of your neck as well.

Avoid the line.  A little powder bronzer is all it takes to even out the whole of your complexion.  Remember, you’re more than just a pretty face.  (You’re a pretty neck and chest, too)

Here are a few bronzers I particularly like:

100% Pure Cocoa (that’s right, chocolate) Pigmented Bronzers

Physician’s Formula Organic Wear Bronzers (the pressed versions only, available at Walgreen’s) My favorite is the neutral bronzer with pink bits in it. Never orangey.

Dr. Hauschka’s Bronzing Powder: super light and silky!

top photo courtesy of flickr’s Juicy Carolina

Happy New Face: Green Brushes for the New Year

I don’t like change. But sometimes I love it.

Over the years, I’ve spent a small fortune on the actual tools of my trade, namely, finely crafted makeup brushes. The handles are a very nice (probably endangered) wood, and the brushes are all animal hair (sable, goat, pony).

I have two full sets which I keep in tip top shape. One set is 10 years old. I swore I’d never need to replace them, and I didn’t intend to…..but here’s what happened–I met someone new.

Oh, I’ll never get rid of my professional sets (they’re well worn old friends and I also hate to waste), but I will begin to recommend the new wave of eco and vegan tools available to those of you who need a few brushes in your arsenal, and I’ll begin to use the new brushes for my own makeup application.

Several green makeup lines have brushes or puffs that accompany their products, and so far I’ve been unimpressed by most, preferring to use my own tools–but I was incredibly surprised to find a new line of affordable (cheap, actually), environmentally delightful, and unbelievably soft brushes that do the trick.

ECOTOOLS offers bamboo (sustainable) handled brushes; the bristles are made of Taklon (a vegan, cruelty free synthetic); recycled aluminum forms the ferrule (the metal bit around the base of the bristles, and the company also has natural cotton/hemp linen cosmetic bags.

ECOTOOLS offers a 100% recycled aluminum retractable kabuki brush for only $7.99 (while major green lines offer their non-green kabuki brushes at around $30).

If you’re using mineral makeup, go ahead and get at least one of the 2 ECOTOOLS sets:

1. A Bamboo 5 piece travel set for $9.99. I love the brushes in it: Powder brush, concealer brush (great for liquid, cremes or minerals), an eye shading brush (almost identical to my expensive one in both appearance and effectiveness), and a baby kabuki (which I prefer to the retractable one, anyway–it’s super small but works well). The fifth bit is the snap-shut travel pouch made of hemp and cotton. For $10 BUCKS?? Don’t even think twice about it. What a great green tool kit for an incredibly great deal.

2. A 6 piece set for $12.99. You’ll need these brushes, too: Blush brush, eye shading brush (if you get both sets, you’ll have two of these-use one for darker colors, ie crease colors, and one for your light all over eye color), angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush (you’ll have two again, you can use one for your blemish formula concelaer and the other for your under eye concealer. And YES, THEY SHOULD BE DIFFERENT FORMULAS!), lash and brow groomer, and the snapping travel pouch.

You can buy the brushes separately, as well, and make your own perfect kit. Something else I like from this company: The machine washable, bamboo powder puffs. They’re super soft and also have a little strap on the back for your fingers. You get 2 for $2.99. PLEASE!! (you can check them out at eco-tools.com, new products launching January of 2009)

I don’t like change. I like my old brushes. But it’s a new year, and, as usual, I seek the new while clinging to the old. Change keeps us on our toes. Change keeps us invigorated, informed, eager. And sometimes change is just plain good for the world. … Happy New Year!!