On Being Beautiful: Because Makeup Isn’t Enough

February 1, 2009 · Filed under Uncategorized

lotus-buddhaI’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”

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

January 17, 2009 · Filed under Green Brides, Makeup, New Makeup Lines, Shopping, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

white-neck-flickrs-juicy-carolinaFunny 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-percent-bronzer100% Pure Cocoa (that’s right, chocolate) Pigmented Bronzers

physcians-formula-bronzerPhysician’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 Bronzing PowderDr. Hauschka’s Bronzing Powder: super light and silky!

top photo courtesy of flickr’s Juicy Carolina

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Happy New Face: Green Brushes for the New Year

January 2, 2009 · Filed under New Products, Shopping, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , ,

new-years-hat-flickr-eagerlittlemindI 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.

brand_ecotools_makeupECOTOOLS 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)

bamboo-powder-brush-eco-toolsI 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!!

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Slough Bells Ring, Are You Listening?

December 19, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized

flaky-skin-flickrmarzySeason’s greetings, girls! As the winter finally descends upon Northern California (while it has presumably covered the rest of the world in a cold and wind blown blanket), I am reminded that my skin HATES winter. If you’re like me, you’re wishing for a sunny Christmas, just so your skin won’t flake and your lips won’t crack in front of company.

I somehow forget, each year what happens to winter skin. It dries up (we drink less water, and more hot cocoa and coffee), it flakes (we don’t exfoliate nearly as much as in summer, when our skin receives maximum exposure–not to mention the fact that shaving often takes a holiday, too, and taking a razor to your legs is a great exfoliant in itself), and it forms disgusting little bumps on the backs of our arms and thighs. Ewww. Winter skin is not sexy.

UNLESS…..you decide to do something different this year. Instead of ignoring the plight of your skin, and burying it under petroleum based lotions (don’t do it!) and long winter underwear, what if you treated your skin to a delicious, luxurious, gift?

Slough it off. Just strip it down, all the flakes, the bumps, the weird patches of dryness. Last week my skin (my face, my arms and legs) was in the WORST condition it’s been in for a year. This week, it is in the BEST. I am the laziest girl you’ll ever meet, and yet, I saved my skin just in time for Christmas.

Here’s what I used:

big_cherryfacialscrub1. To gently slough my face– 100% Pure Cherry Honey Scrub– I scrub my face in the shower; the little round jojoba beads rest on the top of the jar, and the thick honey bit is below. I use a finger to scoop up both (like a Mexican bean dip) and smear and rub the mixture all over my face and decollete. As I wash it off, the water runs down my face, and the honey covers my lips. At this point, I LICK THEM!!! It tastes soooo good! How many scrubs on the market are you actually willing to EAT?!

Ingredients: Honey, Jojoba Beads, Cherry Concentrate, Vitamins C (ascorbyl palmitate) and E (a-tocopherol), extracts of Strawberry, Blackberry, Grapefruit Seed, blueberry, Raspberry, Cranberry and Pomegranate.

anwers-from-nature-creme 2. After the slough, I nourish my face– Answers From Nature Age Defying Moisture Cream– this stuff performed a MIRACLE. My actual face was flaking off, it hurt, and I looked used up. Within three days, I was looking and feeling fabulous. Bonus: It smells like Orange Sherbet, and contains MSM as well as DMAE. I adore this thick creme. I use it morning and night. My face looks plump and juicy, and my pores are less visible……I’m in love!

Ingredients: Deionized Water, MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), Alpha Lipoic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitol, Shea Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Rose Hip Seed Oil, Hypericum Extract, Calendula Extract, Chamomile Extract, Orange Flower Extract, Kelp Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Aloe Vera Gel, Algae Extract, Locust Bean Gum, Co-Enzyme Q10, Tocopheryl Linoleate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Allantoin, Lecithin, Tocopherol Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Amla, Grapefruit Seed Extract, DMAE Complex, Essential Oils

coffee-scrub13. To slough my arms and legs– 100% Pure Organic Chocolate Mocha Body Scrub– This stuff is a HARD CORE body scrub made from Dark Belgian Chocolate and Fabulous Hawaiian Coffee Beans. Hum Drum shower becomes decadent and delicious. The caffeine stimulates the skin, the ground beans work hard to slough off the dead cells, and the chocolate makes you delirious with pleasure.

Ingredients: Dark Belgian Chocolate, Organic Hawaiian Kona Coffee Beans, Organic Grapeseed Oil, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (calcium ascorbate), Organic Blackcurrant Oil, Extracts of Pure Bourbon Madagascar Vanilla Beans, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Grapefruit Seed, Golden Seal and Cinnamon
big_bloodorangebutter

4. After the slough, I nourish my legs– 100% Pure Blood Orange Shea Body Butter or Honey Almond Milk Body Creme – 100% Pure has a plethora of nice of lotions and potions. I prefer the heavy stuff, and the cremes and butters work well for my purposes.

Ingredients: Organic Unrefined Butters of Shea, Mango and Cocoa, Organic, Unrefined Oils of Virgin Coconut, Mango, Cabernet Wine Grape Seed and Black Currant, Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Extracts of Lemon, Rosemary, Grapefruit Seed, Blueberry, Strawberry, Blackberry and Raspberry, Organic Essential Oils of Blood Orange and Sweet Orange

big_almondcreamIngredients: Organic White Tea, Organic Rose Hydrosol, Organic Cocoa and Avocado Butters, Organic Cabernet Grapeseed, Blackcurrant, and Rose Hip Seed Oils, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Vitamin C (ascorbyl palmitate), Lavender Honey wax, Pure Almond Aroma, Extracts of Cherry, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Blackberry, Almond and Grapefruit Seed, Natural Food Preservatives from Cranberries and Salts (less than 0.1% of Sodium Benzoate & Potassium Sorbate)

This holiday season, treat your favorite organ right, and it will glow with appreciation. I expect all of you to recover before the New Year. Slough off the old, ring in the new!!

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How Now, Brown Brow: The Art of Filling

December 5, 2008 · Filed under Green Brides, Makeup, New Products, Shopping · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

groucho-marx-flckr-gotbabyI recently wrote about the extreme importance of careful brow plucking and shaping. Today we’re going to chat (actually, I’m going to lecture) about the two most oft employed methods of brow FILLING, and then I’m going to recommend two green makeup lines that address these methods.  I promise you will NOT look like a comedy act if you follow a few guidelines.

METHOD ONE: Filling in the brow using a brow pencil.
NOT a fan. Why? Because the result looks drawn on, and the brow, rather than looking like hair looks like a WAXY smear (brow pencils are like crayons, and remember, brows are just your regular hair, attractively perching on your face for the purpose of framing and lifting your eyes, in addition to being tools of expression. Eyebrows should look like HAIR. Brow pencils also transfer color too quickly, too thick, and too dark. Give them up.

100-percent-pure-fruit-pig-eyebrow-color-taupe2METHOD TWO: Filling in the brow with a non-waxy brow gel or paste
With a little care, BEAUTIFUL results! Use an angled brow brush (not the super stiff toothbrushy bristle brow brush, but a finer, softer-yet-still stiff angled brush). Dab your brush in a pot of the paste in a color that is (unless you’re blonde) at least three shades lighter than the darkest part of your hair. If you have warm chestnut tones, chose a light brown that has a hint of warmth to it. (A great light red brown=TAN) If your brown hair has a lot of blonde, choose a neutral light brown (A WHEAT color). Dark brunette? Go for a medium brown– trust me, your existing hair with provide the depth, we’re just trying to provide the “fill” in a way that won’t make you look like Groucho Marx. Start making soft dashes, filling in any sparse areas. I usually begin at the arch, go down to the tail (which usually needs the most help) and then go BACK to the beginning. The place you first begin will have the most amount of color. Many women already have nice, strong beginnings, and just need help with the finish.

100-percent-pure-eyeshadow1METHOD THREE: Filling in the brow with a powder eyeshadow
My favorite method. It’s FOOLPROOF! Such a soft, subtle effect–you will appear as though you came out of the womb with magnificent brows– Use your angled brow brush and tap it into an eye shadow. YES, an EYESHADOW that is several shades lighter than the darkest part of your hair. You will think to yourself: ‘This color is WAY too light to do anything’. Do it anyway. Thank me later. Follow the above application.nvey_eye_palette1

Finishing touches: I always love to brush a little loose face powder across the brows after they’ve been filled in. It lightens and softens them even more. Brows love powder!

For a great brow pot, I love 100% Pure’s Eyebrow Gel. They also offer a great vegan brow brush that gives great results.

For eyeshadows, you can feel free to use your green loose mineral shadows (Larenim has a great selection) but if you (like me) prefer a pressed eyeshadow and want a few great colors all in one palette, I think you’ll love Eco Nvey’s eyeshadow palettes (they have 5 great palettes, or you can buy the shadows individually). You’ll also adore 100% Pure’s Cocoa Pigmented Eyeshadow palette!

Now look at your gorgeous self in the mirror and practice raising one perfect brow.

Photo courtesy of Flickr’s Gotbaby

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Super Face: The Secret Power of Natural Pressed Powder

November 28, 2008 · Filed under Green Brides, Makeup, New Makeup Lines, New Products, Shopping, Skincare, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

marie-antoinetteFirst, a disclaimer: I’ve spent years discouraging women from using powder on their faces, and I’ve taken a good bit of flack about it from those women who feel incomplete without it.

My point? It is no longer the 18th century, Ladies. We don’t need to be surrounded by a dust cloud of powder to absorb our bodily and facial oils– we bathe! (The aristocrats who inspired over-powdering were the same folks who covered themselves in stick-on moles to cover up pock marks acquired from sexually transmitted diseases…and I seriously doubt stick on moles are coming back any time soon)

Furthermore, while a powdered face may indeed add a polished finish when you’re wearing a ballgown, it does NOT belong on your face when you’re wearing yoga pants, a jogging suit, or jeans and sneakers. It is unacceptable to powder our three dimensional faces into a two dimensional plane. It looks dry, fake, and completely cartoonish. While you’re at it, why don’t you shave off your eyebrows and paint them back on?

Let your skin breathe. Let your face glow.

–That said, I am going to recommend three brands of natural and healthy pressed powder. Why? Because there are some worthy new and natural brands out there, and because a good powder can make you look ethereal, softening your features by refracting a hazy angelic light.  And there’s nothin’ wrong with looking angelic.

One of the main reasons I’ve steered my clients from powder is because so many popular formulas are chock full of gross stuff that ends up settling in fine lines and wrinkles, not to mention clogging pores with extended use. If you’re going to wear powder, it should actually improve your skin.

My meters for great face powder include: Flexibility, Finish, and Fine Line-Proofness.

1. For Flexibility, you want a pressed powder. Lots of mineral makeup lines have clean loose powders: Loose powder is a one time sort of thing, used to “set” your makeup. Women who use powder throughout the day (because they’re frequently oily, or because they’re intent on maintaining a polished look) need to be able to carry in their purses.

2. For Finish, you want powder that rests lightly upon the skin. You don’t want the powder to be so fine that it enters the skin. Look for non “nano-particle” lines. Nano particles are often present in makeup lines that require you to buff powder into your skin, rather than letting it rest above the skin, using dimethicone (a natural silicone). Steer clear of bismuth oxychloride, while you’re at it. This popular mineral makeup ingredient is an irritant for many women’s skin, causing itchiness and, in some cases, cystic acne.

3. For Fine-Line Proofness, you want a silky powder. You don’t want your face to look ashy, sparkly, chalky, or dry. When you find a great pressed powder, you should be able to roll the puff lightly across your t-zone to take off shine, or sweep it across your entire face for a smooth finish. Look at your skin 30 minutes after you apply powder. Are your wrinkles more or less noticeable? Does your skin appear softer or does it look dry, caked, or flaky? Touch your face. Does it feel smooth and silky?

Here’s my new favorite pressed powder, by the company that makes my favorite clean liquid eyeliner.
ZUZU LUXE Dual Pressed Powder & Foundation (talk about flexible!) comes in 9 shades, for every skin tone!

zuzu-powder

Use as a pressed powder for touch-ups, or as a foundation with a matte finish. Available in 9 shades for any complexion (see color chart, and and refer to brief descriptions below). 10g compact is $21.95 each.

Ingredients: Mica, Zinc Stearate, Octyl Palmitate, Squalane (vegetable derived), Lecithin, Dimethicone, Silica, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Grapeseed Extract

Here are two other great powder choices:

100-percent-powder100 Percent Pure Peach Pigmented Healthy Glow Pressed Powder:

100% natural pressed powder made with rice powder, fruit pigments and light reflective pearl powder to make skin appear luminous. SPF 20 protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays while antioxidants protect against environmental damage. Does not contain preservatives, artificial fragrances, synthetic chemicals or any other toxins. Truly, 100% Pure.

color: White Peach- fair skin tones
Peach Bisque – medium skin tones
Golden Peach – golden, deeper skin tones

Ingredients: Rice Powder, All of the following fruit pigments : White Peach, Golden Peach, Apricot and Papaya, Vitamin E (a-tocopherol), Lavender Flower Powder, Eucalyptus Leaf Powder, Silk Powder, Fresh Oyster Pearl Powder, Vitamin A (a-palmitate), Vitamin C(ascorbic acid), Pomegranate Seed Oil, Avocado Butter, Rose Powder, White Tea Powder, Grape Seed Powder, Silica (Natural Mineral)
SUNSCREEN ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: 12% Titanium Dioxide and 6% Zinc Oxide

larenim-powderLarenim Mineral Airbrush Pressed Powder:

Comes in many shades. The great thing about Larenim’s product, as well as Zuzu’s is that they can be used as foundations as well as powders! This company uses no bismuth oxychloride, nanoparticles, or any chemical fillers or preservatives.

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Say Cheese: Whitening without frightening

November 21, 2008 · Filed under Anti Aging, Green Brides, Shopping, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

perfect-smile-flickr-karissa5White teeth do a lot of talking. They talk about their owner; they say ‘Hey, she’s healthy, she’s neither a smoker nor a heroin addict, and she practices good hygiene.’ Furthermore they say…..‘She’s happy.’

It may seem as though I’m obsessed with the ability of cosmetic products to make us look happier. Maybe you’d rather look younger. Fine, white teeth will also make you look younger. Our teeth naturally yellow with age, thus whiter teeth take us back to our prime. One of the easiest ways, in fact, to take a couple years off the face is simply to whiten your teeth. Doesn’t matter if your teeth are crooked, if you have a hideous underbite, or are missing a few teeth altogether. Whiten them up, and reap the compliments.

A few of you out there have greyish teeth, rather than yellow stained teeth. This is often due to tetracycline poisoning (from an antibiotic you took as a child or your mother took when she was pregnant with you). Don’t waste your money on tooth whiteners; the staining is from within, and if you’d like a great white smile (a dear friend of mine is very shy about her greyish smile) then chat with a dentist about veneers. It could change your life.

If, however, like many of us, your dingy smile is due to the accumulative effects of coffee, red wine and blueberry pie, then whitening your teeth is easy as…eating blueberry pie. I get compliments on my teeth quite often, by women. (Men will say, ‘Nice smile’…but women are more specific. They say, ‘You have really white teeth’) They ask what I do. Do I get them professionally whitened?

That’s not my secret. While I think a professional whitening job can immediately improve a woman’s self esteem, it’s expensive (up to $500) and the ingredients are a little iffy for my taste. Speaking of taste–ewwww…. would I ever want to swallow that stuff? I don’t even use toothpaste with flouride! And skip the drugstore whitening kits, they’re full of gross chemicals, too…unless you just have to have results this weekend.

The best thing you could do for your smile and your health is to make a decision to whiten your teeth every single time you brush, using a non toxic method.

Here are a couple of my favorite teeth whitening tricks:

1. Use food grade peroxide to swish and spit with. (It won’t stick to your teeth to whiten them, but if you brush your teeth while it’s in your mouth, you’ll get an oxygenated tingling and foaming action that gently lifts stains).

2. Use baking soda as toothpaste. It’s cheap, it works, it whitens. (It absorbs stains and scrubs them away) Put a drop or two of food grade peppermint or spearmint essential oil in a cute one cup container of baking soda. Tasty! It’s a natural abrasive, and the feeling of clean after you brush (dip a wet toothbrush into the powder) is the cleanest you will ever feel. Very similar to getting a professional cleaning. Do it for two weeks and you’ll notice a whiter smile. Then do it for the rest of your life because it works and it’s natural.

3. If you hate home made stuff, try my favorite powdered packaged toothpaste, Eco Dent Extra Brite (I like powders. Gels and pastes disappear too quickly, and whitening is about getting rid of stains. Peroxide bleaches, but powders SCRUB. This company makes a couple formulas; I like the whitening one, because they added peroxide! You just flip the cap, and sprinkle a modest amount on your wet toothbrush, and brush (If you wet the toothbrush after, you wash away powder). While I’m not a fan of the foaming agent sodium lauryl sulfate (the oceans need less foam, not more), this toothpaste is fluoride free, it whitens, and it’s natural.

eco-dent-toothpasteExtraBrite Tooth Whitener, Fluoride Free helps brighten teeth naturally while providing low abrasive action, natural effervescence and natural cleaners. Premium Oral Care Products. Mint without Fluoride. polishes with Less Abrasion. Baking Soda Toothpowder. Naturally Effervescent. Better than Pastes! Natural Effervescence and Peroxide make it better! Less Abrasive. Helps Prevent Plaque. For a great smile, brush with Extra-Brite twice daily for 2-3 weeks. Then maintain your new smile with Eco-Dent Daily Care. 100% Natural Ingredients.

Suggested Use: Apply small amount to moistened toothbrush. Brush as usual. Not recommended for children under 12.

Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), Tartanic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Carbonate, Calcium Peroxide, Sea Salt, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (Coconut Derived), Hydrated Silica, Natural Flavoring Oils, Guar Gum, and Myrrh Extract.

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I Scream, You Scream: Fabulous Eye Cream

November 14, 2008 · Filed under Anti Aging, Green Brides, New Makeup Lines, Shopping, Skincare · Tagged , , ,

sleepy-face-flckr-miss-s-smithSome mornings I wake up looking like I’ve been abducted by aliens.  My face is puffy, my lips are dry, and my skin is coarse.  Worst of all: Thousands upon thousands of fine lines emanate from the corners of my eyes, and the skin beneath my eyes is a crepey mess.   These are the ugly physical  manifestations of a dehydrated body. Yes, we should all drink more water.  But don’t talk to me about that when I’m staring at the Mohave Desert in the mirror.  Give me solace.

Give me eye cream, immediately.

A good eye cream can make you feel better instantly. It IMMEDIATELY quenches your skin.  I find if I can just lay my hands on good eye cream on a bad morning, that the day begins to look up within five minutes. The crepey-ness is gone, the thousands of new crow’s feet retreat, leaving me with the one set of laugh lines I’ve earned.

100percent-eye-creamMy eye skin plumps up, the sagging skin firms, and the whole shebang is taken care of with just a little cream! My current favorite eye cream is 100% Pure’s Acai Eye Cream. It’s clean, it’s green. It works.  100PercentPure.com makes two great eye creams: One formula relies primarily on coffee, to rev up the eye, and the other uses the antioxidant (and anti aging) power of concentrated acai (a groovy south american fruit) to restore youth.

My advice?  Don’t wait for an alien abduction.  I’m a HUGE fan of eye cream; use it DAY AND NIGHT (it’s rich and thick and essential and also preps your skin for that concealer I know you’re wearing!) and I try as many different ones as I can.  You’ll know a good eye cream by its power to make you feel better as soon as you massage it in. Take that, aliens!

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High Brow: Keeping Strays at Bay

November 10, 2008 · Filed under Makeup · Tagged , , ,

eyebrow-flickr-aprilleToday I’m going to get a little preachy. Your eyebrows are a big, important, nearly religious topic.

I see beautiful women all the time. (Better than seeing dead people, I assure you). And some beautiful women really have a handle on makeup–they’ve got a light touch, and a keen sense of good taste. HOWEVER. Even beautiful women can have gruesome eyebrows, and not realize it.

And, no, what Nature gave you is NOT what Nature intended. We shave our legs, we color our grey, and we’d BETTER BE PLUCKING OUR BROWS! This is not an area on which to skimp.

Now, you mustn’t just “have at it”, and begin plucking willy nilly. The secret to fabulous brows is this: Pluck one hair at a time. Even if you have an entire forest of hair you intend to clear, you must do it one hair at a time. Why? Because some hairs are longer and thicker than others, and by removing key brow hairs, you can more easily and strategically achieve your masterpiece.

A good brow will lift your eyes, make you look more awake, and….you know what’s coming…. A good brow will make you look happier. What makes a brow good? A good brow looks as though it belongs on your face. It is not bushy. It is not thin. It has a gentle arch, peaking at the area above the outer side of each eye’s iris. It is clean looking, with no “stragglers”.

Shape: If you need help determining your best brow shape, see a professional at least once. It’ll cost about $30, but the effect and the lesson is so worth it. If you like what you see, take a picture. Once a week attend to any regrowing hairs.

tweezers-on-cotton-flickr-furlinedTools: Some folks wax, some folks thread. I pluck. Plucking is reliable, and you can do it anywhere. It doesn’t hurt (except in a totally pleasurable way), but if you’re sensitive to pain, pluck after you’ve had a hot shower, and your pores are open. The hair will slide more easily from a soft pore. If you ice the skin to numb it, you’re going to tighten the pore, making the whole exercise a bit more violent. Most importantly– you’ll need excellent tweezers. If you wouldn’t trust your current set of tweezers to perform minor surgery, then they belong nowhere near your brows. Tweezerman brand makes a good product (you can find them just about anywhere), as does Rubis (you can buy Rubis tweezers at Bobbi Brown). Spend $20 on tweezers, and forget about it. They’ll last a good long while, and your brows will thank you.

Color: I hate when I see a gorgeous redhead given away by her brunette brows. Don’t let this happen to you. If you get your hair colored, whether you lighten it or darken it, whether you’re red or blonde or brunette or blue– get your eyebrows colored as well. It is SO not a big deal. Yes, you might go blind if the color gets in your eyes. But it shouldn’t. Most color formulas are gel-like, and pretty much stay where you put them. If you do your own color, squeeze just a bit from the bottle onto an old toothbrush, and lightly brush it through your brows. Because brow hair is denser than other hair, I usually do my eyebrows first, then the rest of my head. If you’re a brunette, though, and just putting honey highlights into your hair, consider doing your brows last. Your brows should be the color of the darkest shadow in your hair. When rinsing hair color, remove the brow color first, so the it doesn’t run down your face when you shower. I usually wipe the majority off with my wet hand, then use a little shampoo in the shower to remove the rest. Simple, effective, important.

Thus ends the brow sermon. Oh, one more thing. DON’T use a pencil to draw on your brows unless you’ve shaved them off (and I don’t want to know why you did that). If portions of your brows are sketchy or missing (like you have a scar), use a LIGHT NEUTRAL eyeshadow, and a soft angled brush to fill in the whole brow. More on fill in techniques in another sermon. For today, eliminate the strays.

Let this thought guide you: You should treat each eyebrow like a piece of marble. Sculpt your brows the way Michelangelo would. Chip slowly away at the raw material to reveal the beautiful shape beneath. And don’t worry if they don’t match. They’re really not supposed to. Your eyes don’t match, either, you know!

Photos courtesy of Flickr’s: Aprille, Furlined

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E= Marvelously Crystal Clear (Vitamin E, that is!)

October 31, 2008 · Filed under Makeup, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

Einstein wasn’t thinking about lips when he wrote his formula, but I’m going to co-opt it for the purposes of beauty. I love a glossy lip. That’s not to say I don’t adore a nice matte red, or even a moist looking rose lip, but a glossy lip is a FRESH lip. I’m a huge proponent of anything that can make a woman look less tired and more happy. And glossy lips make us look like shiny, happy people.

I’ve given this phenomenon a lot of thought, and I think I’ve finally figured it out: Some of our happiest, most alive and sparkling moments are when we’re eating. (It’s alway about the food with me, isn’t it?) See, when we eat celebratory cold treats (ice cream, popsicles, bon bons), our lips are shiny– and we’re happy. When we eat comforting, hot fried foods (Chinese takeout, French fries, buttery pancakes with syrup), our lips are shiny, and we’re happy. When we wear lipgloss, whether or not we actually feel it, we LOOK happy. And looking happy is the easiest way to look better, every day.

A recap:

1. Wearing undereye concealer makes us look happy. (see the concealer blog)

2. Wearing a sheer, bright blush makes us look happy. (see the blush blog)

3. Wearing lipgloss makes us look happy!


Lipgloss, as a cosmetic “go to” product has a few great things going for it: It makes your lips shiny–shine reflects light, which makes your lips look bigger. (this is why shiny pants are a terrible idea)

Lipgloss also makes your lips look healthier–all that shine reflects light away from cracks or lines or peeling on your lips.

Added bonus: lipgloss can nourish, soothe, and actually HEAL your lips, IF you use the right lipgloss.

*Do NOT use lipgloss that contains mineral oil, parabens, chemical preservatives, or plasticisers. THROW OUT every lipgloss you own that contains ANY ingredient you wouldn’t take internally. Why? Because if it’s on your lips, YOU ARE EATING IT, ALL DAY, EVERY TIME YOU WEAR IT. You know this is true. Don’t act surprised. There are sooooo many natural glosses on the market right now that are 100 percent clean and healthy that for you to continue to use that DISGUSTING gloss in your purse is simply inexcusable, gross negligence.

Tough love, girls– some of you need it!

My new favorite lipgloss is a very simple idea. It’s vitamin e oil. Brilliant! If you’ve got some of these capsules laying around in your medicine cabinet, (or your mother’s), you’re in business. When you’re getting ready in the morning, poke a capsule with a clean pin, and schmear across your lips. If you’re going for high glamour, put the e oil over your favorite lipstick (a sexy look, but not long lasting). If you’re more of a “natural” type, just put the oil on by itself. Your lips will look instantly full, lively, and HAPPY!

I’d love it if a cosmetic company came out with a rollerball wand of thick vitamin e oil (and yes, there are varying thicknesses of vitamin e oil….called IUs) My favorite vitamin e oil is Jason’s 32,000 IU Vitamin E Beauty Oil. The company offers several vitamin e oils, some of which are organic and some which are mixed with other healing (and edible) oils such as macadamia oil, avocado oil, and borage oil. I like the small glass bottle of pure, super thick vitamin e because it makes my lips look incredibly gorgeous, and it stays on for about an hour.

Downside? There’s no way I’m going to carry the glass jar in my purse for touch ups…so here’s my plan: I’ll finish using one of my tinted wand glosses from another company, then REUSE the container, filling it with vitamin e oil. Having that wand will be handy.

Here’s another idea; Mix a small amount of your favorite clean lipstick or a mineral pigment that you love with the vitamin e oil, and CREATE YOUR OWN FABULOUS GLOSS!!! You can even add a drop of food grade essential oil (cinnamon or peppermint are traditional). If you can eat it, you can add it.

Now, in the time it takes you to pop a vitamin, you will look fresh, sexy, and happy!

Top photos courtesy of Flickr’s: MoniChan, and MaryHeather

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