White Apricot
Then try Eco Lips Organic Lip Balms!! Scarlett Johansen uses the Organic Eco Lips Gold pictured above. But, there's also grape, coconut and kiwi-strawberry! And did we mention tinted?
Here's a fun "find" that really works! Aroma Squeeze is natural "therapeudic aromatherapy dough." Knead it in your hands to release essential oils that make you feel a little less stressed, more relaxed and even happier. Plus, the squeezing is good exercise for your hands and it moisturizes. Choose from seven divine colorful blends.
Here's an organic shower gel to try from Max Green Alchemy that's all about soothing and moisturizing sensitive and dry skin. Called Skin Rescue Shower Gelee, it draws on herbs and essential oils to pamper and protect your skin while it cleans and the smell is divine. 100% natural and cruelty free.
Check out this wonderful soap from Devi Essentials, made from 100% pure essential oils. The "Love Essential Oil Goat Milk Soap" promotes well being and love. And, it comes gift wrapped on its own wooden board!
HAVING A BALL IN THE SHOWER by Bonny Osterhage
When you unwrap The Ball, you will swear you have just unearthed the world’s largest chocolate truffle. But don’t bite in—rub in! The Ball removes debris from pores and refines the skin’s surface, leaving a satiny finish. Easy to use, just work The Ball between your hands under warm water for approximately two minutes before the first use to release the exfoliating properties. After the initial use, you only have to moisten the ball before buffing it in a circular motion over wet skin, paying close attention to problem areas. For added benefits, allow the cleanser to remain on the skin for a couple of minutes before rinsing and for best results, use it twice a week. Once you get the hang of it, you will be having a ball in no time! Available at www.sephora.com and for more information go to www.ojon.com.
BREAKING THE BABASSUS
What is Babassu? It is a rich, moisturizing oil, obtained from the kernels of the Babassu palm, found in the southeastern Amazon region of Brazil. It is also the number one ingredient in a line of luxurious organic skin care from Inara.
For centuries, native women have been “breaking the Babassu”to harvest this magical oil, that draws heat from the skin to melt into the body, and offers superior moisturizing benefits. Inara purchases the oil via fair trade practices from an indigenous woman’s cooperative in Brazil. The 100% certified organic and aromatheraputic skin care line includes a sugar rub, bath and body oil and bar soap. While all of the products are delightfully decadent, we are partial to the Babassu Body Crème that absorbs instantly, cools the skin and leaves behind a healthy glow. Order yours at www.inaraorganic.com.
EXTREMELY NATURAL BEAUTY
Note: The following article contains adult language and may not be suitable for the easily grossed out...but it's pure Laurel House fun! go on...read it...you know you want to!
Now that we have finally come to the slightly depressing realization that many of our once favorite beauty products are in fact chemical cocktails in pretty shades (yes, I still pine for my MAC Spice lip liner), it seems that some of us are getting a bit excessive when it comes to extracting beauty from nature’s bounty. Yes, nip and tucking is being replaced by bird poop and bull semen. No joke. Not interested in animal excretions? How about allowing fish to nibble the calluses off your toes, or snakes to slither and leeches to suckle your spine for the sake of detoxification and relaxation? Yes, the new extremely natural “luxuries” are popping up at many of the most chic, albeit avant-garde, spas around the world.
TRAVEL RELIEF
Summer means travel. And while we may not be traveling as much as we used to in our effort to lower our carbon footprints, there's nothing like a vacation to renew and rejuvenate...except for that actual travel part. We don't know about you, but for us, it's usually quite stressful. Enter the Travel Kit from Golden Earth, an organic and botanical set of five aromatherapy-based essentials to keep you calm and collected. The kit contains a citrus hand cream, spearmint (yummy) foot cream, a rose, jasmine and lavender body cream, sandalwood and cedarwood bath and hand gel, and an essential oil blend to combat jet lag. Don't leave home without it... www.goldenearth.net
LIP SERVICE
Summertime means serious sunshine, lazy days at the beach and seriously cracked dry lips. So, in the spirit of helping your poor lips back to a perfect pout, here are four lip balms we know will do the trick, from plain unscented to tinted to seriously tasty.
Kathleen Lewis Lip Balm This is a new unscented organic lip treatment we recently discovered and we're so glad we did. Contains Camella Oil, Aloe Butter, Beeswax and Vitamin E for antioxidant protection. Feels great and doesn't clump. $11 at www.vickery.com
Better Botanicals Ayurvedic Lip Balm The flavors offered in this collection of lip balms are exotic and yummy. Made with Kokum Butter, used in India as a vegan alternative to ghee, and a blend of organic Indian herbs. We're partial to the Ginger and the Mango, but other flavors include Passion Fruit, Nectarine, Cardamom, Fennel and Rose Mint. $4.99 each at www.betterbotanicals.com
Ganache for Lips Okay, chocoholics everywhere, check this out. An all natural lip balm made with real Sharffen Berger chocolate! We're not kidding! Flavors like chocolate mint, chocolate orange, chocolate rasberry and mocha latte with ingredients that sound equally delicious, including sweet almond oil, shea butter, apricot kernel oil and hazelnut extract. $4.50 each. Rush to...you guessed it... www.scharffenberger.com. Learn more at www.ganacheforlips.com.
Eco Tints by Eco Lips If you like a little color on your lips with the effectiveness and benefits of a lip balm, try these all natural tinted lip balms, made with healing organic herbs and moisturizing organic vegetable oils. Colors include Rose Quartz, Plush Red and Mocha Velvet or buy and 3-Pack and try them all! If color isn't your thing, the rest of the line includes a broad range of flavored and unflavored lip balms. $3.99 each or $9.99 for a 3-Pack at www.ecolips.com. FOUR GREAT DAYTIME MOISTURIZERS
It's hot out there and no matter how hard we try, our skin can't help but be dry, dry, dry. We've tried a bunch of different natural daytime moisturizers and here are four of our favorites to help you hydrate your skin. They're light and also work great under makeup during the day.
Better Botanicals Dandelion Moisturizer - a restorative Ayurvedic herbal blend for dry sensitive skin, packed with antioxidant vitamins, minerals and rich plant oils - $17.99 at www.betterbotanicals.com
emerita Day Face Cream with SPF 15 - Made with organic botanicals and formulated for women over 40, this moisturizer hydrates and protects against UVA and UVB sun damage - $29.99 at www.emerita.com
Farmaesthetics Nourishing Lavender Milk Lotion - a light, more liquid textured lotion with a wonderful lavender scent, voted "Favorite Organic Product" by Harper's Bazaar's beauty editor - $30 at www.farmaesthetics.com
by Carrie Pollare, Editor
I am obsessive when it comes to my nails. I have to be perfectly mani-pedied at all times. I've been doing it like clockwork for years. What I didn't realize was just how toxic my guilty obsessive compulsive habit was. Did you know there is Formaldehyde in traditional nail polish?...yes, the same stuff your dissected frog in high school was preserved in. It's a carcinogen that's getting absorbed into your skin through your nails every time you put on the beloved reds, pinks or French tips. And, this is only one of many dangerous substances found in most nail polishes.
So, cutting to the chase, I was a very happy camper to be introduced to Acquarella water-based, non-toxic nail polish, which has everything a girl could want...quick drying, actually hydrates the nails, prevents chipping, peeling and that horrible yellowing you can get if you're a mani-pedi junkie like me. And, there are no gross fumes! The colors are all there, from soft pinks to vibrant reds to deep dark purples and even ocean blue (crazy brights are so "in" this season). So, paint away...just do it safely. www.acquarellapolish.com FLOWER POWER
In Fiore, translated from Italian, literaly means "In Bloom," a perfect name for a company that crafts its luxury collection of natural beauty products from mostly high integrity, rare and pure flower-based ingredients... and our skin truly blossomed from using it. Everything about the line of body balms, skin care and solid perfumes is rich and upscale, from the consistency of the treatments to the dark glass packaging, said to prevent the deterioration of the flowers in the products.
We went for the complexion treatments and our skin was definitely grateful. We enveloped ourselves in the divine scent of Bulgarian rose water in the Treate gentle cleansing base, which was a nice creamy cleanser that left our faces feeling wonderfully creamy too! The Lustra Cleansing Balm Concentré took a little getting used to because it has a brown, almost mud-like consistency, but this deep cleansing exfoliant, made of ground organic flowers and essential oil, did its job to perfection. Finally, the Nourrit Face Oil Concentré proved to be an excellent daily moisturizer for dry skin. Learn more about this couture skin care line at www.infiore.net.
KEEP THE PEACE
When we first looked at PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics, we were given a list of the Top 10 reasons to buy the products and "join the family." We can narrow it down to just three...
◄ PeaceKeeper is the first beauty company in history to donate ALL of its profits, after taxes, to women's health and human rights advocacy issues.
◄ PeaceKeeper participates in absolutely no animal testing and uses no harmful chemicals, coloring its collection of nail polishes, lipsticks and lip glosses with natural minerals.
◄ By purchasing PeaceKeeper products, you become a PeaceKeeper, helping to raise millions of dollars for charities.
While we don't think much more has to be said, just know that there are many advocacy issues and causes that the company supports, which you can read about on the website. Proceeds from sales of SKIN CARE AS EASY AS 1-2-3!
Made from Himalayan and Volcanic minerals, which detoxify and nurture the skin, as well as a blend of other organic ingredients, the three steps consist of the cleanser, a mineral masque (which you can actually feel pulsating and tightening the skin as it dries) and a mineral moisturizer. The collection looks and feels like a luxurious spa-quality line and leaves your skin radiant and glowing. Good things really do come in threes! Order yours at www.spiritualquest.com. THE LATEST "GOSSIP"
Pssst….Far be it from us to spread gossip, but when we have a tidbit this juicy, we just can’t keep it to ourselves! The 411 is that Brigit True Organics products were recently featured in the hit television show “Gossip Girl.” It seems that several of the organic skin care collection's soaps and body lotions were on display in Blair’s bathroom and, if they’re good enough for Blair, then we knew we had to give them a try.
The Organic Olive Oil Castille Soap (below left) lathered up nicely in the shower and left our
This is gossip that is okay to spread—just remember that you heard it here first! Check out the entire line of nourishing creams, lotions, soaps and more at www.brigittrueoranics.com
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