I do just love trying a new (to me, I realize Nude has been around for a while) line of nontoxic skin care and the customer service at Nude was speedy and courteous.  My samples were sent out right away and I had them in my hot little hands no more than a few days after my initial contact.

Three products arrived for review; Miracle Mask, Age Defence Moisturiser and Replenishing Night Oil.  The Miracle Mask warned those of us with sensitive skin that it was not suitable for our type.  Being the skin care guinea pig that I so willingly am, and after a quick inspection of the ingredients label for any common triggers, I gave it a whirl anyway but avoided the five minute leave-on directions and went for a mere one minute, maybe.  Designed to brighten and smooth skin, the mask contains natural AHAs and I noticed the scent of fruit acids right away.  My skin did look rosy afterward, as if I had exfoliated with a mild scrub.

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But does the rocker know about the importance of safety in cosmetics?  He has been spotted of late wearing a healthy dose of the black stuff on the covers of Rolling Stone, SPIN, Q Magazine and at the Grammys and the Brits. 

Well, Bono, if you have yet to discover the health benefits of using nontoxic makeup and skin care, let me point you in the right direction.

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Advertisers do pretty well with sports. In fact advertising has been woven into and is actually a part of the entertainment experience now.   But events marking history, events that speak to the core of our humanity rarely provide solid platforms to convincingly reach out to audiences and failed attempts often do more damage than good.  However, Target’s simple message to promote volunteering in honor of Martin Luther King Day not only managed to be classy, but it ingeniously captured the spirit of the times.

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Think of Björk and the Icelandic musician’s bizarre videos, eccentric clothing and eclectic music might spring to mind. Now she’s bringing a new theme to her persona: money.

Reykjavik, Iceland-based Audur Capital is raising money for its second venture-capital fund, named Björk, focused on greentech startups (via Earth2Tech and The New York Times). The singer and Audur jointly established the fund to help turn around Iceland’s economy, which was crushed by the country’s banking collapse in the fall. Audur seeded the fund, expected to close in March, with an investment of 100 million Icelandic kronur (about $816,330).

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Addressing attendees at the Clinton Global Initiative, Gore called on the young people in the United States to reject new coal-fired power plants. “It’s time for civil disobedience to stop the construction of new coal plants,” implored the former Vice-President.

After introductory remarks by former President Bill Clinton, Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg, and cyclist Lance Armstrong, Al Gore launched a familiar-sounding polemic against carbon-based fuels with an intensified focus on the dishonest - and perhaps illegal - actions of the “carbon lobby.” Al Gore joined the discussion begun by the high-profile collection of heads of state, corporate leaders, and one very well-behaved rockstar/activist.

Joining Clinton on stage was former Vice-President Al Gore; the Queen of Jordan Rania Al-Abdullah; the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Coca-Cola, E. Neville Isdell; the President of Liberia, Ellent Johnson-Sirleaf, and Bono.

Gore takes on big carbon

Gore said for the carbon lobby to be trying to convince their stockholders that renewable energy is risky business and that climate change is a hoax, they are purporting a type of stock fraud that should be addressed by attorneys general across the country.

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EDUN is a Socially Conscious Clothing Company Created by Ali Hewson and Bono

Rock star Bono ’s wife, Ali Hewson, launched her new clothing line Edun, last summer, during the Pitti fashion week in Florence, Italy. EDUN is currently produced in India, Peru, Tunisia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, Mauritius and Madagascar. Sold in stores in New York and London, Edun’s label consists of high-end women and men’s clothing.

Ali Hewson claims “Edun is not a charity. It ’s a project for social development aimed at Africa,” the company teaches suppliers how to grow raw materials and shows workers how to use the cloth weaving machines. ~ Earthtimes and UPI

Hewson then said, “I have four children and when I dress them I want to be sure that their clothes are not the result of other children being exploited…”

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The magazine has been debated because it naturally raises the question of whether the use of celebrities in social campaigns raises awareness or trivializes the issue. Some see it as a positive step – some awareness is better than nothing while others are less optimistic. I personally tend to fall into the former camp. Bono has clearly made the business decision of using celebrities to sell the magazine, but he has also equally given attention to both creating awareness about issues afflicting Africa like AIDs and civil war while celebrating and focusing on progress.

What bothers me about the issue isn’t the issue itself but what comes packaged in the UK edition of Vanity Fair. If you live in the UK or happen to spend the £3.80 at the airport, you will open up the plastic wrapper and find nestled in between the Africa issue and an advertisement to buy all twenty covers an additional issue of Vanity Fair entitled, Fire and Ice: “72 pages of ravishing rocks, ginormous gems and fancy fripperies”.

Now most people who are somewhat socially conscious or have even seen the movie Blood Diamonds would know that the gem trade in Africa has lead to many social and environmental problems in parts of the continent. The decision to package the two magazines together – with no mention anywhere of the gems issue on the Africa issue – seems at the very least, tacky and even offensive.

What could the UK editorial staff at Vanity Fair be thinking? Given that it’s competitive and a high-end publication, it’s very hard to believe nobody flagged this as a dubious editorial decision. It seems that the only reason Vanity Fair would have made the decision was for business reasons.

Was this the right decision? I haven’t seen online any major response to the decision, and I’m sure the issue is selling well. However, I believe packaging a diamond issue alongside an Africa issue of Vanity Fair puts the magazine’s credibility up for question. It shows disrespect to the thoughtfulness used to create the Africa issue. Worse, it puts the credibility of participating celebrities who have spoken out against the diamond trade like Oprah in question. Hopefully, as the issue makes its way into the households of Vanity Fair readers in the UK, we will begin to see some response. This is after all a world where consumers now have a greater voice. It’s now up to us to exercise it.

Vanity Fair Africa