I’m a self-confessed organic glamazon (in fact, that’s my blogging alias) and I looooove all things beauty, but I’m also a trained makeup artist who has used practically every cosmetic brand you can think of over the years, organic & not. As a discerning makeup user I’m extremely picky about quality, efficacy and application, so it was with a wary kind of excitement that I tried the new Organic Glam makeup collection from The Organic Pharmacy. The glossy black packaging is indeed glam (though I can’t help be a little disappointed that it isn’t more environmentally sensitive), and the makeup… let’s just say ‘impressive’ is a word that springs to mind.

Read more of this story »

Read more of this story »

“The simple truth is that many beauty products are advertised as natural or organic when their ingredients are far from it. Many companies produce these “so-called” natural or organic  products by adding a few herbal extracts to a synthetic soup of polymers (plastics), silicones, petroleum (and its derivatives), artificial fragrances and colors, and other potentially harmful substances. They then market the product by focusing on the few clean ingredients, while disregarding the rest, hoping the consumer will do the same. The public is becoming more aware of this unethical marketing strategy (often called “greenwashing”), but unfortunately the practice is still widespread.” - Kirsten Binder, Saffronrouge.com

Last week, while in New York City, I purchased Josie Maran’s Earth Day Essentials kit. I had heard so much about her line from various friends and makeup artists - not to mention numerous beauty magazine and blogs - that I wanted to experience what everyone was raving about.

While sitting in the subway train, I glanced over the ingredients of the lip gloss, intending to give that one a whirl right away. But what to my wondering eyes should appear, but POLYBUTENE as the first ingredient on the list. I’m certainly no chemist; I don’t even make my own skin care products at home (yet). Nonetheless, I had read enough to be nearly certain that polybutene was a member of the petrochemical family. I put the gloss back in my bag until I could do a little more research. To put it mildly, what I found was much worse than I anticipated. 

Read more of this story »

What makes Hankettes so great?  There isn’t a single aspect of “green” production that they’ve missed. All their products are hand-sewn.  The cloth is all organically-grown cotton.  Coloured fabrics are either colour-grown or hand-dyed with fiber reactive dyes.  Production is all local, along the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada.  It’s still at heart a small family business.  Their practices are transparent.  Their website links to “green” information, resources, and even competitors.  And the family itself is a homesteading, homeschooling, compost toileting role model, that truly walks the walk.  They are proof positive that sustainable and ethical business practices can be successful.

Our business truly reflects our lives and enhances the lives of our environmentally conscious customers around the world who purchase our natural based products.

Read more of this story »

The good news is that this daunting task for harmony is getting done. International collaboration between six European certification bodies: ICEA (Italy), BDIH (Germany), Bioforum (Belgium), Cosmebio/Ecocert (France) and Soil Association (UK) is in process now. Combined they aim to clarify requirements and definitions for organic and/or natural cosmetics to appease formulators and consumers alike.

Read more of this story »

1. Dr Haushcka - Intense Garnet : www.drhauschka.com
2. Bare Essentials - Red Delicious : www.storebareescentuals.com
3. Sukicolor - Dahlia : www.futurenatural.com
4. Afterglow - Kiss : www.afterglowcosmetics.com
5. Jane Iredale - Carrie : www.janeiredale.com
6. Honeybee Gardens - Desire : www.honeybeegardens.com
7. Josie Maran - Devious : www.josiemarancosmetics.com

Image Credit: Ed Geller/GLOBE

Many of you visit to find the latest, best and most effective natural and organic beauty brands amongst other things. Organic beauty is one of my favorite topics and one I’m passionate about.  And I don’t know about you, but I value honest recommendations from fellow consumers much more than I do when it comes from an owner or employee of a business.  And I know I’m not alone, otherwise Googling “review of X product” would not be the common pastime that it is.  So with that in mind, I’m bringing you the real deal about NatureOfBeauty.com. I’ll clue you in on which products I’m loving right now, the scoop on two hot brands they just launched, share my Christmas gift ideas and divulge how to get free shipping and 15% off your order.

Read more of this story »

Read more of this story »

Read more of this story »

Traditionally not an easy color to wear vis-a-vis a neutral brown for example, there are nonetheless some gorgeous organic and natural makeup shades to wear with what is sure to be your new favorite color come Fall:

Read more of this story »

The organic & natural beauty market is increasingly saturated with new brands and products, and growing confusion about what’s ok for you and what’s not. Now seems like a good a time to provide a basic outline of what you need to know. In the posts to follow I’ll cover these in more depth but here’s a good starting point:

Natural: Widely defined as any substance harvested or derived from nature and then isolated, processed or purified by a variety of environmentally sound techniques including filtration, fermentation, distillation, expressing and other like processes.

Read more of this story »

Here’s to true natural beauty! Futurenatural offers environmentally sound style products that make you look good on the outside and feel good on the inside. Emma Pezzack, the owner of Futurenatural, offers some insight into her world of high quality skin products that are backed up by a socially and environmentally conscious business. ~ Current Review

Read more of this story »

An online oasis for natural face and body products, B-cause (or beautywithacause.com) provides healthy and affordable cosmetics for a woman’s beauty regimen while doing its part for beauty in society as well, with 10% of all proceeds going towards breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and scleroderma research. You’ll find mineral makeup, facial cleansers, toners, and moisturizers, as well as hair care, fluoride-free toothpaste, and a few products for men, too. Every product offered on the site meets the self-imposed standards of Beauty With a Cause for safe, natural ingredients, affordability, operating ethics, and animal kindness.

In her own search for truly natural beauty products, owner Julie Ann Price found a way to not just effect change in the world of cosmetics, but to do it with style. “Beauty is a measure of how much women love themselves,” says Price. “B-cause wants to be a trusted resource for women where they can shop for effective skin care and vibrant cosmetics knowing that the owner is as concerned as they are that the products are both beautiful and safe. I use what I sell and I believe in my products.”

Currently the FDA lacks stringent guidelines for natural beauty products. If only 1% of the ingredients used in a product are organic, the product can have an “organic” label. B-cause has an “Ingredients to Avoid” list and it’s a little frightening to see how many of these ingredients appear in products that are probably on most bathroom shelves.

Read more of this story »

You eat organically and locally and sustainably. You clean your home with vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. So why are you still using makeup, moisturizer, and shampoo that contains known carcinogenic chemicals?

Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and its critical jobs include keeping moisture in, excreting waste, regulating body temperature, compensating for the harsh UV sun rays, and creating vitamin D. And think of its powerful connection with the mind and body — you blush when shy, perspire when nervous, and inexplicably, those little hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up when you realize you’re not alone in a dark room.

Especially during these harsh summer months, you owe it to your skin to read every label and understand every ingredient of every product you use on it. And now, going organic and natural has never been easier — or more luxurious.

Futurenatural.com is the place for “responsible hedonism.” A new Sephora for the savvy organic and natural consumer, Futurenatural offers the best organic skin and hair care, makeup, fragrances, and body-loving basics. Owner/”natural beauty junkie”/writer (and former Australian farmer girl) Emma Pezzack has searched the world for organic/natural cosmetics and goodies that are as effective as they are lush. They are also fair-trade and environmentally conscious.

“You can get something that works as well as Estee Lauder, for example, but is 100% organic,” states Pezzack. “All the products we sell are sustainably harvested, consider the environment, and contribute not only to the health of the consumer but the health of the planet.” What’s not to love?!

Futurenatural.com has chosen the brands they sell very carefully, and will soon include some exciting new brand additions such as L’Occitane, ThisWorks, Alaska Glacial Mud Co., Bamford, Stella McCartney, Patyka, Shobha, Jurlique and more. They list full ingredients for each of the products they sell. Don’t recognize what a certain ingredient is?

Read more of this story »

We all want gorgeous, polished looking nails but at what cost? The average nail polish is basically nothing more than a refined version of automobile paint. Yes they make your nails look gorgeous, but they contain a hefty amount of known, dangerous toxins (dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde) that can stay in your system and generate internal toxicity. Not entirely free of chemicals, at least using nail polish alternatives such as Zoya if you must have gorgeous, well-groomed nails, ensures that you’re not absorbing the worst offending ingredients. Zoya Nail Polish is available in around 60 different fashion forward shades to suit even the most discerning eco-glamazon - plus it’s just as hard wearing as conventional nail polish.

Featured in many different fashion magazines and most recently in Instyle as the smart new polish to wear, now you can make a step toward being more natural, without giving up your glam! Amen to that. Writer :: Emma Pezzack - www.futurenatural.com: the best organic beauty products in the world.

Great for all skin types but if you tend toward a little oily or combination, just use some natural mineral powder over the top (like Alima), to blot excess oil throughout the day. If you like it lighter, just mix with moisturizer for more sheer coverage. Mineral pigments provide the healthy colors and the entire line is certified organic. Love it. Writer :: Emma Pezzack - www.futurenatural.com: the best organic beauty products in the world.

Read more of this story »

Perfect for sun recovery or every day body moisture, this contains nothing but the nourishing fat of the Mango Seed, Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E. Rub it all over your body while in the shower to leave your skin deliciously silky and super soft. The Butter Cup is heat activated by steam and warm water and will quench your skin with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, as well as the soft, sweet scent of mango.

You know what that means right? Your skin is moisturized, fragrant, and ready to go as soon as you step out of the shower - all in about 30secs flat - no need for body lotion! If you’re as time challenged as I am, anything that can do two or three things at once in that space of time gets my vote any day.

Note: This product is heat sensitive and will not ship over Summer. To beat the heat, order your supplies now… www.futurenatural.com or www.malie.com

Keep it stashed in your bag during Summer heat to spritz all over as a refreshing, light, easily applied moisture solution that will leave you smelling gorgeous. Pop the top, spray and voila! A great addition to any ‘must have’ list for Summer. Writer :: Emma Pezzack - www.futurenatural.com: the best organic beauty products in the world.

]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/05/19/spray-lotion-mist-from-ola-hawaii/feed/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/04/your-skin-needs-to-lighten-up/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/04/your-skin-needs-to-lighten-up/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:04:01 +0000 Emma Pezzack http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/04/04/your-skin-needs-to-lighten-up/ The average square inch of skin holds 650 sweat glands, 20 blood vessels and more than a thousand nerve endings. It eliminates toxins, protects, controls moisture loss, regulates heat, acts as a storage system, is responsible for sensation, and absorbs oxygen, nitrogen & carbon dioxide. It lives and breathes. It’s a constantly shifting playing field according to external & internal influences and under constant siege. Add to this the fluctuating seasons and climate change, and you start to get some idea of how skin alters from one season to the next.

You know how it goes… that moisturizer you love in Autumn/Winter is too heavy for Spring/Summer. What you love in the hotter months is all wrong for the drier, colder seasons. Listen up, your skin is trying to tell you something! The seasons change, so should your beauty routine.

There are several companies that offer light/heavy versions of pretty much the same thing so you don’t have to switch brands to update your skincare. Legendary Dr Hauscka Rose Cream has a lightweight version, Pomega5 just launched Revitalizing Essential Moisture, an option to their phenomenal Healing Cream, Kimberly Sayer have an Ultra Light Daily Moisture SPF25 (great for spring/summer) and Antioxidant Day Cream SPF25 which is a little heavier. Perianne is another line that takes the changing of the seasons seriously. Their entire company & product selection is divided into Fall/Winter, Spring/Summer and they even have a transitional collection for in between.

Read more of this story »

As reported on the 2nd of April in the Lancashire Post, Sydney Morning Herald and via several other sources, the 33-year-old star has been attempting to fight the aging process using Natralox after she was sent some while in the UK. Daniel Maung, the UK distributor of Natralox, said: “The cream was sent to Victoria some months ago and we received a message from her people saying she loved it, so we sent more!” This incredible, natural cream contains four key ingredients that are proven to reduce signs of aging by up to 50% in 4wks.

Read more of this story »