Green Options

I love my make up, I really do. I am a girlie girl when it comes to cosmetics. I love eyeliner, mascara, lipstick and of course my foundations and powders.

I’ve been greening my cosmetics one step at a time to test new products, see what works and what doesn’t freak my skin out. It is a journey. So far I’ve found the most fabulous lip balms and lipsticks. I even found a couple of mineral and organic foundations that I love but the perfect pressed powder has not been chosen yet.

However I have found an online store that has EVERYTHING. I can scroll through and search and find whatever I need in natural cosmetics and skincare at All Natural Cosmetics.

Terri Bly, president of The Nature of Beauty, presents the second installment of The Emerald Awards with Best Natural Foundation. Drawing exclusively from her panel of natural beauty experts, Bly lists their picks for Best Liquid Foundation, Best Tinted Moisturizer, and Best Loose Mineral Foundation.

We all know of Bono’s work on issues of the environment, poverty and AIDS.  With a hand in creating campaigns like ONE Campaign, DATA, (RED) and EDUN it is safe to say that the U2 frontman spends his fair share of time and effort on the greater good.

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.

Tired of being tired?  It tends to go with the season.  Everyone is still catching up from the holidays and getting ready for spring.  With work, school and social lives who has time for sleep?

With a little help, you can still look your best even if you are running on less than a full night.

Lately, I’ve seen a number of articles come through my RSS feed questioning the benefits of organic beauty products. Unfortunately, most of what I read is riddled with misinformation and blatent biases. Organic Schmorganic appears to be the conclusion drawn by these investigative reporters when they discover the issue isn’t an entirely black and white one. One of the more recent posts, which will remain nameless but can probably be uncovered with some clever Googling, revealed its bias with the following: “Although usually more expensive, organic foods can be better for you, so the same should be true for organic makeup right? Turns out, not so much.”

She goes on to conclude that because there are no USDA certified organic makeup lines, the whole thing is basically a hoax, going so far as to wag a finger at Stella McCartney. Although other articles I’ve read lately haven’t been quite as harsh in their judgment, most seem bent on debunking the notion that going chemical-free has any real advantages, even stories published on mainstream sites.

While I could go on at length as to the flaws in the logic behind these stories, I will instead devote this space to Nvey Eco’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Sarah Cherot. Nvey was one of the brands accused of participating in the deception. I asked her for her reaction to the story, and thought I would share her informative response with all of you:

Terri Bly introduces the new certified organic lip trio from Nvey Eco, including a lip exfoliator, plumper, and treament.

It’s actually hard to find a natural, let alone organic foundation that does a beautiful job of covering where you need it, but doesn’t look like you have a mask on. This liquid foundation has a beautiful affinity with skin and it blends well to give you flawless cover, while still allowing your natural beauty to show through. Top it all off with loads of organic botanicals (like chamomile, cucumber & calendula), and you have a base that not only makes you look like you have great skin, but it’s working overtime to make you look radiant.

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.