Green Options

Call me a magpie if you must but I’m a big fan of shine & shimmer. Sure, I’ve long given up those eighties skintight silver leggings worn with a matching silver & gold headband (which I proudly - at the time - made), but whether it’s sequins, glitter or a simple sheen, I’m often overheard oooing and ahhhing over just about anything with luminosity. Kind of unusual then that I’m newly smitten with the new Matte Velvet Nail Polish from Zoya, but they seem just right for the winter/fall season ahead. All the color, none of the shine and a deep, velvet finish that’s completely new (and fashionable) - what’s not to love! We’ve featured Zoya Nail Polish here before but in case you haven’t heard, this non-toxic and natural nail polish allows you to go a little more green with your nail care products, without giving up your glam.

Are you an aspiring model? Do you know one? Want to be a green model? Enter Project Green Search! www.projectgreensearch.com. Project Green Search is looking for the next green “it girl”:  The woman who wants to take a stand, get noticed, and align her career endeavors with her personal beliefs, to be an advocate for the environment, animal welfare, fair trade, and human rights.  She’s a model, spokesperson, host, brand ambassador and all around green model citizen, for progressive, sustainable, ethical companies, from fashion & beauty to cars & computers.  Are you the one? Entry for the 2009 competition period will be open until Sunday, October 11^th, 2009. Starting Monday, October 12^th, the general public will be able to view entrants online and vote for their favorite ten candidates.  All search contestants will be required to donate a minimum 10 hours volunteer time to an environmental non-profit of their choice.

I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy summer & warmth, but while we’re soaking up the sunshine and relaxing there are some extra preventative measures that need to be taken to ensure our skin, hair & bodies are given the right TLC during these lazy, hazy days. Whether you’re at the beach or pool, UV Rays, salt, sun & chlorine all wreak havoc on skin & hair, but while most of us understand the need for sunscreen & moisturizers, almost all of us forget to take care of our tresses! Aveda have just launched a new hair care collection called the 16hr UV Defense & Recovery System that protects & restores for, well… up to 16hrs.

There was a time when conversations surrounding elasticity, loss of collagen, sagging and lack of tone, were for me like hearing someone speak in a foreign language. Convinced I’d somehow and miraculously been blessed with ever youthful skin, I never paid much attention - until now that is. Whether you’re there already or you think this is something that doesn’t apply to you, it’s never too early or late to start using skincare that addresses these very issues. Now, let it be said I’m a total skeptic (and more than a little jaded) when it comes to product claims, having worked with and tried just about everything. My latest discovery however, more than lives up to its rep and having used it for the last six wks, I can verify that my skin feels noticeably smoother, firmer and more radiant.

I most often think of anti-aging products as related to skincare and I’m fastidious about taking care of my skin, but how many of us remember that hair suffers from the same aging process – and hands up who treats their hair as well as their face? C’mon, be honest! Having recently tried Rare El’ements and experiencing glossy, healthy, strong, shiny hair in place of my usual frizzy, slightly dry, fine locks, I’m a new convert to the world of anti-aging hair care. Rare El’ements set out to revolutionize the mainstream hair care industry by creating products that combine natural luxury with the same performance that salon professionals depend on, and in my opinion, they succeeded.

After 4yrs of exploring, critiquing and lauding the modern world of green, Treehugger decided it was high time to put their heads together to nominate, debate and select what they believe to be the best-of-the-best when it comes to today’s environmentalism - dubbed the ‘First Annual Best Of Green Awards. Once the many hours of discussion amongst the massive brainpower of a group of roughly 50 writers from 5 continents concluded, it was declared that in the Fashion & Beauty Category, Futurenatural is the ‘Best Online Beauty Shop’!! Treehugger has always been at the forefront of helping to bring sustainability to the masses and promoting green as mainstream. For Futurenatural to be recognized as the Best Online Beauty Shop by TH & their global team is a HUGE honor.

You may not immediately see the effects of overexposure to the sun. According to scientific studies, the skin actually keeps burning long after your sun exposure has ceased, and in case you forget to cover up and apply sunscreen, the resulting sunburn can be painful as well as dangerous. It may actually take up to 24 hours before the full damage is visible but first-degree sunburns cause redness and will heal, [...]

Real is better is generally considered the maxim when it comes to most things, however there is one time in life where faking it is positively au courant – when deciding to get your tan from a bottle, not the sun.

There will always be those among us who haven’t been able to resist the urge to lie around drenched in Tropical Sun or Coconut Oil, relishing the deepening of our skin color as our skin fries (me among them over the years!), and blithely ignoring the vast accumulation of sun damage facts well documented. However, as the greatest cause of aging on the planet and the dangers of melanoma an increasing reality, you have to ask yourself; is all that pain really worth it, or is it better to just slather from a bottle & skip the collateral damage?

Well known for gracing the trays of antipasto everywhere and a regular feature in a vodka martini, the olive has far more illustrious uses than that of sophisticated snack or simple garnish. Olive oil has been used for thousands of years for eating & cooking. And lest no part of this miracle plant go unnoticed, olive leaf extracts are one of nature’s most potent antioxidants - up to 100 times more powerful than echinacea for boosting immunity. You can freeze it, burn it or cut it down, and the Olive Tree always reappears. The leaves stay on olive trees for seven years and develop a waxy coating for protection against harsh climate conditions that when scraped back, after all that time, reveal a bright-green, young leaf underneath! Conceived and created by Laurent Baussan, son of L’Occitane (no introduction needed) founder Olivier Baussan, the Oliv laboratories have found the secret to skin longevity in the olive leaf, then combined it with the moisturizing properties of green tea, edelweiss & aloe vera to produce this new organic skincare collection called Oliv.

I’m a die hard scented candle afficianado, but besides the obvious olfactory pleasures I gain from burning a delicious organic version, the new ‘Light The Way’ limited edition soy wax candle from Aveda gives me extra reason to feel good.

Inspired by a French stress-relieving aroma comprised exclusively of certified organic ingredients including clary sage, lavender and lavandin, 100% of proceeds from this sale of this candle will help Aveda donate a total of $1,000,000 to clean water projects around the globe. Over 1 billion people do not have access to clean drinking water and children are dying every day from preventable diseases as a result.

Oh the excitement of prom season! Selecting the dress, practicing makeup techniques, reserving a corsage, hiring a limo with your GF’s, mani/pedi… who doesn’t want to be princess for a day! With so many choices to make, thinking about the environment & being healthy amongst all the distraction might not automatically be a high priority, but Teens Turning Green & Whole Foods are joining forces to prove just how easy (and stylish), it is to make thoughtful, earth friendly decisions around prom season. The program, called Project Green Prom, is launching with a fun, online video contest for high school juniors & seniors. All you have to do is post your most creative & fabulous three-minute video that answers the question, “How would you green your prom?” Submit between now & March 30th via