Feelgood Style

Malie Organics Jasmine Rose Beautify Facial Tonic is so simple, yet feels so indulgent.  This pure floral water purifies skin for that extra clean feeling, while providing light hydration. 

Made from distilled flower hydrosols and pure spring water from the slopes of Hawaii’s Haleakala volcano, this refreshing tonic encourages cell growth and collagen production. Healing jasmine (often used as a mood elevator) and rose (a natural anti-inflammatory that helps to soothe and calm dry, sensitive skin) provide gentle moisture and balance to tired, irritated skin.  Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s say you’re new to the whole eco-friendlier beauty thing. You finished reading Not Just A Pretty Face, and are motivated to chuck your leaded lipstick, plasticized foundation and petroleum-packed moisture cream with plans to replace them all with gorgeously green glamour.

And then you start shopping, and quickly get overwhelmed. Where to start? What to buy? How to prioritize? How to make it happen while still having enough money to eat?

As with pretty much everything I do, my approach to greening my beauty kit was fairly melodramatic; in short, I spent outrageous amounts of money replacing everything all at once. I do not necessarily endorse this strategy, and neither does my credit card statement, so if you are saner than I am and want to pace yourself as you green your makeup bag, here are a few tips to help you prioritize your purchases: Read the rest of this entry »

John Masters is quickly becoming one of my favorite organic beauty brands. I love the hair products and now I am really loving the green tea and rose hydrating facial serum. It keeps my skin smooth without feeling weighed down or greasy, which so many moisturizers do, even natural ones.

John Masters green tea and rose hydrating facial serum is very light weight, perfect for summer moisture. The scent reminds me of black licorice which is not an unpleasant aroma for me, sweet and a little heady but pleasant. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer heat, crazy humidity, air conditioning, pool water…our hair gets assaulted throughout the summer with fluctuating temperatures, weather conditions, and contact with chemicals. Give your hair a little extra help bouncing back to it’s natural beauty with John Masters Lavender and Avocado Intensive Conditioner.

John Masters Organics are USDA certified organic and they are “committed to using the finest, most therapeutic organic ingredients on the planet”.

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Paige Donner, Founder of Greening Hollywood and Greening Hollywood: Guild by Guild, her seminar and workshop series for the entertainment industry’s guilds, guild members and entertainment professionals, interviews Rachelle Carson Begley, co-Star of Living With Ed about the importance of using clean - and safe - cosmetics and personal care products in your daily beauty regime.

As consumer demand grows for safe beauty products, marketing departments get better at making their products sound less synthetic without actually delivering the green goods. As a result, rather than increased transparency, we get layer after layer of…er…let’s called it mud. The typical advice is to read labels. I don’t know about you, but for me that can feel like a full time job. In chemistry. Without a degree. I’ve found other ways to detect the washing of the green, and thought I’d pass along what I have learned.

1) Are the ingredients clearly displayed on the label?

If the answer to this first question is a no, you’ve almost certainly happened upon a company engaged in greenwashing. When ingredients are hidden, it almost always means there is something in that list they want to hide. A great example is Victoria’s Secret’s Pink body care line, the contents of which are hidden beneath a white sticker with a nondescript black arrow, discretely placed underneath the bottle. The ingredients are not anywhere on the website, another bad sign (see Tip #4). A brand promoting a natural line that is indeed organic and/or natural will proudly display their ingredients where a consumer can easily find them. Read the rest of this entry »

I like to think I’m not the only woman who kept an eye and ear on constant alert for the various Bonus Time events at the cosmetic department of Macy’s (and Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdale’s, you get the idea). Like a July mosquito to the bug zapper, I was drawn in each and every time to the big sign displaying the funky little cosmetic bag next to little tubes of lipstick and other novelties. It didn’t matter that I already had 42 bags containing half-used eye makeup remover from previous Bonus Time affairs; if it was happening, I immediately felt compelled to participate.

So it’s really no surprise that I created one for The Nature of Beauty. As they say, once an addict….But I wanted to make this one a bit more meaningful, to give me and you a legitimate excuse to get excited about this particular Bonus Time. Read the rest of this entry »

While the debate rages on as to whether or not you can get the same “performance” from organic and natural makeup as you can from synthetics, the jury has rendered their verdict when it comes to hair care: Long gone are the days when natural shampoos left hair feeling stringy, and their conditioning counterparts produced dry, heavy locks. Top brands are using organic ingredients that nourish and heal the hair, rather than relying on silicones to coat strands and create false shine. In other words, when using the best natural and organic hair care products, your hair not only looks healthier, it actually is healthier.

Our panelists received a long list of natural serums, shampoos, and conditioners to choose from. Most are composed primarily of organic ingredients, and all are absent of harsh detergenets, synthetic fragrance, parabens, silicones, and petrochemicals. Although it was clear many hair care brands have won the hearts of our green beauty experts, a few managed to rise to the top.

Behold, the Emerald Awards for best natural hair treatment, shampoo, and conditioner: Read the rest of this entry »

Greening Hollywood: Guild by Guild panelists: L-R Nikoletta Skarlatos, Make Up Artist, Pirates of The Caribbean; Robert Hallowell, Hair Stylist, Dancing With The Stars; Christina Marcaccini, founder, Raw Natural Beauty; Rachelle Carson Begley, Co-Star, Living With Ed; Lisa Archer, Campaign for Safe Cosmetics; Paige Donner, Founder, Greening Hollywood.

There’s more to bringing the beauty industry and green scientists together, all at one table, then might first meet the eye. By the time I presented our panel of beauty experts, moderated by Rachelle Carson Begley, last weekend in my Greening Hollywood: Guild by Guild seminar and workshop, I had learned a lot. I had learned more than just that Tarte has come out with a game-changing mascara called Lights, Camera, Lashes! and that O.P.I. had removed all three of the most harmful chemicals in their nail polish, and that Suki Pure has re-defined how to be profitable and committed to pure ingredients in the cosmetic industry. Read the rest of this entry »

BeautyScoop is the edible beauty product many are raving about. I tried a few samples and they weren’t bad. The concept is believable. You eat the essential nutrients for maximum health and beauty benefits.

I mixed a packet of BeautyScoop into my smoothies for a couple days and it was wonderful. I had more energy and I felt better. I think I would have to try more than two days worth for an overall determination if it really works as well as it claims. Read the rest of this entry »