Feelgood Style

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 »

We all get a little run-down from time to time. And we all need to take care of ourselves.  Here in Hollywood there are truly devoted experts who have fine-tuned natural techniques to keep our engines humming. 

Timothy Martin, founder of the Izo Cleanze an all-natural juice cleanse, walked me through a 5-day juice cleanse or “fast” and offered some coaching along the way, which is documented here in our Moveable Juice Feast conversation.  Another option is Charisma Cuisine whose Victoria Wieszkowiak offers a 3-day juice fast which includes daily doses of fresh coconut juice, full of electrolytes.  Anyone who loves organic fruits and vegetables needs to stay up on two bills floating through Congress right now: H.R. 875 and especially H.R. 759.  Read up on them HERE.

For Springtime Regeneration and Renewal, nothing tops Raw Juice! Read the rest of this entry »

One year ago, after watching her father lose his battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease and her 35-year-old friend receive a diagnosis of breast cancer for the third time, Christy decided it was time to make a change. Since early on in her career, she suspected the chemicals in the high-end makeup she used on her clients were potentially harmful; she had stopped wearing the stuff years ago. So she emptied her makeup kit and started over, this time filling it with nothing but natural cosmetics. If she was going to remain in the only career she had ever known or wanted, she could no longer use products containing the chemicals she suspected may have killed her father, or possibly contributed to the cancer haunting her friend. Read the rest of this entry »

Founder of Blades Natural Beauty, Jessa Blades is a natural makeup artist who works on photo shoots and fashion shows, helps brides looks their best on their big day and provides natural beauty consultation to a variety of clientele in New York City.  Last month she worked with celebrity makeup artist, Rose-Marie Swift at Fashion Week and is featured this month in Glamour magazine’s 70^th anniversary issue along with 69 other female eco-achievers.  She also works with Teens Turning Green and Project Green Prom. 

She believes we don’t have to sacrifice health for beauty and is intimately in-the-know about products that perform, yet won’t pollute our bodies.  “People are outraged when it comes to animal testing for cosmetics and I’m against it, but what about human testing?  Companies have been testing their products on women for years!!” 

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I have a confession to make: For the last 6 months, I was wearing mascara that I didn’t actually sell on my website or in my store. Although I had used all of them, and really liked several, I came across a natural mascara from France a while back that simply blew the others out of the water. I couldn’t go back; thus, when people would ask me which mascara I recommended, I had to a) give them my #2 and #3 choices whilst pretending I knew of nothing better (because the odds of there being a spa carrying the brand in your area were exceedingly slim, so why torture you); b) mumble something about wearing a natural mascara that I would be selling some day, or c) quickly change the subject.

No longer must I select from 3 unhappy options when asked about the best natural mascara. I bring you Couleur Caramel’s natural, eco-cert certified, how-long-oh-lord-how-long-have-I-waited-for-this mascara. Read the rest of this entry »

When you think of Kenneth Cole, timeless fashion, trendsetting shoes and stylish accessories likely leap to mind.  Their commitment to the environment and their eco-tote likely do not top your list.  But behind the well designed exterior lies a philanthropic soul, intent on sparking social change — and helping others do it, too.

Their recent launch of Awearness supports that mission, showcasing 25 years worth of philanthropy, and creating a place for consumers and businesses to get involved in championing the causes that are important to them.  From a blog to a book to a volunteer link up program, Kenneth Cole shows us it’s possible to look as good as you feel. 

Right down to its name, Awearness is the embodiment of Feelgood Style.

Being the slightly bold journalist that I am, I sought out an interview with this fashion icon to learn more about Awearness and uncover any other hidden gems lurking behind the finely stitched fabric of Kenneth Cole.  It started with some light stalking of their Twitter account, a couple of emails and a few [dozen] phone calls before I finally connected with Robert Genovese, Vice President of Marketing & Media at the West 50th Street headquarters in New York City.  Robert was gracious, responsive, and genuinely eager to share the details of the Awearness program, and happily indulged me in the laundry list of questions that I am thrilled to share with you now.

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A few weeks ago, Feelgoodstyle.com writer Stancie Wilson told you about Organic Beauty Magazine, the latest and greatest newsstand magazine featuring organic and natural beauty products, fashion finds, and advice on everything from choosing the best products to eco-friendly travel to creating your own at-home spa experience. I caught wind of the plans for this new magazine in the fall and, as you might imagine, I was thrilled beyond measure. About a month later, I had the extreme good fortune of meeting up with editor-in-chief Rona Berg to learn more about the magazine and her plans for its future (and what a smart, inspirational woman she is). The more I heard, the more excited I became, to say the very least. When my copy arrived right before the holidays, I tossed aside whatever I was working on at the time, giddily scanning every page and admiring every photograph, including Christy Coleman’s masterful artisty on the cover (featuring House actress Olivia Wildes). Read the rest of this entry »

One of the biggest challenges most people face is staying organized.  It’s also one of the biggest new year’s resolutions for those who resolve to start their new year off clutter-free.  But, for many, it’s an elusive process that either starts off strong and fizzles out, or seems so daunting a task that they don’t know where to begin.

Enter Krista Colvin, lifestyle expert, Founder of Organize in Style LLC and creator of The Shebang, The Smart Woman’s Guide to Doing It All, who sees your clutter as a canvas for crafting a well organized masterpiece that’s as eco-friendly as it is stylish.  Best of all, she offers practical solutions that are easy to implement — and maintain — and will save you precious hours to boot.  With Krista’s help, the only thing you’ll need to think about is what to do with all that extra time!

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The time has come.  The wait is over.  The brand-new, highly anticipated, hottest beauty glossy to hit newsstands is green and it’s gorgeous!

Natural and organic beauty is no longer a niche industry. It has and continues to flood conventional markets as consumers ask more questions than ever about product safety and purity. The rapid increase in organic beauty sales is due, in part, to consumer awareness of hazards in their synthetic and toxic counterparts. Higher standards have become prevalent even for the average consumer thanks to mainstream media spotlights on lead in lipstick, estrogen-mimicking parabens and BPA in plastics.

Though it may not seem like an ideal time to launch anything in our current economic state, there may not be a more perfect time than now for Organic Beauty.

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