Beauty from Mother Nature
Hundreds of years ago honey symbolized fertility, health, and wealth in many cultures. Ancient Greeks called it “the food of Gods.” I don’t know about gods but these days any regular person can buy various kinds of honey in an ordinary grocery store. You will probably mostly find it in a family kitchen or a dining room, but I prefer to keep this delicious treat in my bathroom. And no, I am not insane. Natural honey is an essential part of healthy organic skin care.
Chemical and Engineering News page compiled a rather informative article about the chemical composition of honey. It explains that honey mostly consists of various sugars and acids, as well as minerals, vitamins, proteins, iron, manganese, copper, silicon and nitrogen. Even though many of these elements are found in honey in small amounts, it is of course enough to create an effective organic skin care product. You can add some natural honey to a hot bath before bed, use it as a lip balm in winter, or just have it with a cup of tea: it’s equally good for your beauty and health.
Ann Louise Gittleman, a well-known nutritionist, and author of 30 books on health and nutrition was recently interviewed by Houston Chronicle and asked what sweetener she would recommend. Ms. Gittleman’s definite response was “Real honey. Number one, it’s an antioxidant. And you will get the sweetness from it. I’m a big believer in honey in your tea, and even in your coffee.”
Natural Skin Care: What It Is and Why Use It
Natural and organic skin care can be as effective as pricey salon and medical procedures, and the results will last much longer. Unfortunately, there is very little organized information on exactly how to effectively take care of your skin without using chemicals. Besides, we are used to thinking that skin care means only creams and lotions and maybe weekly masks but in reality, it has much deeper meaning and many more tools:
Tool 1:
Nutrition is the most important aspect. Watch what you eat and drink to achieve the best results: vegetables and fruit (especially greens), vitamins C and E acting as natural antioxidants, Omega-3 in seafood and restricted amounts of sugar will help immensely. National Research Council also recommends drinking 1 ml. of water per each calorie consumed (I will leave the mathematics up to you).
Tool 2:
Sleep is a powerful skin care method. While we are sleeping our skin cells are at work: they are renewed almost twice faster than during the day. As a result, skin gets rid of many toxins and wrinkles and gets enriched with collagen. Lack of this protein (collagen) is the reason for dry skin, lines, cellulite, dull hair, etc.
Tool 3:
Watch what skin care products you purchase. The first third of components listed on a product’s label are usually the components that represent about 90% of the content. It is important that your product of choice contains more natural and organic ingredients than unknown chemicals. A lot of leading cosmetic manufacturers use a broad range of natural and organic ingredients (in addition to water, salts and minerals), such as red tea from South Africa, green tea, ginseng, sea algae, etc.
Tool 4:
Try simple natural recipes first before rushing to a mall and spending a fortune on the latest skin care items. As simple as they seem, they might work effectively (for example, elimination of under eye swelling and circles with the help of cotton balls and black tea). It is important though to make sure that you are not allergic to the products you use and read the recipe correctly.
Eco-Friendly Makeup Gift Ideas For Yourself
If “green is the new black”, then green should be sleek, sexy and make
anyone who wears it feel fabulous. After all, just because something is good for the environment, or your health doesn’t mean it has to lack in the glamor department, especially in the beauty department. These five gems have stolen our hearts, and if you haven’t tried them yourself, what are you waiting for?
Organic Beauty – Hurraw! Lip Balm, Grapefruit
It’s yummy, inexpensive, super cute and in an oval tube for a nice change of pace – what could be more fun to try than Hurraw! Organic Lip Balm?
I stumbled upon their site and immediately became curious about the balms and the wonderful flavors. Grapefruit salad was my favorite. The taste and smell are uncannily authentic, yet light and pleasant. There’s also a slight sheer pink tint, for those of you who like some color with your balm.
The texture of the balm is one of the silkiest, smoothest formulas I’ve tried, and the hydration is perfect. The finish is slightly shiny, with a nice sheen.
What makes this company unique is they hand pour each tube of Hurraw Balm. They also care about the quality and integrity of their product and work to Sourcing honest, fair trade, organic, vegan and raw ingredients from reputable suppliers.
If Grapefruit isn’t your favorite, there are plenty more great flavors in the line that you’ll love, including Coconut, Lime, Lemon, Chocolate, Mint and more! Buy a few and stock up for the summer.
Benefit Adds Lip Balms to Their Ever-Popular Range of Beauty Tints
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a loud and proud Benefit Cosmetics fan. I mean, not only are their products total life-savers, but they’re also adorably packaged with cheeky names that just further suggest that the team behind the brand is just as genius as the beauty goodies themselves. Okay, so maybe I sound a little too fangirl-crazy, but come on — from their Pore-fessional Primer to their ridiculously popular Benetint lip and cheek stain, my makeup bag certainly wouldn’t be complete sans Benefit. Now, just in time for the summer season ahead, the brand is jumping on the balm bandwagon and expanding their range of multipurpose tints to include a series of Hydrating Tinted Lip Balms, in all of our favorite Benefit hues. Benebalm, Lollibalm, ChaChabalm, and Posiebalm — no matter which signature tint you prefer (in my case, all of them), you can rest assured that your pucker will not only look on-point but will also stay hydrated all summer long, thanks to the balm’s mango butter-enriched formula. Just like the that captures stains that came before them, these handy balms pack a semi-sheer punch of color that’s perfectly buildable for customizing your preferred look without ever overdoing it!
Are you a fan of Benefit’s hydrating new lip balms? Which hue will you be picking up first? Let us know in the comments!
Benefit Debuts a Sweet New Multipurpose Makeup Tint
It looks like even San Francisco-based beauty brand Benefit is jumping on Pantone’s Radiant Orchid bandwagon! Streamlining your mid-day touch-up makeup arsenal just got a whole lot easier, thanks to Benefit’s latest versatile product, Lollitint! The new lavender-hued shade joins the ranks of the brand’s other much-loved cheek and lip tints, Benetint, Posietint, and Cha Cha Tint, to smudge-proof color for lips and cheeks. Much like its multi-tasking stains, Lollitint adds a lightweight, blendable flush that’s buildable without caking or sweating off. Though closest in hue to the pink petal Posietint, this new “candy orchid” take on the fan-favorite product packs a bigger punch with a more opaque pigment. For those of you beauty mavens who are having cold feet about going full-out with this year’s Radiant Orchid trend, Lollitint is a flattering, more versatile way to ease into it! Plus, for $30, a little bottle goes a surprisingly long way!
You Can Glow With These Luminizers
Now that summer is looming ahead; it’s hard not to be swept up by the idea of being toned and tan in time for swimsuit season. Spray-tanned, self-tanned, risking it with an old-fashioned tan, or whatever other lengths people will go to get their tan on. Did you ever think that maybe being bronze for summer is kind of overrated? Especially when there’s such a fine line between being sun-kissed and looking like the newest cast member of “The Jersey Shore.” Don’t get me wrong; I love a healthy sweep of bronzer now and then, but it’s easy to overdo it, and when that’s the case, I’d rather look pasty than streaky and orange!
That’s why I’m totally loving luminizers instead! Whether lotion or cream-based like Nars’ Orgasm Luminizer, pressed powder, or even brush-on like Trish McEvoy’s version, luminizers are like bronzers without the actual bronze. Instead, they provide a subtle shimmer or flattering sheen to your cheekbones (that’s never oily!) to enhance what you’ve got without adding any extra unwanted color. They give you that bona fide healthy-looking summer glow while working with your natural skin tone, so you can still look like summer has treated you well no matter how much (or how little) sun you’ve had!
Clean Your Makeup Brushes For a Flawless Face
Makeup is always a huge part of getting ready for special events. One of the most important tips to consider when applying products to your face is keeping brushes clean. Taking care of your brushes not only allows them to last longer but also prevents your skin from breaking out.
– Brush it Off Cleansing Brush Wipes: President of Anisa International, an accessory manufacturing and design firm, Anisa Telwar Kaicker partnered up with Sephora to develop Brush it Off Cleansing Brush Wipes. These individually wrapped wipes are perfect for when you are in a rush. They are small and easy to transport, and also, allow your brushes to dry quickly compared to liquid cleaners that require you to submerge brushes completely in the product. These are ideal for makeup artists who are booked for big events and have multiple clients to attend to.
– Olive Oil: Olive oil is a very convenient product to clean brushes because most people already have it in their kitchen. Kaicker told Bustle that, “Olive oil is a must-have for brushes that are profoundly embedded in makeup.” This product is, of course, a healthy alternative to deep cleaning brushes. By rubbing a dime-sized amount of oil through the brush bristles, the oil will quickly lift the makeup residue right off the brush, and then, just use dish soap and water to wash the oil away.
5 Face-Perfecting Beauty Oils, Not Just For Dry Skin!
When it comes to your face, the word “oil” sounds like something you’d like to avoid at all costs. But unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months (no judgment!), chances are you’ve heard at least something about beauty oils, the latest and greatest addition to the sounds-crazy-but-it’s-not realm of skincare products. The idea of adding oil to your face admittedly sounds a little repulsive — especially if you already have oily, acne-prone skin — but if you can get past the initial incredulity, you’ll be rewarded with a surprising treat for your skin! Skin oils are ultra-concentrated, so they can potentially spare you the trouble of stocking up on all those jumbo-sized moisturizers and masks you’ve convinced yourself you need. After all, these handy beautifying oils not only moisturize your skin, but, more importantly, help regulate your skin’s oil production for skin that’s not only healthy but, well, more productive, too!
Have dull, dry skin that needs a serious pick-me-up? Try Tarte’s Pure Maracuja Oil. Looking for something anti-aging and repairing? Check out Lumene Complete Rewind Intensive Recovery Beauty Oil. Other favorites include the ultra-hydrating Jack Black Epic Moisture MP 10 Nourishing Oil for extra-dry skin, Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil, and the gorgeously-packaged Tatcha GOLD Camellia Beauty Oil.
Urban Decay Unveils Three New Ways to Getting Naked
I know I’m not alone when I say I’m a big fan of Urban Decay’s Naked line — from their lightweight Naked Skin foundation to all three of their stunning Naked Eyeshadow Palettes. So it should come as no surprise that I was super stoked to hear about the addition of three new Naked Flushed Palettes to help expand my ever-growing UD makeup “wardrobe.” Just in time for the summer months ahead — or better yet, NOW, before we’ve gotten a chance to get our real summer glow on — Urban Decay has expanded their tricolor bronzing cheek palette to include three new combinations in Native, Streak, and Strip. Each slim, sleek palette includes a blush, highlighter, and bronzer in one, which can be used separately or blended to create your hotter-than-hot custom flush. Aside from the gorgeous color combos, it’s hard not to love the powder’s featherlight, silky finish, which is just subtle enough to convince some that you’re going “commando” with your makeup routine!
Radiant Orchid Beauty Picks
Personally, I’m still a little torn about how I feel about Radiant Orchid – it’s not quite pink, yet it’s not quite purple… and it’s a bit hard to search for it or filter with it while you’re shopping for the shade online (though I’m sure that’s all about to change in no time), so how does a fashionista give it the warm welcome it deserves? While Sephora’s collaboration line with Pantone usually makes it super easy to get your Color of the Year on in the form of expertly-hued beauty products. So in the meantime, I’ve gone ahead and done the work for you by rounding up some of my beauty.
Korres Guava Lipstick
Korres Guava Lipstick is free of parabens and sulfates, but full of antioxidant vitamin C & E. With lip-soothing Shea butter, this lipstick goes beyond giving lips rich, beautiful color– it gives lips something to smile about.
Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain
Tarte Natural Beauty Cheek Stain for a natural-looking flush created with natural ingredients; this is one to try. The sheer berry color gives cheeks (of all colors) just a kiss of natural tint by using pigments derived from fruit and pure minerals. Wear it alone or under your favorite powder blush.
100% Pure Ultra Lengthening Mascara
100% Pure Ultra Lengthening Mascara lengthens, separates thickens and glosses lashes with fruit and Black tea pigments. This long-lasting, water and smudge-resistant formula use lash-nourishing ProVitamin B5, Vitamin E, Oat and Wheat proteins to condition for lashes that look and feel healthy. Suitable even if you wear contacts.
Organic Wear Duo Eye Shadow
Organic Wear Duo Eye Shadow uses all 100% natural ingredients and gives your pocket book a break. For less than $6 each, these shadows come in shades to suit your eye color, but we use them all-Just because we can. OrganiSoy evens out skin tone and texture to restore skin smoothness while Eco-Olive helps shield skin from harsh environmental aggressors.
Josie Maran Concealer
Josie Maran Concealer doesn’t just provide full coverage to hide any skin discolorations or imperfections. This natural beauty must-have treats skin with rejuvenating and antioxidant benefits. Like all of the products in the line, 100% Argan Oil is used to keep skin looking refreshed day after day.
Summer Wedding Beauty Tips & Products
While your wedding dress is, of course, an important part of your bridal look, it is not the only component. Check out these beauty tips and products we spotted on Cosmopolitan to help you finish off your wedding style:
– Primer: After you apply your moisturizer and before you apply the foundation, there is a crucial step: Primer. Makeup primer is essential because it will help your makeup go on smoother and last much longer. We recommend the Laura Mercier Oil-Free Foundation Primer.
– Sponge or Brush: While the quality foundation is necessary, it is essential to apply it with an appropriate applicator such as a sponge or brush—never use your fingers. If you use a sponge, apply the foundation by stippling the sponge, rather than swiping it across the skin for a more natural look. We recommend the CoverGirl Make-Up Masters Sponge Puffs.
– Cream Blush: A natural, healthy look is ideal for summer weddings—especially if you’re outdoors. Cream blush such as the Tarte Natural Cheek Stain in Blushing Bride has a sheer appearance and gives you a fresh look. If you want a bit more staying power, try layering a powder blush on top.
– Eyebrow Pencil: Coloring in your eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil is a big step that many women forget – and one you’ll want to remember on your wedding day. Go for a color that is a shade or two lighter than your natural eyebrow color. We recommend the Laura Mercier Eye Brow Pencil.
– Cake Eyeliner: Replace your pencil eyeliner with a Cake liner that will last all day. While a pencil liner can easily disappear, the cake liner’s texture will last and requires only a little bit of water to activate. When you apply it, be sure to fill in the roots of the lashes to create the appearance of thicker lashes that will make your eyes pop. We recommend the Laura Mercier Cake Eyeliner.
– WaterProof Makeup: Since you’ll likely be crying tears of happiness on your special day, waterproof makeup is a must. The Benefit She Laq helps you seal everything. Use the four different brushes to apply it to your lid to seal in shadow and eyeliner, preventing it from running.
Stay young, healthy and beautiful!