Ethical Makeup Review: Radiant Cosmetics
September 27, 2011

Let’s drum up a couple of statistics to start your Tuesday, shall we? The cosmetic industry, dominated largely by women, generates $170 billion annually. Of the over two million human beings trafficked each year, 80% are women and girls. Nicole Marett figured out how to put those two numbers together and make something amazing. After [...]
Taste Making: Awakened Aesthetic + LovingEco
September 26, 2011

This week, Awakened Aesthetic is being featured as a Tastemaker on our favorite ethical sample sale website, LovingEco! Like most private sale sites, LovingEco offers deep discounts on beautiful fashion and beauty products…but they’re revolutionizing the realm of limited-time fashion discounts in two ways: Everything item on sale is ethical. From clothing to accessories to [...]
Head Full of Lavender
September 19, 2011

I woke up with a headache. I wish I had some lavender. Image via Lavender Wind Farm, which Lindsay and I visited earlier this month. Not only is lavender a lovely-smelling, pretty plant, used in sachets, dryer sheets and names of designer labels, it’s also a powerful aromatherapy tool. In clinical studies, lavender was incredibly [...]
Bold & Moody: Organic, Ethical, Autumn-Themed Makeup
August 24, 2011

Summer is winding down and inching towards fall, and that, to me, means toning down the brights of summer to adopt a more understated, thoughtful color palette. While I love (LOVE) bright shoes, nails that pop, and a bright red lip (which I probably will never abandon no matter the season), I crave fall tones. The browns, [...]
Eco 101: Eco-Friendly Hair Removal
August 17, 2011

We are bombarded by eco-friendly product advertising every day. Online banners, television commercials, billboards…eco-friendly’s the new thang, and everyone’s in on it. The trouble is that, being bombarded with all this organic, naturally-derived, free of parabens and chemicals stuff, we often let advertising choose our eco-focus, and forget to think about what in our daily [...]
Giveaway: Exclusive PeaceKeeper Glosses from LovingEco
August 5, 2011

Surprise! It’s a giveaway! As Lindsay and I prepare to jaunt off to the islands for the weekend (more on that in our bimonthly newsletter, The Ethical Rag), we’re feeling a little sad that we can’t take you all with us. Then our favorite ethical sample sale site, LovingEco, contacted us about hosting an impromptu [...]
Spritz, Shower & Shave: Herban Cowboy
August 2, 2011
It’s been a while since I talked about men. Musky, sweaty men. Summer projects around the house with their shirts off men. If you’re dating a man, and you’re doing it because you like him*, you probably like the way he smells. I happen to be dating a man, and lo and behold: I’m not [...]
Eco 101: Demystifying Mineral Makeup
July 25, 2011

Titanium dioxide. Zinc oxide. Mica. Iron Oxide. At least one of the above five ingredients is in virtually every mineral makeup compact on the market…and also in every conventional powder, foundation and concealer – even the cheapest drugstore brands. At its core, mineral makeup is created out of the same active ingredients as any other [...]
Seeing Red: Brightly Colored Ethical Lipstick
July 22, 2011

I have only recently come to love red lipstick. As a teen I was absolutely certain that my lips were too small to be played up. It was all about my eyes. Look at those eyes! Big eyes! Bright eyes! My poor lips. Lindsay and I have been reviewing (non-eco) lip colors for Broke & [...]
Color is In: Zoya’s Summer 2011 Collection
June 8, 2011

It seems my stress level has lessened. I know this because my nails are longer than usual, my cuticles aren’t bitten to painful nothings, and I’ve actually found time to paint them. (My nails, not my cuticles. Poor sentence structure, but I have a teeny headache and you get where I’m coming from, right? Right.) [...]
Acquired Aesthetics: ELAVA Botanik
April 13, 2011

I spent my teenage years – and my teenage dollars – dying my hair. I’ve tried every color that compliments my skin tone, and a number that haven’t, either on purpose of by accident. (FYI: Jen should never have blue hair again. Ever.) Luckily, I also kept my hair fairly short, from a blunt bob [...]
Giveaway: Soaps by Sweet Petula
April 1, 2011

There is a luxury in bathing. I love bathing so much that I Etsy bath products, have a favorite eco-friendly body wash of all time, and even write posts while in the bath. Though Lindsay hates showers (seriously – imagine washing that mop of hair), she still has a bit of an obsession with Lush. [...]
It’s In Our Nature To…
March 30, 2011

…love, and be loved. Tightrope Blouse: $160 Bouquet of Spring Love Letters: $5 She Belongs There Perfume Oil: $35 Martinique Porcelain Coral Ring: $46 Sycamore Seed: $30 Rose Jersey Shirt with Leaf Applique: $70
About Face: DIY All Natural Skin Care
March 21, 2011

I feel as though I should invest in a regular supply of plain yogurt. It seems to be in everything all-natural-eco-awesome (that isn’t vegan, anyway), from face masks to smoothies to a replacement ingredient to create more healthful recipes. When I began hunting for do it yourself face masks, I kept seeing it: oatmeal and [...]
Coffee, Pomegranates & Smoke
March 4, 2011

Lindsay and I have been daydreaming again: cooking classes, steamed artichokes, tasting spoons, aged cheese. In Prague, or India, or a hop over to New York…it doesn’t matter – there must be food involved. And of course, there will always be coffee, and a wafting of tobacco smoke. Olive Oil Lip Balm Trio: $9 Bonjour [...]
Femme
February 21, 2011

Now that Valentine’s Day is long over – by a whole week! – I’m back to pretty pink girly things. Cricket: $28 Lucky Elephant: $32.50 Vita Vase (4): $60 Fox Clutch: $70 Sweet Pea: $5 Coral Rose Chiffon Scarf: $10
If You Know What’s In It: Oatmeal Mask
January 4, 2011
Savor’s Black Saturday Sale
November 27, 2010

I may despise Black Friday with my entire heart, but I am having so much fun playing in Savor’s Black Saturday sale. SAVOR SAVER Red Velvet Cake 2 oz Mini Creme Fraiche Whipped Soap I’ve been wanting to try Etsy seller Savor’s soaps for ages, but when it comes to buying gifts for myself I’m, [...]
Giveaway! Buddha Balm
November 26, 2010

Ready to win free deliciousness? I thought so. In the video below, you’ll find my review for some of the best lip balm I’ve ever tasted, Buddha Balm. Along with sending me a set of their four flavors, Lychee Pomegranate, Burnt Sugar Fig, Crushed Mint Pineapple and Mandarin Orange Ginger, they’re offering the same set [...]
Natural or Neurotoxin?: A Day of Deodorant
November 9, 2010

I’ve heard really bad things about natural deodorant. I’ve heard that Tom’s doesn’t work, store brands only pretend to be natural, yadda yadda yadda. I’ve also heard that regular antiperspirant – which contains aluminium chlorohydrate – is really bad for you. (The aluminium seeps into your skin, and high doses over long periods – systemic [...]















