Makeup · Eco-Chick

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Spring’s Strong Brow, Naturally

I’m a big brow fan; they frame the eyes, and add dimension to the face (they’re also great for keeping sweat out of your eyes!). I have naturally thick eyebrows, and keep them fairly thick – and since thick brows are a Spring trend, I may just grow them out even more (less plucking, more time outside!).

“Big brows are more raw and youthful than perfect ones,” Pat McGrath told T: The NYTimes Style Magazine. “…anyone can wear a stronger brow. But the level of strength should be adjusted to suit your face,” McGrath, who styled model’s brows for Stella McCartney and Versace.

And like all beauty products, using natural versions is a simple way to keep healthy. Here’s a healthy brow toolkit :

Nvey Eco Brow Comb and Brush: A good brow brush gives you control and lends tidiness to an unplucked eyebrow. I swear by mine, and it’s all I use to make sure my brows look cool, not tangled. “This revolutionary brush uses soft, cruelty-free synthetic fibers for the brush and has a compostable handle.”

Eyebrow Pencil: McGrath recommends filling in spaces and ‘thickening’ thinner brows with a matching pencil for those with naturally less bushy brows. This one by Earth’s beauty contains only “jojoba oil, castor oil, candellila wax, pigments (depends on the color, most are a blend of iron oxides and mica, some only mica) and vitamin E.”

See more from T: The New York Times Style Magazine here.
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Beauty, brows, cosmetics, eyebrows, face, how to, makeup, natural, nontoxic, Spring runway

Heroines for the Planet: Model and Skincare Chef May Lindstrom

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by Lindsay E. Brown · 02/19/12

Photo by Larry White

May Lindstrom is a self-professed explorer, skin chef and conscious epicurean. Her deep connection to the earth seeps into every facet of her work as a successful model, green makeup artist, painter and now, entrepreneur. May’s new, artisanal skincare line, May Lindstrom Skin, is a collection of the purest concoctions imaginable, personally crafted using only ingredients that are organic, bio-dynamic, wild crafted, cruelty free, vegan, sustainable and conscious. Since each bottle is formulated, hand-blended and filled by May in her private studio, she controls precisely what goes into her products, avoiding harmful chemicals, outsourcing and labs that are commonly used and abused in most beauty and skincare products.

I had the pleasure of catching up with May recently. She shared how wildly passionate she is about her new line, where she sources her ingredients from, how her modeling career took off, and what she loves most about her job.

Lindsay: Congratulations on your skincare line! What inspired its creation?

May: Thank you so much, Lindsay. It has been the most incredible journey introducing this line into the world. I started formulating as a little girl, mashing plants and mud together and coming up with special “potions” for all my friends. I took playing in mud puddles very seriously! As I got older, the process evolved and I grew fascinated with the history of beauty rituals, the coming together of women to celebrate themselves and indulge in their own self care, the sharing and passing on of recipes and traditions from one generation to the next across continents and social divisions.
My own skin has also been a constant motivator. I am highly sensitive to several of the chemicals common in everyday cosmetics and beauty products and am fighting a never ending battle with these influences to my complexion. As a consumer, I have yearned for something nourishing and luxurious, deeply indulgent and beautifully packaged without sacrifice to purity and potency. As a formulator, it only made sense for me to make it myself. What a fun challenge this has been!

Photo Credit: Courtney Dailey

Beauty, cosmetics, health, makeup, may lindstrom, natural, skin, women

Elements Mineral Makeup’s Smoky Eye: Like a Comfy Cardigan

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by Starre Vartan · 09/04/11

Professional Makeup Artist Alla Christina of Pro Emm Artistry shares how to create an Autumn-worthy dramatic eye with Elements Mineral Makeup’s shadows:

Creating a smokey eye with loose mineral shadow is easier then you think. Don’t shy away from loose powder, embrace it! Creating that dramatic smoky ‘black’ or ‘blue gray’ eye is easier with powder, just think, no more hard to blend lines, hello…. blended wonder.

Here’s how to do it yourself:

1. Start by applying primer to your whole eye lid, all the way to the brow. This will help the power stick and become more pigmented.

2. Dip one side of your curved, stiff bristled, brush into your desired color.

3. Apply generously, pushing the color into the top lash line.

4. Dip into more color, again on one side only, starting at the saturated lash line and blend up, by patting with the brush.

5. Use a clean, soft bristled brush, to soften the top edge… and ta-da! you’re ready for a night out!

Alla Christina at work!

autumn style, makeup, smoky eye

Radiant Natural Beauty with Jessa Blades and Greta Eagan

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by Alicia Lubowski-Jahn · 04/25/11

Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty makes up Greta Eagan
Photo by Clemens Kois

When natural beauty makeup artist Jessa Blades and eco fashionista Greta Eagan recently got together for an Eco-Chick style photo shoot, the theme of the day was radiance. Jessa, who is passionate about promoting beauty that is connected to health, aims to help women look and experience their most vital selves.

Jessa Blades
Photo by Clement Kois

Not only does she offer an amazing expertise on cosmetic safety, but her stellar makeup artistry is convincing women of all ages—from savy fashion clients to impressionable teens—that natural beauty products should absolutely be the norm.

Blades Natural Beauty
Photo by Clemens Kois
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Beauty, cosmetics, Fashion, makeup, Organic

Team Eco Chick’s Favorite Natural Beauty Products for a Healthy (Skin) New Year!

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by Starre Vartan · 01/08/11

I know plenty of progressive, conscious ladies who eat organic, work out regularly, and even choose eco fashions over conventionally-made clothes when they can, but get stymied when it comes to makeup and beauty products. We all have our go-to’s, those tried-and-true products that will do what we want, when we want them to. Unfortunately, many of those same products contain toxic ingredients (check yours at The Cosmetics Safety Database to find out what carcinogens or neurotoxins might be lurking in your faves).

To make switching to organic or at least less-toxic products easy, try this two-step process. Pick a product you use every day (moisturizer, mascara, or lipstick), and look around for a more natural version. Once you find a couple in your price range, that seem like they might work for you, try them both. Choose which one works best, then adopt it as your ‘new regular’. Then, when you feel ready, try another product. Over the last five years I’ve replaced my pthalate-laden perfumes, conventional makeup, moisturizers, body washes and other shower necessities (like shaving cream) to natural versions, slowly but surely. Check out some of our team’s picks below for inspiration:

Starre Vartan, author, publisher of Eco-Chick.com

Starre Vartan Loves:

I’m a total mascara junkie! And I’ve tried them all, from natural to not. My favorite by a long shot has got to be Lavera’s Volume mascara in black. It has never flaked out on me, which is unusual because pretty much every other mascara I’ve ever used gives me raccoon eyes. Fortified with jojoba and wild rose oil, it smells delicious and goes on smoothly, no clumping. I have long, relatively thick lashes, with blonde ends, so I don’t need a thickening mascara; if you do, you might find this one too thin. But it’s perfect for me as it darkens and lengthens my lashes and the brush allows for easy manipulation and fine-tuning of application.

My go-to powder is definitely Tarte’s provocateur pressed mineral powder in Light. It’s thick enough to even out my skin tone, but never feels cakey. I usually don’t wear foundation, and find this powder to be enough coverage for me, plus it’s got an SPF of 8.

Alicia Lubowski-Jahn, Eco Art and Design Correspondent

Alicia Likes:

Moksa Organics is a carbon neutral certified company that produces a sustainable line of affordable hand made soap, body lotions, body oils and baths salts. They won me over with their super yummy-smelling, chemical-free, organic bar soaps packaged in 100% postconsumer waste. The soaps are made with fair trade, unrefined bulk ingredients blended with essential oils. Each soap is named after an awesome place on earth and a portion of its sale benefits a designated environment group.

I love the simplicity of Sprout Wellness’ lip, body, and face products. True to their tag line “detoxify your life”, Sprout is inspired by a process of elimination– especially nasty ingredients like preservatives, animal products, petrochemicals, and fragrances. Although it’s a cliche, they actually do smell so good you could eat them and, indeed, they are made with plant and essential oils and kitchen-cupboard ingredients like organic almonds, organic oats, organic apple cider vinegar, and sea salt.
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health, makeup, Natural Beauty, New Year, nontoxic