Eco-Chick · The modern girl's guide to living green & fabulous.

Food Tastes Better When It’s Fair Trade Certified

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by Stephanie Rogers · 10/26/10

You know how every now and then, you take a bite of something and it’s so insanely good, your eyes involuntarily roll back into your head? Moments like those are few and far between for most of us, especially because food that divine is often outrageously decadent or made with rare, expensive ingredients. But sometimes what makes that food so delicious – even beyond brilliant flavor combinations and expert preparation – is the knowledge that every single aspect of its production was handled with the utmost care and responsibility.

Call me crazy, but for me, that’s why Fair Trade Certified foods taste even better than food made with the same exact ingredients but produced in a way that screws over the environment, workers and community that created it. Would you treat a bar of Hershey’s chocolate the same way that you’d treat a bar that is not only organic, but sourced directly from well-paid Mayan farmers? Nope. While you might scarf down a cheap candy bar without a thought, this chocolate is special.

For Fair Trade Month, I got to try a few certified food products including a bar of Green & Black’s dark chocolate, some La Yapa quinoa and a tin of Rishi Wild Berry loose tea. All of these products are certified by Fair Trade USA, an organization that ensures that products labeled ‘Fair Trade Certified’ meet strict criteria including fair price, fair labor conditions, direct trade without unnecessary middlemen, democratic dealings between the producers, community development and environmental sustainability.
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Fair Trade, Fair-Trade Chocolate, Food & Drink, Product Reviews

Bambola Beauty Review: Premium Natural Skin Care

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by Stephanie Rogers · 03/30/10

Okay, I’ll admit it. For all my tinkering in homemade natural beauty products, there are times when those recipes go horribly wrong… like the exfoliating citrus mask that gave me an ugly rash the week before my wedding. Some things are best left to the pros, and let me tell you, if you’re going to trust your skin to any company, you might as well trust it to a team of chemists working with all gentle, safe, natural ingredients – like Bambola Beauty.

Founded by a mother/daughter duo with decades of combined experience in natural skin care, Bambola Beauty offers a range of premium products that allow you to customize your own routine based on your skin type. They sent me an adorable little set of tiny samples to try, and while all the products were nice, there were two standouts: the Acai Anti-Oxidant Cleansing Crème and the Volcanic Mineral Scrub.

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Eco Beauty, Product Reviews, Skin Care

Top 5 Fave Eco Beauty Products for Spring 2010

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by Stephanie Rogers · 03/26/10

I’m one of those people that starts getting antsy by the end of winter, wishing and hoping to see a peek of green poking up out of the snow. It’s been a particularly cold one here and I’m ready to get out and enjoy the sunshine (and rainy days, grumble grumble) of spring – hence my collection of new favorite spring products, all lined up on my counter just waiting for warmer days. Maybe some of these 5 fantastic lotions, perfumes, makeup palettes and hair creams will become your favorites, too.

Josie Maran Natural Wonder Powders Palette

I mentioned this colorful palette back in January when I interviewed the gracious and gorgeous Josie Maran, and its sweet spring shades were so enticing I just had to try it for myself. It’s packed with the season’s trendiest colors including five eyeshadows, two shades of blush and bronzing powder. Super versatile and a steal at just $35 – find it at your nearest Sephora.

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Eco Beauty, Product Reviews, spring

Drugstore Eco Beauty: Physicians Formula Organic Wear

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by Stephanie Rogers · 03/11/10

Like any girl born with naturally pale, sparse lashes, I rely on mascara to keep me from looking like a creepy Children of the Corn extra. And since I’m not a big fan of putting carcinogens and other toxins adjacent to my eyeballs, I am always on the lookout for great natural, non-toxic mascara – and damn, is there a lot of hype for a little drugstore product called Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara.

A panel of green beauty experts rated this product ‘Best Natural Mascara’ along with a $22.50 product from Couleur – but the Physicians Formula stuff costs just $10. After taking a gander at the ingredients, learning that the Organic Wear line is the first ECOCERT® makeup line in the U.S., and reading tons of positively glowing reviews online, I figured I’d give it a shot.

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Cosmetiques, Eco Beauty, makeup, Product Reviews

Toxin Free and Delicious: Yes to Carrots Lip Gloss & Lip Tints

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by Stephanie Rogers · 11/16/09

I’m really picky about lip gloss. (Oh, who am I kidding, I’m really picky about everything!) But, almost every lip gloss I’ve ever tried is just unbearably sticky to me – I find myself wanting to wipe it off after just a few minutes. So, when I got the opportunity to try the new C Me Shine lip glosses from Yes to Carrots, I figured it would be more of the same.

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Eco Beauty, makeup, Product Reviews