Summer · Eco-Chick

Browsing all posts tagged with summer

Emma Watson’s Sustainable Style Collection for People Tree

by Haley · 11/22/10

The newest installment of Harry Potter (Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1) came out this past weekend and the world could not wait to see their favorite actors battle with the evil wizards that aim to take down the good (for good!). If you are a fan of the series, you’ve seen Emma Watson’s Hermoine mature from a timid, supersmart wizard-in-training to one of the most powerful Muggles on-screen.

Actress Emma Watson, who plays Hermoine, has also grown up, from cute girl to fashion icon, with her latest modelling contract for Burberry. But Watson’s more than just a poster girl, she’s an ethical fashionista too, having recently collaborated with the UK’s super-sustainable line People Tree.

Emma’s line is called “Love from Emma” and though it’s technically for girls, there are some really cute pieces ladies of any age could rock. To ensure the sustainable characteristics are met, People Tree works with 50 Fair Trade groups in 15 countries. That means more work for more artisans. In other words more work means better conditions which leads to the alleviation of poverty (now that is cool.)
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art, car, collection, cotton, dress, dyes, eco, environment, fabric, fabrics, Fair Trade, fairtrade, fashio, Fashion, labor, local, materials, men, natural, Organic, summer, sustainable, UK, website

Summer Skin: Smooth and Gorgeous, Naturally

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by Starre Vartan · 07/07/10

Don’t let summer get you melted and messy; try some natural skin care to enhance what you’ve got and keep it simple. Nature’s Basin is a new online store for natural and organic skin care products and makeup; here’s what Kendra Smith of the site recommends for the steamy months.

Wear sunscreen: It’s the number one skin care tip all year round, but especially in summer. Even with all the recent hubbub about people being deficient in Vitamin D (which the body synthesizes with sun exposure) sunscreen is essential protection. Since there are concerns about many synthetic sunscreen ingredients as well as mineral ingredients that have been broken down into nano particles, go for a mineral brand that doesn’t contain nano-ized ingredients, like SPF 30 Sunscreen from Soleo Organics.

Fake it, don’t bake it with bronzer. A mineral powder tinted to color skin like the sun instantly wakes up the face and makes you look “done” with little effort. Apply it in double C shapes on each side of the face, from the forehead around the eye to the cheekbone, and then down and around again to the jawline. You can follow up with a bit applied to the nose, if you like, since this replicates how sun falls naturally on the face. Add blush to the apples of the cheeks to complete the look. We like Christopher Drummond Natural Makeup Bronzing Powder.

Switch to lighter daily moisturizers and makeup. Increased sweat in the summer heat can make for skin that’s more supple and moist than in winter, but sometimes more clogged and dirty as well. Lighter makeup and daily moisturizer can help skin keep its natural balance. Trade foundation for a tinted moisturizer, like Suki Tinted Active Moisturizer, and be sure to keep up with your cleansing regimen.

On the other hand, continue to use the super-emollient hand and foot creams you employed to keep your skin soft in winter. Because your hands and feet are more exposed now that summer’s here, extra-moisturizing creams will keep them looking pretty. Exfoliate hands and feet first to get them ready to receive the moisture (extra dead skin can get in the way). Products to try: Weleda Birch Body Scrub or Suzanne Aux Bains Gentle Body Scrub, Weleda Organic Foot Balm, and Suzanne Aux Bains Nourishing Hand Cream.

Beauty, Natural Beauty, online stores, Skin Care, summer

80′s Fashion is Back! But This Spring 2010 Trend Can Be Fun and Green, Fear Not

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by Starre Vartan · 04/29/10

guest post by Hannah Crum at Eco Chick fave boutique, BTC Elements

Everything old is new again! The 80’s have reared their fashionably questionable head, but thankfully the shoulder pads stayed behind. Check out these finds from BTC Elements that leave the teased hair out and keep the cool on you.

Bold, fluorescents brighten up the season. Check out the Richmond Top from Raw Earth Wild Sky. It’s got the colors, the stripes and even the peek-a-boo shoulder stylings reminiscent of Flash Dance. Best part is, it’s 100% organic cotton and made in the USA.

Geometric shapes and chunky earrings were all the rage – the 21st century version from Maple XO is made from recycled skateboards.

Kelly B’s Montana Bead Shirt with its cinched waist line and off the shoulder cut add updated style to an old favorite. Hock that Bedazzler on Craigslist because Kelly B does trimming right with understated sewn in bead detailing.

You don’t need a Hot Tub Time Machine to whisk you Back to the Future. The 80′s are back, baby…. and better than we ever thought they would be.

80's, Fashion, green, summer, trend

Barefoot Walking and Running: Best of Both Worlds with Vivo Barefoot Sneakers

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by Starre Vartan · 09/11/09

My Viva Terras. Cute on the trail or off.

Last summer, I was walking up from the beach at Gay’s Head on Martha’s Vineyard. (They’ve renamed the place Aquinnah, but I’m sticking with the original name, thank you very much) and then headed up the steep dunes, and over the top. When I got to where the sand meets the more rocky soil, I stopped to put my Chakos back on, but then decided to go barefoot instead.

As I walked up the path, seagrasses waving in the setting sun all around me, I could feel what was beneath my feet change. It started more sandy, and warmed from the sun, then small pebbles cropped up, and as I went around a bend, I felt the ground cool and dampen and the pebbles recede into the soft, more claylike walkway. As I headed up another rise, warmth again seeped between my toes, and as I reached the road to wait for the bus, the concrete burned my feet and I put my shoes on.

On that ten minute walk, I remembered something I knew as a child, which is that you miss tons of information from the earth when constantly wear shoes. I used to spend entire summers essentially barefoot (I grew up at the end of a dirt road in the Hudson Valley) and when I was 8 I could have told you how long it had been since rain from the viscosity of the mud that pushed between my toes since I spent hours I playing in the wetland next to my house. I don’t know if I could tell you that now, though I’m certain I could learn again.

Men’s Vivo Barefoots at the Terra Plana store.

So when a couple months ago I heard about the barefoot running movement, and the new book, Born to Run, I was intrigued. The premise is that our fancy $200 uberpadded sneakers are actually BAD for our bodies when running, and can actually cause or exacerbate injury. Which makes sense if you think about the fact that we have only been wearing such contraptions for about 20 years (flat, unpadded Converse All Stars were the sneaker of choice for basketball players for years). So I went hiking with a friend in Connecticut and took off my sandals and did a bit of trailrunning with naked feet, which was fun as long as I was careful (and this forces one to focus on each step, which is interesting). And then…

book, car, comedy, decor, eating, farm, farms, health, Home, humor, kids, media, MTV, Organic, shoes, spa, style, summer, Target, Technology, trike, tv

You Might Be an Eco Chick If…..

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by Starre Vartan · 08/06/09

….you’ve decided that since you’ve made it this far this summer without A/C, you’re just going to keep going and tough it out, just to know you still can (and to save carbon emissions and cash).

….going to the regular grocery store (and gazing into other people’s carts filled entirely with processed food) stresses you out. And inadvertently walking down the household cleaning aisle makes you feel like you were toxified with all the offgassing going on.

….you think that Cash for Clunkers should have had higher MPG requirements.