SEEING GREEN: liiv botanicals eye cream

Yesterday I got an email from my cousin Louise asking if I knew of a good eco-friendly eye cream. I wrote back to tell her not only had I found something new but I was planning to post about it today. Green beauty minds think alike.

Eye creams have never been an obsession of mine but I’ve noticed over time that with a good one I can reduce under eye puffiness and circles without trying to cover them up with makeup. Still, in the eco-beauty market, finding a good eye cream hasn’t been as easy. The few I’ve tried were less than thrilling. But when my friend Debbie became a rep for Avon, I learned they had a new natural beauty line and I ordered.

Avon’s liiv botanicals line is derm tested for the most sensitive skins and is free of preservatives, dyes and synthetic fragrances. The vitalizing eye cream ($12) has an SPF of 15 which immediately got my notice. I may not be freaking out about lines around my eyes yet but with this added protection perhaps I won’t have to for some time.

Packaged in a tube reminiscent of Blistex, the cream can be applied directly from the slanted tip to the eye area. I find I end up with way too much if I use it that way and instead squeeze some onto my ring finger and apply it. Made with a botanical mix including sunflower, soybean and organic linseed oil and extracts of cucumber, lemon and fennel, the cream is has a nice consistency and blends well. And I love the subtle highlighting effect. Any under eye darkness gets a quick lift.

Another liiv botanical product I am loving in this dry weather is one Sarah mentioned a few weeks back. The liiv botanicals Triple Phase Bath & Shower Oil ($12) smells wonderful and is great for dry skin.

Ordering info: shopping from Avon online (or in person) requires a representative. The links to the products here are through my rep who you can also shop with no matter your locale, or if you’d prefer, find a representative yourself here. Enjoy! xo alex.

THINK PINK - Part Three

Okay, so I thought this would be my final post on eco-friendly Breast Cancer Awareness Month greatness but there is simply so much out there I'll be back with a few more posts next week. Today I have a fabulous collection of organizations to share, all benefiting from the philanthropy of companies that we love here at Beauty Banter.

My friend Debbie recently became a rep for Avon (announcing it with the clip from Edward Scissorhands when Avon came a’calling) in part because of their commitment to women’s health. To date they have donated over $585 million to cancer research and education and as part of BCA Month, Avon has created the Breast Cancer Crusade Moisturizing Bar Soap ($4), a grapefruit-scented face and body bar, along with a collection of great items including a reusable tote from Marimekko ($10). 100% (yes, 100%) of net profits benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade and Avon Foundation for Women (all orders are made through Avon reps, so the link above will take you to Debbie’s site to shop. If you already have your own Avon rep, contact them directly to shop for the cause).

Boscia Skin Care is supporting the Love/Avon Army of Women, which seeks to recruit one million healthy women of all ages and ethnicities, breast cancer survivors and those at high-risk, to partner in research that will one day lead to the cure." For every package of the limited edition Boscia Rose Blotting Linens ($10) 10% will benefits Dr. Love's foundation to “accelerate our understanding of what causes breast cancer and how to end it.”

KORRES announces they’ve “Gone Pink” to support the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund. While shopping you not only give to research but you save at the same time. All month long shopping at the KORRES site, selected “Pink Products” including body butters, shower gels and makeup will be 20% off AND 10% of proceeds benefit the NBCCF.

They’re also using this wonderful cause to introduce three new value sets called Lip Kits for the Cure. Available in Radiant Red, Perfect Pink and Naturally Nude, they retail for $19.50 but contain between $48 and $54 worth of KORRES Color lipsticks, liners and glosses. 10% of proceeds go to the NBCCF. As will 10% of the price of pink-ribboned giftwrap if you decide to pick up presents while you're there.

KORRES GIVEAWAY: through October 14th get a free Quince 50ml body butter for every purchase of $25 or more.

Sephora has created several limited edition items for the month of October to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. $1 from the sale of each paraben free Super Shimmer Lip Gloss in Forever Pink and BCA Pink Eyelash Curler ($16) benefit the BCRF. The BCA Refillable Powder Brush ($21) is a retractable, natural hair brush perfect for filling with your favorite mineral makeup or loose powder. $2 from the sale of each brush goes to the BCRF. Available online and in stores.

Website Beauty.com has created a unique month-long promo to benefit Cancer and Careers, which offers support and resources to women with cancer in the workforce. Over thirty brands have chosen items to benefit the CAC, including FRESH Sugar Lip, L’Occitane Shea Butter, Caudalie Moisturizing Cream-Mask, Bliss fatgirlscrub, and Remede Intensive Double Serum. Check out the Beauty.com CAC link here for the whole list of products.

If you’re not sure what you want but know you’ll hit the makeup counter soon, check out Bloomingdale’s Little Pink Gift Cards (they’re redeemable as gift cards in any part of the store). Designed by New Yorker illustrator and Cancer Vixen author Marissa Acocello Marchetto, the gift cards come in any denomination from $10 to $10,000. 10% of the card’s value goes to the BCRF, and if you spend more than the card’s value when you redeem it, 10% of any overage will also be donated. Little Pink Gift Cards are available through the end of the year at stores and online.

CONTEST FOR THE CAUSE: Bloomingdales Little Pink Bag Sweepstakes is giving away ten Little Pink Bloomies Bags with over $800 in beauty products from Bobbi Brown, Clinique, DKNY, Donna Karan, Estée Lauder, Jo Malone, Lab Series, La Mer and Prescriptives. And for every new email subscriber who enters, they’ll donate a $1 to the BCRF. Good luck!

Have a great weekend! xo alex.

Q & A With Christian Lacroix

Uber- fahsion designer, Christian Lacroix, teams up with Avon to launch their newest collaborative fragrance, Absynthe, inspired by the green fairy (duh).

Here, Christian dishes to Avon on the process, the fragrance and the smell...


Why did you choose to collaborate with Avon on this fragrance?
We both create products that help make a woman feel her best. Working with Avon on Rouge and Noir was a rewarding experience. Rouge and Noir were two of Avon’s most successful global launches, so pursuing the creation of Absynthe seemed like the perfect next step in our partnership. Developing Absynthe with Avon has been a gratifying experience creatively and I continue to be impressed with the depth and reach of this brand.

What was your role in developing the fragrance?
I love these new scents; they are fragrances I truly believe in. I need to feel a part of everything we create together, so I worked very closely with Avon to develop two new fragrances that really spoke to me and my designs.

What excites you about creating a fragrance?
Creating a fragrance is very personal—something that shares one’s fantasies and loves with the world. It is a wonderful feeling to see a man or woman exude confidence and sex appeal when wearing a scent that I have created. When creating my runway collections, I love to clothes to exude extravagance, luxuriance, and bright colors. It is no different when I create my fragrances.

How did you come to name the fragrance Absynthe?
The color chartreuse, a brilliant shade of bright green, is such an inspiration to me. Also, as the trademark color of the historic potion, absinthe, the shade has a very special connection to my new fragrances. Everything about the shade is captivating – it exudes fantasy and awakens the senses. Chartreuse is the most visible color to the human eye and paired with the mysterious edge of absinthe, we’ve created a new form of escapism in a bottle: Absynthe. From my very first runway collection to my newest fragrances, I highlight eccentricity in opposition to the minimalism with an explosion of colors, the chance to be fully free in my designs and to create totally unique pieces.

Absinthe has a long and controversial history, why did you choose to work with that concept?
Being a European, the history of the potion has been a story that has intrigued me since I was a little boy. Absinthe, called “the green fairy” lured people for centuries into a world of mystery. When I think of Abysnthe, I think of the beautiful mythical fairy. She mixes a mysterious potion that captures the attention of everyone around her and that only she knows the recipe for – it is both magical and mysterious. And it is somewhat dangerous, but incredibly inviting.

Absinthe was a phenomenon among Europeans in the 19th century and I wanted to create my own enticing phenomenon for my customers. It’s such an intoxicating, intriguing tradition, and I loved the idea of developing my own scent to bring that history to life.

What does Absynthe mean or say about you?
In keeping with my own design aesthetic, it uniquely combines a historical element of my European culture with a luxurious, modern sensibility.

How do these fragrances make you feel?
Mysterious is definitely the first word that comes to mind. The scents are also very sexy, but in a subtle, enticing way. Absynthe is alluring and inviting, but at the same time a little bit coy.

What do the fragrances smell like?
Absynthe for Her is a mysterious potion of sexy florals and rich woods inspired by the magic of absinthe. Top notes of absinthe extract, golden freesia and green anise mingle with mid notes of orchid, saffron and narcissus nectar. A smoky drydown of antique wood, ebony musk, myrrh and amber adds mystery to the oriental fragrance.

What type of woman do you envision wearing Absynthe for Her?
I’ve always believed that the fragrance a woman wears is an extension of her inner essence. When she selects a scent to wear, she recognizes its power to create a memory of her and to intrigue everyone around her. Absynthe for Her is for the woman who is beautiful, whimsical and mysterious in the most seductive manner. She leaves you wanting more.

What inspired the packaging?
With all of my designs, I love to use exquisite colors, embroideries, rich fabrics and motifs to translate my optimistic vision of life. The design on Absynthe’s packaging stems from a bull-fighting cape that I received as a gift and inspired me to create a couture gown years ago. I was so fascinated by the cape’s intricate pattern that I integrated part of the pattern for Noir and Rouge. Now I’ve modified that design for Absynthe so there is still a connection between my fragrances design and aesthetic. The bottle itself is beautiful as well. I love every fragrance to be distinctive in color. While Rouge and Noir were red and black, Absynthe for Her is packaged in a captivating chartreuse and Absynthe for Him in a masculine hunter green.

Q & A - dark circles

QUESTION: I have dark circles under my eyes even when I am fully rested, can you recommend a good eye cream and/or a concealer?

ANSWER: Try Avon's ANEW ALTERNATIVE Intensive Eye Cream (I blogged about this product a couple month's back... CLICK HERE to read the post). I really like this product... it feels refreshing yet isn't greasy. It also promises a significant decrease in dark circles.

I'd also say to fork over some major bucks and invest in the best under-eye cover up on the market... Cle de Peau's Concealer. It comes in three shades: Ivory, Ocher and Beige, and it's designed to reduce redness (for zits) and dark hues. This is some serious cover-up.

Although, dark circles can be genetic, diet can also play a significant role. Research has shown that increasing your iron intake can help... try eating more spinach!

And finally, random, I know, but an at-home remedy that people swear by.... cucumber juice (it lightens the area)! Smash it up, skin and all, and apply under your eyes. Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse!


Have a question? Email us at beautybanter@gmail.com and we will post a response!

Mrs. McDreamy for Avon

Upon learning of make-up artist Jillian Dempsey's (and real-life wife of McDreamy, a.k.a. Patrick Dempsey) new color line, I just had to try it out (I have the hugest, platonic crush on McDreamy.... ahhhhh....). Jillian recently took on the role of Global Creative Color Director for our new favorite cosmetic giant, Avon. "Avon collaborate closely with her in a campaign to refresh its shade palettes, launch limited-edition seasonal color collections, as well as new product concepts, beginning in Spring 2007."
Alas, we reach the part of the story where I get to actually TRY a product. My girls over at The Silver Spoon happened to have Jillian Dempsey for Avon sheer glow all over face powder. Can you imagine my excitement?!
I took the beautiful floral-designed palette home, broke out my MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush(right) ("A large full circular brush used for lightweight application and blending of face powder or pigments..." a must-have brush - can also be used to apply wet foundation!!!)and began applying the taupe and pink colors...
First on my cheeks like blush, then a little on my nose, chin and forehead... and let me tell you... I glowed. It was a tad more pink then brown, which I didn't mind, because it really gave me that Sun-kissed look. It's more sheer then a bronzer and more nude then a blush...
So try Jillian Dempsey for Avon All Over Face Powder in Sandy Corals and tell us what you think!
Also available in a lighter hue, Peach Champagne.

MARK the Spot...

Avon's color line, Mark, is both bold and understated. An oxymoron, I know.
It is bold in choice and color, understated in marketability.
I tried out the new Flip For It Spring Color Kit and I've got to say that I was tres impressed. Basically, it's like a face palette, with everything that you need to beautify all in an easy access compact. Two eye shadows, a blush and four lip glosses/ highlighters... what more could a girl ask for?
The compact comes in three color combo's: New York, Paris and Milan. I used Milan, full of rich golds and browns. The shadows went on easily and STAYED on... and the blush really breathed color... it wasn't that half-color that you tend to find in so many less expensive products... Mark alludes to a statement. Young, hip, fresh, sophisticated.
I feel forced to repeat myself - this is soooooo not the Avon of our mother's generation!

Good-Bye to Undereye Circles

Anyone who reads this blog, knows my obsession with eye cream. My biggest fear (besides growing up to be a spinster or finding that I'm infertile) is waking up one moring with wrinkles around my eyes. Thus, I have been using eye cream since I was about 13 - long before the first wrinkle ever appeared.
My father is from Casablanca, so I have naturally "tanned" skin, but with that tan comes dark circles around the eyes. I can sleep 12 hours a night (and believe me, sometimes I do!) and still wake up with a little black and blue under my eye.
So you can imagine my excitement when I received
Avon ANEW ALTERNATIVE Intensive Eye Cream. The promotional edge is that "undereye circles start to fade in 7 days." I mean, from my lips to God's ears. This was heaven sent!
So I tried the miracle cream for seven days. And I must say, although I still have a hint of black and blue, it is severely less then before. The cream also moisturizes nicely without being greasey and I still use it in the mornings because it sort of makes my eyes "pop." Like I just had a mini eye lift.
The entire line is pretty awesome. At least they promise pretty awesome results. But hey, it's affordable and worth a try! Afterall, this is far from the Avon of our parents generation!!!