EARTH DAYS: Tips, Tricks and a Green Giveaway

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. - Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC)

Today is the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day. A day to respect and celebrate this great, big planet of ours. Fortunately eco-awareness has come a long way in the last forty years and for many the respect isn’t relegated to just one day out of 365. Yet there is still much change that needs to come for the health of this planet. And that starts with us. I know that change is hard. But I challenge you to use this day to take a step towards greening your beauty routine by eliminating one product that uses petrochemicals, hormone disrupters and synthetics that aren’t good for you or the earth. Doing so sends a message to the companies that they need to get green and promote those that already have. To take that first step, here are a few of my top picks to get you started. I encourage you to start reading the ingredients in the products you use and look out for the worst offenders. The Environmental Working Group has a great cheat sheet to print up and keep in your bag (click on the “Shopper's Guide to Safe Cosmetics”).


LIPS
lipstick: Jane Iredale PureMoist LipColour ($19) in Julia

lipgloss: KORRES LOVE YOUR LIPS Lip Value Set ($29) - includes three cherry oil glosses in Light Pink, Nude and Beige Pink and a Pomegranatae Body Butter. A $57.00 value.

lipbalm: eos Lip Balm Sphere Honeysuckle Honeydew ($4)

FACE
primer: KORRES SILICONE FREE 99% Natural Face Primer ($28 full sized; $10 travel sized)

tinted moisturizer: tarte smooth operator oil-free tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 ($36)

concealer: Physician's Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Concealer Stick ($6)

blush: tarte cheek stain ($30)– for spring I’m loving TIPSY, a coral pinky hue

EYES
shadow : tarte individual shadows begin at $10 but I love Tina Turnbow’s Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette ($44 an $182 Value) The refillable palette includes 10 shadows and a double-sided eyeliner, mini eye primer and double-sided eyeshadow brush.

mascara: tarte Lash Hugger Natural Mascara ($18)

NAILS
butter London in Fash Pack ($14) a great gray neutral for hands and on toes, Zoya's springy coral Elodie ($7).

SUNSCREEN
face: California Baby SPF 30 + Sunblock Stick - No Fragrance, .5 oz ($12.31)

body: Burt's Bees Sun Screen SPF 30 ($12.99)

If you're looking to go green but don't know where to start, Sephora carries a variety of natural and organic gift sets, the perfect way to try out new products without making a big investment.


In other Earth Day news, Kiehl’s has created a Limited Edition Label Art series for their 100% natural and ECOCERT-certified organic, Açaí Damage-Protecting Toning Mist ($26). Artwork by Julianne Moore, Jeff Koons, Pharrell Williams and Malia Jones graces the bottles with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Rainforest Alliance. With the goal of raising $200,000 Kiehl’s teamed with the brilliant photographer David LaChapelle to capture the celebs and their creations. Locate a Kiehl’s store near you click here or go to www.kiehls.com to order online.



GREEN GIVEAWAY: In honor of Earth Day tarte is offering Beauty Banter readers the chance to win a fabulous giveaway. tarte lash hugger mascara ($18) is eco-friendly inside and out. Made with natural carnauba wax, mineral pigment for a great black tint, olive esters to nourish and rice bran wax to help lengthen lashes, it is also packaged in recycled aluminum tubes that may be re-recycled after use.

THREE lucky Beauty Banter readers will receive a tube by signing up for our newsletter (if you haven’t already it’s on the left hand side of the screen below) and leaving a comment along with your email. Contest is open to US residents and ends April 29th at 9PM Pacific.

AND DID YOU KNOW tarte also has a customer
recycling program with great perks?

Wishing you a fabulous Earth Day and look forward to learning about the products you discover while going green! xo a.

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE: EOS Organic Lip Balm

Obsession is an understatement when it comes to my massive adoration (and need) for lip balm. Cracked, chapped lips are my worst nightmare -- literally. Few things are as uncomfortable - or unattractive - as a shedding pout.

That's when I discovered EOS, an acronym that stands for the Evolution Of Smooth. And smooth it is. This 95% organic, 100% natural balm moisturizes lips with shea butter, jojoba oil and vitamin E for a silky pucker sans petroleum and paraben (which can actually dry out your lips with repeated use).

The most amazing aspect of this balm has got to be the packaging. It's not a traditional tube or even a stick, it's a sphere. Housed inside that sphere is a semi-circle of delicious, hardened balm (not creamy like Vaseline or Aquafor) for precise, effortless application. The balm goes on clear and comes in 3 \ all-natural flavors: honeysuckle honeydew, summer fruit and sweet mint. Summer fruit is my EOS of choice (and the boys don't seem to mind the scent either!).

I got my smooth on from Blue & Cream, the NYC boutique for all things Wang, Temperly and Philip (as in Lim).

Click here to purchase the EOS Organic Balm.

Pucker up!

PRICE TAG: $8.00