Entries from March 15th, 2012

March 20, 2012

beauty launch | slow beauty, by sparitual’s shel pink

“Perfectionism is overrated and is the bane of our current perspective on beauty. When we shift our way of life from results-oriented to process-oriented, we are able to live Slow Beauty.”

SpaRitual founder Shel Pink is changing the way we think and talk about beauty.

Beauty shouldn’t be about results, she says. Beauty should be about experiences, about processes, that lead us to better self-awareness and discovery. Shel thinks that today’s fast world needs a pause button — and at the dawn of the spring equinox, she launched Slow Beauty to deliver just that.

To bring the concept of Slow Beauty to life, Shel created a safe haven for true conversations about real beauty to emerge in the social space. Slow Beauty inspires positive change through stories from activists, lifestyle experts, socially conscious entrepreneurs, philosophers, artists and wellness professionals.

Through Slow Beauty, we can all hopefully become more mindful of our own inner strength and the world’s boundless possibility — and if we’re not careful, we may learn a thing or two about the true meaning of beauty and inner calm.

Take a peek at the new Slow Beauty blog and tell me what you think. How do you think the conversation on beauty should change? What would you like to see emerge from the Slow Beauty movement? Let’s start adding to the conversation on beauty!

March 20, 2012

natural beauty buff | kelly teegarden, kelly teegarden organics

“Being a cancer survivor, I take chemicals and cancer very seriously and use my whole line to ensure my safety.”

Nobody likes to talk about this C-word, but today, natural beauty buff Kelly Teegarden is celebrating four years of being cancer-free. And as ironic as it may seem, she believes that her natural beauty line, Kelly Teegarden Organics, is the reason why she got cancer.

kelly teegarden of kelly teegarden organics

{Natural beauty buff Kelly Teegarden of Kelly Teegarden Organics celebrates four years being cancer-free today. Photo Courtesy Kelly Teegarden}

Battling (and beating) cancer gave Kelly a reason to take her health into her own hands. She spent more than 5,000 hours researching cancer and looked into every single detail that she could control in her everyday life that could affect her well-being.

When she discovered startling cancer statistics via the World Health Organization and found out that there was no regulation of toxic ingredients in skin care, she put herself on a mission to create a skin care line free of toxins and harsh chemicals.

And when it comes to her own beauty routine and daily habits, she practices what she preaches. Kelly sticks to her line of skin care and cosmetics and seeks out the best everyday personal-care products she can find. (As usual, I’ve starred the items that Kelly uses that I love as well.)

Inside Kelly’s Bathroom

*The Royal Healthy Body Lotion

“I carry this in my purse and in the bathroom. Love it because it leaves my skin so hydrated and with a sexy, radiant glow.”

Rejuvenate

“Love this product because it plumps up the fine lines and makes my face look amazing.”

The Secret

“I have this in my bathroom. It takes off my makeup, including my eye makeup. This product is ridiculously effective and leaves the skin feeling clean and hydrated.”

Asea Water

“I use Asea water every day to ensure incredible health. It is absolutely amazing!”

Bed Head Hairspray (natural beauty buffs out there, any natural hairspray recommendations for Kelly?)

“I’m NOT a fan of the chemicals in the product and only use it in a ventilated room or outside, but this product is truly ridiculous. I love how it holds my curls.”

Vitality Eye Cream

“Can’t live without it. After thyroid surgery my eyes can get puffy. Vitality makes my eyes look great. It reduces the puffiness and the dark circles. I love this product.”

Trader Joe’s Toothpaste

“This toothpaste is fantastic. Tastes great, removes plaque and even my dentist has made a comment that my teeth cleaning is so easy. Love this product!”

Inside Kelly’s Purse

“My purse is a gift from the Golden Globes from a new designer, Emperia’s Handbags, that delivers amazing quality.”

 

Branam Xylitol Gum

“Best chemical-free gum on the market. Love it, tastes great!”

*Lip Gloss

“I am addicted to the feel of my gloss and love how healing and safe this is for my body. It’s truly a fun experience with the light and mirror on the bottle.”

Digestive Enzymes

“These vitamins are chemical-free with no fillers. They make me feel great. I love them so much that I carry the entire line on my website. The developer of the brand is truly remarkable.”

March 19, 2012

beauty scoop | beecology natural honey and peppermint body wash

I’ve never been a morning person, and I tend to spend too much time just standing under the hot shower water wishing I was still in bed.

My strategy for early-morning prepping revolves around using aromatherapy. I boost my senses by waking up and washing with Beecology’s Natural Honey and Peppermint Body Wash.

beecology natural honey and peppermint body wash

{Beecology sent me a few pump bottles of body wash to sample. The Honey and Peppermint was my favorite! Photo Courtesy Beecology}

Besides offering a minty-fresh jolt of “energy” to my morning, Beecology Natural Honey and Peppermint Body Wash gives me the best possible moisture ever: coconut oil, olive oil and virgin hemp oil combine with aloe and honey for an ultra-smoothing base to house the invigorating peppermint essential oil.

I’ll be ordering a replacement of this 8-ounce pump bottle of body wash (it’s $8.99, but not available in Kansas or Missouri stores — boo!). The pump makes it a smart, economical product (I tend to overuse — you just need one pump per wash) that will last about three months. That’s $3 a month for a nice, natural body wash from a small, family-owned business.

Are you a morning person? How do you make sure you get out the door on time on Monday mornings? Tell me your morning routine in the comments section!

March 16, 2012

natural beauty buff | adina grigore, sprout skincare

“I’m all about going out into the world and doing your own thing. In case you couldn’t tell.”

Sprout Skincare founder Adina Grigore wrote that to me in an email yesterday, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I’d been under a bit of unneeded stress, and even though Adina and I only shared a few notes back and forth, she really made my day and got me thinking: It’s people who are truly fearless, with true passion for what they want to do, who make a mark on the world.

adina grigore sprout skincare

{Natural beauty and Sprout Skincare founder Adina Grigore is making it happen for herself — all from the comfort of her Brooklyn home. Photo Courtesy Adina Grigore}

Adina is making her mark on the world from her home in Brooklyn. Her no-frills approach to natural, organic, fair-trade skin care is refreshing in a beauty market cluttered with so-called magic lotions and potions.

And her no-frills approach is working. She and her company have recently been featured in GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow’s newsletter; VOGUE Paris; the New York Daily News; and of course, kimberlyloc.com.

“Simplicity is the essence of awesome,” her website declares, and Adina lives and breathes both of those things. She and her team make Sprout Skincare in small batches by hand (the makeup remover is one of my faves!), and the efficacy, purity and damn-right cute packaging of her products will really make you think about detoxing your beauty cupboards and getting back to basics.

See how this natural beauty practices what she preaches by taking a peek inside her purse, bathtub and bathroom.

adina grigore purse

{I trust any woman who always has chocolate on her. Photo Courtesy Adina Grigore}

Inside Adina’s Purse

*Sprout Mini cream and Lip Balms

I have these in all of my bags, drawers, on all my shelves… just everywhere. Our cocoa lip balm is my favorite, but sometimes I like the fresh feeling of the peppermint one. And I apply cream multiple times a day, onto my face, my hands, in my hair, even on my lips before putting on lip balm. It saves my life.

Inc Magazine and Fast Company

I carry these around with me everywhere and read them cover to cover. I’m pretty obsessed.

NibMor Daily Dose

They should really call these Crack Dose. All-natural, organic, vegan dark chocolate. One little square makes me feel like I’m on top of the world.

Greens Bar

Good way for me not to binge on NibMor. I haven’t found a brand I like better than this one!

Good To Go EarBud Holder

This nifty butterfly on my keychain keeps my ear buds from getting all tangled, which can drive you nuts when you’re walking down the street trying to get them on. I love G2G; I have a couple of their bags too!

Farragio bag with hypoallergenic tissue

Sadly, and for people who may not know what I’m like, I’m actually allergic to generic tissue paper! As in, I can’t use public bathrooms (I get itchy and irritated. It took me forever to figure this out!). So I have to carry some of my own around with me. I keep it in this nifty little Farragio bag that we also have on our website, handmade by an Etsy seller in Missouri who we love!

One Lucky Duck Tote Bag

I call One Lucky Duck my alma mater because I used to work there. Their totes are ridiculously handy and awesome. I wish it was also full of their snacks all the time! They carry a line made from organic cotton, too.

adina grigore bathtub

{Adina only has the essentials in her Brooklyn bathtub: Sprout scrub and Meow Meow soap. Photo Courtesy Adina Grigore}

Inside Adina’s Bathtub

*Sprout Scrub

I use this on days where I’m feeling really dry or like I need some luxury in my life. I actually also use it to wash my face sometimes — it’s so moisturizing. It makes our whole bathroom smell awesome, like sweet coconut.

Meow Meow Tweet Liquid Soap with Tea Tree Oil

I use this for everything, body and hair. It’s amazing, and super lather-y. People are going to think I’m crazy, but this and our scrub are the only products I use in the shower!

adina grigore bathroom

{Adina keeps it simple in the bathroom — soap, spray and a soothing candle. Photo Courtesy Adina Grigore}

Inside Adina’s Bathroom

Apotheke Candle and Soap

I haven’t tried her soap yet, but Chrissy’s candles are deluxe. They smell so beautiful. I love candles, and it was really upsetting to me to give up the fragrant chemical ones, until I realized natural ones smell much better!

Brooklyn Lime Green Room Spray

Talima is awesome and her stuff is as natural as ours. I find that shocking and rare. I love her room spray so much, sometimes I walk through our apartment just spraying it for fun!

March 15, 2012

beauty scoop | kevin murphy hair resort

I’m pretty no-nonsense when it comes to my hair. I have stick-straight strands that I can let air-dry without any problem (besides a lack of volume), and I wear a simple, long, layered style that works for my face shape and lifestyle.

But I’ll have to admit…it gets a little boring.

To add a little bounce to my fine, straight hair, I like to use sea salt sprays and texturizers. While I’ve been loyal to my John Masters Organics Sea Mist Sea Salt Spray for years, my stylist at The Salon introduced me to a new line of products, Kevin Murphy. I tried the Kevin Murphy Hair Resort at my last visit. I’ve added this paraben-free beach texturizer to my slim hair care product collection, and I’m amazed at the way it helps me achieve a beachy wave. Bonus: It smells amazing thanks to tangerine peel oil, honey extract and grapefruit extract.

kevin murphy hair resort

{You can use Kevin Murphy Hair Resort, an oil-free texturizer, on damp or dry hair to achieve beachy waves. Photo Courtesy Kevin Murphy}

When my stylist used Kevin Murphy Hair Resort on my locks, she had fully washed and dried it before adding a dime-sized dollop of texturizer into her hands. She lightly smoothed it into my tresses, concentrating on the middle of the hair shaft and making sure not to add too much product in any one place.

After applying Hair Resort, she took a flat iron to my head and created soft curls all around. She then lightly tousled the waves with her fingers to make them appear more natural, adding a slight bit more Hair Resort in the process.

She finished the casual style with a slight mist of natural holding spray, but I’m wondering if a little more texturizer — in the form of Kevin Murphy’s new Hair Resort Spray — could have added an additional bit of oomph to my hair. Maybe I can finish my look with the John Masters Organics spray I already own.

Regardless, the waves held up for the rest of the night and into the next day, and my locks didn’t feel heavy, oily or stiff. My hair had just enough salty grit in it to feel thicker without being unruly!

At $25, it’s pricier than my beloved John Masters Organics Sea Mist Sea Salt Spray, but I feel like because Hair Resort is more of a gel form, it’s easier to only use what I really need (that dime-sized dollop) instead of constantly misting my hair with too much sea salt spray.

Straight-haired ladies: What do you do to add waves to your hair? All ladies: What products are in your hair-care arsenal? I’d love to know what I’m missing out on! Tell me your picks in the comments section.



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