So you’ve been hearing non-stop about products being ‘green’ and earth friendly, yet you don’t know what the heck that means. I didn’t either – all I knew was that ‘green’ products are good for the earth and ourselves. It was not until my best friend sent over a book on natural/organic skincare that I learned how great green products really are, so I thought I’d share what I know today!
What is green skincare?
Green products are any beauty products that are made from natural, organic or biodynamic farmed ingredients. This means that common skin irritants like sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrances and parabens are not present, so the products will be kinder to your skin. Furthermore, green products are considered earth friendly due to their biodegradable packaging.
What ingredients are never found in green products?
Like I wrote in an older post, How to Spot Natural Products, any ingredient that can cause allergies or irritant the skin are normally banned from green products. Some common ones that are banned are parabens, sulfates, silicone, synthetic dyes, fragrances, animal-by products and preservatives.
What’s with all the new vocab?
Green products claim a lot, from being “vegan”, to “natural”, to “organic” and uses terms such as “biodynamic” and “biodegradable”. Say what? I was always sleeping-awake in Science class, so if there was one thing that confused me about green products, it was all the big words! Here are some of the popular terms and what they mean:
- Green - Anything considered environmentally friendly.
- Natural - Considered natural if no man-made or manufactured ingredients are in it.
- Organic - Certified to not be genetically modified, and have been grown without fertilizes and pesticides.
- Vegan – Cruelty free, does not test on animals, and does not use animal-by products.
- Biodegradable – A material that is capable of creaking down and decaying due to microorganisms.
- Biodynamic - A system where someone harvests crops at their peak, according to cycles of the sun, moon or soil.
How Do I Start Going Green?
Last year I wrote a general post on some simple steps you can take in being a green beauty. This time we’re talking skincare, so if you’d like to give it a try, here’s how to start using green skincare products.
First, source out products that claim to be organic and natural (remember, sometimes they can claim something but not be it!). Next, check out the ingredients list. It shouldn’t have any of the ingredients I listed above. If it does, it’s probably just partially organic. (But as I wrote in my older post, anything that is at least 95% organic is considered organic.)
Here are some natural and organic products that can give you a head start. Some I’ve tried, some are recommended by my organic-obsessed best friend, and some are well-known natural brands that you could check out.
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Reader L posed a question some time ago (I’m so sorry it took me so long, L!) where she asked about cheekbones, and I couldn’t have been happier – I adore the look of a strong, chiseled cheekbone and have no idea why I didn’t write about this earlier.
I was wondering if you could tell me how to go about creating the illusion of high cheekbones. I love how they look, but sadly I’ve not been biologically blessed. Can you tell me how to fake it?
When I was writing this post, I immediately thought of supermodel Gisele Bunchen. Hello, her kill cheekbones can knock you out! However, if you’re like L and don’t have that prominent cheekbones, it’s very easy to ‘fake’ with makeup. All you need is one simple product: blush.
The Color
The color of that blush is important, though. No girly pinks and pretty peaches allowed here – the blush is meant to mimic the natural ‘shadow’ a cheekbone creates, so the trick here is to get a blush that is a blush color that is about 2-3 shades darker than your skintone.
Personally, I normally either use a bronzer (tan colors) or a taupe color. MAC has a popular blush called Emote, which was used a lot at the magazine I once interned at photoshoots.
I remember this because it was so perfect I went up to the makeup artist and demanded (politely) for him to tell me what color it is. So I’d really recommend that, it is stunning; not to mention MAC blushes are great – stays on forever and gives great color.
Another great color is MAC’s blush in Taupe, one that I’ve been using forever and wrote about in my post on what’s in my makeup bag.
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Reader V wrote to me a week ago after reading my post, Beauty Tips for Flights and she wanted to know more specific tips for those who are in planes very frequently – aka, working in one!
I was wondering if you have a tip for me, or possible post on the website about it. I read your post about how the lack of moisture in the aircraft can dry up your skin. I am a soon-to-be stewardess and you know how I will be exposed to ‘this’ dry atmosphere most of the time.
So do you have a tip about how I can keep my skin healthy? Our 5 inches make-up surely is no help, and I’m not sure about the use of facial mist, with 5 inches make up on. Yeah, some stewardess tend to get worried about their skin because we can’t afford to look like we sped up our aging process.
I can relate to air stewardesses who are wary about speeding up the aging process – those working full time in cold, dry offices also have the same complaint (like my friends!). Thing is, unfortunately, I’m aware about the makeup stewardess are required to wear daily, so it’s quite a challenge. No worries though, I have a few tips up my sleeves!
Here’s an idea to start you off – even though it’s just a plane, you can actually just research “winter skincare tips”, because, as you’ve guessed it, one of the main factors is the extremely dry temperatures. They have tons of tips for dry climates and would definitely help in your work environment!
Before the Flight
First of all, it’s vital that you start by cleansing your skin very well before your flight. Try switching to a cleanser made for dry skin. While in the shower, avoid very hot water as it will just dry out your skin more. Instead, opt for a luke warm temperature, and really clean your face well. (Read here for more tips on cleansing.) Basically, leave the cleanser on your face for at least 30 seconds to really let it work.
I’m not sure if they give you makeup to wear or if it’s your own, but if it’s your own, I highly recommend finding a mineral/organic foundation, as this will not clog your pores and irritate your skin. Find formulas made for dry skin, preferably a tinted moisturizer made for dry skin. Since you’ll be traveling a lot, you can go overseas and find winter-related skin care products that would cater to extremely dry weather conditions.
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If there’s one makeup trick every beauty fool should know, it’s that the “natural” look actually takes just as many products as a “normal” look, but it takes twice the time! It’s all about careful blending and making everything appear like it was God-given, so it’s quite a routine!
And though I like to preach about having fun with makeup and adding color to your look, sometimes, the occasion calls for a more neutral looking face. Here are some tips on getting the natural (except not really…) no-makeup look.
- Step 1: Start off with a great base.
For great makeup, you need a solid base – everything goes well when there is a proper foundation, no? Keep it light though, a tinted moisturizer (this tinted moisturizer is amazing) and some concealer on your problem areas (dark circles, zits, etc) should do the trick. Skip the loose powder on this one (or keep it VERY light if you really need it), because the whole point is to look dewy and fresh.
Remember to blend everything well, so there are no obvious lines and areas that look like there are two parts. And we must never see that your foundation ends at your jawline, no, no, no! Blend until all the makeup disappears into your skin, so it looks like even, flawless skin.
Next is to apply some more color to your skin so you don’t look too washed out – I’m talking about blush. Again, keep this color light. A light pink or peach that gives you enough color (but not like you’re wearing anything) is enough.
Gently sweep it across your cheeks, up to your cheekbones and stop. Take a step back from your mirror and make sure it looks light, as if you’re blushing naturally.
If you’ve applied too much blush, take some tissue paper across your palm, and gently wipe off the excess. (NARS Orgasm, the famous blush to mimic that certain glow, may be a good option, as it suits all skin tones.)
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“Laughter is an instant vacation.” — Milton Berle
Last year I wrote a post, How to Start Building Self Esteem, after speaking to a young reader about her life and insecurities. Since then I’ve been speaking to tons of readers about their lives and an emerging theme I notice is that we could all use a big dose of self esteem and self confidence, because we all have low moments. I also feel that being a woman these days are especially hard – we have so much to do, so many priorities, and so little time for ourselves. Well, no more!
To end this month I thought we’d talk about laughter.
Laughter is so important in our lives, not only to keep us feeling lighter and happier, but can also reduce stress, improve our mood and make us feel happier and better about ourselves. (Read more of the benefits of laughter here.) Here are some ways I bring laughter into my own life, and I hope it can help you out with some ideas as well:
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One of the greatest skin rituals you can do for yourself is to thoroughly cleanse your face, morning and night. And though it seems simple enough – slap on some soap, then water – there are some tricks and tips to making the most out of your cleanser and to learn how to really clean your face for soft, beautiful skin!
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Paired with an evening dress or a tee and jeans, this sexy style is both casual and formal – there’s something so effortlessly casual yet elegant about sleek straight hair. I also love how it really shows off your face and frames it simply.
And the best thing is, whatever your hair texture, you can try this style in 5 steps. Though it does take some time (especially when flat ironing each section), you can memorize these steps easily and it will get easier once you get the hang of it with more practice.
What you need:
This hairstyle looks simple enough, but you will need some products and tools:
- blow-dryer
- paddle brush
- flat iron
- heat-protective serum
- leave in conditioner
- shine spray (optional)
What to do:
1. First things first, though many ‘messy’ hairstyles require slightly dirty hair, this style does not – you’ll need completely clean hair for this hairstyle.
Start by washing and conditioning your hair; and then towel-dry your hair until it’s damp.
2. Next, it’s very important to keep your hair healthy. Comb in a dollop of heat-protective serum with a wide tooth comb. (Using a wide tooth comb will not damaged hair, which is more fragile and prone to damage while wet.)
3. The next step is to blow-dry your hair. While flipping your head upside down may be a great trick for volume, the style this time around is to get it as sleek straight as possible, so ignore that trick. Blow dry your hair from root to tip, ‘flat’ down, and just aim your blow-dryer downwards so make your hair go straight. Blow-drying it straight down also prevent fly-aways.
4. After blow-drying your hair straight, it’s time to make it extra sleek. Grab your flat iron and take one inch pieces at a time and flat iron it. I say one each because one-inch pieces are smaller chunks, and therefore are easier to style – plus. the heat will penetrate better and it will last longer.
5. Last but not least, use some light weight leave-in conditioner to keep your hair looking and feeling smooth and soft. Some great leave in conditioners I’d recommend are Redken’s Extreme Anti Snap and Asience’s Essense Lotion. If you want some crazy shine, a spritz of shine spray would help greatly.
Extra Tips:
- Don’t use barrettes or bobby pins when styling your hair this way. When doing 1 inch chunks, push it behind your ear or leave it alone. Clipping your straightened sections with clips can leave in dents on your sleek straight hair.
- When you’re done blow-drying, you can use the cool setting and blow your hair with cool air, which will prevent frizz.
- To make this style last as long as possible, try sleeping on a smooth satin pillow, or put a silk scarf over your pillow when sleeping. This will prevent fuzzing and messing up your hair.
What do you think of this hairstyle? Do you try this hairstyle regularly? If you have any more tips or product recommendations (especially with the tools – I don’t know what’s good!) please do add them in the comments below. :)
Images: Megan Fox for Cosmopolitan
Remember my rule with heat styling tools – keep it in moderation and use leave in conditioners and a weekly 
Hello and welcome! I'm Renee and I created this site to combine my love for writing, the web, and of course all things beautiful. ;) You can find out more 