Thursday, August 27, 2015

Purifying Charcoal Mask With Marine Algae from Derma-e

Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask With Marine Algae from Derma-e

WATCH Video HERE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsvo66jTynU

Activated Charcoal, known for absorbing 100 to 200 times its weight in impurities, purges pores of deeply rooted toxins.


Derma e Charcoal Mask 510220-500x500

Purifying 2-in-1 Charcoal Mask deeply detoxifies skin of harmful micropollutants (exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, heavy metals) in two ways:

(1) Natural clays infused with Kimarine® Wakame, Bladerwrack and Activated Charcoal lift out dirt, oil and bacteria to decongest pores as the mask dries;

(2) Apricot Seed Powder exfoliates away dead skin cells and captured debris upon removal. Kaolin and Bentonite Clays absorb excess oils and impurities, relieving skin congestion. Kimarine® Wakame is a potassium-rich, magnesium-rich seaweed that is clinically proven to protect skin against environmental pollutants. Bladderwrack is an antioxidant-rich, mineral-rich seaweed known for its water-binding properties, supporting healthy skin hydration and nourishment.

Activated Charcoal, known for absorbing 100 to 200 times its weight in impurities, purges pores of deeply rooted toxins, then Apricot Seed Powder gently exfoliates away micropollutants. Ideal for oily, active or urban skin types, even safe for reactive skin (minimal ingredients and allergy-tested),

Use this formula once or twice a week for skin that looks dramatically fresher, healthier and purely glowing. 


INGREDIENTS: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Seed Powder, Fucus Vesiculosus (Bladderwrack) Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida (Wakame, Kimarine®) Extract, Charcoal Powder, Epilobium Angustifolium (Canadian Willowherb™) Extract, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract* (.1%), Menthyl Lactate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin.


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Monday, August 24, 2015

Celebrate World Water Week With Us!

5 Water Purification Designs for Third World Countries


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 748 million people lack access to uncontaminated drinking water sources. Moreover, WHO estimates that 1.8 billion people use a fecally contaminated drinking water source, 2.5 billion lack access to improved sanitation facilities and more than 840,000 people die from water related diseases annually. 

Contaminated water is the number one cause of death in developing countries, causing diseases such as cholera, hepatitis, typhoid fever, malaria, ascariasis, dengue fever and many other deadly illnesses. In fact, contaminated water is the number one public health concern globally based on its impact to society, according to the WHO. Fortunately, the WHO estimates that 10% of the global disease burden could be prevented with improved water supply and sanitation. In light of this, a number of innovations and technologies are providing growing solutions to this problem.


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Saturday, June 6, 2015

Beauty And The Perils of Your Indoor Environment



​Are you eating too much toxic furniture? (serious stuff)​

Nick & Gen

In the survey we ran last Monday, someone suggested that we go deeper into the other sources of toxic load our bodies are subject to in our modern world – aside from food or water.

 

Then, I read the report called "Toxic Free Home Guide" that Annmarie Skincare is giving away this week (when you grab one of their free sample kit HERE, shipped for free worldwide) and was completely shocked.

 

On page 6, Cate Leger, a green architect from Leger Wanaselja Architecture states:

 

"Essentially, we eat our buildings. They off-gas. They degrade. They rust. All of it comes off and settles into the dust on the surfaces all around us and some of it inevitably enters our bodies."


 

And she goes on adding:

 

"The industry has very strong trade secret laws to protect product formulas -- so that companies do not have to tell us what they are using..."

 

I had heard that some chemicals in paint and cleaning products can be harmful, but had never really looked into how polluted our inside air really is.

 

Then I found this report by the EPA, that says:

 

"While most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health, many do not know that indoor air pollutants can also do the same.

 

Studies of human exposure to air pollutants by EPA indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor pollutant levels. Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health."

 

In other words... that smog you see outside and makes you cringe because you don't even want to imagine what it's doing to your body? Well, the inside air of some buildings are 100 times WORSE.

 

Annmarie's report is 90-pages long, so it would be hard for me to tell you everything that's in it. But at the same time, I don't want to leave you with such a teaser.

 

So here are a couple of things from the report that you can apply to your life right NOW: 

  • Choosing the right chemical-free mattress (and sheets) is really, really important – for example, memory foam mattresses are found to emit 61 chemicals. Something to keep in mind once it's time to change yours. 
  • Household Hazardous Waste Project says air fresheners don't freshen the air at all… They mask one odor with another, while diminishing one's sense of smell with a nerve-deadening agent. You should really trash your Febreeze and buy some essential oils diffusers instead. 
  • Any candle or product containing the ingredient "fragrance" is usually toxic. This word is used to hide a mixture of several dozen to several hundred chemicals, with many classified as toxic — none of which are required to be disclosed to consumers. Use natural candles made out of beeswax. 
  • Most antibacterial soaps contain triclosan, an endocrine disruptor (just like BPA in plastics) that can affect your thyroid. That's why Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota recently signed a bill legalizing a measure BANNING triclosan-containing products in the state. The law will go into effect January 1, 2017. Stick with natural soaps without that ingredient! 

Seriously... this free report is better than most ebooks sold for $20-30 bucks these days.

 

It's really just another reason you should really grab one of Annmarie Skincare's sample kits on this page.

 


Have a great day!



 

 

 

Green Blog Network * Greening Hollywood * Greening Beauty

 




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Friday, May 15, 2015

It's Swimsuit Time!

Fashion Paige Paris         *        Paris Fashion Paige
 
            
Fashion Paige Paris         *        Paris Fashion Paige

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Monday, February 2, 2015

If Clarins Were A Woman

by Paige Donner

The international cosmetics brand, Clarins, has a humble beginning. Founded by a man with a vision to provide his patients (yes, he was first a doctor) spa treatments and beauty products that added as much to a woman's sense of well-being as they did to her outward appearance, it grew into one of the most recognized names in luxury cosmetics today.



 To celebrate the brand's 60th anniversary, Dr. Olivier Courtin-Clarins put together this book of  super strategic tips, compiled from both his expertise in women's health and beauty and also from a worldwide base of their devoted beauty bloggers who submitted questions to him deserving of worthy answers. The result is, Doctor, I Want To Be The Fairest Of Them All, a delightful book only just translated from the French into English in time for the new year.

Docteur, Je Veux Etre La Plus Belle

That is the title in French and each chapter offers targeted and practical advice. The foreword, offered by Dr. Courtin-Clarins, states that, "Your face tells it all. What a pleasure it is to see life's contentment harmoniously written there...Over time our faces reflect who we are. They are an expression of ourselves and reveal our personalities."

Providing Beauty Advice Has Always Been Part of The Clarins DNA


Chapters in this little red book of beauty tips include: Killer Legs, A Star Even On The Road, A Flat Stomach A Small Waist And A Great Bottom, A Regal Bearing and Forever Youthful...

There are illustrated pages throughout the book and one of them even teaches you a quick morning massage to really wake you up with a sidebar giving you a recipe for a healthy breakfast.  Below, on the same page is a Night Massage to help you sleep well. There is advice to, "from time to time or once a year" do a slimming or firming treatment at the spa.

In short, the book is full of priceless bits of beauty advice and much of it that you can self-administer. And it's all about whole-body beauty, something that has always been at the root of the Clarins philosophy.

This interview below is excerpted from a special interview given by Prisca Courtin-Clarins, the granddaughter of the founder of the cosmetics line, for the ultra-luxurious Spa My Blend by Clarins that you can find at the Royal Monceau in Paris.



Q&A with Prisca Courtin-Clarins, Director of Strategic Projects and Spa Activities (and blogger on the BeautyFlashBlog.com a Clarins blog)

If Clarins Were A Woman

 
My preferred virtue:  Respect
 
My dominant character trait: Kindness
 
What character trait I most prefer in a man:  Gentleness
 
What character train I most prefer in women: femininity
 
My biggest character flaw: Perfectionism
 
My strongest quality:  Listening
 
What I appreciate most in my friends: Loyalty
 
My favorite thing to do:  Research
 
My ideal of happiness:  The Fountain of Youth
 
What would be my greatest disappointment:  The extinction of biodiversity


*translation from the French by Paige Donner

Book is available online at Clarins.net.



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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Win 2 Tickets to Joyce Jonathan Concert For Weleda


Mardi 2 décembre à Paris
CONCERT PRIVE de Joyce Jonathan pour Weleda + ateliers massage
Inscriptions sur le site www.weledabiotytour.fr  jusqu'au 19 novembre
Jouez et gagnez 2 places pour cette soirée exclusive !
Le lieu de l'événement sera communiqué par mail aux heureuses gagnantes tirées au sort






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Friday, July 4, 2014

Natura Brasil - A Natural Beauty Line Based On The Fruits of Brazil

by Paige Donner

With all eyes on Brazil these days, not just for the 
World Cup, but also for its natural beauty and  
impressive luxury market, I thought it high time to 
introduce to our readers the fabulous all-natural 
beauty care product line called Natura Brasil.
 











 
 
With the world's eyes on Brazil during these final days of the World Cup soccer matches, I saw that it was high time to shine the spotlight on one of the great organic body care/ beauty product lines on the planet :
 

Natura Brasil

It's extraordinary to realize that this product line, certified organic and established in 1969, can be the 5th largest organic personal product care company in the world, yet still be virtually unknown in the North American market.
 

A Few Facts And Figures

 
  • Natura Brasil's total annual revenue - €2.18 billion  (R$ 7.3 billion).
  • #1 personal care product leader in Brasil.
  • 5th largest personal beauty care/ cosmetics line globally (organic).
 
Natura Brasil today produces body lotions, hand creams, makeup, hair care products, perfumes and personal care product accessories. Most of its range of lines are created around native Brazilian fruits and nuts that also lend health properties to the body. Examples are the celebrated açai, but also the Buriti and the nut we call the Brazil Nut, the castanha, as well as many other native Brazilian plants and fruits.
 
Founded in 1969 it is fair to say that Natura Brasil is a pioneer in the organic, chemical-free personal body care craze.
 
The company is founded on a business model of direct sales. Here in the US we are familiar with this through companies such as Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics. To date, Natura Brasil counts 1.6 million representatives as part of their direct marketing sales force.
In addition to that, the company also counts over 7,000 collaborators in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Colombia and in France.
A few of the eco-responsible programs the company had adopted over the decades of its founding are certified carbon neutral enterprise since 2007, partnered with its supplier-producers in the Amazon to co-develop sustainable agricultural methods, use of organic alcohol in its perfumes ( a rarity in the fragrance industry) and sustainable packaging for its products.
natura brasil logo

Highlight Natura EKOS

 
This product line of Natura Brasil was launched in 2005 in France ; in 2000 in Brazil. It is emblematic of the company's sustainability ethics and its devotion to organic ingredients and products.
 
natura brasil castanha ekos
Natura EKOS products act as product-ambassadors for all that is good about native and natural Brazil. The products celebrate the country's natural richness and communicate about the native Amazonian culture's deep knowledge regarding their region's plants and fruits, sharing with us their hidden secrets.
 
Açai Berry Hand Cream – Natura EKOS Açai
 
Dreaming of soft, supple hands that smell deliciously berry fruity ? The Natura Ekos Açai Berry hand cream is your go-to hand care product. It hydrates for up to 24hours.
 
The açai berry oil used in its formula protects your hands from free radicals with its organic anti-oxidant properties. For best results, use it all the way to the tips of your finger nails. 77.6% of the formula's ingredients are vegetal-origin.
 
For more information on this and other Natura Brasil EKOS products, visit NaturaBrasil.com.
Chronos crème de jour et nuit 2
 

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Açai Harvest In Brazil

by Paige Donner
Açai berry branch with fruit
Each and every year in Brazil the population awaits its annual açai berry harvest with bated breath. It's akin to the yearly Beaujolais harvest in France. A time of year filled with celebration and abundance.
The açai berry has been inching its way into the North American mainstream for at least a decade now. Hailed as a little berry packing a powerfully healthy punch, we first welcomed it in smoothies and nutrition bars.
 
Indeed some of the properties of the mythical açai berry are :
 

  • Health tonic elixir
  • Anti-oxidant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Sweet, Fruit and Fragrant
 
Açai - Cofruta CommunityAçai berry harvest - man with basket
Açai berries transported by riverboat

Health Properties Of The Açai Berry

For centuries this berry has been used for its health properties by the local Abaetetuba community in the northern Brazilian state of Pará.
 
The whole of Brazil has embraced the açai berry since many decades for more than its medicinal uses, however. Indeed the culture celebrates the annual harvest by making candies, sweets, and other delicacies out of the dark purple, pulpy and fruity berry.
 
Its deep purple color are indicative of the berry's rich anti-oxidant properties. And if you've never tasted açai before, the flavor pyramid to expect is : red fruits such as raspberry and wild strawberry giving way to wood berries like blackberries and blueberries ending on a final note of sandal wood and light, aromatic woods.
Açai - Cofruta Community 

Natura Brasil's EKOS Açai Body Care Line

 
For its EKOS Açai line of body care products, Natura Brasil works with the Cofruta Community, a co-op based in the Pará state of Brazil, who does the bulk of the annual berry harvest.
 
COFRUTA = Fruit Growers Co-operative of Abaetetuba
 
This is the co-operative, who in their native Amazonian forest, produces and harvests 95% of the total Brazilian açai berry crop each year.  The co-op is made up of several hundred families. The açai berries they harvest are certified organic and along with Natura Brasil, working with them for several decades now, they have developed a sustainable harvesting method. The co-op even produces their own açai berry syrups and jams now in a factory they built in their native Amazonian forest in 2002.
 
Products from Natura Brasil made from the açai berry harvest are released in limited edition quantities each year. They include :
 
Triphasée Shower Oil  this fruity and light oil goes on fresh all over your body on still moist, just showered skin. It contains oil pressed directly from the organic açai berry, thus containing concentrated amounts of pure anti-oxidant properties. A fresh, fruity, fragrant scent.
 
Frescor  the eau de toilette made from organic alcohol and essential oil extracts from the fresh açai berry harvest.

Hand Cream and Body Lotion -  These products each give 24hours and 30 hours respectively of skin hydration as well as offering anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant protection.
 Ekos Acai_FleurCreme
For more information about these products and the sustainable harvest program that Natura Brasil has institituted with the native Amazonian COFRUTA community in Brazil, go to NaturaBrasil.com.
 
 
 

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Sunday, March 2, 2014

Une Way Of Life: Burnt Red Nails

By Paige Donner

We love (as in love ! love !) Une’s Slightly Burnt Red nail enamel. Red livens up any outfit and adapts to all clothes and makeup, regardless of coloring. Deep and almost brickishly red, it’s a perfect color for early spring and on into the summer. Did we mention how nicely it wears with a deep brown tan ?



Something else you’ll find with UNE nail poishes is an XXL brush that applies your enamel varnish on your nail in one easy stroke. Its not-too-hard, not-too-soft brush fans out over the nail so you’ve got full color coverage precisely and in a flash of one brush-stroke.

And since it’s UNE, ethical is part of the product and part of the packaging. For instance, on the back of each nail polish bottle label is the figure that indicates the percentage of natural origin ingredients for each varnish shade : C09 our Slightly Burnt UNE Red lovely is a whopping 72.1% natural origin.

The Base and Top Coat otherwise known as C00 is 85% natural origin. This adds a natural Ultra-Shine to any of the nail enamel colors.

The color pigments ? They are mineral.
The petrochemical derivatives found in most nail varnishes ? UNE replaced them with equally effective natural origin ingredients : cotton, potato, manioc, algae.


New for this Spring are the 4 shades to match skin color, ranging from NUDE to cocoa brown. Forbidden and exciting shades to wear on your hands as we cruise towards warmer weather.

Other members of the UNE nail enamel color wheel are the SHIL family of shades. These are 2 Natural Shades (soft pink, light beige), 2 Shades Inspired by Lips (blush red, slightly burnt UNE red), and 4 Inspired by Eyes (taupe, khaki, smokey, denim).

SHIL stands for Skin, Hair, Iris and Lips.  It’s a sort of (shhh ! secret) code invented by UNE to create natural colors that enhance women of all ages. These shades take their inspiration from the natural shades of Skin, Hair, Irises and Lips.

You can rely on your 3-in-1 UNE nail color formula – that’s Base, Color and Extreme Shine – to be formaldehyde-, phthalate- and toluene-free.

Oil-Based Nail Polish Remover

And now for the real kicker !  UNE likes to say that they don’t know the meaning of impossible. So when faced with creating a natural nail polish remover, they went in the direction of OIL-Based and all natural.

The First 100% natural origin, zero fragrance remover. 

What’s more, it not just respects your nails but your cuticles too.  Want to know what’s in it ?

80% natural origin solvents extracted from plants.
20% sweet almond and apricot oil

On the light, blossom green bottle you’ll find listed the ingredients, detailing the percentage of natural origin ingredients : 100%

It’s also 100% effective in removing the UNE nail natural ingredient nail polishes. Even my Spring-Summer fave, the Slightly Burnt UNE Red.  If only for a color refresh !



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Thursday, February 13, 2014

Couvrance - For A Complexion Worthy of The Big Screen

 
by Paige Donner
 
Cake-free and doll perfect. That’s you, right ? Of course it is ! And if you feel you need just a tiny little nudge of help in getting there, look no further than Couvrance, the clean pure makeup by Avène, and its line of complexion correcters and foundations.
 
Couvrance is based on the premise that a woman’s skin is one of her most sensitive and prescious organs. Hence, tender loving care are the operating words here for this line of medical makeup. 
 
 
The other philosophy is to use the correcter sticks that come in Coral, Yellow and Green to neutralize those small flaws, bags under the eyes and tiny blemishes. Once these small imperfections are made invisible through the delicate application of counter-balancing correcters, a light sheen of  Couvrance Compact Foundation Creams can be applied to achieve that flawless Big Screen finish.
 
Since Valentine’s Day this year is yet again smack dab in the middle of Awards Season, here are some tips that will keep you looking your fresh, radiant and thoroughly seductive self, whatever the occasion :
 
Dark Circles Under The Eyes
 
First – and always – thoroughly moisturize under the eye before applying complexion correcters.
 
For brown undereye circles – Use the coral concealer stick which works for darker skin, the type of skin that tends toward brown undereye circles. The Couvrance Coral Concealer stick creates a very luminous and natural anti-dullness effect.
 
For blue undereye circles – The Couvrance Yellow Concealer stick works wonders in neutralising the appearance of blue undereye circles.
 
More Tips on the Concealer Sticks:
Green – neutralises redness, spots, small blemishes
Yellow – neutralises bruises and dark spots 
Coral – neutralises brown spots, melasma
 
 
Technique «  Since your small imperfections have now been neutralised, there’s no need to apply coat after coat of foundation. Instead focus on texture and application techniques, with the desired results in mind. »
 
Use a brush to apply the Couvrance Fluid Foundation Corrector. This will achieve the appearance of a flawless complexion by casting a veil over your skin.  If your complexion tends towards the grey or dull (such as during winter months!), choose a shade with a hint of pink to freshen up your complexion.  Choosing a shade that is slightly ligher than your skin tone can help your face appear younger. (Darker shades tend to add years.)
 
Now, for the finishing touches, you can actually « draw » on your face with the Couvrance Concealer Pen.
 
These work by applying them to your face after your foundation (to avoid running). The areas of application are on these points : the forehead, nasolabial folds, tip of the nose, corners of the mouth, hollow of the chin.
 
This adds contour and illumination to your face.
 
Last step – Mattify your makeup with a dusting of the Couvrance Mosaic Powders. *Hint – these can be used as an eye makeup palette as well. 
 
Whether you set your makeup with the translucent Mosaic Powder, the Radiance or the Bronzer, each are sure to have your makeup lasting all night long and a quick re-dusting of the Mosaic Powder in its slim white compact case during the evening, or any time, will keep your face shine-free.
 
Nooowww you’re ready for your Big Screen close-up, you doll, you !
 
*Couvrance are high-tolerance formulas designed for sensitive skin types. They contain no preservatives, no fragrances and are hypoallergenic. They do not smear ; they offer UV protection and are resistant to water and perspiration.
 
 
 

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