And the winner is . . . Read more…
Ick. I have to go to the dentist today to have two failed fillings replaced. I didn’t really know fillings could fail. I figured they either stayed in or fell out. These are still there, but apparently aren’t doing their job anymore (thanks, old dentist who’s name I can’t remember). I’m okay with getting teeth filled, but the idea of getting the fillings removed is freaking me out.
Anyway, if I’m not in pain, I’ll write another post later this afternoon. But I wanted to tell you that I washed my face with grape seed oil last night (as per Julie Gabriel’s guest post), and goodness! It worked so well. Seems so counter intuitive to clean dirt and oil with oil, but it was amazing. Took my make-up off so well. My pores looked clearer, my skin felt softer, and I was really pleased with the way my skin looked when I woke up this morning.
I like to try skin care products for a few weeks before I declare any kind of official verdict on them, but my first reaction on grape seed oil is that I’m impressed. And, you can’t beat the price. Under $5 bucks for a bottle that looks like it’ll last 6 months or more. Not bad at all.
I’ll keep you updated.
Update: The filling replacement was quick and nearly painless (my jaw was killing me yesterday). Read more…
You can’t pry this book out of my hands. It’s a great read, but also a great reference book, and I just can’t bear to let it go. Luckily, I have an extra copy to give away. Read more…
The following is a guest post by Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide.
Winter is the season to be slow, calm and well-nourished. No wonder holistic nutritionists prescribe a heavier, more calorific diet that includes boiled, baked, and generally oilier foods to help us cope with colder environment. Same with beauty. Your winter skincare routine should consist of warming, rich, oilier beauty products that will protect skin and hair from frosty, harsh winds outside and the drying warmth of central heating inside. Everything you put on your face in winter should be either calming and soothing or nourishing and preserving moisture. Read more…
Part science text, part shopping guide, and part recipe book, The Green Beauty Guide is a must-have resource for anyone interested in going green. Author, Julie Gabriel, who will be guest posting here next week, was the associate beauty editor for Harper’s Bazaar (Eastern European editions) and is a registered nutrition specialist. Read more…
Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to meet up with several old friends. I hadn’t seen some of them in 10-12 years. Inevitably, the first comment is, “Man, you haven’t changed a bit.” I suppose I should be flattered, but instead, it’s left me feeling a little sad. Internally, I’ve changed so much in the past 10 years, I wanted my exterior to reflect that. So, I went blonde.
Some readers had questions about Lisha Lynn Mineral Cosmetics, so I went straight to the source to get answers. Alicia Redden, owner of Lisha Lynn, was kind enough to take the time to fill us in on her makeup.
I’ve had a really hard time finding affordable foundation that isn’t full of icky chemicals, doesn’t make my skin break out, and isn’t too heavy or gloppy. I even tried a drugstore brand mineral makeup, but it left my skin looking overly powdered, and caked up quickly. I was convinced that mineral makeup just wasn’t for me, but Lisha Lynn Mineral Cosmetics sent me some samples, and I’m hooked.
We’ve talked about deodorant and antiperspirant quite a bit on this site. When I discovered using baking soda, or a mix of baking soda and corn starch instead of traditional deodorant, I thought my conventional deodorant use days were over.
But sometimes, it’s just plain nice to use products that make you feel like you’re pampering yourself. So when Bionsen offered to send me a sample of their Japanese Spa Minerals Deodorant, I figured I’d give it a try. Read more…
The following is a guest post from the awesome and ever witty, Nancy Pearl Wannabe.
When I agreed to write a guest post for the lovely Allie I had a vague notion that I would write all about my attempts at becoming more green. After all, nothing excites readers more than tales of forgoing those plastic bags in the produce department of the grocery store, right? And who doesn’t want to hear about the time I almost tripped down my front stairs while carrying out the recycling? Or what about a post detailing all the times I have to follow my boyfriend around the apartment turning off lights in his wake to save on electricity? Nagging is fun for everyone!
Fortunately for all of you, Allie has already got these topics covered, in addition to many more that I’m sure I have never even considered in my quest to become more eco-friendly. So instead I am going to go all out and talk about a subject on which I am pretty much a savant: organic lip balms.
They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem; well, here goes. I have, at a rough count, eleventy billion lip balms. They are everywhere- my nightstand, my dresser, my bag, my office, the bathroom, my makeup case, shoved into the couch cushions in case I find myself watching a movie and my lips are suddenly parched. So who is better qualified to review them? Exactly. So here we go. Read more…
Did you have a family member who sat in the corner at a party or holiday event, carefully folding up wrapping paper for future use? Maybe it was a grandma or great aunt who lived through the Depression and learned to save anything that was usable, maybe it was just someone who was thrifty and knew how to pinch pennies. What ever the reason behind it, saving wrapping paper makes good green sense.