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subscribe to beauty counter blog via RSSThere’s No “I” in Eufora, But There Should Be
November 9, 2009 12:31 pm
Full disclosure: My natural-beauty habits usually begin and end with skincare. It’s not that I’m not conscious of the shampoos and hair styling products I use, I just tend to make more of an effort to stick to organic ingredients in my face and body products. When it comes to hair, it’s all about performance, but I’d go green if all-natural formulas could deliver the shiny, tousled look I like. Enter Eufora, a line of cleansing, conditioning, styling, and finishing products that uses certified organic aloe vera gel instead of water to provide cellular healing, renewal, and growth to the hair and scalp. Hairstylist Don Bewley founded the professional product range in 1997 and gave it a makeover earlier this year. Due to some aforementioned flakiness, I gave Eufora’s Pure Cleanse—a gentle, non-sulfate shampoo for scalp “issues”—a whirl, and followed up with a few drops of Pure Polish for shine and frizz-fighting. But my favorite product turned out to be Pieceworks; when I applied it to my dry hair, it provided the separated definition I strive for with a pliable hold. Click here to find a salon that carries the line near you.
tags: Don Bewley, Eufora, Hair
Liz Earle’s Beauty Of The Month Club
November 6, 2009 3:18 pm
Is there a natural beauty junkie on your shopping list? Consider Liz Earle. The cult-favorite botanically active line from the U.K. has cooked up a clever skincare subscription of sorts, where you get one bottle of its best-selling eucalyptus, chamomile, and cocoa butter Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser—plus two pure muslin cloths—once a month for the entire year. The cream formula penetrates deeply to remove daily grime without drying you out and doubles as an effective makeup remover. At $294, the 12-piece deal works out to about $24 per bottle. In addition to including all shipping, handling, and packaging, it’s likely to bump you up to “great gift giver” status.
tags: Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Liz Earle, Skincare
Melvita, Now Shipping To The U.S. of A.
November 4, 2009 1:07 pm
For the green-leaning types out there who, like us, enjoy buying a few keepsake beauty items from foreign apothecaries if only to utter those five magical words—”you can’t get it here”—when friends inquire about their origin, some news. France’s popular organic line Melvita has just become available stateside online, with plans for a San Francisco flagship in the works for January 2010. Founded in 1983 by biologist and beekeeper Bernard Chevilliat, the line began with its now famous hexagonal soap, and slowly branched out into shampoos, cleansing milks, moisturizing creams, floral waters, and plant oils. As one of the first companies in the world to get ECOCERT’s seal of approval, it uses 95 percent naturally derived ingredients with no parabens, paraffin, synthetic fragrances, or colors. Yes, the exclusivity factor is gone now that you don’t need to purchase a plane ticket to partake in its pomegranate oil and mango butter-enriched Extraordinary Day Cream, but having a now more accessible way to soothe skin sans synthetic ingredients isn’t a bad thing.
tags: Bernard Chevilliat, Melvita, Skincare
The End Of Winter Skin
October 29, 2009 4:42 pm
We’re happy to report that our war with seasonal skin disorder is over. Beauty Counter 1, dry unattractive facial issues, 0. We’d like to give a few shout-outs to those products that have helped us claim this victory: Josie Maran Argan Oil, Prescriptives Comfort Cream—we couldn’t have done it without you. But a special thanks goes to Aveda’s new Green Science Perfecting Cleanser. A few weeks ago, we realized that the real culprit in what, at the time, was a losing battle with the encroaching winter weather was the oil-fighting scrub that had kept us acne-free all summer long. In search of something gentler, we found this geranium, grapefruit, and bergamot-scented cleansing milk in our coffers and gave it a go. A recent addition to the brand’s Green Science line, which uses powerful plant actives to target skin aging, the creamy formula is packed with organic nopal cactus to stimulate collagen synthesis and a naturally derived salicylic acid from wintergreen oil that assists in exfoliation. What really won us over, though, were the effects of a healthy dose of fatty-acid rich murumuru butter and a specialized, sugar-based cleansing agent derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and palm that effectively rid our skin of dirt and grime without stripping it of its natural oils. Even as we washed the latherless film off of our face for the first time, it felt as though we were adding moisture, not taking it away. To the victor go the spoils.
tags: Argan oil, Aveda, Green Science Perfecting Cleanser, Josie Maran, Prescriptives Comfort Cream, Skincare
Kiehl’s Supports Planet 2.0
September 24, 2009 2:09 pm
To some, David de Rothschild might register as a bit of an eccentric. He is the founder of Adventure Ecology, an organization that coordinates expeditions to environmentally challenged parts of the world in order to make learning about sustainability fun (”edutainment,” if you will). De Rothschild’s latest scheme involves sailing from San Francisco to Sydney on a boat made of reclaimed bottles and self-reinforcing PET plastic to pioneer innovation in intelligent design principles using discarded waste—and, you know, for some good stories. But to Kiehl’s he is a man with a vision. Fresh off the launch of its 100 percent natural origin Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection—the brand’s own exercise in minimal environmental impact and maximum reuse—the famed East Village apothecary has signed on to sponsor the maiden voyage of the Plastiki, as de Rothschild’s vessel is called, and to supply him and his crew with some new products to field-test along the journey. They’ll be packing Kiehl’s as-yet-unreleased biodegradable Cross Terrain All-In-One Refueling Wash, which cleanses and conditions both hair and body and can even be used for an on-the-go shave, and its Cross Terrain UV Skin Protector with SPF 50, a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with a waxy base for maximum protection in extreme conditions. Kiehl’s will also be sending along some of its popular Ultra Facial Cream as well for some creature comforts on the high seas. De Rothschild’s 60-foot catamaran, which is still undergoing construction, is set to push off in a few months and word on the street is that an on-deck podcast is in the works, so you may be able to have some secondhand edutainment of your own. Stay tuned.
tags: Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection, Adventure Ecology, Cross Terrain All-In-One Refueling Wash, Cross Terrain UV Skin Protector, David de Rothschild, Kiehl's Since 1851, Skincare, Ultra Facial Cream
Wholearth Beauty: New Advancements In Eco Chic
September 3, 2009 12:49 pm
Green lifestyle consultant Danny Seo is what you might call a prodigy. He started the environmental activism group Earth 2000 at the ripe old age of 12 and had penned his own autobiography about his quest for greener legislation before he turned 20. An accomplished author and frequent TV talk show guest, Seo recently turned his attention to the personal care industry, hoping to bring his vision and expertise in sustainability to the masses via that great vehicle of social change, the beauty industry. “It’s the new green luxury,” Seo says of Wholearth, his USDA-certified organic product line that includes a body wash, body lotion, body soufflé, bamboo body scrub, body mist/room spray, and a perfume in three scents. The idea behind the range is to use the best food-grade ingredients and apply a hand-crafted mentality to each product, “like a Birkin bag made by one artisan,” Seo analogizes. The collection had a soft launch at Anthropologie last April in conjunction with Earth Day, but its full-service Web site went live this week, featuring his post-consumer recycled bottles spray-painted black to create a UV filter for a better shelf life. Seo has even figured out a way around the synthetic preservative issue that eludes other naturopathic entrepreneurs. A Korean-American, he utilized his experience with the potent enzyme in kimchi, the nearly non-perishable pickled cabbage delicacy, to make his skin salves last longer, sans synthetic add-ons. Like we said, prodigy.
tags: Anthropologie, Danny Seo, Fragrance, Skincare, Wholearth Beauty
Vegan Beauty Takes Natural To The Max
August 25, 2009 5:06 pm
After reading in this morning’s Daily Mail that vegan inmates in the U.K. have won the right to have ethically sourced, animal byproduct-free cosmetics in jail—including nail polish, lip balm, and cellulite oil—we have vegan cosmetics on the brain. Those who prefer the extreme end of eating and dressing all naturally typically have the same guidelines for their cosmetics as well. This means that the usual no-nos, like petrochemicals, parabens, and sodium lauryl phosphates, are out, as is anything that comes from any living thing that walks, flies, or swims. According to a recent article in the L.A. Times, this prohibits beeswax (which is often used in lip balms and mascaras), milk (found in soaps), collagen (a skin strengthener derived from cows), carmine (a colorant that comes from beetle shells), and even the animal hairs that are used in applicator brushes. Instead, herbal extracts and essential oils fulfill all cleansing, moisturizing, and fragrance objectives; iron oxides and other minerals typically serve pigment duty; and sea algae and marigold extracts are popular choices for all your antiaging needs. While orange-jumpsuit wearers across the pond have only been given clearance to shop at cruelty-free beauty retailers like Honesty Cosmetics and Lavera, those of you who are not incarcerated should feel free to branch out: Beauty Without Cruelty, Zuzu Luxe, and Ecco Bella all offer good vegan skincare and makeup options and Urban Decay is reportedly working to put purple paw prints on the packaging of all of its vegan items for easier identification.
tags: Beauty Without Cruelty, Ecco Bella, Honesty Cosmetics, Lavera, Makeup, Urban Decay, Zuzu Luxe
Argan Oil On The Small Screen
August 12, 2009 2:45 pm
As previously mentioned, we’ve become big argan oil devotees and have lately taken to slathering it on as a nighttime replenishing treatment and a daytime moisturizer (topped off with sunscreen) for hydration and a healthy glow. Josie Maran’s organic version is currently in our rotation, and it apparently has way more uses than the two we listed above. The model-turned-naturopath has created a video series in which she illustrates how to make the most of argan oil’s versatility. First up: a refreshing mist using a few drops of the skin-quenching oil and lavender from your garden—or in our case, from the flower shop. Click above to watch. Oh, and if you’re wondering what nail polish Maran is wearing in those camera close-ups, we asked: Busy Lizzie Impatien, a nontoxic red from Priti Nails. Being eco-chic is a total body commitment.
tags: Argan oil, Josie Maran, Skincare
EOS Takes Aim At Your Lips
August 10, 2009 12:39 pm
It’s not chapped-lip season quite yet, but a well-conditioned pout is a year-round commitment over in these parts, so we like to keep balms and glosses on hand at all times. EOS’ new USDA-certified organic Lip Balm Smooth Spheres are our latest obsession for their natural petrolatum- and paraben-free formula, not to mention a super-fun packaging concept. Packed with vitamin E and jojoba and shea butters, each pot resembles an egg with finger grooves for easy gripping. They come in three flavors—honeysuckle honeydew, summer fruit, and sweet mint—and are also available in a stick form, but we prefer the globe shape to add a small dose of “different” to our daily beauty routine. They’re already available at select Rite Aid and Walgreens locations and should be rolling out to a Duane Reade or Target store near you this month.
tags: EOS, Lip Balm Smooth Spheres, Skincare
Ila, For Good Skin And Good Vibes
July 31, 2009 12:57 pm
Call it cynicism, but there’s something about the “energy medicine” field that just doesn’t sit right with us. Despite something of a new age upbringing filled with crystals and soy products, we can’t seem to latch onto the concept of bio-energetic auras and their alleged effects on health and well-being. So we were somewhat skeptical about Ila, a London-based company currently making strides across the U.S., which has created an entire skincare line around the notion of improving the individual magnetic energy spectrum through slathering, spritzing, and soaking. That is, until we learned that the brand has gone as far as to conduct bio-energy testing in order to prove its products’ efficacy: In Pune, India, females between the ages of 30 and 45 who used the collection over a period of three weeks showed detectable changes in their energy fields before, during, and after treatments. The ultra-luxe Face Oil for Glowing Radiance might make a believer of us yet. In any case, Barneys and the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles in Beverly Hills are convinced.
