New! Strange Invisible Perfumes: Essence of IX and Peloponnesian

EARTH MONTH 2010: VIBRANTLY GREEN WITH STRANGE INVISIBLE PERFUMES

An exclusively natural, botanical perfume house, Strange Invisible Perfumes is sincerely committed to environmental consciousness, green business practices, and product purity.

• 100% certified organic grape alcohol is used as the base for all Strange Invisible Perfumes.
• Organic, wildcrafted, biodynamic and sustainable raw materials are sourced for all fragrances (local ingredients whenever available).
• Essences are usually wildcrafted or organic. Essences cultivated by small pioneering farmers who cannot afford organic certification are also embraced.
• All eau de parfum cartons are printed on FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) certified paper, manufactured using biofuel with pulp from sustainably managed forests.

Strange Invisible Perfumes’ latest launches include

• Essence of IX – A limited edition pure perfume .25 fl oz $320
     - Brambly. Floral. Stirring.
     - Inspired by Colgin Cellars in Napa Valley and the famed IX Estate
     - Notes of white sage, rose, black currant, California lavender, French oak and wild honey

• Peloponnesian - Strange Invisible Perfumes’ first eau de parfum designed expressly for men 1.7 fl oz $160
     - Crisp. Exhilirating. Exotic.
     - A refreshing fragrance built with the ancient perfumes of the Greek peninsula
     - Notes of hydro-distilled orange and lime, cypress, orange flower, mountain sage, honey, and botanical musk

This lucid composition is built with the ancient perfumes of the Greek peninsula. Salted Aegean winds glide through the branches of cypress, lime, and orange trees, lifting their epic aromas into the Peloponnesian mountains. A reception of mountain sage honey collects each gallant perfume as it rises from the vineyard-patterned earth of the Peloponnesos.

I've been in love with Strange Invisible Perfumes since first trying them several years ago.  This is an exquisite fragrance house committed to providing those who inhale its perfumes and fragrances with something akin top a spiritual experience. Yes, it's that wonderful!  These unique blends are carefully created with a foundation of true love for the art of fragrance making by perfumer and SIP Founder Alexandra Balahoutis. 

The Strange Invisible Perfumes collection is carried at their flagship perfumery in Venice and online at siperfumes.com.  You may also find a selection of their fragrances available at Beautyhabit.com.

REVIEW: 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Naked Berry Lip Pencil

Proving once again that green beauty can please on so many levels, 100% Pure's Naked Berry Lip Pencil gives us a creamy lip pencil, in gorgeous shades excentuating the lips with pure fruit pigments and none of the stuff that leaves us asking, "I put what on my mouth?"

We've heard the horror stories about cosmetic companies using crushed beetle shells to color lipsticks, glosses and pencils (yes, the insect beetle), coal tars and more.  Oh yes, my loves, they do. Google it. You'll see.  Some question whether or not the coal tars used may be carcinogenic, others are put off by the possibility of lead being used in lip products, and still others of us simply just don't want to paint our precious puckers with anything even potentially questionable.

If you fall into one of those categories, or if, like me, you just prefer the thought of using a lip product with 100% pure ingredients - antioxidant rich natural fruit and vegetable pigments, no lead, no synthetic chemicals, no artificial fragrances or chemical preservatives - then this is a product you'll want to know more about. And what better time to celebrate a brand like 100% Pure and a product like Naked Berry Lip Pencil then during Earth month.

Ok, so here's my experience. The first thing I noticed upon removing the cap from the pencil was the fatness of the tip.  This shouldn't be construed to mean it's too broad for use as a lip liner; it's easily used as such.  However, the pencil is versatile enough to also be applied to the whole lip as a lipstick would be.  The color of the berry pencil (more of a mauve-y berry than a plummy berry) is pleasing enough to the eye (as are all the shades the pencil comes in), but what do you think of when one says, "lip pencil"?  I think of a dry coloring utensil one must almost drag across the lips, catching and "tripping" as it makes its way across a lip line, requiring the user to go back and fill in little areas where the pencil skipped.  However, this is a pencil, this is a product actually of a different kind.  These are very creamy and effortlessly glide across the lip, whether you're lining only the edge or coloring in the whole lip area.  When used as a whole-lip color, the result is a matte appearance, yet hydrated in feel.  Used as a lip liner, I can apply any of my favorite lipsticks (yes, even the ones with crushed beetle shells) or swipe a gloss and enjoy how easily the liner blends and fuses with my other favorites. What's more, as a liner it keeps other colors and products from feathering and bleeding outside the lip.

100% Pure confidently lists the ingredient content of their products in entirety.  Their lip pencils contain these ingredients, and only these ingredients: Jojoba Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Beeswax, Coconut Stearic Acid, Vitamin E (Tocopherol), Rosehip Oil, May contain all or some of the following fruit pigments : Cherry, Cocoa, Strawberry, Plum, Blueberry, Blackberry, Peach, Apricot, Tomato, Pomegranate, Acai, Raspberry, Chokeberry and Cranberry, Rice Strach Powder.

You got a problem using any of those on your lips? I didn't think so.

So, how would I rate 100% Pure Naked Berry Lip Pencil, five stars being the highest rating?

+   +   +

The color payoff is fantastic, the application is smooth and creamy, the size is substantial, at $15 each they are very reasonably priced and the ingredients used are, well, appreciated. What more do we need to share? Oh, how about where to purchase them.  Allow me to introduce you to Green 4 Your Soul.  If you're new to them, though enjoy a shopping experience where all the product offerings are eco-friendly, green, and cruelty-free, you'll adore this niche little store. 

Green 4 Your Soul shoppers benefit from their staff’s exhaustive research and testing of every product they carry. They are committed to providing their clients with the safest and highest quality organic and natural products on the market. Shoppers will find a full disclosure policy shown on their site, which lists all ingredients for each product carried in order that we might make informed purchasing decisions. Add to that excellent, personalized customer service as this is an operation intent on pleasing their clients.  Check 'em out.

Eco-Wedding Bridal Events with Aveda & Adele Wechsler Eco Couture

AVEDA and ADELE WECHSLER ECO COUTURE

PARTNER FOR GREEN WEDDING EVENTS

Event raises awareness for eco-conscious wedding planning and preparation.

WHAT: Aveda and Adele Wechsler Eco Couture host regional eco-wedding bridal events.

WHY: Aveda and Adele Wechsler are partnering to co-host regional bridal events during the months of April, May and June at participating Aveda salons across the country. Brides-to-be and their guests will:

• Receive tips from Aveda experts on picture perfect wedding day makeup, fool-proof skin care regimes and the latest bridal hair trends.
• Preview new gown designs by Adele Wechsler Eco Couture.
• Eco-wedding service providers will also be represented, from local green bakeries and caterers to florists, photographers and printers.
• Guests at each event will have a chance to win Aveda service or product packages, eco-vendor products, and one lucky bride will take home her very own Adele Wechsler veil or headpiece.
• In addition, brides may enter to win national grand prizes: an Adele Wechsler Eco Couture wedding gown, or a honeymoon vacation at the Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, an eco-friendly destination hotel in Belize.

EVENT SCHEDULE:

Costa Mesa, CA: April 24th

New York, NY: May 5th

Baton Rouge, LA: May 6th

Toronto, Canada: May 11th

Atlanta, GA: May 16th

Washington DC: May 23rd

Boston, MA: June 6th

Chicago: June 8th

Minneapolis, MN: June 10th

Scottsdale, AZ: June 16th

Seattle, WA: June 21st & 22nd

Portland, OR: June 24th

Aveda's mission is to care for the world we live in, from the products they make to the ways in which they give back to society. Aveda strives to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility, not just in the world of beauty, but around the world.

Adele Wechsler designs for the bride who cares about the world in which she lives. Adele Wechsler is a pioneer in eco friendly wedding gown design. Her Eco Couture collection paves the way for a luxury look that maintains these eco-friendly standards:

• Certified organic hemp and silk
• Vegetable dyes
• Remnant fabrics and lace
• Every piece is produced with Fair Trade Labor in Toronto, Canada.

About Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort: Nestled between the lush Maya Mountains and the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Hamanasi is a special place from which to explore the best of Belize on and offshore. A secluded, intimate, boutique eco-resort located in Southern Belize, Hamanasi sits on hundreds of feet of Caribbean Sea beachfront surrounded by tropical flora on the finest stretch of beach in Belize.

For more information about Aveda, visit aveda.com. For more information about Adele Wechsler Eco Couture, visit adelewechsler.com.

Locally in the New Orleans / Northshore area, Adele Wechsler Eco Couture gowns may be found at Olivier Couture Bridal Boutique in Mandeville located in the Chenier Shopping Center on Hwy 190.
(985) 674-6994

REVIEW: REN F10 Enzymatic Smooth Radiance Facial Mask

Yes, Louise, you can exfoliate without sugar, salt, particles or harsh granular scrubs.

Got a question via my little Contact Me option from my banner up top. Louise of Charlotte, NC asks, "Can you recommend a gentle product that doesn't have grains in it but still gives the face an excellent exfoliation?"

Your wish, Louise, is my command. Now I suppose I should qualify this by reminding everyone I am not a dermatologist or skincare professional; I'm just a woman who loves skincare, so you should check with a professional if you want more information about what you read here. There are many products on the market that offer chemical versus physical exfoliation. Chemical exfoliation generally consists of applying forms of alpha hydroxy acids and/or beta hydroxy acids. The acids help to dissolve the "glue" around the cells, ultimately shedding several layers of the epidermis. We're not talking about the potency of say battery acid, we're talking about gentle acid found, for instance, in many of the fruits we eat.

One such product I enjoy with excellent results is REN's F10 Enzymatic Smooth Radiance Facial Mask. The mask has the consistency of a sweet honeyed jam of sorts. There are no harsh granules to bother sensitive skins. Fruit enzymes provide a deep yet safe and gentle way to slough away dead cells and debris. There's no burning and no irritation. The mask is formulated to gently exfoliate and detoxify, and boosts cell renewal leaving the complexion smooth, toned and bright. Enzymes from papaya gently remove dead cells while Vitamin C from Barbados Cherry extract and essential oils of orange, mandarin, grapefruit and pineapple neutralize antioxidants and fight free radicals. In addition Arctic Blackcurrant oil rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids help to repair and soothe skin. 1.7 oz pump bottle retails for $37

Using this mask just once a week helps keep my skin in check and very smooth. I've often noticed little bumps or dry patches that have been present the day before are gone by the next morning after using the mask. The mask has a slight fruity tea-like scent to it, very natural; it's effective for all skin types. Apply generously after cleansing the skin, leave on for about 10 minutes, then rinse off with warm water. Apply a moisturizer to enhance hydration and you're set to go.

For more information or to purchase this gentle, lovely facial mask, visit REN Skincare. Also available at Apothica, Skin Botanica and Sephora.