Mischo Beauty: natural

Showing posts with label natural. Show all posts

Mischo Beauty Pick: For the Love of

For those of you who may not know, "For the Love of" is an organic luxury bath and body product company located in Washington, DC. All of the products are organic, mainly vegan and handcrafted by Kristina Libby, who left her corporate job to pursue her passion of creating organic beauty products.

I love learning about stories such as Kristina's (she's doing what I'm working to achieve) and so I could not wait to try her products! I'm currently using the Luxury Summer Orange Blossom Body Scrub (loving the fragrance!) - great for the heels, knees and elbows; and the Black Amber Honey Homemade Soap, which surprisingly has a very nice lather.

Feel free to view the entire collection of "For the Love of" products here!

Mischo Beauty: Nexxus Nourishing Botanicals

In continuing to reinforce the fact that Earth Day should really be every day- I had to introduce you to Nexxus' new Nourishing Botanicals collection. It's a 3-step collection which includes the Botanoil Nourishing Botanical Shampoo, Botanphuse Nourishing Botanical Conditioner and Botanluxe Nourishing Botanical Leave-In Conditioner. All are formulated with natural ingredients and are free of parabens and dyes. Feel free to visit www.nexxus.com to learn more.

Mischo Beauty Extra: Priti Nail Polish & Soy Remover

Last year I told you all how much I loved the nails (by Priti Organic Spa) at Tuleh's runway show during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Well, I recently had the opportunity to try Priti's "Bright Summer Day" nail kit. The kit includes Fireglow and Hula Girl Rose nail polish, 2-in-1 Top and Base Coat and a 2oz. Soy Polish Remover.

The nail polish colors are bright and cheery- perfect for summer, but most importantly they're free of formaldehyde, DBP & toluene! The Soy Polish Remover is a must-have. No chemical smell whatsoever! It's non-toxic and 100% biodegradable. The entire Priti nail polish collection and Soy Polish Remover are available at www.pritinyc.com.

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Juice Beauty Winner!

And the Juice Beauty winner is:

Comment #4: Maisha

Please email your shipping information to me! Thanks to everyone for entering!!!

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Juice Beauty

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Juice Beauty products and in continuing to encourage you to make Earth Day- every day, I'd love to assist you in doing just that! This week's giveaway includes the following from Juice Beauty:

- Organic Facial Wash
- Deluxe Size Sample: Hydrating Mist
- Deluxe Size Sample: Oil-Free Moisturizer
- Deluxe Size Sample: Green Apple Peel Full Strength

So here's how you can win. Simply tell me how you plan to "green" your beauty routine. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, May 3rd!

Mischo Beauty: Marina Cosmetics

Marina Cosmetics recently launched a line of lipsticks and lip glosses "which were developed to bring natural, hydrating and anti-aging care" to your lips. What sets this line apart from the rest is the fact that it's dermatologist tested, hypoallergenic, and paraben-free.

The fact that this line is completely free of harmful chemicals gives us yet another opportunity/choice to select products that are environmentally friendly. And so the collection I sampled is called Philippine Sea Corals- inspired by the islands' rich coral, peach and cinnamon colors.

It consists of Beach Breeze and Coral Ice lipsticks - both highly pigmented with a frost finish. Also included are the Coral Reef and Manila Mango lip glosses, which are non-sticky (yay!) and give the lips a shimmer/iridescent finish.

Both the lipsticks and lip glosses are long-wearing and complement a variety of skin tones. To view the entire line, please visit marinacosmetics.com.

Mischo Beauty Review: The Natural Dentist

In an effort to continue working to "green" my beauty routine, I welcomed the opportunity to try products by The Natural Dentist. This line of products contains no alcohol or harmful chemicals like the foaming agent, SLS, a common ingredient found in toothpastes, shampoos and detergents. Dental hygienist training schools should start advocating the use of these natural dental products!

Instead, ingredients like grapefruit seed extract, menthol and xylitol cleanse the mouth, while peppermint and sage oils help prevent gingivitis and reduce/prevent plaque. I've been using the Peppermint Sage toothpaste, which contains no artificial dyes, sweeteners or preservatives. The texture totally reminded me of my favorite brand of toothpaste, Tom's of Maine, and so I had no issues with the texture, taste or lack of sweetener.

I also tried the Peppermint Twist mouth rinse which is a daily rinse to protect and soothe gums. You should know that the toothpastes are the only brand on the market without packaging and the toothpaste caps and rinse bottles are 100% recyclable.

Mischo Beauty Pick: Victoria's Secret Pink Body

"Think Green. Live Pink. Natural, Organic & 100% Vegan Ingredients." And yes, that basically sums it up for the launch of Pink Body by Victoria's Secret. I love that there's a natural/organic option for all the "Vickie's Secret" Pink lovers out there!

The new launch includes three collections to suit your every mood- "Energizing", "Nourishing", and "Soothing". The Soothing Body Wash has a mild, pleasant scent and contains organic oat extract, specifically for calming the skin. After using the body wash, my skin felt soft and hydrated.

I'm not a fan of greasy hand lotion, so I was pleased with the Soothing Hand Cream. My skin soaked it up and I noticed that it did a great job with keeping my cuticles moisturized. Winner!

The "Soothing" collection also includes the Soothing Body Lotion. Would love to know your thoughts on the new Pink Body collections! Do share!

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Kiss My Face Sheer Organic Shimmers & Shines Winner!

And the Kiss My Face Sheer Organic Shimmers & Shines winner is:

Comment #18: Anonymous

Please email your shipping information to me! Thanks to everyone for entering.

Mischo Beauty Giveaway: Kiss My Face Sheer Organic Shimmers & Shines

"Sheer Organic Shimmers (lip tints) and Shines (lip glosses) contain natural mineral color, vitamins A&E to repair and protect lips and have a luscious organic flavor- mint with a hint of vanilla. All are earth friendly products containing no parabens, SLS, phthalates, synthetic colors or flavors, and use of animal ingredients or testing."

One reader will win 6 of the Sheer Organic Shines (Pearl, Opal, Amethyst, Topaz, Ruby & Garnet) and 6 of the Sheer Organic Shimmers (Pearl, Opal, Amethyst, Topaz, Ruby & Garnet).

Here's what you'll need to do- in recognition of National Heart Month, visit The Heart Truth and leave a comment below listing three (3) risk factors for heart disease and you'll automatically be entered to win. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday, February 15th!

Mischo Beauty Pick: Blum Naturals

I recently had the opportunity to test out a product line called Blum Naturals, which was created to provide a natural and organic cleanser for women to reinvigorate their skin and keep it clean and smooth. I love their tagline "Cleanse. Balance. Restore", because as I've said before- the foundation for beautiful skin is clean and healthy skin- first and foremost!

"Our products are infused with natural plant extracts, fruit sugars and nourishing antioxidants that easily remove waterproof makeup" says Albert Savdie, founder of Blum Naturals. The products are made with natural and certified organic ingredients and are hypoallergenic, alcohol free and pH balanced. They are also paraben-free, SLS free, and free of any kind of synthetic preservatives.

The product line includes:

1. Daily Combination/Oily Skin Towelettes
2. Daily Dry/Sensitive Skin Towelettes
3. Daily Exfoliating Skin Towelettes
4. Daily Eye Cleansing Pads
5. Oil Absorbing Facial Tissues
6. Daily Exfoliating Face Wash
7. Daily Exfoliating Pads

I've tested every product in this line, except for the Daily Exfoliating Face Wash, with great results. I love that this line feels so gentle on my skin, and I'm able to remove my makeup and cleanse my skin with one product- perfect for travel! And as I'm always encouraging you all to buy products for your specific skin type- this line should satisfy everyone's needs. This line is available on drugstore.com

Have you tried it?

Blum Naturals Daily Dry & Sensitive Towelettes, Organic Chamomile
Blum Naturals Daily Exfoliating Pads, Organic Orange
Blum Naturals Daily Combination/Oily Towelettes, Organic Tea Tree Oil
Blum Naturals Daily Exfoliating Towelettes, Organic Orange Peel

Mischo Beauty School: "Natural" and "Organic" Beauty Certifications 101

We all know that tomorrow is Earth Day and I felt it only appropriate to provide definitions for those who aren't clear on the terms "Natural" and "Organic" certifications as they relate to beauty products, since I'd previously discussed the "Biodynamic" certification. My hope is that you'll be even more empowered to make informed choices depending on your beauty needs.

Natural Certification:

The natural beauty certification is not regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Department of Health & Human Services). It often includes products that are formulated with plant-based and natural ingredients with few to no dyes, synthetic fragrances, petrochemicals, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens.

Organic Certification:

The organic beauty certification in the U.S. is regulated by the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) which regulates organic foods and ingredients used for personal care products. It includes products who's ingredients are grown free of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides.

There are four levels of USDA Organic certification, based on percentages of organic ingredients:

1. "100% Certified Organic": Product must contain 100% organic ingredients certified by the USDA and can bear the USDA Organic Seal.

2. "Certified Organic": 95% or higher Certified Organic Ingredients (with strict restriction on the remaining 5%). Product certified by the USDA and can bear the USDA Organic Seal.

3. "Made with Organic Ingredients": 70-94% Certified Organic Ingredients (with strict restrictions on the remaining 30%). Product certified by the USDA but CANNOT bear the USDA Seal.

4. Less than 70% Organic Ingredients: Organic Ingredients can be denoted with an asterisk. Only ingredients are certified by the USDA (NOT the finished product), and the product CANNOT bear the USDA Seal. Product CANNOT call itself organic and the word "organic" may appear on the side or back of the package only.

Love your body.

I'd love to hear your comments and what changes you plan to make to help save the earth!

* For more information on the various activities to set standards and certifications rules for what constitutes "natural" or "organic" personal care products, please visit "The Style Page"!*

(Sources fda.gov, usda.gov & sephora.com)

Mischo Beauty School: Certification Standard for Beauty

It's called Biodynamic and it's a beauty certification used to certify products above the "natural" and "organic" certifications. Biodynamic is a system of natural farming dating back to the 1920's, and like certified organic farming, Biodynamic farming is free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. But unlike the "natural" and "organic" certifications, in order to receive the Biodynamic certification a product must meet the following conditions:

- Ingredients must come from chemical-free biodynamic farms

- Processing guidelines must focus on manipulating the ingredients and materials as little as possible

If the biodynamic certification interests you, then check out Lavender Fields, Ceago Vinegarden and Harms Vineyard, Flower Essence Services and Dr. Hauschka. These are the only brands in the U.S. which produce certified biodynamic products.

Love your skin.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions!

(Source: WWD Beauty Biz)

(photos courtesy of drhauschka.com)