TARTE Honors Earth Day with a Special Discount Offer

In honor of Earth Day, Tarte is offering 20% off all purchases. Their products are loaded with healthy, natural ingredients and free of mineral oil, sulfates, phthalates, and synthetic fragrances.
Valid through May 2, 2008. Code: EARTH08

*see terms and conditions for details.

	I won’t use anything, but California Baby’s natural products on my two boys. They're amazing and an eco-friendly company! -maureen (tarte creator)
	I am fanatical about taking quick showers and turning the water off while I'm brushing my teeth. There's no need to waste all that water without good reason. -alexis
	I installed solar panels on my roof. They generate enough energy that I don't have to pay an electric bill anymore! -heather
	I just found eco-friendly yarn for knitting. It's made from corn fiber so it's 100% biodegradable and vegan friendly unlike synthetic and wool yarns. -erica
	Since driving cars are a leading cause in CO2 emissions, at home in New York City and all over the northeast, I take subways, trains, and buses. -brian
	I use a washable re-useable plastic water bottle and refill it everyday instead of throwing it away. -keri
	I use fabric bags for grocery shopping, instead of paper or plastic. I just bring my own! -angela
	I wear ecoSkin clothing! Their chic dresses are made of sustainable fabrics and they contribute to several earth friendly charities. This month they’re exclusively offering tarte newsletter members 20% off when you enter EARTHDAY08 at Nimli checkout! -candace

Then watch Maureen again on Earth Day, April 22nd, at 8 am (EST) as she brings more of tarte’s best selling natural beauties to QVC for the first time! Spring is blossoming, so make sure to freshen up your makeup wardrobe with tarte and QVC!

Glo Minerals: You Want HOW MUCH for that Makeup?

If you're like me, you enjoy finding new brands and unique products to try. A few years ago I came upon GloMinerals and requested some samples of their liquid mineral foundation for trial. They were very generous in sending several shades for me to try. The coverage was great, I liked the SPF factor (keep in mind, this was years ago before it became fashionable to include SPF in foundations and moisturizers), and a little went a long way. So, I bought a tube, and I liked it.

I've not really re-visited GloMinerals again, though, since that first and only purchase. Not because I wasn't pleased with the product, I just got caught up trying other up and coming foundations from other brands as I do with almost every beauty product (except for my few HG's which I ALWAYS have on hand - see side column). As it's Earth Month, I decided to take another look at the GloMinerals offerings and requested a catalog by mail. It arrived yesterday. I am still in a state of shock! They must be half out their minds ...

These prices are outrageous

Let's do a little product/brand price comparison, shall we? I'll compare GloMinerals products to similar products by better known brands:

L-R

• GloMinerals Loose Base - 10g - $37
• Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Foundation - 10 g - $25
• Erth Minerals Foundation - 10 g - $14.50
  

L-R

• GloMinerals Loose Eyeshadow - 1.4 g - $15
• bareMinerals Glimmer Eyeshadow - .6 g - $13
• Erth Minerals Eyeshadow - 2 g - $5.25
• PureLuxe Mineral Eyeshadow - 5 g - $5

L-R

• GloMinerals Eyeshadow - $18
• MAC Eyeshadow - $14
• Smashbox Eyeshadow - $16
  
  

L-R

• GloMinerals Lipstick - .13 oz - $16.50
• bareMinerals 100% Natural Lipcolor - .13 oz - $15
• MAC Lipstick - .13 - $14
  

L-R

• GloMinerals GloSpa Lip Balm - .5 oz - $12
• Rosebud Salve - .8 oz - $6
• Essencia Honey Mint Lip Balm - .5 oz - $7

L-R

• GloMinerals Protective Liquid Foundation - 1.4 oz $ 36.50
• Dermablend Smooth Indulgence 1 oz $25
• MAC Mineralize Satin Finish w/SPF15 1 oz $26.50

Overall I'm just absolutely amazed that GloMinerals would be expecting to sell competitively with this kind of price discrepancy. Unless the products are made in gilded pots by magic fairies, I fail to see the justification for the high prices. And that's a real shame, as their products are very nice. This blogger finds the disparity too outrageous to allow me to purchase from them. What say you?

Smashbox Bronze Goddess Offer

source: smashbox

Unearth ERTH Mineral Makeup & Natural Skincare

Ok ... first let me confess - I am NOT a fan of loose powder mineral makeup. I remember when Bare Escentuals first came out and was all the rave. I was so excited to try it, purchased a kit, but with the the exception of the kabuki brush, I wasn't at all impressed. Since then, I've purposely not given much attention to mineral powder cosmetics - they irritated my skin, weren't effective in coverage, and generally just a mess and pain in the hiney to use.

That was until I was introduced to Erth Mineral Makeup. I actually looked into trying this brand for their skincare and not their makeup. Since I'm concentrating on ORGANIC this month in celebration of Earth Day, I was intrigued by Erth's Organic Skincare line.

I had the opportunity to try their Paraben-Free Balancing Moisturizer and I can tell you it's very gentle and hydrating to the skin. This creamy moisturizer has a light almost unscented quality to it, blends well into the skin and is loaded with organic herbs and essential oils. I am also pleased to find that it's very reasonably priced considering it is organic. 4oz bottle - $9.95

BUT ... let's talk about their mineral makeup. While I haven't tried their foundations, I can highly recommend the Erth Moth Veil Powder (bottom RT in image). This is ultra-fine in texture, helps to conceal pores and fine lines, and creates a soft matte finish to your face. There's no irritation (a nice switch from other mineral makeup brands for me). It comes in a 30g sifter jar (11g of product) for $11. Ingredients are: mica, zea mays, magnesium stearate, iron oxides. Yea! I can't believe I actually found one I like.

Now, these are Erth's gems! Erth's mineral eyeshadows and intense shadows/ eyeliners are wonderful to work with, yield fabulous color pigmentation, are non-irritating, and simply gorgeous in shades. I've tried a bunch of them in sample size and am loving them! Some of them compare very nicely to MAC pigment counterparts. For instance, Erth's Caddis is very similar to MAC Green-Brown pigment. Erth offers matte, shimmery, sheer, pearlescent shades from all different color ranges and are reasonably priced at $5.00 - $6.00 a jar (2 - 2.5g product in 5g jar - mine came in sifter jars, which is a nice touch). You can also score a whole eyeshadow collection for under $20 (some shown below).

Although I've not tried their other products and tools - yet - you should know Erth offers an array of mineral foundations, concealers, blushes, bronzers, lip balm, great looking application brushes (in all natural bristles), and various sized sifter jars. Their customer service is extremely personable and they aim to please.

You really can't get the beauty of these shadows and liners from the pictures, although the website certainly does a great job at describing them. If I can find a camera that will do them justice (mine didn't capture the subtle details), I'll swatch them for you to give you an even clearer picture of what the products do - they're beautiful!

source: Erth

NINA GARCIA: Are You In Or Are You Out?

For those following the saga of Nina Garcia's role with Elle magazine and Project Runway, the verdict is still out.

The Colombian-born fashionista got her start in the 1990s working in the PR department at Perry Ellis. She became the fashion director for Elle in 2000. Sources reported last Friday that she was let go as fashion director for the magazine. As such, she may lose her spot as a guest judge on the famed Project Runway show.

This morning, it was reported Nina had been offered a "small consulting role" with Elle, which may allow her then to remain as a guest judge for at least one more season on Project Runway. Should Nina decide against accepting Elle's offer, sources say it would be difficult to allow her to guest judge Project Runway due to the magazine's relationship with the show.

source: WWD, USWeekly, WireImage

AVEDA: Beauty Is As Beauty Does

Aveda would like you to discover how they connect their mission with product development by sourcing ingredients from traditional communities around the world. There is just so very much to learn about how Aveda takes careful steps and measures to give back in creating quality products for us, that it's really not feasible to encompass all the information here. I encourage you to gain more insight, it's definitely worth reading, by clicking here for their website.

Continuing our green theme for the month, I'd like to make you aware of at least a small portion of how Aveda is actively performing its mission. Today we'll look at how they're sourcing some of their ingredients.

BEAUTY FROM A WOUNDED EARTH

South African Rose Geranium

Of the 30 farms in South Africa who grow, harvest and distill the plant for Aveda, two farms in particular stand out. The farms of Dysseldorp are owned by the community and worked by men and women from the local town. By farming the rose geranium, families build a sustainable business on their land, and bring money closer to their communities. Not far from Dysseldorp, the town of Vaalwater is a tightly-knit community of approximately 300 people, of whom 75 are employed by the local farm. The land had been used to farm tobacco for many years, but its new owners, Tanya and Rupert, have transformed it into an organic rose geranium farm and essential oil distillery. Because an organic farm is more labor-intensive, they are able to employ more people, thus bringing in more resources for the community. They continue to struggle with the remnants of apartheid. Rose geranium flowers serve as hope for these families, who have lived on the land for hundreds of years. All of the income from the farm goes directly into the community, building better schools and houses, and bringing home care and counseling for the 1 in 4 of the adult population struggling with HIV. As their business grows, hope grows from the wounded Earth. Read more about South African Rose Geranium sourcing here.

Aveda Products Containing South African Rose Geranium:

Caribbean Therapy™ Body Cleanser

Color Conserve™ Strengthening Treatment

Pure Abundance™ Volumizing Shampoo

Tourmaline Charged Radiance Fluid

Outer Peace™ Foaming Cleanser

Amazonian Babassu

In the eastern Amazonian region of Brazil, women gather after morning chores to collect nuts from lush new-growth babassu (bob-ah-sue) palms, carrying their harvests in woven baskets to shade trees, where they sit and break the hard shells with a stick over ax blades adjusted to their legs. The women are from Indigenous and local communities that have occupied the Maranhão region of Brazil for over four centuries. They call themselves quebradeiras de coco—"coconut breakers". Their world was not always peaceful. Twenty years ago, vast sections of forest were burned and cleared for cattle ranching and the people were forced, often violently, from the land. Joining with environmental groups, the babassu nut breakers successfully lobbied local and federal officials to prohibit the clear-cutting of the palm forests, and to protect their rights. These local collectives, have been partners with Aveda for six years. Aveda has taken certified organic babassu as a starting point to create a cleansing ingredient—known as babassu betaine—that is richly foaming. We are able to buy babassu directly from the women's collectives. This means we don't have to go through conglomerate importers and middleman companies that could usurp Native interests. In turn, we know exactly where our certified organic babassu is coming from—knowledge that assures us that our high standards of integrity are met. Ingredient purity can be traced to source, to harvests that don't harm the land or the people. Read more about sourcing Amazonian Babassu here.

Aveda Babassu Products:

Smooth Infusion™ Shampoo and Conditioner

ShampureTM Shampoo

Australian Sandalwood

Today, most sandalwood available on the market has been poached in India, sometimes by organized gangs who also poach elephants. Aveda's quest for the Earth's purest, finest organic sandalwood oil that can be traceably sourced has taken us on a journey where the sandalwood is sustainably harvested and where the oil extraction process uses steam instead of petrochemical solvents. The difference—in quality and sustainability—benefits beauty professionals, consumers, indigenous communities and the Earth. More than two hundred years ago, the Europeans first arrived in Australia with their heavy suitcases. For a hundred years, countless Aboriginal children were forcibly taken from their families, deprived of their native culture, and converted to European cultural and religious lifestyles. In 1976 the Aboriginal Land Rights Act opened the way for the native people to find their rightful path again. Today, Aveda and the Indigenous Communities of Mardu Peoples of Kuktabubba have a strong business partnership. Aveda has also joined hands with Mount Romance, the Australian-headquartered producers of sandalwood oil, to extract the sandalwood oil by steam instead of petrochemical solvents. Read more about Aveda's sandalwood sourcing here.

Aveda Australian Sandalwood Products:

Control Paste™

Damage Remedy™ Restructuring Shampoo

Damage Remedy™ Restructuring Conditioner

Damage Remedy™ Intensive Restructuring Treatment

Light Elements™ Smoothing Fluid

Botanical KineticsTM Hydrating Lotion

Brazilian Uruku - A Celebration of Color

The small village of Nova Esperanca sits on a red-dirt cliff on the banks of the Gregorio River in the Western edge of Brazil's Amazon rainforest. Its members are the custodians of the precious urukum trees. Their story is a painting of the human spirit and a colorful tradition of rich culture. Nova Esperanca is surrounded by vibrant rainforests growing the urukum plant, a bushy tree that stretches nine feet tall and produces spiky red or green pods. If you open a pod with your thumbs you find a collection of small red seeds hugged together. Each of these seeds is filled with a deep orange pigment known as urukum, or, Bixa Orellana. Squeeze the seeds in your hands and your fingers become paintbrushes, giving brilliant color to whatever you touch. The Aveda Yawanawa partnership is very special. In 1992, Aveda founder, Horst Rechelbacher and anthropologist May Waddington started a partnership to create a urukum tree plantation that would help the Yawanawa to sustain themselves. Aveda's research chemists discovered that the urukum pigment harvested by the Yawanawa was ideal for creating superior lip color. The work of preserving their homelands from possible destruction due to logging and or conversion to ranching, Aveda believes is a model for all people, in this world's fight against loss of biodiversity, mitigation of climate change and ensuring basic human rights. Read more about Aveda's urukum sourcing here.

Aveda Brazilian Uruku Products:

Control Paste™

Firming Fluid™

Pure Abundance™ Volumizing Shampoo

Uruku Eye Accent

Uruku Cheek-Lip Crème

Aveda also offers a video library where you can go behind the scenes of their latest photo shoots where sourcing in these traditional communities around the world takes place - I checked it out, very fascinating!

You may also view more about Aveda's sourcing of other ingredients such as Bulgarian Rose and Lavender, responsible packaging, production via renewable energy, and information on Aveda's collaboration with other partners for Earth Month.

Run to Get Your Dainty Doll

Now hear this . . .


Ladies, if you are even the slightest bit interested in scoring any of the products to be launched this Friday (4/18), run, don't walk, to your nearest Jelly Pong Pong!! This collection is already so hot I fear that it will sell out before it has much of a chance to sit.

After posting what I thought would be a brief, non-chalant little bit about the collection's creation and products (click here), I received more feedback in comments and emails than any of my other posts have received, and that includes MAC posts. As such, I've been in touch with Jelly Pong Pong's Press and PR department about the collection. I get the impression from our conversation that they had no idea the collection had become such an international phenomenon. My contact tells me she's received overwhelming response already from Australia and Korea as well as from the US. They expected popularity from the UK, where Nicola Roberts (of Girls Aloud) and the collection originate, but not the kind of frenzy it's created abroad.

Jelly Pong Pong planned for this collection to be limited edition. From the sound of my convo with their PR, very limited edition at that. They do say, however, that if the collection sells really well, they will go back into production and bring out more products.

That said, if you want to be one of the first to get your hands on any of their offerings, I strongly encourage you to shop quickly this Friday, 4/18 or you're bound to have to wait and see if they'll produce more in the future. Inevitably, the foundations will go first, so keep that in mind. And if you're so inclined, you may consider sending a little note to Jelly Pong Pong letting them know what you think of the collection and that you want more, more, more ...






The products in the collection feature use of grapeseed oil to nourish skin, so not only is there fabulous and unique color pay-off for fair-skinned sweeties, but skincare benefits as well. The collection: (words and images taken from JPP)

Foundation - the pride of the pack, Nicola's super smooth skin souffle, so delicately soft and creamy as they adhere perfectly onto the skin; formulated according to Nicola's combination skin, it is a matte perfection without being dry.

Concealer - thick, heavily pigmented concealer covers imperfections and hides dark circles; it conceals and moisturizes the skin at the same time, making the final effect everything you've ever wanted from a concealer.

Shadow & Base - Nicola's ultra-finely textured shades that glide on your eyes smoothly; colours stay on all day without daring to flake or smudge, with the help of her added suede-textured, gold superior eye-base.

Blush & Contour - add warmth to your skin with a touch of Nicola's dual blush that comes in a soft blusher shade & shadow enhancer, all in one large compact with mirror; Nicola's apricot and blossom-pink colours are just one notch up from natural.

Plumping Gloss - lip plumping, wildly shiny gloss that's formulated with a chilli extract, making it hotter than anything else; available in colours of ripe pink and nutmeg and with a delicious smell and subtle shimmer, simply palm it on before you rump-shake the night away.

Interested in joining their mailing list? Submit your information here

And please don't forget to let the folks at Jelly Pong Pong know what you think of the Dainty Dolls Collection and that you want MORE - click here.

SAKS: Beauty of Living Well - an Upscale New Face

In May of this year Saks will be unveiling its homage to natural and wellness products by giving them beauty counters of their very own. Through its The Beauty of Living Well display, customers may view, sample and purchase products from four highlighted companies - Blue Lagoon (a brand that was created from nutrients found in the thermal waters of Iceland's Blue Lagoon), Vinita (a skin care brand from India that focuses on ancient beauty rituals), Skin Nutrition (a line of treatment products and vitamins that promote beauty from the inside out) and Canyon Ranch Your Transformation (a high-powered skin care range from the luxury health spa of the same name). I can give you some first hand info as to the "loveliness" of Blue Lagoon's products having experienced them.

Blue Lagoon is a part of a unique ecocycle where high technology and nature work in perfect harmony

Blue Lagoon skin care products are based on a unique blend of Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater active ingredients: minerals, silica, and algae. They are designed to purify, protect and revitalize the skin, leaving it healthy and glowing. Relax and calm both body and mind. These are not salty type products (as in Dead Sea configurations), but mineral enriched and light in texture and scent.

I happen to have a couple of samples tubes of Blue Lagoon skincare products on hand. If anyone would like to try this brand, please leave me a comment on this posting (below) with an email address so I may contact you for mailing info. I'm happy to send these to the person who replies first, but please be sure to leave me an email address I may reply to or they'll go to someone else.

source: wwd, blue lagoon

MAC: Cool Heat Collection

Just a little note about the upcoming MAC Cool Heat Collection set to launch in the US June 2008. I'll post more information as it becomes available, but for now you can get your drool ready for these items:
(click image to enlarge)







Slimshines:

• Daisy (WN) (LE)
• By Degrees (LE)
• Gentle Summer (PERM)
• High 90s (LE)
• Swelter (LE)

Eye Shadows:

• White Wheat (WN)(LE)
• Malt Stop (WN)(LE)
• Warm Chill (LE)
• Gulf Stream (LE)
• Cool Heat (LE)
• Climate Blue (LE)
• Blue Flame (LE)

Perfumes (Creations):

• Turquatic (REPROMOTE)
• Turquatic Heat (LE)

source: Spektra

LUSH: Get it Greener

Good for you, good for the environment; I like a win-win situation.

There's just nothing like the pampering you get from a little LUSH. Whether it's a divine bath bomb, a bubble bar, a nutrient enriched facial mask, or freshly made haircare, LUSH has an item for you.

These are treats for your senses, for your skin, and not bad for Earth considering the care LUSH takes to load up their products with eco-friendly ingredients and essential oils. They also make their products the eco-friendly way, including the use of organic fruits and vegetables.

Geo Phyzz

Although normally I'd have no problems recommending a LUSH product, this one fails to deliver and is just so, so overpriced. At $7.15 USD for a single use bomb, albeit full of sea salts and red Hawaiian salts, (with the fragrance of pine - why for goodness sake?), this one should not only load your bath water with good stuff, it should render some sort of spa feel (as it promotes)- and it just doesn't.

Avobath

Now, on the other hand, what I can recommend to you, and highly, is this little gem of goodness in a round orb. Fresh, clean scented with wonderful avocado and oils of lemongrass, bergamot and rosewood, this not only renders your sense of smell happy and satisfied, but it is a "lush" hydrating experience for your skin ... you'll immerse from your bath feeling refreshed, moisturized and downright cheery! That's not bad for $5.80 USD.

Seanik

LUSH recently updated the formulations for numerous solid shampoos so that they are now made without sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS). They've replaced SLS with sodium coco-sulfate, a natural alternative derived from pure coconut oil. Sodium coco-sulfate is less irritating than SLS because it removes less moisture from the top layers of skin. For people with sensitive skin (prone to dermatitis, acne, eczema, psoriasis, and chemical sensitivity), the drying property of SLS may cause flare-ups of skin conditions or may worsen existing conditions. Sodium coco-sulfate also leaves hair and skin wonderfully soft and conditioned. They extended their SLS-free range to include:

• Karma Komba
• New!
• Seanik
• Soak & Float
• Squeaky Green
• Ultimate Shine

NOW PLAYING: LUSH is putting on a contest so they so can give your worthy green causes lots of exposure and loads of cash!

Take a look at what LUSH has to offer you and bathe yourself in goodness!

source: lush