Currently listening to: “Dream” by Alice Smith
I really am trying to be more environmentally conscious: I’ve switched to energy saving light bulbs, started using reusable sacks at the grocery store and even tried biodegradable laundry detergent (though I’ve yet to find one that I’m not allergic to. If you know of one I’d love to hear it.) But when it comes to my favourite body creams and lip glosses, I’m a little reluctant to give them up in favour of their 100% organic counterparts. All-natural beauty products can’t help but remind me of when I was younger and my sister and I used to make “makeup” out of leaves, mud and berries. Premium natural products tend to come at a premium price (and thus they’re not exactly “destitute student” budget-friendly.) I got the push I needed to go au naturale when the editor of the magazine I intern for gave me some free eco-products. I’ve never known anyone to say no to freebies, and it solved my “over-priced naturals” gripe, so I decided to give them a go.
The first product I tried was Lush’s Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter. I’m not going to lie, never in my life have I used cuticle butter. In fact, I didn’t even realize I HAD dry cuticles until I started using this stuff. Now, I’m hooked: gone are winter hands and many, many hang-nails. My toenails look better too, and it left behind a pleasant tangy, lemon smell. Lemony Flutter is like a quickie pedicure, only at a very reasonable $11.95, it perfectly into my limited budget.
Feeling a bit better about these eco cosmetics, I ventured into lip gloss territory. Anyone who know me can 
tell you I have a lip-fixation. I’m constantly applying lipstick, gloss or balm as sort of a nervous tick. I’ve tried loads of different brands, but I always tend to cycle back to my favourites: Lipsyl Honey Rose for balm, Benefit Silky Finish for Lipstick (party crasher is my shade du jour) and Bath & Body Works’ C.O. Bigelow Mentha Cinnamint Lip Shine for gloss. But after trying Tarte’s new Double Dose ($21 at Sephora), I may have to add this gloss to my list. Supposedly it contains what Tarte calls a “T5 Super Fruit Complex,” that is rich in naturally-occurring antioxidants and has skin restorative benefits. So… what does that translate to in a lip gloss? A super smooth, glossy lip with just the right hint of colour. I got it in “Acerola Rush” which turned out to be a sort of sheer-coral shade, and I’m truly in love with it. The hue is bang on with the coral-lip runway trend but it doesn’t leave you looking like a circus clown, so it’s wearable for everyday.
Although I loved both Tarte and Lush’s natural beauty offerings, I must say my favourite eco-freebie was the Babassu Body Crème from Inara. While the other 2 items I talked about contain natural ingredients, this cream actually delivers a product that IS 100% organic. It is a bit more pricey than the others ($41 for 5.5 oz.) but it’s totally worth the sting to your wallet- I don’t believe that I’ve had skin this smooth since I was 5 months old. The best part though, (aside from the fact that my senstitive skin is not allergic to it) is I can actually pronounce every single word in the ingredients list…. now isn’t that refreshing?
Tags: beauty, eco-beauty, organic
