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Organic Cosmetics: Going Green Is the New Gorgeous
By Erin Donnelly
I know what you’re thinking. Natural beauty? Scary. If you were meant to put your looks in the hands of Mother Nature, you wouldn’t wake up every morning with Bozo hair and undereye baggage that wouldn’t fit in a carry-on compartment. Besides, surely your fabulous little kitten heels can’t be leaving too much of a carbon footprint, right?
Wrong. Going green with your beauty routine isn’t synonymous with looking like you crawled out of a swamp; it just means that you care about what goes into your skin, and into the environment. And with big-name luxury brands taking a new eco-conscious approach, today’s organic beauty products deliver the same (or better) glamorous results you’d expect from ‘the real stuff,’ minus the nasty chemicals and artificial ingredients.
Want to put the ‘hip and chic’ in ‘hippie chick’? Check out these hot (but not global-warming-hot) organic beauty products.
SKIN
Stella McCartney has done for the green movement what her papa Paul did for music and mop-tops. Already famed for showing the world that ‘vegan couture’ (i.e. fur- and leather-free fashions) isn’t a joke, McCartney has turned her socially responsible attentions to skincare. Her new CARE Stella McCartney (http://shop NULL.nordstrom NULL.com/) skincare line is an Ecocert-certified, luxury collection of gentle creams and potions featuring 100% organic ingredients. Packaged in minimalist white tubes that can be sent back for recycling, the CARE products prove that natural beauty can still be innovative. The Radiance & Youth Elixir (http://shop NULL.nordstrom NULL.com/), for instance, energizes skin thanks to a unique and refreshing blend of red, pink and green tea. It’s the perfect marriage of pure, farm-fresh ingredients and modern sophistication. Turns out ‘eco-friendly’ and ‘elegant’ aren’t mutually exclusive after all.
MAKEUP
Smashbox Cosmetics is best known for the “lights, camera, action!” appeal of its glam products favored by the pros. But even they’re getting in on the eco act, creating a limited-edition Green Room collection (http://www NULL.sephora NULL.com/browse/brand_hierarchy NULL.jhtml;jsessionid=WZSJIPDQH1D1MCV0KQNRXCQ?brandId=Smashbox) that uses environmentally friendly formulas and biodegradable or recyclable packing. Fans of the beloved Photo Finish Foundation Primer should scoop up the vitamin-enriched Hybrid 2-in-1 Luminizing Primer (http://www NULL.sephora NULL.com/browse/product NULL.jhtml?id=P202005&shouldPaginate=true&categoryId=3990), a double-duty shimmering primer that features both Photo Finish and Artificial Light. It’s a must for luminous, lightly sun-kissed skin, and comes with a special bonus gift: a Moringa tree that Smashbox will have planted in a developing country for every purchase.
Being green with envy is bad, but being green with NVEY ECO (http://www NULL.econveybeauty NULL.com/)? Good for you! This beauty brand comes from the land down under, and they claim to be the only cosmetics company to be certified organic by The Organic Food Chain. Instead of harsh, funny-sounding chemicals, NVEY ECO infuses its natural products with familiar essential oils and vitamins, whether it’s nettle and horsetail herb in the mascara or chamomile, cucumber, calendula and rose absolute in the liquid foundation. There’s an impressive assortment of cosmetics, but the one you’ll definitely want to drop in your shopping cart is the Organic Erase Corrective Make-Up (http://www NULL.econveybeauty NULL.com/), a great now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t concealer that makes you look like a natural beauty…just not one with dark circles.
Thanks to its wildly popular bronzing powders, Physicans Formula has always been the go-to brand for going tan. Now, it’s looking to become the go-to brand for going green. The Physicans Formula Organic Wear line (http://www NULL.organicwearmakeup NULL.com/en-us/default NULL.html), billed as “the first Ecocert-certified organic line of makeup in the U.S.,” boasts 100% natural ingredients. Better yet, it also boasts drugstore prices, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong on the red carpet. Makeup artist Joanna Schlip used the Organic Wear Loose Powder (http://www NULL.organicwearmakeup NULL.com/en-us/productdetail/02140 NULL.html) and leaf-embossed Blush (http://www NULL.organicwearmakeup NULL.com/en-us/productdetail/02161 NULL.html) (which comes in a compact made from paper) to create a glamorous makeup look for “Grey’s Anatomy” star Ellen Pompeo at this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards.
HAIR
Who do Bergdorf Blondes turn to when they want some high-quality, all-natural tress TLC? British star colorist Louise Galvin (http://www NULL.louisegalvin NULL.com/) and her environmentally friendly Sacred Locks hair care line (http://www NULL.blissworld NULL.com/category/brands/louise+galvin NULL.do). The luxe line, which includes hair cleanser, conditioner and a treatment masque designed to boost color-treated hair, is free from pesky sulfates, parabens and artificial fragrances. But don’t mistake her ‘less is more’ philosophy for a bare-bones product; Galvin’s products are revered for their ability to deliver healthy shine thanks to her use of natural and naturally derived conditioning agents and essential oils. A member of The Carbon Neutral Company, Galvin’s company was the first beauty brand to offset its carbon emissions by employing eco-minded practices (the posh Galvin even rides a pink bike to work). You can follow her example by limiting your blow-drying time and unplugging all hair appliances when you’re done. 
NAILS
Because of the scary ingredients floating in most bottles of nail polish, the most eco-friendly nail care method of all is to, well, go bare. But women (like yours truly) who can’t live without their mani/pedis still have options. butter LONDON (http://www NULL.butterlondon NULL.com/) is one of them. Touting “we believe in color, not carcinogens,” this charming nail care brand offers a 3 Free selection of lacquers that are free from formaldehyde (1), toluene (2) and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP (3). butter LONDON may skimp on toxins, but the hip factor is in full effect. Each $12 polish boasts a witty Brit-inspired name-Union Jack Black, The Full Monty, and the glittery pastel Frilly Knickers-and no color, from the milky Cream Tea to the charcoal gray Chimney Sweep, is excluded. To get the full Swinging-London-meets-rock-’n-’roll-meets-eco-warrior experience, check out one of butter’s ultra-smooth nail spas on the West Coast or at Dulles Airport. Oh, and when you decide to move on from your pretty pink Nothing Hill, be sure to take if off with an acetate- and acetone-free polish remover.
SpaRitual (http://www NULL.sparitual NULL.com/) also makes DBP-free nail lacquers-their new spring color collection is big on irresistibly girly reds, pink and burgundies-as well as vegan nail elixirs like top and base coats, nail strengtheners, and cuticle treatments scented with ginger and Fuji apple.
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