Bare Faced Beauty- Lady Gaga’s New Look?

Organic cosmetics lovers It is not very often you get to see Lady Gaga without all her theatrical makeup, hair and styling, however the October Issue of Harpers Bazaar shows a new Bare Faced Lady Gaga with straight hair and not even the slightest hint of makeup.

Natural makeup is not Lady Gaga’s thing, although she states for the magazine that everything she is, without and without makeup and eccentric styling is natural for her as she’s still the same person inside.

Paying Homage to Our Earth Mothers

Still Point Farm Festival Oregon, saw the hosting of an annual event that pays tribute to Indigenous Grandmothers in the second Mother Earth Festival of its kind.
The festival sported a mix of healing, massage, and the sale of organic makeup, natural products and also the sharing of the message regarding global wisdom of the Earth, and the importance of water, peace on Earth and a clean world.
Grandmother Agnes Baker-Pilgrim aged 87 says Grandmothers everywhere “you are the wisdom keepers and we'd like for you wherever you live to know that your children, they honour you because you are the wisdom keepers of the family and in your community. Just because you’re grey headed is no sign your kids can put you back in a rest home or something,” she said.

1 out of 3 women need to switch to Organic Cosmetics

Organic makeup junkies won’t be surprised to hear the results of a new survey showing that 1 in 3 women refuse to leave the house without makeup on, whereas 3 in 10 wouldn’t even pick up the kids from school without a touch of lip gloss!

The majority of pressure to do this comes not from Men but from our own needs and insecurities about looking good in front of other women. Most of these habits are picked up from our own mothers. So if you want to have a positive influence on your own health and your daughters, encourage them to look their best and really care for their skin by using healthy organic cosmetics. At least that way you are causing minimal damage. Make sure you give yourself a makeup break, every week; you don’t need it when you’re at home.

The key is to wear a little makeup and not look overdone, it can be more unflattering than no makeup at all!

Cosmetology Instructor recommends Chemical Free Organic Cosmetics

An article this month online at times free press showed that more women are turning to chemical free organic cosmetics.
India Cox found that turning to natural cosmetic such as mineral makeup, she was able to calm her skin down and prevent irritation which was causing breakouts that even her dermatologist could not solve.
Many women are turning away from chemicals in their cosmetics and turning to organic makeup.
“Most makeup has chemicals and assorted nonorganic ingredients to create the effects wanted,” said Rhonda Shackelford Castleberry, senior instructor of cosmetology at Chattanooga State Community College. “Unfortunately, sometimes these aren’t the best for your skin, and some people even find that they are allergic to the ingredients in regular cosmetics.
“When the ingredients are natural and organic, you are basically getting the purest of ingredients to apply to your skin. There is a health surge going on nationwide, and people are paying more attention to what they put into [and onto] their bodies.”
She recommends that you should still check labels for hidden chemical ingredients, but at least this way you can enjoy looking your best without worrying about what’s going on your skin.

Get the Latest Natural Makeup looks for autumn and winter 2010/2011

The latest makeup trends as predicted by Models Direct and Kate Shapland of the Telegraph for Autumn and Winter 2010/2011 indicates that this season is going to be chic but not vampy with deep dark bold lip colour and subtle tones every where else.

Bold lips can still remain natural by using a natural organic lipstick, defining the lip line and filling in with a lip brush to create full luscious lips. Colours can range from blackberry and cassis to taupe!

Natural makeup lovers can create this awesome look by complementing their lips with deep dark hues of brown, orange or caramel tones of natural eyeshadow. For maximum effect sockets should be highlighted with a lighter shade and the eye should be lined with a dark earthy shade to give a smoky look.

Keep the eyes free of mascara by going for a softer more natural shade or completely clear. Cheeks should capture the latest catwalk natural look with a natural shade of bronzer highlighting the top of the cheekbones and iridescent blusher applied low on the cheekbone.

To complete the look brows should be bold, nicely shaped and defined with brow pencil.

Getting the look is easy at buyOrganics which stocks the latest natural makeup range from Inika. Sumptuous and vivid mineral makeup colour, which is both professional and completely pure. 100% Certified Organic makeup or vegan or both, halal and cruelty free to boot!!!!

Discover What’s Causing Your Makeup & Skincare Allergies

So many women have approached me after having suffered difficulty with their makeup. Some were fine for years and then suddenly developed swelling around their eyes or on their face, or illness where previous they never had a problem.

Makeup and cosmetics are part of most women’s daily routine. It’s a ritualistic thing that gets us ready to go out and face the world. It can be very alarming and really knock a woman’s self esteem if she suddenly has to go out with no makeup due to blotchy skin, rashes, and red eyes or in worst cases actually lead to depression!

So here’s a heads up on what symptoms you may be suffering from and what may be causing it along with advice on how to prevent yourself from developing problems in later life. Now I’m not a medical doctor, just a natural makeup and cosmetics enthusiast, so this article is based on my own research of what information is already out there, so consider it practical, useful but not gospel.

Manufacturers put chemical and synthetic ingredients in makeup, such as fragrances and preservatives, parabens, petrochemicals, formaldehydes and fillers that can act as allergens and trigger an allergic reaction. They don’t always cause a reaction in everyone, but it has been shown that 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed, similar to the method by which nicotine patches work; therefore what we put on our skin does matter. (Please note it is worth mentioning that some people are also allergic to natural ingredients, but the numbers are much lower).

How do you know you are having a reaction?

Two types of allergic reaction are typical of makeup and cosmetics; irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

Irritant contact dermatitis: This is more common than allergic contact dermatitis and develops when an irritating or harsh substance actually damages the skin. Irritant contact dermatitis usually starts as patches of itchy, scaly skin or a red rash, but can develop into blisters that ooze, especially if the skin is irritated from scratching. It mostly occurs where the makeup has been in contact with your skin. Where your skin is thinner such as the eyelids, or where it is cracked and dry, irritant dermatitis will be more common. The skin actually breaks down when it comes into contact with the harsh chemicals substances in the makeup, most often these chemicals directly injure the outer layer of the skin, resulting in symptoms of a cosmetic allergy.

Allergic contact dermatitis: This is an allergy to a specific ingredient or ingredients in a product. Symptoms include redness, swelling, itching, and hive-like breakouts. In some cases, the skin becomes red and raw. The face, lips, eyes, ears, and neck are the most common sites for cosmetic allergies, although reactions may appear anywhere on the body. The body's immune system is reacting against a specific substance (the allergen) that it considers foreign and harmful. This may be a specific ingredient that doesn’t agree with you, it could be a chemical ingredient or even a natural one. Everyone is different, and every ingredient is a possible allergen

Neurological Problems

It has also been reported that some of the chemicals in makeup can cause neurological damage, inducing depression. These and other reactions are so insidious that you wouldn’t know that they are because of an ingredient in your lipstick or eye shadow for instance. ME sufferers have reported relief from switching to organic cosmetics, however studies are ongoing.

It can take seconds or minutes for a reaction to occur to really strong triggers, or alternatively it may take weeks or years for low levels of exposure to toxins to finally create a level of sensitivity that will result in a reaction. Hence, prolonged use of makeup containing harsh chemicals is not a good idea for anyone. Your skin and body needs a break!

Studies show that up to 10% of the population will have some type of reaction to a cosmetic over the course of a lifetime. Reactions to cosmetics occur more often in women, most likely because women tend to use more cosmetic products than men, and where your skin has been damaged by prolonged use of makeup containing toxins, it will need to time to heal and recover.

Safe or not safe; who’s telling the Truth?

Although government agencies such as the FDA permit a lot of these chemicals in the makeup to be used, they do not directly test all the compounds, products and chemicals themselves. Instead they allow this multi million dollar cosmetic industry to regulate itself. Across the UK the situation is much the same with the multitude of chemicals within each of the toiletries and makeup products used everyday not being tested to see how they react in the cocktail we use them in.

What to do If you have an Allergy

Although it may sound drastic, the first step is to stop using all makeup. When your symptoms are gone and your skin has calmed down again, then start using them again, one product at a time. Give each product at least a few days trial, even a patch test will do. If you are allergic immediately then stop using it immediately, if you aren’t allergic, use it a couple of days more to check it’s really ok. This may help you determine which product or products are responsible for the reaction. If your skin flares up, you will have to give it a few days to calm down again before you start testing the other products.

If you cannot identify the source of the reaction or if your symptoms do not go away after you stop using the cosmetics, consult your Doctor/Nutritionist as it may be a nutritional problem or infection. Your doctor will assess your skin and could do a patch skin test to find out what is causing the problem. Although your Doctor may prescribe you a steroid cream, this will only temporarily relieve the symptoms, but it will not remove the cause of the allergy. The only way you can avoid further allergies is by avoiding the ingredients that you may be allergic to.

Preventing an allergy to makeup and skincare?

There are several steps you can take to try and avoid cosmetic allergies, including:
Read the list of ingredients on all cosmetic products. If you find an ingredient that has caused a reaction in the past, don't use that product. Keep track of ingredients that have caused reactions, and look for products that do not contain those ingredients.

When considering a new product, even a natural one, do a "mini-patch test" first to see if it causes a reaction. Put a sample of the product on your inner wrist or elbow and wait 24 hours to see if a reaction occurs.

Keep it simple. Choose natural organic cosmetics with simple formulas. More ingredients mean more potential allergens. With fewer ingredients, it's also easier to pinpoint the source if you do have a reaction. Even some organic and natural products have to have some preservatives in them to keep them safe to use.

As makeup stays in contact with the skin for a long time look for products that are natural or organic and that do not contain the harsh chemicals that may cause an allergy such as formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Propylene Glycol, AHA’s, phthalates, parabens, fragrances and BHT’s. Natural and organic makeup formulas use milder and naturally sourced preservatives and ingredients and are therefore much better for sensitive skin people. This doesn’t entirely remove the chance of having an allergy, as any of the one ingredients, however natural, may trigger a reaction.

Mineral makeup is all the rave because it doesn’t need preservatives and is so mild as to suit even the most sensitive of skin. But not all mineral makeup is equal. Inika for example is excellent from using it myself and from friends and customers who have given it positive feedback.

Being a little cautious and testing any cosmetics or makeup before use will in the long run provide benefits and help protect your skin from allergic reactions and discomfort.

I'll be following up this blog with some tips on how to prevent allergic reactions to cosmetics getting the better of you.

Sonia

Organic Cosmetics Vs Natural Cosmetics

Many people think that organic and natural means the same thing and to some extents and in many instances it does. If something is billed as organic, then it is also natural; it uses natural organically grown ingredients, now the problem is that if something claims it is natural, it does not mean it is automatically organic in nature, or organically made; this is most apparent on cosmetics.

Currently cosmetic companies are not required to meet any formal standards when it comes to using the term “natural” on their products. This has led to many companies touting their cosmetics as natural to cash in on peoples desire to use healthier, chemical free organic makeup.

Marketing your products as organic cosmetics, along with other organic products such as organic skincare or organic mattresses for example, is regulated by organisations such as the National Organic Program in the USA but regulations in other parts of the world are only just coming into fruition.

So how do you avoid all the scam products and only choose the real deal when it comes to organic makeup or organic skin care? Well there are organisations that have their own standards that many companies in the organic products industry consider to be the benchmark for organic guidelines.

The Soil Association (UK), BDiH (Germany), Ecocert (France), Cosmebio (France), ICEA (Italy) and Ecogarantie (Belgium) have developed common standards for natural and organic cosmetics. So a stamp of certification from these on a product is a good guideline. However not all organic cosmetic manufacturers will have signed on with one of these, and that does not mean they are doing anything wrong.

So if you can’t find one of these standards on your product then see if it comes from one of the very reputable and recommended organic product producers. Some of the most respected, trusted and known brands include:

Inika – Providers of quality organic cosmetics such as blusher, eyeliner and foundation.

John Masters – Specialists in organic shampoo, organic conditioners and organic haircare.

Zoya – THE brand for toxin free, safe and natural nail polish.

Organic Apoteke – Leaders in organic cleansers and toners and other organic skincare.

Nvey Eco – Some of the best organic makeup and cosmetics on the market today.

Earthbound Organics – Organic skin care including facial scrubs and creams which are kind to your body.

Eselle Organics – One of the best known brands of organic skincare for the face and body as well as other great organic products.

Raw Gaia – Amazing organic beauty products to pamper yourself with.

Essential Care – Pure organic washes, tonics, lotions and more as well as eczema treatments.

Spiezia Organics – Unique organic creams, ointments and soaps.

Green People – Cleansers, washes and organic toiletries along with Green People organic shampoo and conditioners.

One Group/Miessence – The One Group manufactures the Miessence range and is one of the most trusted brands of organic skin care, organic shampoo and hair care and many other organic products for your body.

Sticking to these brands will ensure you are not being duped into buying products which are not as organic or natural as they claim to be. There are of course many other reputable organic brands out there, and it can be trial and error, but these are a great place to start as you know you are in good hands.

Finally you could always drop an email to us at buyOrganics (mail@buyorganics.co.uk) and we will try to advise you as best we can and make sure you are getting what you deserve; true organic products.

buyOrganics Relocation Mega Sale!

Many stock lines reduced up to 50%. All excess stock must go in-order to make way for new lines.

Many of our women’s and men’s organic skin care lines are reduced, along with organic cosmetics and makeup, baby clothing, and maternity wear. The offer is only on current stock, so when it’s gone, it’s gone!

For the last few years we’ve been operating from home with the assistance of a pick and pack service to deliver your goods to you, but now all’s changing at buyOrganics in order to make things more efficient, provide better quality service and make some positive steps to provide you with more all round benefits. To begin with, we’ve moved into offices and are reclaiming the picking and packing, and lots more is planned to follow.

The move hasn’t been easy, we’ve been loading and unloading boxes, setting, up desks, shelves, computers, new systems, and trying to run the business with as little disruption as possible! Of course we haven’t managed to keep everyone happy, but we are working on making things better for you in the long run.

Orders are getting back to normal now and hopefully over the next few weeks you’ll see your orders being turned around a lot quicker than before. We will also be re-developing the website, bringing in new product lines, and bringing back the newsletters and competitions, all of which have suffered due to space and software issues!

So if you have any suggestions about changes you wish to see, and products you would like us to stock, or services you think we should offer, now is the time to tell us so that we can plan them in this year. Without your suggestions we cannot tailor our business to suit your needs and provide you with the service you expect, so your help is invaluable in making BuyOrganics a store where you want to shop. Every suggestion will be read personally by me and written into our action plan where feasible.

In the next few weeks we will be sending you all a little questionnaire as we try to get to know your needs better. I hope you will help us help you by sending this back to us.

In the meantime, please contact us at mail@buyorganics.co.uk with suggestions and improvements, or use the feedback feature on our site (top right hand corner).

Sonia x

Organic mineral makeup - stunning results without the toxic overload

Mineral makeup is THE biggest thing in cosmetics right now, and for once, the concept behind these flawless foundations, eyeshadows, lipsticks and even mascaras, seems to be going in the right direction, away from artificially produced chemicals and towards more naturally derived ingredients. Lowering our toxic overload from personal care products must be high on everyone’s beauty agenda right now, as we aim to create a flawless finish without clogging our pores, ingesting carcinogenic ingredients and polluting the environment with manmade chemicals. And what’s the point of spending all that time and effort using organic, toxin-free soaps, shampoos, deodorants and bubble baths when the moment we step out of the shower and get to the mirror, we start loading regular cosmetics onto our faces and nails?

But, don’t just grab your purse in panic and rush down the road to the nearest chemist to buy up stocks of the latest mineral makeup from the shelves! Despite claims of natural, healthy and pure ingredients, even the most cursory of scans of the packaging will prove that even in the so-called pure world of mineral makeup – once again, organic cosmetics stand out on their own not only for safety and consideration for the environment, but for purity and importantly, performance!

Organic mineral makeup products are made from a pure mixture of mica, iron oxide and titanium dioxide as well as a range of different organically extracted essential oils. Many high street brands are loaded with synthetic fillers and preservatives, such as talc, bismuth oxychloride, parabens and phlalates, which as well as being toxic, can irritate the skin and block pores.

Top luxury organic online beauty store buyOrganics tried and tested a number of products before settling on their new makeup range, which we are now delighted to introduce to you. We now stock the organic, vegan makeup range by Inika, which includes a range of twelve different shades of organic mineral foundation which acts as a foundation, concealer and powder, all in one.
We have found that even the most sensitive skins and those with visible facial skin complaints such as redness and rosacea not only benefit from the superior coverage of the Inika organic makeup, to name but one, but also the benefits of leaving pores able to breathe and the natural sun protection factor of the ingredients (iron oxide and titanium oxide are also used in organic sunscreens to provide excellent protection from both UVA and UVB rays). This means that as well as being safe internally, your foundation also has anti-ageing properties. They are so safe for use that they can even be used straight after facial cosmetic surgery.

What we particularly like about using mineral foundations is the ease of application and the fact that one pot will last a very long time, meaning a sharp decrease in packaging and necessity to keep buying the product – making it a true investment! Only the smallest amount is required and once you get the hang of controlling the brush to apply the powder, we guarantee this method of facial coverage will knock minutes off the usual time it would take to use a liquid or pressed foundation.

The real secret with mineral makeup, from foundation to eyeshadows and even lip colours is in the brushwork – you will become an artist in no time! The knack is to use either a flat foundation brush (buyOrganics stock the Inika vegan brushes) or a blusher brush, take up a small amount of the powder knocking it against the pot to rid the brush of any excess, then apply in bold, rounded movements to the face. You can either cover the entire facial area or simply pay attention to areas which need more coverage (which is where a concealer brush, again using the foundation powder under the eye area comes in useful), so one product goes a very long way, making your cosmetic bag light and simple, and less packaging too. Covering blemishes but allowing your natural beauty to shine through to give a healthy, glowing complexion can’t be bad!

Eyeshadows can be applied simply as powder with an eyeshadow brush or for more definition close to the lashes, or for a dramatic evening or party look, wet the brush, take off the excess water and dip into the eyeshadow powder for an effect similar to watercolours, you can build up the colour as you wish. Use a base colour such as Inika’s Bling Bling over the eye lid up to just below the brow line, then fill in the eye socket area with another colour – we love the depth of Inika’s Purple Haze. You can even use the eyeshadow as an eyeliner by dampening an angled brush and using the eyeshadow wet to create perfect lines of any colour you like. If you’re a stickler for your eyeliners though, Inika’s eyeliner pencils come in a range of shades – try Sage with your Purple Haze eyeshadow for a fantastic festive party look – and they come with a handy sharpener on the pencil lid – again cutting down on makeup bag bulge!

You mustn’t forget blusher, giving depth, definition and a healthy glow day or night. The Inika kabuki brush together with their blusher powder (four sensational shades) will complete your healthy look. With such gorgeous products giving fantastic effects and also vegan and organic, why would you choose anything else? It’s a no-brainer really! See the entire range of organic makeup from buyOrganics, including Inika, Miessence, Nvey Eco and just in – non-toxic nail polishes from Zoya – from buyOrganics and get the safest, purest beauty looks around!

Little Things Can Make a Difference - Or How I Learned to Love Organic Skincare

"If I were to say I have always been an eco-friendly or green person (or as my ‘funny friends’ call me a tree hugger), I’d be lying.

Sure I’ve always had a love of nature, I would spend hours watching documentaries on wildlife (especially rainforests and anything to do with aquatic life) with my dad as a kid; but that was about it.

So what changed? Well as a student I finally fulfilled a dream and visit a rainforest myself. It was breathtaking, and just what my imagination had always led me to believe… well at least it was at first.

It was after I was show the devastation that had been made due to deforestation, and the effects it had on the wildlife that began to change my life (just look at the picture above, it saddens the heart). Since then my lifestyle has swayed greatly over the years to living it in an ecologically friendly way. It’s a cliché I know, that one person can’t make a difference, so why bother? Well because if everyone did bother then it would make a difference, and every small step, even from one person, is a move in the right direction.

Of course it’s not been easy. Where I live recycling has only just become a mandatory thing in regards to weekly waste collection (before that it was a trip to the recycling centre once a week) and the selection of organics products has been pretty poor, with the exception of organic food, which most supermarkets stock a selection of.

However food and recycling is only a small part of it and as a woman I wanted to see if I could go green on one of our biggest failings, skincare, cosmetics and toiletries. These items in normal life are so full of toxins and unnatural ingredients it’s surprising us girls aren’t responsible for melting the icecaps on our own.

Where to start? I mean organic skin care and organic toiletries? Where the heck do you get these things? Yes we know there are places that don’t test these on animals, but that’s not the same thing (though something I do applaud). My search took me online, and it was there I found that you can get almost anything you need for day to day life, all wrapped up in an organic, natural and eco-friendly little package (figuratively and literally).

The ranges of organic skincare on offer are huge with brands such as Eselle, Spieza, Miessence and much more beyond all doing facial skincare products such as moisturiser to facial cleanser and face wash to lip balm (yep something as simple as that has an eco alternative).Then there is body skin care, such as hand creams and lotions, body moisturisers and soaps and body washes all of which have “green” counterparts.

Toiletries and cosmetics are another must for us girls and we aren’t failed here either. Organics lipstick, eyeshadow, mascara and even foundation are readily available online. Organic toiletries are taken care of with organic deodorants, body powders, organic perfumes and more; the even have organic panty liners, towels and tampons in case you’re not sure.

Now the point is that these aren’t just good for the environment though. These things are all good for YOU. Many of the skincare and toiletry products we use, as well as cosmetics and make-up we apply are so full of chemicals and toxins you’d not be surprised about my statement that a women getting ready for a night out could kill half a rainforest on her own, and if it does that much damage to the environment, then what bout the toll it takes on you.

So come one girls, give it a try. It is true one person won’t make a difference, but if we all try to help the planet (and help ourselves and our bodies as well) even with just a few things where we can such as an organic skincare alternative, or some organic deodorant, or even organic cosmetics… then that is a start to making a difference."

Article by Kim Walsh
Self confessed 'Tree Hugger' and proud of it!