Did you know each year it’s reported that over 300 million pounds of plastic from the drycleaners is dumped in our landfills?! On average every household contributes 12 pounds of dry cleaning plastics per year. So, even though you may be taking your clothes to an “organic drycleaner” (stay tuned for more info about them), you’re not necessarily doing the environment any justice if you’re still toting your clothes home in plastic. It’s time we stop being a part of the pollution and start finding a solution. One particular company, AGreenDay.org, is on a mission to do just that…they are combating the war on plastic by offering stylish reusable dry cleaning garment bags.
AGreenDay.org offers 3 different types of reusable garment bags:
Globo Bag - a lightweight, compact polyester material made from 100% recycled bottles & features a limited edition graphic design
Organic Cotton Canvas – a lightweight, 100% organic cotton bag with beautiful embroidered stitching
100% Reusable – a lightweight, water repellent, washable bag that’s compact enough to fit in your glove compartment or gym bag
The most prominent of the 3 is probably the Globo Bag because it features a limited edition graphic design created by the talented Chicago artists Samantha & Dianna Slovick. This eco-friendly garment bag not only holds and protects your fashionable styles, but it has character of its own!
Russell Simmons with AGreenDay.org owner, Darleen Reilly
Only 1000 Globo Bags were produced and let me tell you, they flew out the door like hot cakes. Russell Simmons, Achrbishop Desmond Tutu, Macy Gray, and even the Oscar nominees are using Globo Bags to protect their precious garments!
Imagine being able to get your artwork on the Globo Bag… WAIT, you CAN! All you need to do is enter the Globo Bag Contest! Take a shot at winning a $5,000 scholarship! What do you have to lose? The winner will also have the opportunity to go to AGreenDay.org sponsored events where you’ll meet & greet the who’s who at exclusive parties & red carpet events for a year!
Here are some key details about the contest (for more details and entry forms, please go to www.agreenday.org):
The contest BEGINS May 15, 2009 & ENDS July 14, 2009. You can enter as many times as you’d like. AGreenDay.org will narrow the selection down to 12 contestants & showcase their art images… the artists will have 3 weeks to showcase their images on AGreenDay.org’s website. The art image with the most votes will win! In addition, 3 finalists will be chosen to receive a $1,000 consolation cash prize.
Is everyone as excited as me about the warmer weather we’ve been having?! I bet you’ve already been prancing around town in your peak-a-boo toed heels & gladiator sandals... Doesn’t it feel great to not have your feet jammed & crammed in tight heels anymore?! Finally, your tootsies have a chance to breathe & see sunlight. But wait! There’s one question I must ask… Are your toes painted & ready to be exposed?
Let’s be honest, feet aren’t the most attractive body part we’ve got (you’ll probably disagree with me if you have a foot fetish), but there are ways to significantly improve their appearance. The #1 solution is to pick out a fun & flirty nail polish to dress your toes. My new international friends from England, the Toxicfree Boutique team, recently put me on to the latest color trends that are also eco-friendly! Toxicfree Boutique makes water based nail polishes & removers that are FREE from the BIG 3 (harmful chemicals) - toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate. My toes & finger nails are wiggling with joy already!
We spend so much time trying to protect our skin, but I think we forget that nails are an extension ofour skin. Nails are just as important to protect from harsh chemicals as our epidermis. Traditionally, conventional nail polishes contain harmful chemicals, but Toxicfree Boutique offers us safer, stylish options.
My toes are currently splashed with Toxicfree Boutique’s Indigo Red polish. It’s one of their fabulously bold colors. Tonight, I attended the Save the Eggs Benefit hosted by celebrity lifestyle blogger, Tia Walker, and I can tell you, my purple/pink hued toes stood out among the plain old pink & red toes. Why? Because my color was fresh AND eco-friendly!
Shop Toxicfree Boutique to view their wide variety of colors & see what color suits your personality best!
Check out what our sexy guest blogger Sarah has to say this week!
What better way to say good-bye to the winter blues and hello to warm, spring days than with fresh and natural products for the face and body!I had the good fortune of trying a smorgasbord of delicious and eco-friendly products, all made with natural ingredients.Many women may not realize when they slather creams on their bodies and make-up on their faces what chemicals actually lie beneath.No, I’m not talking about a Harrison Ford suspense movie of the same name; I’m talking about the endless list of artificial ingredients that are listed on the labels of some of our favorite products, like lipstick, for example.Word has it that many popular brands of lipstick actually contain traces of lead!Well, let me lead you away from the lead with some great green products that’ll get you in the mood … for spring that is (Such a wandering imagination!)
This thick and creamy body cream is 99.10% natural and is free of parabens, dyes and phthalates. The sample I tried, Lemon Cream, smelled as good as a slice of lemon meringue pie, but it won’t add a single calorie to your sexy figure.It’s made from shea and cocoa butters and is blended with other natural oils.It’s great for the dry rough patches you get on your hands and feet during the winter.It’s gentle enough for kids too.Priced under $10.00, this cream is one of my absolute favorites!
Femme is the all-natural skin care line from Olivier, New York.Femme bath products are made from oils found in nature, such as olive, rosemary, and coconut.According to their website, their products for women promote healthy, younger-looking skin.The shower gel has a light, clean smell and lathers up nicely.The scrub smells like coconut and is great for sloughing off dead skin cells.My legs feel silky smooth and are beach ready now! I highly recommend that everyone start scrubbing.
Not to be confused with the similar-sounding Bath and Body Works, whose products are full of artificial fragrances, this roll-on perfume is 100% natural and made from pure, essential oils, such as jojoba, sandalwood and orange.Because the fragrances are made from all-natural ingredients, the scents may need to be applied a bit more frequently to keep the scent strong, but they’re totally worth toting in your handbag.Honestly, these alluring perfumes are a better pick-me up than a cup of Java!I applied the scents to my wrists about 3 to 4 times per day and with each roll, I could feel my senses perk up. The first scent that I sampled was “Comfort.” It’s a scent I’d recommend for the daytime because it’s welcoming and warm. The second scent I tried was “Passion.” This fragrance has a rich and complex smell that is perfect to wear on a date night.
This five-piece brush set, another of my new favorites, is made from natural and recycled materials.The handles are made of bamboo, a renewable resource. The bristles are SOOO soft. Made from a synthetic fiber called taklon, I’m happy to announce that these brushes are animal cruelty-free.You’ll find these brushes to be perfect for applying mineral make-up, and they come in a natural cotton and hemp linen bag for easy storage and accessibility.
This shiny, moisturizing lip gloss comes in four shades and is everything an eco lip gloss should be: all-natural and free of any animal testing, paraben/phthalates and petrochemicals. According to the Burt’s Bees website, the featured ingredient is sweet almond oil, which absorbs quickly and is very emollient. Other ingredients include sunflower and citrus oils.The gloss I tried, Sweet Pink, smelled and tasted like oranges- yum!
When I first opened my tube of Jane Iredale PureMoist lipstick, I wasn’t sure that the baby pink color, called “Erin” was quite right for me.However, I knew I couldn’t pass judgment on the shade without actually trying it. Fortunately I gave it a go, and to my surprise, the pink turned out to be very subtle, almost sheer. This shade is ideal for the daytime when you just want to add a hint of color and shine.It also has a pleasantly faint smell of minty vanilla. Made with fewer chemicals than traditional brands, Jane Iredale’s lipstick offers SPF 18 and contains edible zinc oxide and antioxidants.Who knew all that could be in a tube of lipstick?!
In addition to being made with certified organic ingredients, Buddha Nose goes on extremely smooth and adds a nice sheen to your lips.The reason this tube works wonders is because it includes ingredients like jojoba oil, organic beeswax and hemp seed oil.
There is definitely an aroma and taste of ginger (the root, not the ale)… so if you’re a yogi, this balm might be ideal for you because the scent will open your air passages. There’s also a slight tingling sensation that you’ll feel after applying it.This feeling can be attributed to the power of the ginger root.
I hope you enjoy revving up for spring as much as I do! Let me know if you’ve found any great products I should try.
Some people think that gifts should be tangible, something that can be held on to for a long time, a keepsake to lend as a reminder of a special event or occasion. As you know, I’ve been struggling to find the perfect gift for my mother. I saw some novel gifts at UncommonGoods, but I didn’t think they’d represent my love enough. That’s when it dawned on me. Sometimes the most significant and memorable gift aren’t tangible at all…they’re emotional experiences. The answer is simple. I’ve been so distracted with thinking I need to buy my mom a gadget or decoration, but really what she’d appreciate most would is an experience. What’s one of the experiences she’d love the most? A spa day. Fortunately for me, I know right where to send her… across the river to Salon Organic. I recently had the most amazing Dr. Hauschka facial there and I know my mom would love it too!
Last week I took a scenic, 20-minute train ride to beautiful Montclair, NJ to meet with Salon Organic’s owner, Anne Hall, to discuss the opening of her new salon (it opened in Nov. 2008), and experience one of her salon’s specialties – a facial. From the moment I stepped through the door of Anne’s charming, intimate salon, I felt relaxed and at ease. The soft lighting and colorful walls created a warm and inviting ambience. The positive energy I felt from being in Anne’s presence made me comfortable and excited.
Prior to my spa session, Anne sat me down for a brief consultation. She inquired about my daily skincare regimen and lifestyle. She said having insight into my lifestyle habits would help her make an educated decision about the services that would suit me best. I described to her that I’m out at events often, I touch my face frequently, especially if I’m perspiring, and I occasionally neglect to wash my makeup off before bed. Anne, a certified Dr. Hauschka esthetician, quickly determined that a deep cleansing facial would benefit me the most.
With that said, Anne closed the salon for our private session (she currently works alone which means you get 100% of her focus), turned on soft melodic music, and began prepping for the hour and a half facial I was about to receive. As she prepared, I slipped into an adorable organic cotton strapless robe dress and soaked my swollen feet in a warm sage footbath. The purpose of the sage footbath is to draw energy and stress away from my head so the skin is relaxed and prepared for the cleansing aromatherapy compresses. Anne spoke quietly with me about the various cleansing methods that she’d be using and how they differ from most other facials. She advised that she wouldn’t be painfully digging or squeezing; she’d be using various colored mood enhancing lights as the session progressed; and told how her hand and brush movements would stimulate and encourage my lymph system’s detoxifying functions. I learned that Dr. Hauschka’s skincare treatment takes a holistic approach. The focus is on creating a rhythmic harmony with our environment and our individual bodies, thus bringing balance into our lives and purifying our bodies.
I was intent on enjoying the full experience of getting a premium facial so I focused on my breathing and releasing my tension. I allowed my stresses to be washed away as Anne steamed and exfoliated my face. The warm and cold compresses combined with her press & roll hand movements was therapeutic. The process was so peaceful that my body felt like a heap of lead and I soon dozed off. When I woke, I was slow to move but I felt that my movements were more fluid. I looked in the mirror and saw my radiant complexion. My skin felt supple and rejuvenated.
The 1-on-1 experience at Organic Salon is a memory I won’t forget. I can’t begin to describe how refreshing it was to be away from the city and the masses of people. It was only me and Anne, and she was able to focus all her attention on me. I know without a doubt that my mother would love this experience as much as I did. Maybe I’ll even upgrade her to the two hour “Classic Treatment” facial that also includes a foot and leg massage!
Take it from me; Organic Salon is DEFINITELY worth the short trip to Montclair, NJ. Call or email Anne today & schedule your appointment! 973-783-1783 or anne@salonorganic.net Stay tuned to hear about all the Dr. Hauschka products she sent me home with too! Happy Mother's Day!!!
TGIF! Happy Friday. Mother’s Day is only a couple days away and I still haven’t found the right gift for my mother. Time is down to the wire, but I know there is still hope. Thankfully, I took the recommendation of one of Sexy Sustainable Style’s insightful followers and visited a website called UncommonGoods. Here you can find unique handmade & recycled gifts, and they have categories broken out for different occasions & personalities. It’s going to take me a while to narrow down my choices because there are so many creative gift ideas. Good thing I have until 5pm today, May 8th, to place an online order and receive my Mother’s Day gift by Sunday. Also, UncommonGoods has a store in Brooklyn for anyone who lives nearby and missed the shipping deadline.
Here are a few Mother’s Day gift ideas that I’ve found:
For any mom:
A Rose By Any Other Name ELEPHANT POO PAPER ROSES
The saying "stop and smell the roses" takes on a whole new meaning with these odorless paper roses that are handmade completely from elephant poop! Eco-friendly, innovative, sanitary and stink-free, these sustainable flowers are a wonderful green alternative to fresh cut, imported roses which can put a strain on the environment. Handmade in Thailand. Available in set of three (pink, yellow and red), six (pink, yellow and red) or one dozen (red).
For the green thumb mom:
Plant A Seed CULINARY GARDENS
These classic collections of organic culinary vegetables and herbs are easy to grow and delicious to enjoy! Perfect for containers or gardens. Each recycled tin contains eight kinds of seeds, garden stakes, pencil and directions.
For the accessorizing mom:
Fruit Punch FRUIT & VEGETABLE PARCHMENT CUFF BRACELETS
Wrap your wrists in bold organic style with gorgeous, shimmering cuffs handmade from fresh fruits and vegetables that are first cured, pressed, aged and dried into a translucent parchment sheet. The sheet is then fused to a copper cuff that shines through the thin parchment producing a lovely glow. Handmade in California by Margaret Dorfman. Choose from Beet, Starfruit or Zucchini.
For the entertaining mom:
Go Green! PROTECT OUR EARTH GLASSES - SET OF 4
These recycled glasses are made from the bottom halves of Bordeaux bottles that were "rescued" on the way to the landfill. A beautifully silk-screened branch design is accompanied by the phrase 'Protect Our Earth' in four languages: English, Spanish (Proteja Nuestra Tierra), Afrikaans/South African (Bewaar Ons A Arde) and French (Proteqez Notre Terre. Made in Wisconsin.
Beauty in a Bottle RECYCLED WINE BOTTLE JEWELRY
Three pieces of recycled wine bottles, from Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and red wines, create a beautiful necklace as they hang from three layers of sterling silver chain. And you can complete your look with these elegant and contemporary earrings made of Chardonnay (amber), red wine (green) or Pinot Grigio (blue) bottles. Because each piece is handmade, expect slight variations that add to each necklace's unique character. Handmade in Georgia by Kathleen Plate.
As fashion trend analyst, I love to wear, use and suggest the best eco-conscious products & companies to my readers. Life is sexy and I'm here to show how you can live it sustainably.
For eco-fashion/beauty advice, events, product reviews, advertising, or even if you're interested in writing "sexy posts" for us, please send emails to mlabrutto@gmail.com. We love to hear from our eco-fabulous readers!
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