Hello Everyone!

So we didn't quite have this much makeup
on, but we were pretty close!

So here it is, my first blog entry.  I am probably a lot like you. I love my family, animals, going to the movies, reading a great novel, and playing for hours in Sephora.  I can still recall my first visit to the makeup mecca universally loved by girly-girls everywhere.  I was young, fresh out of college and celebrating in Las Vegas, when one of my closest friends and I happened across this place that celebrates all things beauty.  Let me just tell you, for girls like us, it was glorious. It was like adult play-land, but prettier, with glowing lights and pulsing music.  Three hours later we emerged, sweetly-scented and absolutely covered in sparkling powders, shimmering eye shadow and shiny lip gloss (also with considerably smaller balances in our bank accounts).  Seriously, between each of us I think we tested about every product in the place.  It was a happy time, carefree and easy, and we never gave a second thought to reading the ingredient list on anything we purchased.  I’m a little older and wiser now, and should have figured out by now that manufacturers don’t always have our best interests at heart.   I just hadn’t really thought about it…… yet. 

Well actually I had, just a little.  This is embarrassing to admit, but I had wondered to myself how many calories were in my lip gloss that I applied at least eight times a day, but I never questioned what was actually in it.  I blame the loss of my makeup ingredient innocence on my mother.  Lovingly, she recently suggested that we should look into a deodorant with natural ingredients since she had heard some scary things about the everyday stuff we had been using with aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex GLY.  So I did, and this is where it all began. 

It was a pivotal point in my consumerism.  I began to learn, and a lot of what I learned, I was not happy about.  So much so, that I packed up every single health and beauty product I owned and got rid of them.  It turns out what you don’t know CAN actually hurt you.  Now, I’m on a mission to change the way people innocently accept what is in the products they use every day.  I am not going to dwell on scary factoids (like the fact that depending on the study, 30-60% of lipsticks have been found to have lead in them) but I do want to inform people. 

My friends think I am crazy to give up my entire makeup collection, and that I have hopped onto some crazy hippie soap-box.  But they love me so they will roll their eyes and listen to my ramblings about formaldehyde in my false eyelash glue.  I will admit, my makeup drawer was a beautiful thing and I will miss some of it.  However, I am determined to make a change by choosing products that are: healthy for my body, do not contain synthetic chemicals, are cruelty free and better for the environment.  I eat mostly organic, and work out or go for a run nearly every day in an effort to take care of my body.  So what is the point of smearing myself with scary petro-chemicals, right? 

Too Cute to Torture.  All of us
deserve a happy, safe life. Whether it's
an bunny or a baby. We need to protect
those who cannot protect themselves. Go
cruelty free, it benefits EVERYONE!

I also love the fact that when I buy from companies that are environmentally conscious, I am supporting their actions and making a statement to companies that choose old polluting manufacturing methods.  In this day and age, for better or worse, money is one of the most powerful tools we have in our society. So choose wisely who you give it to.  Reward those who do good, and just maybe those who aren’t may just get the message someday. 

So on to my point to all of this.  The point is: once I started to make changes I found that there is a lack of information out there.  So many people (me included) will pick a product based on the label claims without actually learning about the actual ingredient list. I always thought, oh, it's expensive and says natural, so it must be good, right? Unfortunately, this is the wrong way to pick a product. There is no certification process or truth in advertising police making sure that the claims on the label are true. It can say natural or organic with only one ingredient as such in its listing.  It is up to you (or in this case me!) to figure out what you are actually using.  Peer reviews on organic and natural makeup is not always easy to find.  Natural and organic makeup is mostly a cottage industry, many of these companies are new, and so much of what is offered is only sold on the internet.  I found it a bit hard to take the plunge when I didn’t know what I was getting into.  My friends and family seem generally interested in knowing how my new products stack up to my old standbys, I thought that you might be too.

In my research to find new products I flip-flopped between so many sites; the cosmetics database created by the environmental working group, makeup alley, eco-conscious blogs, individual manufacturer's websites and several online and brick and mortar stores that specialize in organic, vegan and chemical/cruelty-free makeup.  Even then, I couldn’t find images and reviews on so much of it.  So, I made the decision to pass along what I have learned so far.  I am going to search out the cleanest products, review them and tell you about the best of the best.  That way you all can make a change along with me.  All of these items are products that I have chosen and purchased myself, I am not affiliated with any of the companies or products that I review.  Plus, if nothing else this blog will at least give my friends and family a chance to roll their eyes in the comfort of their own homes.

Up first, Scotch Naturals! Water-based (& toxic-chemical free) nail polish!