The Great New Color Care Range

Your favorite organic skincare brand now has makeup!! Juice Beauty, creators of the innovative, patent pending, organic juice-based skin care is the organic solution. Juice Beauty has done it again…paving the way in organic beauty with their high efficacy and authentically organic products.

Introducing Juice Beauty’s NEW makeup collection; ColorCare!  Achieve the healthiest complexion on earth with every drop feeding the skin, leaving it craving more! This line is loaded with antioxidant benefits from the blend of Organic Grape, Blueberry, Pomegranate, Raspberry, Strawberry, Kiwi, and Cranberry.

This new Color Collection is filled with luscious Complexion, Lip, Cheek and Eye Color Products.  Refining and perfecting.  The ColorCare collection was developed with the highest level of organic ingredients, and meets the most rigorous international organic standards.

Try it right now and you can get a free 30ml Green Apple Cleansing Gel when you spend $50 – while stocks last!



A marriage between safe science and nature, Saaf blends organic, cold-pressed botanicals with steam distilled organic essential oils to care for the earth as well as your skin. With products that are 100% natural, vegetarian, alcohol-free, non-irradiated, and free from GMOs, Saaf, which means “pure” in Persian, is the world’s first certified organic, vegetarian and halal skincare line.

Behind the brand: Saaf Founder Dr. Mah Hussain-Gables is a homeopath and pharmacologist, with an in-depth knowledge of healing plants—which she puts to work in her skincare products.

The products: Saaf products are all about naturally improving the look and feel of your skin, from the Complexion Boosting Serum, which combines purifying and sebum-regulating botanicals lemongrass and juniper berry to heal and clear skin while improving skin tone and texture, to the Eraser Body Oil, which includes rosehip seed oil and safflower oil to tone, smooth, and moisturize your skin.

Bonus: Beautorium is the exclusive online retailer for Saaf Pure Skincare in North America.

Named for the words “honey” and “life” in Latin, Melvita is all about products made with ingredients that come from the hive, blended with other organic ingredients from nature.

Behind the brand: Founder Bernard Cheviliat is a beekeeper and biologist—which means he brings a scientific background to the products Melvita creates. One of the first companies in the world to earn the ECOCERT certificate for organic products, Melvita has been a trendsetter since its beginning in 1983.

The products: From Moisturizing Day Cream (formulated with royal jelly and rosehip oil to protect against aging) to the Hydrastim Moisturizing Gel, which combines aloe vera and the extract of the Amazon river plant, mourera fluviatilis, with hyaluronic acid and other organic ingredients that keep your skin at its ideal moisturization level, Melvita’s products are made with ingredients that are responsibly harvested, packaged in recyclable materials, and strives to promote ethical, humane, and fair-trade partnerships.

Bonus: Melvita operates according to the “precautionary principle,” which means that the company will not use ingredients until they have been clinically proven as safe. (If there’s even a hint of debate on the safety of an ingredient, they leave it out.)

-Aleigh Acerni

It’s all about the pout for Marina Cosmetics. One of the most vulnerable areas of the face, your lips have no oil glands, and no natural defense against dryness, which means they’re one of the first places to show signs of aging. Enter Marina Cosmetics, which founder Kristen Null-Croner created out of a desire for natural, hydrating, anti-aging care for lips.

Behind the brand: The sea is restorative not just for its soothing sights and sounds; its waters are full of natural minerals and plants with a variety of benefits for your skin. Marina Cosmetics honed in on two specific marine-based ingredients: Antileukine and Organic Sea Kelp, which work together to keep your pout looking youthful while protecting your lips from things that can speed up the aging process, like UV rays, sunburn, and chafing.

The products: Hydrating Lip Gloss and Sea Perfected Lipstick, both in a variety of shades that work well with any skin tone. The entire line is dermatologist tested, hypoallergenic, and paraben-free.

The benefits: Marina Cosmetics’ two marine-based ingredients are in every formula. Antileukine aids in decreasing wrinkle depth, prevents sun damage, stimulates collagen production, blocks inflammation, boosts hydration, and promotes both firmness and smoothness, while Organic Sea Kelp is high in silicon, essential vitamins and minerals to prevent wrinkles.

Bonus: Both the Hydrating Lip Gloss and Sea Perfected Lipstick are water-resistant, so they’re just as perfect for a wintertime getaway to your favorite tropical hot spot as they are for everyday wear.

-Aleigh Acerni

We’ve tried mineral make-up before, from the specialty brands to the drugstore brands, so we were intrigued to do an Afterglow Cosmetics review; we took the Glow Kit for a test drive to see how it would compare. Afterglow Cosmetics founder Kristen Adams is allergic to (almost) everything, and therefore demands that her makeup be free from anything that could irritate sensitive skin, including bismuth oxychloride, which you can find in most other mineral makeup. (It’s also gluten free, carmine free, and of course free of parabens, petroleums, and synthetics.)

First impressions: This kit is full of stuff! It comes with two shades of foundation (use one or combine the two for a more customized match), a blush, translucent setting powder, a baby Kabuki brush, a concealer brush, application instructions, and a cosmetic bag to hold it all. The colors were flattering and surprisingly blendable, and we were happy with the amount of coverage we were able to get, whether we were hoping for just a little even-ing out for a Saturday of errand-running, or full-on coverage for a networking event.

What caught us by surprise: We were thrilled with the makeup brushes. We’ve been consistently disappointed with the brushes that have come with other mineral makeup kits we’ve tried in the past—one broke almost immediately, another left strands behind on our face (and made us wipe off most of the makeup we’d just applied while we tried to pluck them off)—so we were skeptical (but hopeful) that Afterglow would finally make a believer out of us.

After two weeks of daily use, we were seriously impressed. Afterglow’s brushes are vegan, professional-grade tools that are made of super soft taklon, a fine-grade nylon fiber that provides a smooth, even finish, and since it doesn’t have cuticles like natural hair, it’s less absorbent and doesn’t trap makeup. The petite Kabuki brush was ideal for applying foundation, blush, and translucent powder (even though it’s small, it did a better job than the full-sized brush we’d been using before), and the Afterglow Concealer Brush with the long, tapered handle, got the job done and was fun to use.

Extras: Afterglow Cosmetics is dedicated to fighting breast cancer, and donates a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of each Afterglow Organic Glow Bronzer to aid in research. We can see why Afterglow makeup has become one of the few American brands to be a must-have in France.

-Aleigh Acerni

Founded in 2002, New Zealand-based Trilogy is the brainchild of sisters Sarah Gibbs and Catherine de Groot (pictured, left), who stumbled upon a fantastic item—certified organic rosehip oil—and made it the key ingredient in most of their skin and hair care products. Sarah calls it “pure plant goodness,” and it works for every skin type to balance, nourish, and hydrate the skin.

The company is committed to natural skincare and has a passion for the environment; they work to create exquisite products that have a maximum effect on your skin and a minimum effect on the environment.

Beautorium: Tell us a little bit about your journey as a beauty expert. How did you get into natural skincare? What inspired you to create Trilogy?

Sarah Gibbs: I used to run a manufacturing business…and we discovered the Rosehip Oil. We’d always wanted to work together. We wanted to keep it really simple: Products that not only are good for your skin but make you feel great. We still apply those principles strongly.

B: What Trilogy product are you most proud of?

SG: Vital moisturizer. [It has] significant amounts of [certified organic] rosehip oil. I always recommend vital moisturizer. It also smells amazing.

B: You mentioned the magical Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, which is the key ingredient in most Trilogy products—what makes it so effective?

SG: When I started manufacturing it, we started using it ourselves. It has fantastic moisturization qualities. Now we’ve scientifically verified its functionality. We have the technology to produce it in this really pure form. It’s a happy little natural product.

B: Trilogy was the first carbon neutral beauty company in New Zealand. Why was that important to you? How does it support your philosophy?

SG: It does fall into our philosophy [to have a minimum effect on the environment]. I think we’ve been carbon neutral for three, four years now. It was sort of like a no-brainer from Trilogy. Needless to say we’re an international company, so we travel a lot. We need to be mindful of our impact on the environment.

B: Is there a Trilogy product that you can’t get enough of right now?

SG: There’s one at the moment I’m addicted to, the Firming Serum. I’ve got a bit of a thing going with the toner as well.

B: What’s the process of creating new products like for Trilogy?

SG: It’s mainly customer-driven. We get a lot of feedback from customers—directly from customers. The Everything Balm is a good example of that. Our customers would ask, “Is there anything I can use on the whole family? Anything I can talk my husband into trying?” That’s where the Everything Balm came from. Seriously, it’s used from babies on up.

B: What’s the latest project you’re working on?

SG: Well, I’ve got some breaking news. We have a big initiative going on around orangutan welfare. Some of the orangutans at our local zoo get very dry hands and cheeks, so they’re using the Certified Organic Rosehip Oil. And they’re getting great results—once we stopped them from eating it!

(Note from Beautorium: This orangutan welfare program is pretty groundbreaking! Orangutans’ natural habitat is quickly being destroyed, and the orangutans are headed toward extinction. Beginning in September, as part of the company’s commitment to animal welfare—they have always committed to never testing their products on animals—will kick off a campaign to donate $1 from the sale of each specially-marked box of Certified Organic Rosehip Oil sold in New Zealand, Australia, and the U.K. to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, the world’s largest orangutan rescue sanctuary. For more information about the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, visit www.orangutanrescue.org.au.)

B: It’s great to see a company really take a stand to work towards the principles it stands for.

SG: We’re about responsibility. We’re doing everything we can. That’s really what Trilogy means.

-Aleigh Acerni

Suki’s 100% natural skincare and cosmetics line is beloved by celebrities (Hayden Pannetiere, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts and Katherine Heigl, to name a few), and it’s easy to see why—it’s hard to go wrong when so much attention is paid to the process. All of the products in Suki’s line get their start in the Suki Organic Innovation Lab, where they’re created from hand-chosen raw materials, then blended in-house, and finally stored in (beautiful) environmentally responsible packaging. What’s not to love?

What we tested:

Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip & Cheek in Chestnut.

Suki Rich Pigment Mascara in Copper Brown.

The verdict: We love Suki’s sleek, earth-friendly packaging; we’re so glad that the glass containers and recycled cartons (printed with vegetable-based inks, no less) mean that we don’t have to feel guilty for admiring it.

We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of product in the jar of Suki Pure Cream Stain Lip & Cheek—especially when we realized that just a dab of this stuff goes a long way. Its slightly tacky (but not sticky) consistency makes it best applied with fingers or the Suki Cream Color Applicator Puff; swipe your finger or the puff over the product, tap the puff or a finger along your cheekbones to distribute the color, then blend—repeat if you’re going for a more dramatic look. It sinks right into your skin for a natural-looking glow. We love that the stain’s moisture-rich formula smells of chamomile; and that it was a great base on our lips, as well. Top it with gloss and the color will stay put on your lips all day.

The Rich Pigment Mascara in Copper Brown is a flattering, inky brown color, very smooth and ultra-moisturizing. Its hypo-allergenic formula left our lashes plumper and fuller, and at the end of the day, it hadn’t smudged. (Gotta love that.) This nourishing mascara is wetter than the conventional formulas you may be used to; we had the best results when we applied a coat of mascara and let it dry for about 30 seconds before applying a second coat. We love that it’s 100% natural, and we swear our lashes felt softer after a few days of using the Suki mascara. No more brittle lashes for us!

Extras: Suki’s environmental policies are worth a mention. Not only do they work to create products that are safe for pregnant women, nursing moms, and babies; their gentle, effective products are created from cruelty-free, fair trade, organic ingredients, and they consider fuel emissions and travel when choosing their suppliers. Their handmade products are made fresh, with virtually no carbon output.

In addition to their natural ingredients and stringent quality standards, Suki supports more than 16 nonprofit organizations that work to generate awareness and progress, including the Organic Trade Association, OASIS, Breast Cancer Action, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, and even Brad Pitt’s Make It Right coalition, which is working to restore New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged Lower 9th Ward.

-Aleigh Acerni

If you’ve been avoiding the Twitter craze, here’s a great reason to reconsider: there are a lot of great, green-minded companies, celebrities, and people that are using Twitter to connect with each other. Why not follow some fellow eco-friendly people and get a peek into their lives? We’ve put together a list of 11 top organic beauty experts who tweet; add them to your Twitter roster for some great green beauty resources. And if we’ve convinced you to take Twitter for a test drive, you can sign up here.

Summer Rayne Oaks, model/TV host/author, @sroakes. Nicknamed the “eco model,” Summer is an entomologist and environmental scientist, author of Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty, and the host of Planet Green, Discovery Network’s eco-lifestyle network.

Elizabeth King, Dr. Hauschka skincare expert, @lovehauschka. Dr. Hauschka Skin Care was launched in 1967 in the U.K. Elizabeth tweets about everything from her favorite Dr. H products (you can find them at Beautorium.com) to mentions of their celebrity clientele.

Fig + Sage, eco beauty/fashion/home/kids blog, @figandsage. Follow them for everything from online deals, giveaways, tips, and great eco recommendations and reviews.

Weleda Beauty, natural cosmetics company, @weleda_beauty. Weleda has been creating 100% certified natural products (for grown-ups and baby) since 1921; their tweets are highly interactive and full of great information and links.

Pangea Organics, ecocentric bodycare company, @pangeaorganics. This company, based in Boulder, Colorado, is a Beautorium favorite, with great packaging and even better products. Follow them for giveaways, product tips, and links.

Jodi Fedor, CEO of Exuberance Beauty, @jodi_exuberance. Jodi’s passion for supporting women is evident in her entrepreneurship and her tweets! Follow her for an inside look at the life of a beauty CEO—she’s all about full disclosure. You won’t be disappointed.

Naturopatch, aromatherapy body patches, @naturopatch. Naturopatch tweets about aromatherapy on the go, tips, and more.

Afterglow Cosmetics, organic/bioactive beauty, @afterglow. Follow them for makeup tips, celebrity looks, and great tutorials.

Red Flower, chemical-free fragrances, @redflowernyc. Red Flower’s engaging Twitter stream is a combination of daily observations, interactions, tips and techniques.

Suki Kramer, founder of Suki, @sukipure. Suki is new to Twitter, but so far she’s using it to connect with the people who love her products—follow her for a great way to forge a personal connection with an expert in organic beauty.

Sara Snow, green lifestyle expert/TV host, @sarasnow. Sara’s tweets are an informative mix of events, blog posts, links, tips, and green living advice.

And if you’re not already, be sure to follow Beautorium (@Beautorium) and Greenopia (@greenopia) on Twitter. We love having more ways to interact with you, and we’ll keep you on your toes; you never know when we’ll have something amazing to give away, and of course, we keep you informed on all things green and beautiful!

-Aleigh Acerni

It’s been a while – almost one month, to be exact, since my last post. I have been preoccupied by various family issues, notably a very ill father, but am now back on the blog, so to speak. Several things happened in the interim: New Year, New President; The Inauguration ; New Organic Beauty Magazine – just to mention a few. Here’s an update on a couple of historic happenings.

Cherie’s Natural History:

Tomorrow night my old acquaintance Cherie Blair is speaking here at the Charlotte History Museum. I know her from my days as an Exec at Boots PLC in the UK – she’ s a fabulous supporter of Breast Cancer Research, one of Boots’ lead charities, and a wonderful woman in her own right. Five years ago, when she was still at Downing Street, we spent a lunch discussing (among other topics) the relative merits of organic cranberries and other natural trends. She recommended green tea as an energy and concentration booster in the mid-afternoon. I plan to remind her of that conversation tomorrow and seek an update on her latest green tips.

Green Cinderella:

I wasn’t invited to either of the green inaugural balls (sniff!) BUT my friends from Greenopia were there at Planet Green’s soiree in all their eco-finery – and by all accounts had a fabulous time.
Founder Gay Browne was a featured speaker and Greenopia VP of Strategic Alliances Elizabeth Harrington looked divine as she smiled for the camera and even took a turn behind it for some of the photos. Nothing like start-up mulititasking…! Also, Elizabeth planned on doing her own green “Cinderella” – complete with makeover  – and I gave her my last-minute top-to-toe tips for going gorgeous and green.

Here they are for anyone who ’s interested – with Valentine’s day just around the corner, no doubt there will be more glamorous occassions!

Beautorium’s Ball Menu:

Body:

• Bathe in Dr.Hauschka Lemon Bath Oil to refresh you and “get juices flowing” for the big night ahead.
• For something really unique, try Farfalla’s Gemstone Oils with real semi-precious stones – go for Joy of Life to mark the spectacular and celebratory occasion.
• Moisturize with redflower’s wonderful cardamom amber oil -will leave you with a slightly spicy, warm and sultry natural scent rich in global traditions.

Hair:

• Wash and condition hair with Trilogy gentle moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioning masque
  
• Style with John Master’s Shine On – gives soft natural shine and highlights for the big night
• Use John Masters Pomade – to hold elegant up-do in place…

Face:

• Prep using Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Antioxidant Serum
• Follow with Trilogy Vital Moisturizing Cream, perfect under make-up.
• Blend in Dr.HauschkaTranslucent Make-up in medium for healthy moisturizing glow.
• Finish with suki pure cream stain for cheeks and lips in Dahlia

Eyes:

• Apply suki liquid concealer to hide any imperfections or circles
• Brush on Logona Eyeshadow Duo in silver/gold.
• Carefully line with Dr.Hauschka liquid eyeliner in Black
• Get lush lashes with Afterglow Pure Soul Mascara in Mink.

Voila! And yes, glass slippers are sustainable, so feel free to lose yours!

Beauty and the (News) Beat:

Organic Beauty Debut

Organic Beauty seems a good title – very well written and researched, and I like the way the debut issue leaps out at you at the news-stand. (It’s the close -up cover photo of Olivia Wilde that helps it to stand out, together with the darker background).

I am pleased to have been consulted as an expert in the premiere issue for the article on sulfate free shampoos – you can read more about that here. They seem to be off to a good start, and as it’s tricky to launch anything in these times, I applaud them for trying and wish them much success!

We are definately going ahead with our 10% donation of September sales to Stand Up for A Cure, and have sent out notice to our blogger friends– huge thanks to those who posted it! (storeadore.com, flawlessbeautyblog, beautycounterblogspot and hellobeautiful so far) .  You can see the whole info on the promotion here:

The Dave Matthews Band concert is tonight- how exciting! Brad is going. Julia is going. I’m not able to go. So I’m sending my oldest friend, Mo. I have known her since nursery school. She’s going to give me a full report. Maybe I’ll post it here.

Meanwhile, for those who really enjoy the celeb stuff, and let’s face it, that would be most of us, here’s some more info on who uses what. Its not complete by any means. Just a start. But as ever, celebs are often green beauty early adopters and have the pull to help make a brand chic. I’ve concentrated on some of the brands we stock: