7 best natural mascaras

By Well+Good NYC

Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Even natural beauty divas tend to cheat when it comes to their lashes, coating them in Maybelline Great Lash or lust-worthy DiorShow.

However, that’s beginning to change.

“Every natural makeup line is working on a mascara worth releasing,” says Spirit Demerson, founder of SpiritBeautyLounge.com. “Expect big reveals next year.”

Can’t wait till then? We found seven that added just as much volume, length, and drama as their chemical counterparts. (There’s still no waterproof natural.)

Here are seven great natural mascaras we wouldn’t bat an eye at.

—Melisse Gelula and Lisa Elaine Held

Josie Maran GOGO Natural Volume Argan Mascara

$22, www.josiemarancosmetics.com

We’re saying it: Maran’s argan-oil based mascara works just as well as traditional one. It produces thick, voluminous lashes (and a dewy shine) in just a few strokes with little-to-no clumps.

And it has a heart: For every mascara purchased, a dollar is donated to a women’s cancer charity.

One drawback: It’s otherwise natural, organic formula does contain a couple of suspicious ingredients at the very end of the list.

Korres Provitamin B5 & Rice Bran Mascara

$18, www.korresusa.com

This one is about length over volume. The small, thin spokes on the brush lengthen and separate perfectly, leaving a dark, matte finish.

Its ingredient list is not 100 percent pure, mainly because of the presence of preservative phenoxyethanol, but it’s a million steps up from L’Oreal.

Dr. Hauschka Volume Mascara

$29.95, www.drhauschka.com

It goes on as elegantly as a traditional mascara, so you wouldn’t know you were applying super natural ingredients, like silk powder and botanical waxes.

The mascara has a rosy, not chemical scent, which comes from essential oil fragrance (not the chemical kind).

Only downside is the smudge-proof claim didn’t hold true for me after just a couple hours.

Keep reading for 4 more here…

5 clean lipsticks for super-sensitive lips

By Rebecca Bailey for NoMoreDirtyLooks.com

Since childhood, I’ve had sensitive skin. My lips in particular are a mess if I try to use conventional products. Do you want to hear about the pain and the oozing? No, you don’t. I spent decades thinking I simply could not wear lip color. Enter the NMDL girls and my introduction to truly clean cosmetics. Now, anyone can be sensitive to any ingredient, even clean stuff.

But if the brands I’m about to review are OK for me, they will probably be OK for 99% of people.

In addition to being sensitive, I’m super picky about smell/taste/texture, and I like my products to add something nourishing to my skin. These don’t taste all “lipsticky,” they feel nice on, wear well, and have healthy plant oils, antioxidants, and many organic ingredients. I also like packaging to be both pretty and functional. Check.

I love my RMS, and I own just about every lip product they make. But the brand has been discussed often here so I wanted to review a few brands that I don’t see much about. Everything I’m covering is super clean, gluten-free, and mostly vegan (a couple products have beeswax). For reference, I have a very pale olive complexion, but I think most of these colors would work for many skin tones.

1. Real Purity Lipstick:

Great price ($13), gorgeous and functional packaging, and the color selection is spectacular. My favorites this time of year are Dusty Mauve and Tangerine. Dusty Mauve is a really unique color with a bit of purple and some luminosity, and it wears longer than any lip color I’ve ever tried. The shimmer makes it look fairly pale in bright light, but in dim light it looks darker. If, like me, you are both intrigued by and fear orange, then try Tangerine. It is shimmery sheer, subtle and lovely. Into reds? Try Regal Red (looks bright pink on me) and Clover Red (bam! red with a touch of orange). The sample program makes it fun and easy to try them out.

Keep reading for four more luscious lipsticks…

Best frizz fixer: This easy coconut oil hair treatment

By Well+GoodNYC

Hot summer rays can wreak havoc on hair (as can a lot of shampoos and dyes). A simple solution? Coconut oil, the hardest working condiment in your kitchen, makes an amazing leave-in hair-conditioning treatment, says natural makeup artist, Kat Feldhouse.

Coconut oil hydrates really parched beach hair—and is great for women with really fried ombre-dyed ends, says the beauty savant. (She likes Whole Foods 356 brand, but any will do.) “Water-based conditioners just can’t compare. Pure coconut oil gives your hair great shine, moisture, and texture thanks to its rich fatty acids and proteins,” explains Feldhouse.

And great news: No blow-dryer, shower cap, or sleeping with a towel under your head is needed to help it penetrate. This is a hair treatment you can wear out—around the city, to the beach, or to brunch.

Here’s how to use coconut oil as a leave-in hair treatment:

1. Scoop half a teaspoon of coconut oil, and really heat it up in your palms. Then grab sections of your hair, and drag the coconut oil through evenly. “A little goes a long way,” says Feldhouse. (You don’t need to apply it to your scalp unless you’re dealing with dandruff or a sunburn or your hair really needs the added nourishment.)

2. Then go over your hair with a wide-toothed comb.

Keep reading…

3 things you absolutely need in your festival beauty bag

Festivals, outdoor concerts, and camping can wreak havoc on your skin.

By Well+GoodNYC

You’ve got everything you need to rock out at Jones Beach (concert tee!), to picnic in Prospect Park (Sancerre!), and to turn your tent into an almost-urban oasis while camping at Wanderlust Vermont (or any other festival you’re hitting this summer)—but don’t forget about your skin, which will be exposed to all kinds of crazy outdoor elements.

Here are three must-pack items to have in your festival beauty bag:

1. Bug spray. Itchy red welts are the last thing you need as you try to focus and balance in side-crow pose or enjoy the New York Philharmonic in Prospect Park. But leave the DEET at home. Skincando’s brand-new chemical-free Combat-Ready Bug Repellant keeps the bugs at bay with essential oils like citronella, lemon, and tea tree. We tested it on a recent camping trip in upstate New York, and the only creature it didn’t keep away was…a bear.

Keep reading for more here…

3 ways to make your natural makeup last longer

By Well+GoodNYC

If you’ve made the switch from mainstream makeup to natural brands like RMS Beauty or Vapour, you’re probably still admiring your new dewy, fresh-faced complexion.

But lots of converts also have a complaint: The pretty pots and sticks just don’t last as long as their conventional counterparts (because they’re missing the chemicals that make them cling).

“It’s just something that everyone will have to learn to expect,” says celebrity makeup artist Katey Denno, who gets stars like January Jones and Christy Turlington ready for the red carpet. “There are no crazy intense polymers in the natural world that will equal long-lasting color.” (Though some hyper-pigmented brands do stain well.)

But, says Denno, while you may have to work a tiny bit harder and touch up your face during the day, it’s actually a good thing. Instead of feeding your skin endocrine-disrupting chemicals over and over, you’re nourishing your skin with hydrating bases like jojoba and coconut oil every time you reapply.

It will look better, too. “Instead of adding another layer onto old makeup, which creates a pancake-y look, you’re just adding a fresh glow,” she explains.

And while you’ll have to schedule a midday reach into your beauty bag, there are ways to maximize your natural makeup’s staying time. Here are Denno’s expert tips:

1. Moisturize first. Make sure your skin is properly hydrated. “If you put makeup on dry skin, it will be difficult to blend, and it will more likely disappear more quickly,” says Denno. “You don’t want your skin to absorb the cheek colors.”

Keep reading for more here…

Are you polishing your skin with plastic?

By Well+GoodNYC

Are you polishing your skin with plastic? You are if your favorite facial scrub contains particles made from polyethelene. It’s a common exfoliating ingredient in such popular products as Olay Regenerist Advanced Anti-Aging Regeneration Cream Cleanser, the new Neutrogena Rapid Clear Foaming Scrub, and even Bliss Lemon + Sage Body Scrub. Polyethelene beads are made from polymers of ethylene oxide (say that three times fast)—the same synthetic stuff used to make plastic grocery bags.

What is it doing in your skin care? The beads are supposed to be a boon for skin because they’re perfectly spherical—unlike walnut shells and apricot pits which can be coarse, some say, and tear at tender facial skin, or worse, irritate, infect, or spread a case of the pimples, particularly the red bumpy kind. (They’re better off used in body scrubs.)

At best, polyethelene beads probably create a bit of friction as they roll over your face. New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross, M.D., who’s not a fan of most scrubs, says that of all possible materials, at least these have a smooth surface.

Does your face polish pollute the oceans? It likely does if it contains polyethelene beads.

Does your face polish pollute the oceans? It likely does if it contains polyethelene beads.

At worst, these teeny plastic pellets roll down your drain and wind up in rivers and seas. Microplastics—particles of less than 1 milimeter—are on ecologist’s Most Wanted list of environmental pollutants right now. They’re tiny enough to squeeze out of a beauty product tube—and to escape sewage filtering systems. That’s not good for something that doesn’t exactly biodegrade and may carry toxic fossil fuel byproducts. Studies of the effects of microplastics on marine wildlife suggest equally scary things, namely that fish, not known for their eyesight, can’t distinguish a polyethelene bead from a grain of sand or a microorganism that it might consume for dinner.

Keep reading…

Bare your back: 3 tips for a backne-free summer

By Well+GoodNYC

Nothing ruins that first trip out to the Hamptons or Long Beach more than an bad case of backne. (Okay, maybe assne.)

“There are many oil glands on the back, and they tend to run very deep,” explains New York City dermatologist Dennis Gross, M.D. Once those glands are clogged with sweat or less-natural icky substances, bacteria can get trapped and pimples form.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are three tips from Dr. Gross to put into practice now before tank-top season arrives in full-force. Keep them up over the summer to help keep pimples and spots at bay:

1. Don’t stay sweaty. “Shower and change your clothes immediately after an exercise session,” says Dr. Gross. You could be giving yourself a breakout while running those post-workout errands in your damp tank and jog bra. In the shower, don’t just let the water rinse your back—use a good body cleanser, exfoliant, or back scrubber to really get the skin clean.

Keep reading for 2 more here…

Does your skin need an elimination diet?

By Well+GoodNYC

It’s an unexpected suggestion from the founder of a beauty company, but Adina Grigore suggests that women stop using skin-care products. Especially if they have unexplained skin-care sensitivities.

“Sometimes people don’t realize that all the things they’re doing to make their skin better are actually making it worse,” says Grigore, who studied nutrition and personal training before creating Sprout Wellness, a cool line of seven all-natural skin-care products that she makes by hand.

“Overusing products, washing the skin too often, and slathering the skin with chemically based ingredients can cause problems,” says Grigore, whose own sensitive, freak-out-prone skin was inspiration for Sprout. Hence the no-frills products, like a three-ingredient cleanser with organic tea tree oil that’s non-drying ($24) and a toner that zaps excess oil with raw apple cider vinegar, floating particles and all ($24).

The Sprout collection is packaged in recycled glass

While Grigore was in nutrition school, she experimented with simple formulas made from kitchen ingredients. After graduation, she led seminars on how to make the products. “But people wanted to buy them instead!” says Grigore, whose products top out at $32. Ingredients are fastidiously sourced from small farms and the Union Square Green Market, or fair-trade cooperatives, like the unrefined shea butter from Togo that goes into Sprout Cream ($32), a best-seller.

Keep reading…

10 natural ways to make a spot go away faster

By Siobhan O’Connor for NoMoreDirtyLooks.com

You can’t really make a spot do anything it doesn’t want to do, as anyone who’s ever had one knows. Since neither of us is a stranger to bad skin days (or like, years), and there are some things we have tried that seem to work, we wanted to share. Here, 10 road-tested ways to make acne cysts go away faster.

1. For the love of god, do NOT try to pop it. You know this, but you do it anyway. Please stop?

2. Don’t try to dry out a deep cyst. The problem is too deep for drying topicals. What you want to do instead is contain it (which means no popping), stop it from spreading (ditto), calm inflammation, and as it gets closer to the surface, THEN you want to dry (or draw) out the sucker. More on that below. If you are still using benzoyl peroxide you need to a) read our book; b) stop; and c) stop. It’s toxic, and it doesn’t work on cysts. If it did, none of us would get them or they’d be gone in a day. Since we know none of this is true, just trust us and ditch your BP. And yes, even your tea tree oil will likely fail you when you have an undergrounder, resulting in flakiness, which is hard to hide with makeup and produces a whole other problem that needs to be fixed.

3. Load up on omegas. Omegas are your best friend. They help with hormonal balance and beat out inflammation like nobody’s business. We know this because we’ve read the scientific studies proving it, and because we credit these fatty acids as being the single best thing we’ve ever done for our skin. If you are good about taking them every day, awesome. You still should double your dose during a breakout. If you do not take them every day, you should, and then you should also double your dose for a day or two. In a pinch, take some Advil, but omegas are the healthier choice.

4. Eat cooling foods. According to the Indian tradition ayurveda, which we talk a lot about in the book, red, inflamed spots are often caused by aggravated pitta. If you’re like me, you already have a lot of pitta (well, and vata), which is characterized by hating the heat, being of medium build, and being a bit of a firecracker. This sounds a little out-there, but consider this: Would you throw gasoline on a fire to put it out? If you have inflammation and irritation in your skin, you don’t want to eat foods that cause you to flush and get really hot. Hot plus hot equals more hot. Instead, eat cooling foods, like the ones listed here.

5. Sleep with green tea clay on your spot(s). We’ve mentioned it before: we are devotees of Evan Healy’s green tea clay. It comes dry and powdery and a jar will last you many months if not a whole half-year. You can use this as an all-over mask, or put a small amount in your hand, add water to make a paste and put it on the sucker. The green tea is calming and cooling without drying out your skin, and the clay helps gently detoxify your pores. I swear up and down that this stuff heals things MUCH faster than normal and that it has stopped cysts dead in their tracks. Not kidding!

Keep reading for 5 more ways here…

Josie Maran’s Expert Model Makeup Tips, Part 1

By No More Dirty Looks

Now there’s a face you can trust, are we right?

Josie Maran, the foxy model and makeup maven behind Josie Maran Cosmetics, answered a few of our burning questions about beauty and products. We’re going to run it in two parts.

Here’s the first chunk where she tells us about a—gasp—waterproof mascara, and some insider beauty tips. Next up? More modelly secrets, her favorite other natural lines, and more.

What are some common booboos you see in makeup application—and how can we fix them?
One thing I see a lot of is eyeshadow mistakes. Blend, baby, blend! Apply your colors and then take a clean eyeshadow brush and go over what you’ve done until it blends together beautifully. Also, curl your lashes. This is such a small step that so many women skip but it makes a huge difference. Curling your lashes really opens up your eyes and pulls a whole look together. I’m actually totally addicted to curling my lashes.

Do lots of models use natural products?
As a model, it’s hard to use natural products because, unless you’re carrying your own kit around, you’re at the mercy of the makeup artist who is doing you for the job. On top of that, there haven’t really been (many) high performance natural makeup products that hold up for photo shoots or runway.

However, I do think that models (like everyone else) are becoming more conscious about what they put on their bodies—especially in terms of skin care. In fact, the gorgeous supermodel Brooklyn Decker just gave a shout out to my argan oil saying she can’t live without it! Every day makeup artists have been asking me to help them clean out the toxins from their kits, and we send them healthy high-performing cosmetics from my line to use on their clients.

Keep reading for more advice from Josie, including her number one beautifying tip…