Archive for the ‘Cruelty-Free’ Category

Kiss My Face Peace Soap is like the ultimate superhero of soaps. It has the ability to transform into any  type of cleaning agent AND bring peace to the planet. I kid you not, this liquid lather kills germs and fights crime. 

Though, at first pour this product doesn’t seem sudsy enough, and perhaps a bit too watery, with a couple more rubs it’s capable of getting out any stain or stench. My favorite is the Lavender Mandarin, which has the most calming and clean smell I’ve ever sniffed. I use it as a laundry detergent, shampoo, you name it. According to Kiss My Face, it has 101 uses. And it’s great for babies, too, as it is entirely derived from natural materials and won’t harm even the most sensitive of skin. Be sure to buy the big one because, if you love the aroma of delicious cleanliness, you’ll be using it on everything.

Here are five (out of 101) of my favorite uses for Kiss My Face’s  Peace Soap:

1. Great for cleaning makeup brushes. It’s the first use to pop up on the website and, boy, are they right. Cheaper, better smelling, and more efficient than regular makeup brush cleanser.

2. Bath time. I’m actually insanely allergic to regular bubble bath. This is so gentle and leaves the most adorable fragrance on skin.

3.Clarifying Shampoo. This removes a lot of gunk with out leaving hair feel like it was stripped of all the good oils and for much less than salon brands.

4. Washing delicates/Hand washing. It works great as a clothing detergent. Clothes smell absolutely divine. I use it for small loads, like delicates and hand washables.

5. Shower. It’s a great body wash.

Kiss My Face is partnering with Seeds of Peace and has created “The Pledge for Peace.” Get ready to get your gab on because it’s simple and FREE! Log onto the Kiss My Face Facebook page or Thepledgeforpeace.com and click on the “like” button. For every 10,000 pledges that are made, Kiss My Face will send one camper to the Seeds of Peace summer camp, a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization dedicated to empowering young people from regions of conflict with the leadership skills and interpersonal networks necessary to advance reconciliation and coexistence, during the 2011 season (a value of $6,000). The campaign runs from June 21st through September 15th, 2010 and there will be no limit to how many kids Kiss My Face will send so be sure to spread the word and let everyone know. The more pledges, the more kids, the more, the merrier!

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Coconut lovers rejoice! Nothing says “vacation” quite like a fresh coconut and I am a coconut fanatic! Often, beauty brands just don’t get that coconut scent right. It’s often too sweet, to funky, or to blended with all the wrong fruits and because of this our favorite summer seed (yes, a seed, not a fruit or a nut) gets a very bad reputation. How many times have I heard, “Oh! I hate coconut products!” but, please, don’t give up on the island necessity just yet. This week, for the sake of the season and the sake of the coconut, I’ve been trying and testing coconut products to feature galore.

 It’s the perfect time to get your coconut fix and, alas, give coconut beauty products a second chance.

First up, ONE Natural Body Butter in “You Wild Coconut, You! ”

 96.9% Natural 100% Safe for our Planet. ONE’s natural creamy body butter is made out of Shea. For that extra emollient and rich layer of moisture “You Wild Coconut, You!” does the job and envelopes you in that subtle and sweet aroma reminiscent of the atmosphere of a hot and humid oasis. The kind of weather that we, San Francisco ladies, crave. Due to our unpredictable and often windy August. One night is all it takes to get addicted to this decadent moisturizer. It instantly smooths dry, chapped, and tired skin. Plus, at under $10,it’s a STEAL! Find it at your nearest Bay Area Target. Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @miratorres!

MAC Cosmetics and Disney are partnering up to create a devilishly daring new cosmetic line that will have you planning evil plots in order to just get a hold of a lipstick or compact. Thanks to twitter we were able to get a sneak peek of the soon-to-come landing page of the Venomous Villains collection which will debut September 2010.

No word yet on which villains will be making their mark in MAC history. Judging from the quick slide show of sketches, our guess is Maleficent, Snow White’s evil stepmother, Cruella De Ville, and.. the Witch Doctor from the Princess Frog?

Though we’ll never forgive these blackguard babes for their sins against our favorite princesses, we’re very happy to see them get some recognition for playing irreplaceable parts in our favorite fairy tales. After all, it’s not easy being bad.

Editor’s Note: I want to see some Ursula in there. She was my favorite villain of all. I know her song by heart and I swear her applying that lipstick muscle was by far one of the most memorable beauty moments of The Little Mermaid! Haha!! Check it out at 1:10 in the video of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” below:

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“Neatly packaged meat in supermarkets is often completely detached from the consumer’s minds from the process of it’s production.”

A few weeks ago as I was browsing for links in my other writing job (I intern as Social Media for Green By Design) I fell upon world press photo and these insanely amazing photographic captures of a slaughterhouse in Tomasso Ausili, Italy. This editorial won 3rd prize in the contemporary issues category. You can see the rest here.

My desire to become vegetarian began when I was 10, when my childhood best friend, Samantha, showed me a life changing Rolling Stone magazine cut out of a cow being slaughtered. Though I am not vegan or 100% veg, I do try to cut down where I can in order to contribute towards the avoidance of cruelty. I’m not getting on a soap box here…but I just hope that everyone at least thinks about trading in a day or two during the week to go veg.  It’s healthier in the long run, too.

My favorite evening herbal tea has showed up, on my doorstep, bottled up in an award-winning creamy form! JASON Everyday Natural Care has teamed up with Celestial Seasonings to create a “Sleepytime” Antioxidant Rich Hand and Body Lotion perfect for pre-sleep pamperers like myself.  It’s a clever, moisture-quenching lovely herbal-tea infused blend of blackberry leaves, hawthorne berries, calming spearmint, and chamomile that’s both, therapeutic and aromatic…

And just like that JASON and Celestial Seasoning’s kicked my current bedside table lotion’s sweet little behind to the curb.

Available at your local Rite Aid. and other leading drugstores in the Bay Area.

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For the Chillin’s 12th Anniversary, I didn’t want a crazy makeup or artsy face. I wanted something simple, since after all, my dress was freaking electric blue and brown leather printed. I did a basic makeup application with a swipe of shadow and blush. Nothing too technical or overboard. To keep it natural and stress-free, I ditched the foundation, (just concealer) used  cruelty-free products, and a bunch of my favorite makeup bag staples:

Concealer: MAC Moisture Cover in NW25

Eyes: E.L.F. Mineral Eyeshadow in Confidence

Lips: MAC lipglass in Please Me

Blush: MAC Sheertone Shimmer blush in Sunbasque

Bronzer: MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Deep Dark

It’s an uber easy look, fit for any level of makeup expertise.

Enjoy!