Top-to-Toe Guide to Luxe Bathing...

I am very pleased to post an article about "luxe bathing" that I wrote for Chic Today magazine. A fabulous bath is so important, so I was thrilled when I was chosen to write a full article on the topic. Chic Today is an online lifestyle publication which covers topics such as fashion, art, travel and beauty to name a few. To read the article and check out the full current issue, themed Gilded Glory, click here at chictoday.com. There are some other great reads and fun fashion in this issue as well. You can read online or download a free copy, look for the article under the beauty section.

lovely brows...

Threading is a technique that I have used for years as an alternative to waxing or tweezing. Threading is done with an actual spool of sewing thread pulling hair out one follicle at a time therefore leaving you with a beautiful natural looking eyebrows. Waxing can be less forgiving and forms eyebrows that aren't always well suited for your face. Tweezing can be a little tedious and lets face it, somethings are best left to the experts! My favorite eyebrow experts in New York City are the women at Madhu's Eyebrows. They charge 6$ and there is never more than a ten to fifteen minute wait. If you have really sensitive skin don't forget your sunglasses...you may be a little red afterwards.

Mandu's Eyebrows
3 Greenwich Ave
NYC
Mon-Sun 10:30 AM - 8:00 PM

a new take on "disposable"...

Summer is about to set in and smooth legs are yet again the hottest item of the season. Forget the runway trends and go straight for those sexy legs. Preserve Recyclable Razors are the eco must for getting all parts smooth, made from recycled Stonyfield Farms yogurt containers. When finished, these razors retire right into your home recyclables container.

Bee good to your Mama...

The perfect Mother's Day gift set has just buzzed into the Flawless Beauty hive! BeeCeuticals Organics is offering a wonderful Save the Bees gift set filled with 7 of their honeyed products. These products offer a daily dose of honey's amazing properties; anti-inflammatory, antioxidant rich and high amino acid content. Honey is truly golden when it comes to skin health. This carbon neutral company is part of the new wave of responsible businesses to take the lead in showing us a better way to be consumers. BeeCeuticals Organics website states, "We print on recycled paper using vegetable inks, reuse and recycle shipping boxes, and currently use cornstarch packing peanuts and 100% recycled tissue to pack our shipments. We donate a portion of our profits to land preservation projects and to organizations working to help save bees and other pollinators with our SAVE THE BEES campaign." Bee-vo to that!

almost summer...

I thought I'd change things up today and do an inspirational post. Here are some fabulous beauty shoot images from Vogue Beauty Italia. I love the mood in these shots, it reminds me that my favorite season summer, is just around the corner! Not to mention, how cute are all the dresses!? Also, I just had a great weekend upstate New York which reminded me of the scenery and the leisurely attitude in these photos as well...via foto decadent.

Nature Girl promotion...

In celebration of Earth Day, Nature Girl is offering Flawless Beauty readers a 25 percent discount on the entire Nature Girl range. Everything you purchase from www.nature-girl.com comes with the discount. Earth Day special valid from Tuesday April 22 through April 28 at midnight. Just enter ILOVENATURE (capped up) in the discount code box to secure discount. I also just want to add that you may want to take advantage of the offer because a lot of the product does not come cheap!

full of shine...

I've been doing a lot of haircare posts in search of the perfect all natural shampoo. Well, I think I've finally found it! Yogurt shampoo from the French brand Cattier. My hair is soft and full on shine! This shampoo works well for frequent hair washers also. Another fun fact, Cattier is know for making fabulous baby products. Available exclusively in the US on Beautorium.com. For conditioning I used my favorite Dr. Hauschka conditioner, available on Beautorium.com as well. Cattier products are available at Naturalia stores in France.

David Babaii for wildaid...

Here's the promised follow up post for the haircare line Kate Hudson is working on with her hairdresser David Babaii. They have combined their passion for nature and beauty to create David Babaii for Wildaid, an innovative brand of haircare products and styling tools, with a percentage of the revenue from the line being donated to the global wildlife conservation organization, WildAid.

get face-mask fabulous...

I love this I Am Plant Oatmeal Face Mask from Nature Girl. Perfect for normal to dry skin. It feels great on the face and left my skin soft and hydrated to the touch. The nutrient-rich exfoliating mask is made with nourishing oatmeal, wildcrafted ginseng extract to give the skin a boost, oils of jojoba seed, sweet almond and sesame seed and organic damascena rose water. If you are unfamiliar with Nature Girl, they have great products using ingredients that are all natural and organically grown. They have fun packaging in bold colors and donate a percentage of their sales to projects that benefit and improve the lives of women and the environment.

earth-friendly beauty...

I finally gave EcoTools a try, the much blogged about, environmentally friendly make-up brushes and bath accessories. The brushes are made from bamboo, with out animal hair and they also offer a recycled bath sponge which works great! With an affordable price range of $1.99-$10.99 everything is definitely worth trying. Click here for more info.

a holistic medicine cabinet...

Vital Juice Daily made a post that I thought was informative and an easy read covering holistic medicine options. With allergy season looming, this may be a post you want to check out. Also there are suggestions for additions you could add to your first aid kit and alternatives for combating stress headaches. Click here to read the full article.

time for a mask...

As you may know by now I am a huge fan of honey for the skin. I think mainly because I am a fan of glowing, dewy skin and I feel that when I try a honey mask I am left with glowing supple skin. This rose oil and honey face mask is via the blog homemade beauty recipes....

Sweet almond oil, which is light and easily absorbed, softens and nourishes skin. Honey a natural humectant, moisturizes, leaving tired skin incredibly smooth.

• 2 T honey
• 2 T sweet almond oil
• 5 drops essential oil of rose
• 1 drop vitamin E oil

Mix together. Massage onto clean face and neck with fingertips. Relax for 15 minutes, then rinse off with lukewarm water. Gently pat dry to reveal a fresh, soft complexion.

a real promotional treat...

Rich Hippie fans are in for a real treat! Introducing the new perfume Shambala, containing a blend of organic Indian Jasmine petals, French and Croatian Lavender Bud, Madagascan Ylang Ylang with Bulgarian, Tunisian and Moroccan Rose Petals. Perfect for all the upcoming warm spring days. Take 20 percent off your entire order when you buy from www.rich-hippie.com. There are a ton of scents to chose from! Enter the code RICHHIPPIE at checkout by Friday Arpil 11, 2008.

for those days of "unwash"...

I am a huge fan of only washing your hair only once a week. The natural oils condition the hair and there is less wear and tear in general. I also have very dark hair and wear it up a lot so oil production does not interfere with my hairstyles. A lot of people find washing their hair only once or twice a week daunting because of their hair type or the way oil weighs hair down. This is where organic hair powder by Lulu Organics steps in. Sprinkle a small amount at the roots and rub in, perfect for those days of "unwash". Lightly scented with essential oils and no talc included!

a little Sunday inspriation...

Photo by Annika Vannerus/Getty

I have been very busy lately so there were a lack of posts this week, I was debating whether or not to do another inspiration post so soon but decided to go ahead because I receive such great feedback from everyone when I do them! So, I take that as you want to see more...
I came across the above photo online, I'm not sure whose bathroom this is, but it's amazing, wrap around open air windows! And is that fruit on the trees outside, lol. I also like the basket on the floor placement for towels.

a trip to the Beautorium...

Beautorium is a new online store selling organic and natural beauty products. Started by experienced beauty executives, Beautorium has a great philosophy and wonderful brand selection criteria. They stock some of my favorite product ranges from Saaf, Juice Beauty and Dr. Hauschka. The site is well organized, allowing you to shop by beauty issue, brand or product category. An added bonus...for all purchases over $75 you'll receive a fair-trade burlap sac to carry all your goodies in!