Each year since 1970, Earth Day
has been celebrated on April 22. An early Happy Earth Day to you! No one at The
Makeup Examiner is going to tell anyone how to live his or her life, but we are
going to share a little bit of our founder’s story. Yvonne was raised in an
eco-conscious household by an --across the board-- activist mother. She shared
with us that she’d always taken for granted that other people lived the same
way that she did. Entering her teenage years, she had zero interest in the
things that her mother taught her and became very interested in big
business.
Fast forward to eight years ago when she left a position
as a CEO and decided to become a freelance writer. Wanting to give a voice to
the voiceless, Yvonne focused on women’s issues. The media outlet that gave her
a steady gig had asked if she’d wanted a beauty column. As she tells it, “I
thought, ‘Yeah, like a hole in the head,’ but I took the gig anyway and hit the
ground running. Six years later, I have been privy to a unique view of the
beauty industry and have worked with so many amazing and wonderful people. This
journey has taught me more than I could have imaged to learn about sustainably,
the environment and how to tell the difference between a true eco-friendly
product and a brand that is just straight up greenwashing.” Sustainable,
organic, and fair trade are the issues that we hold close to our hearts and in
celebration of Earth Day, Team TME has chosen a few of our favorite
eco-friendly brands! Oops, we almost forgot that each of the brands listed are
also cruelty-free!
COSMETICS:
Chantecaille - Chantecaille Beauté launched its brand with the philosophy of making women feel beautiful
and beautifully making a commitment to the environment through responsible
practices and philanthropic endeavors. Chantecaille’s philosophies haven’t
changed, and we’ve yet to try a Chantecaille product that we don’t love.
Non-GMO Too!
Rouge Bunny Rouge (RBR) – Pretty much still in the Indie
category, Rouge Bunny Rouge is quickly becoming a favorite by all. With
enchanting (and minimal) recyclable packing, Rouge Bunny Rouge has us hopping
for more!
jane iredale - The Makeup
Examiner Team chose jane iredale, as the brand’s Hydration Sprays have earned
ECOCERT’s Natural and Organic Cosmetics certification. In conjunction with
earning the aforementioned award from ECOCERT, jane iredale products are made
without harsh chemical dyes, talc, parabens, formaldehyde, heavy metals or
synthetic preservatives.
NAILS:
Gabriel Cosmetics – Offering a plethora of colors, Gabriel
Nail Polishes are both eco-friendly and “5-free.” Plus, the brand is completely
committed to sustainable practices.
HAIRCARE:
Davines - Davines is a cruelty free, organic and sustainable
brand that belongs to 1% For the Planet! There isn’t much more to elaborate
upon other then to say that each product we’ve tried from this Italian brand is
exceptional.
Pureology – Understanding the importance of water
conservation, Pureology has taken conservation measures that include designing
shampoo and conditioner packaging that use 39 percent less water during the
manufacturing process, utilizes 100 percent recyclable packaging made of 50
percent post-consumer recycled materials, uses 100 percent vegan ingredients,
and ultimately saves nearly 60,000 gallons of water each year through its
overall conservation efforts.
ECRU New York – ECRU is dedicated to making products that
are eco-friendly. ECRU New York’s products are not tested on animals and do not
harm the environment. Of course, all of the brand’s packaging is recyclable.
SKINCARE:
Eco-Amour Advanced Skin Fitness – This brand has been a TME
favorite for a long time. All Eco-Amour products are organic, vegan,
cruelty-free and packaged in recyclable containers.
Merlot Skin Care - Featured on The TODAY show with Kathie
Lee and Hoda, is a family-owned and operated brand with its products made in
the USA. That aside, the entire Merlot Skin Care line is cruelty-free and
incorporates the healing benefits of natural red grape seed antioxidants, which
are gentle and effective.
NUDE Skincare – The brand’s products are made without
parabens, phthalates, sulphates and other harmful chemicals, and they also
avoid non-biodegradable mineral oils and silicones.
BODY CARE:
L’Occitane - The beautiful company with Parisian-inspired
stores across the nation offers many eco-friendly products. L’Occitane offers
refill pouches for most of its best-selling product formulas like soaps, face wash,
shampoo, etc., which is the perfect way to refill your bottle or jar without
having to purchase another container.
Daily Concepts – The brand’s products are
environmentally-friendly and made from natural components such as soy based
foam, charcoal and turmeric. Daily Concepts is a vegan brand and is committed
to the global community through it’s participation in Lava Mae, a non-profit
organization determined to “deliver dignity one shower at a time” to the
world’s homeless.
PERFUME
Lotus Wei - The Makeup Examiner chose to highlight this
particular company because of its all-around philosophies of integrating the
plant, planet and beauty. Lotus Wei offers Flower Elixirs, Balancing Serums,
Energy Mists, and Transformative Perfumes. Each of which are available in
varying moods -- Joy Juice, Infinite Love, Pure Energy, Inspired Action, Quiet
Mind and Inner Peace -- aimed to help us focus upon a specific issue in our
lives by shifting our mood and physiology.
For more information on living a “greener” life, visit the
Eco-Friendly or Earth Day sections on TME and visit the Earth Day website.
