a green Fashioning Change fling

As my Twitter followers and Facebook fans already know, I was given the incredible honour recently to create a guest look for my favourite online store - Fashioning Change.

Fashioning Change is behind the 'Wear this, not that' phenomenon that is sweeping the inboxes of eco-fashionistas the world over, offering fashion lovers eco and ethical versions of the latest trends. THANK YOU!

I knew I wanted to create a stylish, beach-chic look, something that I would personally love to wear around my beach village, and I had so much fun pulling it together.  The hardest part was narrowing down what pieces I was going to use because there's so much great stuff on the website. That may be why I've used so many accessories - too many lovely pieces to choose from. 

Below is the look I put together, Seaside Style. Do you love it as much as I do?

Take a closer look on the website for the full description and to purchase any (or all!) pieces you love.

Thanks again Kestrel, Adriana and the rest of the Fashioning Change team!

a green shaving fling : one for the fellas

Not to brag or anything, but I have the most handsome husband on the planet.

Even on my dodgy iPhone camera he looks this good . . .

Even  better, he cares about the environment as much as I do, and has recently taken steps to green his shaving routine (not that I encourage him to shave that often, I love a bit of stubble!).  For the past month he has been trying out the Vanessa Megan line of shaving supplies with excellent results.

This cream-based shaving cream looks a bit different to the foamy 'creams' that come out of a canister, but works a treat.  The natural oils in this cream are meant to keep shaving rash at bay, which makes it perfect for those of you with sensitive skin, and it's even claimed to help razors last longer.  And I just love a short ingredients list!

Purified H2O, grapeseed oil, coconut oil*,  Jojoba Oil*, Vegetable Emulsifying Wax*, Vitamin E (Natural), Grapefruit Seed Extract, Essential Oils of Bergamot* and Vetiver*.

*Certified Organic Ingredients

The Wild Chamomile face cream is the perfect aftershave cream as it's designed to heal sensitive and irritated skin.  It smells really fresh and clean - just lovely (in a masculine way, of course). And check out these natural, and heavily organic, ingredients:

Purified H2O, Jojoba oil*, Hemp seed oil*, Vegetable emulsifying wax,  Grapefruit seed extract, Vitamin E (Natural), Calendula extract* and Chamomile extract *, Essential oils of Absolute rose, Wild Maroc Chamomile, German Blue Chamomile* 

* Certified organic ingredients

My hubby is definitely a convert to natural shaving supplies now, and he loves the scent of both these Vanessa Megan products.

Vanessa Megan do a full range of products for men, women and baby, a number of products specifically marketed as pregnancy-friendly. And of course I love their simplistic, sustainable packaging.  All packaging is recyclable, and they use only glass (not plastic) jars.  As I've recently learned, glass is infinitely recyclable, meaning it doesn't get weaker or lose anything when recycled.

I've been brushing up on my sustainable packaging knowledge lately to get ready for the Sustainable Packaging 101 workshop I'll be running with my friends at Boxer & Co on Thursday 19 July.  I'd love to see you there!

I can create that style sustainably : InStyle June 2012 '70s inspired

I'm so glad so many of you enjoyed the first I can create that style sustainably post last week!  Since you all loved it, and I loved researching it, I'm happy to bring you another sustainably stylish look this week.

InStyle's June issue once again provides my inspiration, this time with a 1970's inspired look - definitely my favourite fashion era.

I'm sure you'll agree that there's nothing like a smokin' jumpsuit to liven up your wardrobe, and this burgundy beauty by 3.1 Phillip Lim is an excellent example:

 

 To recreate this look sustainably, why not try the following combination:

Jumpsuit by Rosel, made of 100% recycled silk, also
available in gunmetal grey, $250 USD.

Drop earrings made of recycled silver on Etsy, $48 USD.

Clutch made of organic canvas hand printed with
water-based inks and used truck tire tube by Super Earth
Goods on Fashioning Change, $64.50 USD

Silver leather snap bracelet by Raven & Lily, handmade with
melted bullet casings and recycled metals by HIV-positive
women in Ethiopia - I can't say enough good things about
Raven & Lily, $86 USD.

70's-chic vegan stilettos by Mink - vegan shoes have sure come
a long way in the past few years! $300GBP.

InStyle must like jumpsuits as much as I do, because there was also a feature of celebs in jumpsuits on their website, like this sexy number on the sexy Gwyneth Paltrow.

 

If you prefer this jumpsuit look better, then it's your lucky day because I discovered this Auralis Inc smoldering black jumpsuit with convertible 'straps' enabling you to create multiple looks:

You can purchase this organic cotton jersey
blend jumpsuit by Auralis Inc on
Fashioning Change, $220 USD.

There you have it - sustainably stylish (and sexy) jumpsuits all available at the click of a mouse.  Let me know if you make any purchases!

I can create that style sustainably : InStyle June 2012 cover

Welcome to my first post in a new series I'm working on called . . .

I can create that style sustainably

Inspired by my latest addiction, the Fashioning Change online ethical clothing shop and its Wear this, not that look book, I'll be referencing looks from the latest fashion magazines and sharing how to achieve the look sustainably.

First up is the cover image of the latest InStyle Australia, featuring the stunning Miranda Kerr.

So, how can this beautiful look be achieved sustainably? It's quite simple.

Model - Miranda stays, of course!  Between her range of natural body products, Kora Organics, her book encouraging self-esteem and acceptance, Treasure Yourself, and her love of yoga and a natural diet, she's the perfect choice!

Dress - The cover dress is by Carl Kapp, and it's a stunner.  I'll give Carl credit for his tendency to use natural fabrics in his designs, but there is limited information on the source of the fabrics. I found these hot red (eco) dresses instead:

Found on Fashioning Change, this number by Kristinit is organic wool and made
by local women in Los Angeles. Perfect now that winter has hit Sydney!
$125 USD

Found on eBay, this Diane Von Furstenburg wrap dress is a steal! DVF is
always feminine and flattering, and this fire engine red piece is HOT.
Buy It Now for $140 AUD

Bracelet - The magazine's cuff is from Harlequin Market; HM do carry divine vintage pieces among their collection, but it's not clear from the product listing if the cover's bracelet is vintage. No matter, check out this gorgeous vintage piece!

This beautiful cuff is from a vintage seller on Etsy.
It's only $35 USD - if you like it, order quick, or I may just buy it!

Makeup - The cover look used MAC Face and Body Foundation and Napoleon Perdis waterproof mascara and Light Patrol illuminisers. To go all natural instead you could substitute:

• Musq Musqskin Creme Mineral Foundation
• Ere Perez Natural Waterproof Mascara
• Adorn Mineral Illusions Illuminisers

And there you have it - I told you it would be easy! When it's this simple to eco your look, there's really no reason not to stay in style, sustainably.

Keep your eye out for the next installment, and let me know if there are any looks you'd like help to create sustainably.

a green maintenance fling

When was the last time you cleaned your makeup brushes?

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't done it at all with my current brush, which I've had for at least a year (gasp!).  I know I should keep my EcoTools in prime condition for flawless application (and skin), but there always seems something better to do with my time. And then just yesterday I found myself with 20 minutes to spare before I had to catch the ferry, and I knew just what to do.

I opened the laptop and Googled: "Crunchy Betty clean makeup brush"

You know we're well into the new millennium when you're writing a blog post about a blog post, but I don't come up with these things on my own! A massive thanks to Crunchy Betty for providing clear explanation and testing a number of natural beauty techniques. Using her technique, here are some pics of my experience cleaning my brush naturally.

A dash of olive oil (organic, of course) on a washcloth, and then blotting and patting out the excess makeup onto a washcloth. Who knew that oil would remove makeup?

Ewww! I had no idea so much old makeup, and probably dirt & oil, was
lurking in my makeup brush!

A drop of castile soap (or very light, natural liquid soap or baby shampoo) in a small bowl of warm water, and gently rub the brush with your fingers.

I was amazed at how much more came out even after the olive oil step.
This liquid was pretty opaque, and I was so glad I'd decided to clean my brush!

A couple tablespoons of white vinegar in a small bowl, squeezing the brush again to remove the soap and makeup.  I did this twice, but it turned out to be unnecessary, as the second time there was virtually nothing in the vinegar.

This was more translucent, but again demonstrated to me how much old
powder had been residing in my brush.

Rinse under warm water and let dry. And as Crunchy Betty says, try not to get any liquid too close to where the bristles meet the metal clamp, in case they loosen.

Now that my brush is dry, it's SO soft, just like when it was brand new - and the vinegar scent has disappeared overnight.

If it's been awhile since you've cleaned your brushes, go on and give this a try.  I'll definitely be making this brush-cleaning routine a more regular occurrence now that I know how easy it is.

Thanks again Crunchy Betty - you're a life (and skin) saver!

a green (no) shampoo fling

If you've read my book, you'll know there is one eco-change I've been reluctant to make - giving up shampoo.

I've read the articles that tell me after a few weeks my scalp's natural oils will balance out and I'll be rewarded with a head full of luscious locks, and it would be great to be packaging-free in terms of my hair care, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I think maybe I'm too vain to risk those few weeks of nasty hair.  (And I hate that it's referred to as the No 'Poo Method. C'mon, I'd already be in a fragile state if I was greasy-topped for a few weeks, you'd think they could come up with a pretty name, like the Healthy Gorgeous Hair Method.)

Luckily for my readers I have a great friend who has made the change, so I interviewed her for the blog. You can keep up with Briana on Twitter @Eco_Opps

Why did you decide to give up shampoo?

I've always had to be careful with my selection of beauty products as I have heightened sensitivity to synthetic products, especially fragrances, but the shampoo-free concept was only introduced to me whilst preparing for the birth of my daughter, Eadith. I participated in a natural parenting workshop at The Watershed where I learnt that if you never use shampoo/conditioner, you never need it! 

My daughter, now 2.5 years old has stunning hair with natural highlights and ringlets. There's only been two occasions where I've needed more than water to wash her hair and that was because she gave herself a yoghurt hair treatment (which ends up smelling like off milk). Instead of shampoo I used liquid castle soap. Her hair and scalp are clean and she smells and looks delightful!

The beautiful Eadie and her naturally gorgeous locks!
Briana also discovered that a popular 'no tears' brand of baby shampoo includes an
antihistamine to prevent teary eyes instead of being actually gentle enough not to cause
tears in the first place - shame on them, that's horrible.

What finally convinced me to try the same treatment was running out of shampoo whilst participating in Buy Nothing New Month in October 2011. 

What steps did you take to wean off shampoo?

I googled! After about 10 minutes of googling I stumbled across an article Not Ready For No 'Poo? Try Sorta 'Poo With Coconut Milk and Castille on a  fabulous blog called Crunchy Betty. After using this for a couple of weeks I switched to the following:

1 teaspoon of bicarb soda dissolved in a small jar of warm water (aka shampoo)

1/2 teaspoon  of apple cider vinegar diluted in a 600ml bottle of water (aka conditioner) 

Did you go through a 'nasty hair' phase?

Even though I had been using a very light, fragrance-free, sodium laurel sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, I definitely experienced an unpleasant funky hair stage between week 2 – 3. The key to success is to persist, persist, persist! As soon as I pushed through this stage I started to see an improvement in my hair and scalp condition. 

How long have you been shampoo free?

It's been 7 months since I gave up full-time, conventional shampoo and conditioner. I'm still having the occasional shampoo at the hairdresser (every 6-8 weeks) but I've found that I'm washing my hair less frequently (typically only every 4 days), my scalp isn't itchy and irritated and I've discovered that my hair has a lovely natural wave.

My final words of advice are to experiment with different shampoo/conditioner alternatives to find out works best for you and be aware that you may need to vary your routine depending on the season  (e.g. I loved the occasional coconut oil conditioning treatment in summer!).

Thanks so much Bri! I love that you were brave enough to tackle this confronting eco-change before I did so I can learn from your experience.  

Am I brave enough to give up my shampoo yet? 

I'll keep you posted...

a green expo fling

Last weekend I braved the blustery winds (made quite easy thanks to my military sweater I picked up at Vinnies the other week) and made my way to EcoXpo.

The first thing I noticed as I stepped through the doors were the fabulous feedback trees from Green Cities being reused!

Bonjour Baby, InterfaceFLOR and Paper Couture all sponsored the trees, and we were
invited to write our 'wishes for the planet' on the leaves - so beautiful!.

I enjoyed reminiscing as I read over some of the Green Cities comments, and one in particular struck a chord, because it's one I continue to come across when talking with folks about the environment:

I want to be 'green' but I don't have to have to think too hard about it . . . 

Luckily for all of us, the EcoXpo had plenty of solutions that make green living easy.  Here are my top picks from the EcoXpo that can help us all achieve sustainability simply, and even stylishly!

• Rosnay Organic sparkling wine
  I was feeling under the weather but I still enjoyed a cheeky little wine tasting, and I'll be ordering some of Rosnay's Vintage Sparkling Chardonnay after I finish this blog - delish!
• Lentilicious lentil meals
  We know how good lentils are for us - high in protein, folate, iron, Vitamin B and fibre, and low GI - and now there is a company zhooshing them up for us with tasty flavour combinations like Coconut Fusion, Mediterranean and Turmeric Magic.
• Hemp Gallery home decor
  I will be the first to admit that 'hemp' and 'style' don't typically go hand in hand, but the Hemp Gallery stand at the expo was by far the most beautiful.  It was all I could do not to purchase all the pillow covers and baby toys on display.
• Lunchbox Mania tiffins
  Adorable and functional stainless steel tiered tiffins, great for storing lunches and other food products safely and stylishly.
• Bounty Burgers
  Finally, delicious soy burgers have made it Down Under!  I hate comparing, but I have really missed veggie burgers since moving to Oz, but thanks to Bounty Burgers I can be (almost) veggo and eat a yummy burger, too.
• Jayride & GoGet
  There is nothing stylish about a monthly payment for a machine that sits unused most of it's life - that's why ride- and car-sharing is the future. Jayride is an innovative ride-sharing program, connecting riders and drivers all across the country. Heading to a music festival? Moving cross-country and want some company? Post your ad and share your ride. And GoGet, the most popular car share program in Australia, now has some electric cars powered by Origin Energy in their fleet - how much greener can you get?

While I was at the EcoXpo I also saw the Trashion Fashion show, a performance where the models wore trash couture, made entirely of litter found on beaches - beautiful and disgusting at the same time.

Thanks EcoXpo! I hope there are a few more eco-fashion labels on display next year, maybe that would have attracted some of the hundreds of fashionistas lining up outside the other expo hall for Fashion Weekend, but overall a great display of the many eco-products and services already on the market.

Did you go to the EcoXpo? What were your favourite booths?