Vegan Beauty Review: Eden Organix presents Stript: It's about what you're not wearing.

A lil' about me...

My name is Sunny Subramanian and I've been vegan since 2000. I owe it all to my furry felines at home: Towane, Spirulina, Kaduki and Conan. The reason I'm vegan is because I love animals and would never want to contribute to the pain and suffering of any living being. I'm a member of the LA based animal rights group The Vegan Vixens.
I'm trying to help break the stereotype that all vegans are stinky, hairy earth babies. I want the world to know that you can be vegan and still be uber girlie and relish new and exciting beauty products that are vegan, cruelty-free and free of nasty chemicals and preservatives.
If you would like to have your vegan product reviewed on www.veganbeautyreview.com, please e-mail me at sunbundelicious@yahoo.com

A few good reasons to go vegan:

• You'll save lives
• You'll live a lot longer
• You'll have more energy
• You'll reduce your risk of cancer
• You'll reduce your risk of heart disease
• You'll have lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• You'll get better nutrition
• You'll lower your chances of getting food poisoning
• You won't be ingesting growth hormones and antibiotics
• You'll get sick less often
• You'll fit into your old jeans
• You'll give your body a spring cleaning
• You'll have healthier skin
• You'll make a strong political statement
• You'll reduce waste and air pollution
• You'll earn good karma points
• You'll save money
• You'll help save the planet

Famous Animal Friendly Quotes

"Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends."

~George Bernard Shaw

"You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car."

~Harvey Diamond

"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

~Immanuel Kant

"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being."

~Abraham Lincoln

"To become vegetarian is to step into the stream which leads to nirvana."

~Buddha

"To consider yourself an environmentalist and still eat meat is like saying you're a philanthropist who doesn't give to charity"

~Howard Lyman

Recipe for Vegan Lip Balm

Lip balm is surprisingly easy to make using the easiest/quickest/laziest way possible that involves all common household tools.

What you'll need:

-lip balm base or waxes+oils+extras

-essential or flavor oil(s)

-pipettes (one for each flavor)

-microwave or double-boiler

-glass measuring cup with pouring spout

-spoons or spatulas

-lip balm tube holder

-lip balm tubes, jars, pots, lids, bottle caps, etc.---any container that you would like to use for your lip balm

-shrink bands for sealing containers

-newspaper or craft paper to cover your counters

-towels for cleaning up

The Fastest Way

Step 1: Preparation

(a) Buy your supplies.

(b) Set up all the supplies you'll need on a counter top covered in newsprint or craft paper. You'll be glad you did this because lip balm can be hard to clean up if you make a mess. It's recommended to work in the kitchen as close to the microwave as possible, since you'll be using it a lot, if you're following this method. Be sure you have all your supplies ready, including the containers you'll be pouring into. Once the mixture is melted, you'll need to work quickly, but steadily, so the mixture doesn't harden before it has been poured.

(c) Put on your favorite apron/lab coat, if you feel so inclined.

Step 2: Scooping

Scoop out your base into a glass measuring cup that has a spout.

Step 3: Melting

Melt the base in the microwave. Take out every 30-45 seconds and stir, so that the base is heated evenly.

Step 4: Flavoring

After the base has melted completely and has cooled very slightly, use a pipette to drop in the appropriate amount of flavor or essential oils. Use a different pipette for each flavor/scent that you use, so as not to cross-contaminate. 2-4% is a good rule-of-thumb for flavor. Essential oils need less, about 0.3-1.5%. The oils you choose may recommend different proportions, so check before you get started. Stir just until mixed.

It is important that you add your flavor/essential oil after you melt the base. If you add the flavor before you melt the base, it will lose its potentcy in the heating process.

Step 5: Pouring

Using the very same measuring cup that you melted the base in, pour your mixed and melted concoction into your tubes or jars or what have you. That's why the spout is so handy. If you're using tubes, fill only to the top of the inside screw. Once the mixture has cooled, finish filling the tube. Pour almost all the way to the top, for that professional and rounded look. This process avoids the risk of cracking that can occur when filling the tube in one go. If you're using jars or lids, just pour all the way to the top in one pour.

Don't be discouraged if you make a mess when you first start pouring. After a few tries, you'll be a pro. It's all in the wrist.

Step 6: Labeling

Make some sweet labels.

Below are some examples of recycled containers for lip balm.

Step 7: Sell your lovely lip balm or give it to all your friends!

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Eden Organix presents Stript: It's about what you're not wearing.

I recently came across a brand new line of mineral makeup by way of Eden Organix, a convenient one stop online shop for all of your organic, natural beauty essentials. They carry all of the brands we know and love like Juice Beauty, Jane Iredale, 100% Pure, you name it. So, I want to introduce you all to Stript Mineral Makeup. They have a line of cosmetics that are "stripped" of parabens, artificial oils, dyes and fragrances that are paraben-free as well as cruelty-free. If you're unfamiliar with the term paraben, I urge you to go to the Cosmetic Safety Database website and read up on its toxic, carcinogenic properties. It will truly make you appreciate companies like Stript that produce paraben-free cosmetics and skincare. Stript's line of cosmetics includes foundations, eyeshadows, blushes, eyeliners, lip pencils, concealers and applicators.

Makeup I've tried:

Natural Crushed Mineral Blush ($20): I really like the Lolita shade because it's a pretty rosy red and I love the name. All the shades they have (Divine, Lolita, Sugar & Bella) are all so neutral and natural looking that they probably work nicely for all skin tones. It's important to buy mineral makeup that is talc-free. Talcum dries out your skin and can clog pores. All of Stript's products are talc-free. Ingredients: Corn starch, bismuth, oxychloride, honeysuckle flower extract and laminaria digitata. Stript Mineral Makeup is proud to be a vegan company, so I was surprised to see "may contain titanium dioxide, iron oxides, carmine." Carmine is a colorant derived from insects. My fingers are crossed that this is some sort of cosmetic formality. I will look into this an update my post.

Mineral Eye Shadow ($18): Again, there are many natural looking shades to choose from. They are all high-intensity eyeshadows that can be applied both wet and dry. I tried the shade "Eve" which is a pretty, shimmery white eyeshadow. It perfectly highlights my eyes when I use it in the corners and outer sections of my eyelids. If you want to turn your daytime makeup into nighttime glam, add a lil' "Eve" highlights and rock some black eyeliner and mascara and you're gonna be one hot mama! My favorite thing about mineral eyeshadow is that is always stays put. Conventional eyeshadows have so many filler ingredients that they wind up fading, creasing and eventually disappearing. What a waste of money... not to mention conventional makeup is full of toxic ingredients that would make you cringe if you knew where they came from and their side effects.

Although I've only tried their blush and eyeshadow, I'm very curious about Stript's vegan makeup application brushes. They are made from vegan taklon and look fabulous. Amazing, vegan application brushes are hard to find. Actually, vegan brushes of any kind are pretty hard to come by. I give them kudos for offering us vegan ladies better alternatives.

You can purchase Stript Mineral Makeup via Eden Organix (they donate 10% of their profits to organizations that help women, kids and the environment)

Also, for more info: Stript Mineral Makup

A lil' about me...