Pretty by Nature

15 Minute Face Lift

Michelle Smith — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:23:16 +0000

Lately, I’ve noticed that in addition to sun and fun, Summer is the season for High School Reunions. I was talking to my friend, Linda, yesterday and she has a reunion ahead. My sister had a reunion two Summers ago. My brother-in-law had one last Summer. My class is talking about one later in the season.

Summer is the time when you want to look your best while getting together with a bunch of people with whom you no longer have much in common with.

How do you go about looking your best? A new dress? Highlights? A manicure? How about a Face Lift? Okay, not a surgical procedure, but something natural and with a whole lot less pain.

15 Minute Face Lift
$20.95

The 15 Minute Face Lift is a temporary face-firming product. It firms the face for 10 hours with a combination of silk powder, wheat protein, and cornstarch. It hydrates and does something Zia refers to as remineralizes the skin with Seaweed extracts and Phospholipids. The skin will look firmer, smoother, and younger. Perfect for Reunion night.

Image credit: Zia Natural Skincare

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Simple Sugar Scrub

Michelle Smith — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 20:32:45 +0000

I was shopping at Etsy this morning when I found Simply Pure Soy Candles Sugar Body Scrub. It’s a available in the largest variety of scents that I have ever seen. I’m listing them on the bottom of this post.

The Sugar Scrub is cane sugar mixed with a combination of Safflower Oil and the anti-oxidant Vitamin E. It’s paraben free. The combination of the sugar and the oil is a simple mix, but effective for smoothing and softening skin. The scrubs are available in bright colors, sealed in clear 3oz jars, perfect for adding to a gift basket.

Sugar Body Scrub
$6

Available scents include:
Aloha Pineapple
Antique Sandlewood
Blooming Lilac
Buttercream
Brown Sugar
Banana Cream Pie
Black Currant & Nectarines
Black Cherry
Coconut Lime
Citrus Splash
Clean Cotton

Coconut
Cool Citrus Basil
Cool Water for Men
Country Apple
Cucumber Melon
Chocolate Fudge
Cotton Candy
Fresh Cucumber
Fruit & Yogurt
GreenTea & Lemongrass
Heart & Flowers
HoneySuckle Jasmine
HoneyDew Melon
Honey Almond
Homespun Sugar
Just Peachy
Juniper Breeze
Love Spell
Lavendar
Maraschino Cherry
Mango Papaya
Monkey Farts
Moon Lake Musk
Oat Milk & Honey
Plumeria
Peppermint
Pink Grapefruit
Rose
Sweet Baby
Sage & Pomegranate
Sex on the Beach
Sweet Berries
Sun Kissed Raspberries
Strawberry
Sweet Pea
Spearmint
Unscented
Vanilla Lavendar
Vanilla Coconut
Very Vanilla
Vanilla Mint
Water Blossom Ivy
Whipped Cream
Wild Watermelon

Image credit: Simply Soy Candlesshop at Etsy.com

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Greenheart Shop - Fair Trade Goods

Michelle Smith — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:41:09 +0000

Greenheart Shop is a nonprofit, eco-friendly, store in Chicago that specializes in fair trade items. Fair trade is important because it assures the consumer that the artisan who made the piece was paid a fair wage and was working in humane conditions. Those are things that many people here in the US take for granted. Items offered in the shop include clothing, candles, home decor, bath and beauty products, food, paper goods, and children’s toys.

Greenheart, carries some lovely Fair trade jewelry, like the rings below. The rings were made in Indonesia, through a fair trade company called World Finds. The artisans that work with World Finds are paid a fair wage and receive many benefits for the organization such as education, meals, and day care.

Carved Wood Cocktail Ring
$32

This sterling silver ring has a center of wood that measures .75″ in diameter.

Carnelian Oval Ring
$39

Sterling silver ring with a .75″ x .62″ Carnelian center piece.

Image credit: Greenheart Shop

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Vintage Summer Style

Michelle Smith — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:35:29 +0000

I haven’t shared any vintage fashion finds lately, so I guess it’s time to head over to Etsy…

Lady Grunge Vintique has a Vintage Gauze White Mexican Tent Dress for $45. Ooh, this looks fresh, pretty, and comfy - just what I’m looking for in a Summer dress. It doesn’t list a size or year, so if you want the specifics, you can contact the seller. Lovely dress, though, and it says that is in “excellent” condition.

I know that people usually equate shoulder pads and neon colors with ’80s fashion, but this Floral Mini reminds me of the sweeter side of the clothing of the era. It’s a size Medium and in excellent condition. It features ruffles, a flared skirt, button-up front, and a belt tie. It’s listed in the Midnight Flight shop for $32.

My girlfriends and I used to call these vintage Leather Sandals, “Regulars.” As in, My Regular Sandals. They would start out all stiff and you’d get them wet to soften the leather. Over time they would grow more and more comfortable. I sure wish I wore a size 7, because then I’d snatch up this pair. I just showed them to my teenage daughter and she loved them. If you’ve got $20, then this pair from Cocomio could be yours.

Image 1 credit: Lady Grunge Vintique at Etsy

Image 2 credit: Midnight Flight at Etsy

Image 3 credit: Cocomio at Etsy

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Women’s Health - Are You Game Event

Michelle Smith — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:27:38 +0000

If you are going to be in the New York City area this Saturday, July 11, 2009, or Chicago on July on 18th, then grab your girlfriends and head over to the Women’s Health Are You Game? event.

This is the perfect opportunity for you to experience fun events like Euro Bungee, Rock Climbing, Beauty and Spa Treatments, a variety of workout classes, fashion shows, and more. Be sure to wear something comfy!

Here are the specifics:

Are You Game? New York
SATURDAY, July 11th, 2009
FROM 10 AM – 5 PM
Manhattan’s Hudson River Park at Pier 46
(Charles Street and West Street)

Are You Game? Chicago
SATURDAY, July 18th, 2009
FROM 10 AM – 5 PM
North Avenue Beach

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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Prescriptives All Skins & Special Offer

Michelle Smith — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:14:18 +0000

Prescriptives Mineral Makeup is now available in a liquid formula. The long-lasting formula lasts all day (16 hours) and protects the skin from the sun with an non-chemical UVA/UVB SPF of 10. Chose from 18 different shades.

Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup
$32.50

All Skins uses their exclusive Radiance Emitting Crystals to give skin a beautiful luminous quality. The crystals used are Amethyst, Rose Quartz, and Calcite.

The makeup is safe for sensitive skin, water-resistant, oil and fragrance free, and it won’t cause breakouts.

It ships free from Prescriptives.com until 8/31/09.

Purchase Prescriptives All Skins Mineral Makeup in either formula - power or liquid and receive a Special Duo offer for $17.

The Special Duo consists of the Flawless Primer and a travel brush - chose between the brush for the powder or the liquid foundation. This is normally a $42.50 value. Enter either POWDER or LIQUID at checkout to get your discount.

Image credit: Prescriptives.com

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Cute, Sale-priced Vegan Sandals

Michelle Smith — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 02:10:59 +0000

Vegan Chic, one of PETA’s Business Friends, has a wide variety of non-leather, vegan shoes listed at reduced sale prices. These include dressy shoes, slippers, and my personal favorite - sandals.

I like these cute metallic pleather sandals with a jeweled charm on top. They are casual, but just a step up with the metallic finish and sparkly charm. Perfect for wearing with a sundress.

The footbed is cushioned, it has a textured bottom for traction on wet surfaces, and a low, stacked heel. These adorable sandals are available in a brown metallic, a gold metallic, and a torquoise blue metallic.

Vegan Flat Sandal
Regular price $27.99, but on sale for only $22.99.

Vegan Chic has free shipping on orders over $75.

Image credit: Vegan Chic

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Best of Korres Natural Wonders Set

Michelle Smith — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:21:13 +0000

Are you interested in using a more nature-based makeup palette? Korres , a leader in the natural beauty industry, has a new set of their best-selling makeup colors and formulations available in a handy cloth tote that is perfect for travel. These good-for-you products contain natural soothers, smoothers, and moisturizers, as well as anti-aging ingredients like guava, vitamin E, and jojoba.

Best of Korres Natural Wonders
Only $45 for an $88 value

*Provitamin B5 and Rice Bran Mascara in Black
*Cherry Full Color Gloss in Light Purple 23 (mauve pink shimmer)
*Evening Primrose Eyeshadow in White (silvery white shimmer)
*Soft Eyeliner Pencil in Black
*Guava Lipstick in Natural Pink 13 (warm neutral pink)

These are soft, universally flattering shades that go great with Summer-warmed skin. Each product is formulated without Parabens, Sulfates, Phthalates. The mascara and eyeliner are free from Synthetic Dyes or Fragrances.

Image credit: Sephora.com

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The Art of Shaving

Michelle Smith — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:11:34 +0000

The number of natural products for men grows all the time. The Art of Shaving, a line out of the UK, offers shaving products for men that pair Old World charm with modern advances in natural skin care. The Art of Shaving wishes to bring “…passion and art to a daily routine.”

The Art of Shaving Shaving Cream (Unscented)
$22

This shaving cream contains glycerin and coconut oil to moisturize and protect skin while offering a great lather for ease in shaving. It’s formulated for sensitive skin. The cream is offered in Unscented, Lavender, Sandalwood, of Lemon at Beauty.com.

Image credit: Beauty.com

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Etsy Weekend:Eco-friendly Clutch and Wallet

Michelle Smith — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:20:22 +0000

Rikrak at Etsy carries items made out of sustainable fabrics. The fabrics have different personalities - sweet, classic, and bold. I’ve been looking all over Etsy for something for my daughter’s 17th birthday and this might be what I’ve been looking for.

There’s a cute vintage quilted fabric wallet and clutch set that you can get for $31. The fabric choices are here, much to chose from, but a few sold out. The clutch purse measures 10 inches wide by 5 inches high. You can chose between snap closure or a vintage button. The fabric wallet or “card cozy” is 5 inches wide by 3.5 inches high.

* wow! you’ll be the sustainable talk of the town with this fabulous repurposed vintage fabric purse & wallet combo from rikrak!

* first, there’s the wallet/card cozy …your business cards, or plastic cards, or money money money will just look *great* in this little wallet!

* then you ALSO get a gorgeous quilty clutch purse - sensational, stylin’ & sustainable!

Image credit: Rikrak shop at Etsy.com

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