5 White Eco Fashion Finds

Perhaps more fitting for a winter wonderland Christmas themed post, but one look at the stunning white eco friendly dress, jeans, underwear, cardigan and ballet flats and you will see why they had to be posted a.s.a.p!




Mindy Mock - Lara Miller
Made in Chicago
100% Hand-loomed bamboo

This exquisite dress proclaims loudly and proudly to the world that eco fashion is ready to take centre stage! The Mindy Mock is the perfect unique dress to have in your closet.
Purchase in store or online at eco boutique, Embodies (Larkspur, California) for US$338
Visit Lara Miller online



Sunbaked White Jeans - Sharkah Chakra
Made in India (handwoven) and Italy (finished)
Organic and fair trade cotton

These are the first white jeans to be made 'totally organically and without bleach' according to Sharkah Chakra. Baked in the Indian sun, it takes around 6 months to achieve the desired shade of white and 250 days in total to make. They look ever so chic and it's little wonder supermodel Claudia Schiffer has been spotted wearing them.
Purchase online at Sharkah Chakra or buy on sale at Browns Fashion for £115, reduced from £220!





Magnolia knickers and matching bra - Luva Huva
Handmade in the UK
Made from end of line remnants

I fell in luva (sorry, couldn't resist) with Luva Huva when organic beauty site, Puresha were recently offering a special giveaway of their pretty and feminine underwear. Each piece is hand made by founder, Joanna Ketterer using disused and end of line fabrics which are sourced locally. I'm seriously impressed and totally smitten with the line which appeals to the Jane Austen within!
Cream Border Anglaise Knicker £20 - Purchase at Luva Huva
Magnolia Cream Border Halterneck Bra £27 - Purchase at Luva Huva
Visit Luva Huva



Bethany Cardigan - Frank & Faith
Made in Britain
Organic Cotton

A white cardigan will look fresh this spring or summer and is more flattering to sun deprived winter skin than black, which can sometimes drain what little colour you do have away. This cute Frank & Faith cardi would work equally well with jeans for a casual look or dressed up with a pretty dress or skirt.
Also available in black, cherry red or green
Purchase online at Frank & Faith for £43



Ace Shoes - Vegetarian Shoes
Made in Portugal
Canvas and 'breathable bucky' vegetarian material

I did feature the black version of these Ace shoes in the 5 Best Black Vegan Ballet Flats post, but I thought the style and price of the cute polka dot lined white shoes deserved a viewing of their very own!
Purchase online at Vegetarian Shoes UK £39.95

Eco Wardrobe Staples - Organic and Fair Trade Singlets and Tees

Part One of How to Create the Perfect Ethical Wardrobe



Wardrobe 101: Every girl needs staples in basic black, white and grey. Tees and singlets are perfect for layering and will form the basis of any stylish look.

When I popped by People Tree's website a few weeks ago and saw they had perfectly designed tees and singlets that were certified organic and fair trade, I immediately ordered up and tweeted happily when my delivery arrived! The organic cotton feels cashmere soft and the cut and design of the tops are comfortable and flattering. Ethical, stylish and each piece is priced under £18! Thank you People Tree!

Basic Vest Top (pictured above)
Made in India (International Fair Trade Association)
Certified Organic and Fair trade Cotton (Soil Association)
Available in black, blue, eco-white, grey and pink. Sizes 8-18
Purchase online at People Tree for £12




Scoop Neck Tee
Made in India (International Fair Trade Association)
Certified Organic and Fair trade Cotton (Soil Association)
Available in beige, black, eco-white, khaki and red
Purchase online at People Tree for £18. Sizes 8-18

If you are new to People Tree's fashion or just want to sneak a peek at an ethical fashion show, click on the You Tube video below. You can watch People Tree's Summer 2008 Fashion Show in Tokyo and see why they are leading the way when it comes to ethical and stylish fashion.

Stay tuned for more posts about how to build the Perfect Ethical Wardrobe on Green Lashes and Fashion. Ever since I learnt about the cotton and sweatshop industries and switched to buying organic and fair trade clothing, I have been thinking of how to purchase items more consciously and systematically. I want to have a chic wardrobe filled with a relatively small number of quality items that will last many years and interchange with other items perfectly. As I try to do this myself, I will also share any tips with you and would certainly welcome any ideas from you about what clothing is needed to build the Perfect Ethical Wardrobe.

Map of Eco Friendly Places in London

If you want to know where to find the best organic beauty stores, eco boutiques and vegan / organic / raw food restaurants in London, be sure to check out my Eco Friendly google map of the city. I have listed wonderful green shops such as Content and The Organic Pharmacy for organic beauty supplies, Equa and Rococo for stylish and ethical fashion and delicious places to eat such as Saf. You can also easily track down eco homewares stores like Eco Age (co-owned by actor, Colin Firth) in Chiswick.

I will endeavour to keep adding new and exciting eco friendly London shops to the map and will soon expand the map to include other UK and international eco hot spots! Keep checking the side panel on the right hand side of Green Lashes and Fashion to access the map in the future.

View my Google Map of the best Eco Friendly Places in London

Image: Eco Age

Technorati Tags: eco friendly london, eco friendly shops london, organic shops london

5 of the Best Black Vegan Ballet Flats

Ballet flats are a must-have shoe because they are comfortable and casual but also manage to add a sophisticated and chic touch to any ensemble. Paired with cigarette-leg trousers for the quintessential Audrey look or worn with pretty dresses and jeans, a pair (or more) of ballet flats will soon have you pirouetting down the street in style!

Purchasing a fabulous pair of black ballet flats is a great place to start if you are editing your shoe collection and looking to stock up on quality staples. Black shoes will go with everything, look stylish from daylight to twilight and will probably be worn daily (so you will definitely get your money's worth). I've picked out 5 stunning black vegan styles for you to peruse below (all ethically made with vegan materials). Let me know which ones are your favourite.


Joy - Beyond Skin (pictured above)
Handmade in Spain
Also available in red
Beyond Skin £55
Adili £41.20 (available in size 41)
Endless Shoes and Handbags $111.07
Ahimsa Footwear - US $93.60




Audrey - Vegetarian Shoes
Made in Portugal
Vegetarian Shoes UK £49.95




Ivy - Beyond Skin
Handmade in Spain
also available in a red & pink colour combination
Beyond Skin £55 sale
Ahimsa Footwear US $93.60




Ace - Vegetarian Shoes
Made in Portugal, (red and white shoes made in Spain)
Moo Shoes - Available in black, red and white (US $75)
Vegetarian Shoes UK - Available in black, red, white and olive ( £39.95)




Darcy - Vegetarian Shoes
Made in Portugal
Vegetarian Shoes UK £42.95

Raw Fairies Recipe - Vegan Raw Chocolate and Coconut American Style Macaroons

I first tried these delicious and moreish vegan macaroons at a raw food event at Content, an organic beauty store in London. Raw Fairies catered the wonderful event which included informative talks by Trish Alkaitis, daughter of Dr Alkaitis. The plates of vegan macaroons looked ever so lovely stacked enticingly on several plates around the shop and would work perfectly for an after dinner treat for your next dinner party. Vegan, figure conscious and ‘I’ll take it if it’s tasty’ dinner guests will all love these! Makes about 25 to 30 depending on size

Ingredients
3 cups dried coconut flakes
1 ½ cups raw cacao (chocolate) powder (order from Tree Harvest)
1 cup maple syrup
⅓ cup coconut butter
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt

Break or dice up the coconut butter into tiny chunks. Combine with the other ingredients in a food processor and mix briefly (so that there are still some small bits of coconut flake). With a tablespoon, spoon rounds of the mixture onto your non-stick dehydrator screen and dehydrate at 115°F for 2-3 hours, until slightly firm on the outside but soft on the inside. If you do not have a dehydrator you could use your oven on the very lowest setting possible or just eat gooey macaroons, still delicious!

Many thanks to Raw Fairies (UK raw food delivery service) for providing this scrumptious recipe! Try another great Raw Fairies recipe: Raw Chocolate Mousse Cake or visit the Raw Fairies website for more information about their delivery service.

Organic Cotton Designer T-Shirt Collection - Environmental Justice Foundation

Brazilian model Aline Weber in John Rocha (photography by Eric Guillemain)

Here is a way to make a difference in the world and look fabulous while doing it! The UK based charity, the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has collaborated with top designers and A-listers to create a collection of fair trade and organic t-shirts to help raise awareness to end forced child labour and the use of toxic pesticides within the cotton industry.

Sophie Ellis Bextor in Zandra Rhodes (photography by Jane Mcleish Kelsey)

EJF’s Program Director, Juliette Williams explains how ‘our buying power can be a force for good’ and by choosing to buy ethical cotton we can help support ‘communities in some of the world’s poorest nations’ and help put a stop to child labour in countries such as Uzbekistan. According to the EJF, Uzbekistan is the world’s third largest exporter of cotton and shockingly many adults and children are ‘forced to work in conditions near slavery for the state run cotton industry’.

Ashley Jensen in Allegra Hicks (photography by Ryan Michael Hackett)

Show your support towards the EJF’s ongoing work by purchasing a t-shirt from designers such as Zandra Rhodes, Giles Deacon, John Rocha and Allegra Hicks. The designs range from cute and quirky to pretty and simplistic and will make you look good but more importantly feel good knowing you are doing your part to help improve the cotton industry.

EJF’s Organic Cotton Designer T-Shirt Collection
Purchase at EJF’s online store (from £30)
The organic and fair trade cotton is picked and manufactured in Turkey (Fair Wear Foundation) and printed with organic certified inks (Soil Association).

Joss Stone in Giles Deacon (photography by Paul Conroy)

More exciting news from the EJF - The Great Fashion Cycle
Have you heard about the EJF’s other wonderful campaign, the ‘Great Fashion Cycle?’ If you want to cycle from London to Paris and raise funds to support the EJF’s work ‘addressing human rights and environmental abuses within the fashion industry’ you can visit their website for further details. The Great Fashion Cycle takes place from the 9-13 September 2009.

Organic Shampoos from Aubrey Organics

I’d been wanting to try some Aubrey shampoos for a while now after scanning and approving their certified organic ingredients lists, reading rave customers reviews and even learning SJP herself was a rumoured fan.

Aubrey Organics clearly know what they are doing when it comes to organic hair and skin care products. They have been active since 1967 and work hard to ensure their products are truly good for us girls and the planet.

GPB Glycogen Protein Balancing Shampoo
For All Hair Types
The soy protein and lactalbumin ingredients pack a protein punch for the hair! Other organic ingredients such as orange pith juice provide a shine factor effect and pure aloe vera and shea butter combine to leave hair feeling soft and silky. My hair felt clean and noticeably softer after the first wash. Myself and my hair finally felt ready to do a slow motion Charlie’s Angels hair toss (you know how it goes: remove motorbike helmet and let your new fabulous and soft cascading locks tumble down which induces sighs of envy amongst women everywhere).
Aubrey Organics UK £8.80

Ingredients
Pure Organic Aloe Vera (not from concentrate) , Organic Orange Pith Juice , Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap , with Quillaya Bark (Saponin) , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (made from organic non-GMO soybeans) , Carrageenan , Organic Shea Butter , Lactalbumin , Organic Evening Primrose Oil , Organic Jojoba Oil , Balsam Oil , Organic Rosemary Oil , Aubrey's Preservative: (Citrus Seed Extract , Vitamin A , Vitamin C , and Vitamin E)


Rose Mosqueta Rose Hip Herbal Shampoo
For Colour Treated Hair
Be a true Rose Mosqueta Senorita with this vitamin rich shampoo filled with organic ingredients to enhance and maintain colour. Corn syrup gently rinses away chlorine while shea butter works to fight colour fading. This shampoo delivers just like the GPB shampoo and I liked how the rose scent (courtesy of exotic rose hip seed oil) was very subtle and obviously balanced out by the other essential oils of lavender, bergamot and ylang and ylang.
Aubrey Organics UK £8.80

Ingredients
Deionized Water , Coconut Oil-Corn Oil Soap , Hydrolyzed Soy Protein (made from organic, non-GMO soybeans) , Organic Corn Syrup , Carrageenan , Organic Aloe Vera , Organic Shea Butter , Organic Rosa Mosqueta® Rose Hip Seed Oil , St. John's Wort Oil , Horsetail Extract , Coltsfoot Extract , Aminobenzoic Acid , Essential Oil Blend: (Lavender Oil , Bergamot Oil , and Ylang Ylang) , Aubrey's Preservative: (Citrus Seed Extract , Vitamin A , Vitamin C , and Vitamin E)

8 Green Travel Sites and Blogs You Need To Know About

The idea to list a set of blogs and sites was sparked by Pink to Green (a blog featuring all things gorgeous and green). I thought it would be good to start with a set of green travel sites first and I’ve tried to select the ones that help make conscientious tourism interesting, easy and fun! Check them out and let me know what you think.

Green Globetrotter - for the latest and most interesting green travel news

Girls Travel Club – for purchasing lovely travel products which are natural and ethical

The Man in Seat Sixty-One – for the most comprehensive rail info and routes to practically every country

Go Green Travel Green – for a slick and easy to read site with great travel info (such as the 10 Best Countries for Vegetarian or Vegan Travel)

Traveling the Green Way – for a plethora of green travel news

Make Travel Fair – for education about the environmental, social and economic impact of our travel

Green Traveller – for info on the best green places to stay and holiday (particularly the UK and Europe)

Ecoescape – for finding the best eco friendly holidays in the UK and Ireland

Image: Orchard Garden Hotel – An Eco Friendly Hotel in San Francisco

A Petite Eco Boutique - Rococo

I often dream about having a walk-in closet filled with wonderful and stylish organic and fair trade clothing, so when I stepped into Rococo’s teeny eco boutique in North London, I was immediately smitten and ready to move in. Rococo looks just like the ethical walk in-closet I’ve always wanted!

The rails are lined with the very best eco friendly fashion from brands such as People Tree, Enamore, Tammam and Miksa. Rococo is great for actually sighting and trying on organic clothing (which is still surprisingly hard to do in London with the small sprinkling of eco boutiques around). If you can’t make it to Muswell, you can still shop online though and now couldn’t be a better time to visit Rococo’s site because they are having a sale, with many gorgeous People Tree items available at bargain prices!

Shop at Rococo online
Visit– 16 Avenue Mews, Muswell Hill N10 3NP. Ph: 07779 01004 (Saturdays only or by appointment)

6 Eco Friendly Fashion Items in Chic Navy Shades

If your closet is starting to fill up with one too many black pieces, perhaps you should venture over to the navy side. Navy is just as sophisticated as black, but less harsh. A dash of navy here and there can soften your look but still keep you looking chic. So take a look at my selection of the best navy key pieces for your eco friendly closet.

The Organic Market Bag – Moop
Handmade in Massachusetts
Organic Cotton and Vegetable Based Dyes
Etsy is my new best friend for finding creative and stunning handmade gems from designers such as Moop. Their large midnight blue bag is ideal for the girl who literally has to cart her life around in a bag. At least now it can be an organic, ethically made bag!
Etsy US$113
Visit Moop’s Blog

Karida Coat – Amana
Made in Morocco
Hemp, wool, tencel and organic cotton lining
This sophisticated nile blue coat is on sale and available in a long and short version. Grab your style and size now at such a good price and remember you can’t go wrong with a navy coat in your ethical closet. The colour and style will look good for years to come.
Fashion Conscience £99 (was £165)
Amana £105 (many other Autumn / Winter ’08 items on sale also)

Cheryl Cardi - Frank & Faith
Made in the UK
100% Organic Cotton
Bravo Frank & Faith for manufacturing your clothes in the UK and for making them so darn cute! I love a good lightweight cardi to throw on with jeans or over a dress. Frank & Faith are also members of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of their sales to environmental organisations.
Frank & Faith £52 (Also available in black and green)
Adili £52 (Also available in black)

Karen Dress – Wildlife Works
Made in Kenya
Organic Cotton
A stunning shirt dress for those times when you need to look ‘businessy’ and organised. This dress is also extra fabulous because it is helping wildlife conservation in Kenya. Wildlife Works have established a sanctuary and eco factory in Kenya to ‘save endangered and threatened wildlife’ and to also provide valuable employment opportunities for locals. Wow! This dress is going to make you feel really good now! By the way, the dress looks black but is actually a deep navy colour.
Equa £94 (was £235)
Wildlife Works US $150 (was US $300)

Eugina Jeans – Del Forte Denim
Made in the USA
Organic Cotton
Definitely one of the Top 3 wardrobe items a green girl needs to invest in, organic skinny jeans. Del Forte’s Eugina jeans are Equa’s best selling shape and look ultra flattering and comfortable.
Equa £75 (was £135). Visit Del Forte Online

Pure Shoes – Olsenhaus
Made in Mexico
Don’t these shoes just scream, ‘don’t mess with the vegan!’ The mock croc style will ensure seamless blendability with the Net-a-Porter set but will also keep your vegan friends impressed as well.
Olsenhaus US $215

Vegan Ice Cream - Booja Booja's 'Stuff in a Tub'

You had me at Booja Booja. Yes, I’ve fallen in love with a tub of ice cream. The slight caveman-esque name, ‘Booja Booja’ was part of the appeal but it was the amazing taste and pure ingredients that really did it for me. The gourmet cupid got me good!

For a dessert to contain a mere 4 ingredients and to be free from so much (dairy, soya, gluten, cholesterol, emulsifiers and stabilisers) you may start thinking this poor tub must be lacking in confidence and flavour. Not so. Amazingly, it tastes exactly like ice cream! I tried the Coconut Hullabaloo which is lusciously creamy and heavenly but with a much cleaner and lighter taste than any ice cream I’ve tried.

One spoonful of the Coconut Hullabaloo and I knew this was the ice cream brand for me. I may have even blackled what other flavours were available whilst eating the Coconut tub in front of me! I really should Tolle up, stayed more in the present moment and savoured the tub I had but it tasted so good that I had to find out what other exciting flavours I could try next!

Other Stuff in a Tub flavours include the quirkily named Keep Smiling Vanilla M’Gorilla, Hunky Punky Chocolate, Feisty Winjin Ginger and Pompompous Maple Pecan. With this great selection of flavours it is little surprise that ‘Stuff in a Tub’ won Best New Organic Food Product in 2007.

Purchase online at Goodness Direct for £5.99 or find Booja Booja’s Stuff in a Tub at health food stores (Booja Booja do not stock in supermarkets as they prefer to support the independent retail sector – now I love them even more!).

By the way the 4 ingredients in the Coconut Hullabaloo are water, agave, cashews and coconuts. So simple yet so scrumptious!

Review - Nature's Hydrating Mist by Living Nature

Every girl will benefit from having this toner in her handbag. For all those moments during winter or summer when your skin needs to be instantly refreshed, just spray your face and body with this lovely natural mist. It contains skin refreshing oils such as geranium, bergamot, cedarwood and manuka as well as plant extracts from the native Harakeke plant which is considered to be the New Zealand equivalent to aloe vera.

How to use: Shake before spritzing onto face or body

Feel on skin: Refreshing and hydrating. Like walking through a rain forest!

Scent: Pleasant, pure and natural

Skin Types: All skin types

Results: Leaves skin feeling taught and hydrated. Great relief for dehydrated winter skin (and cooling during hot summer months).

Value for money: Yes. The bottle is quite large (100ml) and would go a long way.

Who would like it? Perfect for women 9 to 5–ing in stuffy heated offices, frequent flyers who can constantly hydrate (and the 100ml size meets the liquid criteria for ‘carry on’ luggage). Active sporty women can also pop this into their gym bags to use on the body!

Would I buy it again? Yes, because it suits my lifestyle. I can spritz away during the day in the office or when rushing about the city. It’s a more refined way to get that ‘just splashed my face with water’ feeling.

Score: 9/10

Full Ingredient List
Aqua (water), Vegetable glycerine, Citrus grandis (grapefruit seed extract), Pelargonium graveolens (geranium oil), Citrus bergamia (bergamot oil), Ocimum basilicum (basil oil), Rosmarinus offi cinalis (rosemary oil), Juniperus virginiana (cedarwood oil), Phormium tenax (fl ax extract), Leptospermum scorparium (manuka oil), Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil), Limonene*, Citral*, Citronellol*, Linalool*. *component of natural essential oils .


Purchase at Living Nature and get 20% off (limited time only) £11.74

Eco Gift Ideas for Mother's Day

Here are some fabulous green gift ideas for your mum this Mother’s Day (Sunday 22 March).

Ethical Shoes
Two elegant vegan shoe labels that will definitely impress your mum are Charmone and Sui Generis by Beyond Skin. Even if your mum hasn’t worn vegan shoes before, one look at these stylish designs and soon Jimmy Choo will become Jimmy Who?

Charmone's Cinnamon Bordeaux Shoes (pictured above)
Also available in black
Made in Italy

Purchase online for US$249 at Charmone



Beautiful & Ethical Jewellery
Buying a stunning pair of earrings or sparkly ring with eco credentials couldn’t be easier thanks to designers and companies such as Made, Avasarah and Kirsten Muenster.

Made Jewellery

Made’s jewellery range is unique and truly gorgeous with affordable prices. As a company Made operate on a ‘trade not aid’ ethos which involves supporting disadvantaged communities through training local artisans in East Africa.

Nicole Fahri Collection – Pippa Small Glass Stone Bracelet (pictured above)
Purchase online at Made for £65

Kirsten Muenster
Eye catching pieces from a San Francisco designer who utilises beautiful recycled materials.

Avasarah
Visit this jewellery site to quickly locate pretty earrings and pendants by your specific ethics (British made, recycled materials, ethically sourced and mined or supporting charity).

Organic Beauty Treatments
Many women enjoy a luxurious facial or stress relieving massage, so to make the experience even better, make sure the beauty treatment is organic. Book an organic treat for your mum at either Content in Marylebone or the Organic Pharmacy (various UK locations).

Content
Content won ‘Best Facial’ by Wallpaper Magazine this year so let your mum experience a Dr Alkaitis Skin Food Facial to see what all the fuss is about! She can also have an organic Suki or Pai facial, massage or manicure and pedicure.

Organic Pharmacy Treatments
The decadent Rose Crystal Lymphatic Facial, organic manicures, pedicures and massages will provide a truly healthy dose of pampering for your mum!

Organic Skincare
If you want to introduce your mum to some luxurious organic skincare ranges why not try Dr Alkaitis or the Organic Pharmacy.

Dr Alkaitis Organic Eye Cream (pictured above)
Research scientist, Dr Alkaitis has produced a range of ‘living’ skincare products with ingredients so pure they are edible (although it’s best to use on the skin obviously). Perhaps start with the eye cream which is apparently Giselle Bundchen’s favourite!
Content £38.20

Organic Pharmacy Carrot Butter Cleanser
The Organic Pharmacy provide luxurious Soil Association certified products that are readily available on the high street or online. With no artificial preservatives, colourants, fragrances or petrochemicals, you can rest assured the organic skincare and makeup products you purchase for your mum will be kind to her skin and will be of the highest quality.

Organic Dressing Gown
We all need a sumptuous dressing gown or bath robe and the fact Piccalilly’s dusty rose gown is certified organic and fair trade makes it even more appealing.
Organic Fair Trade Cotton
Made in India (SA8000)
Also available in a natural colour (more colours coming soon), one size fits all
Piccalilly £40
By Nature £39


Organic Food and Wine
Where to start, chocolate, wine or tea? I’ll let you decide and just draw your attention to the delicious offerings from the following organic gourmet companies every girl should have on speed dial.

Booja Booja Organic Truffles

Raw Fairies Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe – Perfect recipe to make for the health conscious mum.

Vinceremos for the UK’s largest selection of organic wines, champagnes and other beverages

The Tea Palace – For an elegant range of organic teas such as the best
selling Organic Rose Oolong (pictured above). Price - £3.50 to £11.50 depending on size.

Gifts to the Planet
Oxfam offer a great range of Unpackaged gift cards that will enable you to purchase valuable resources on behalf of your mum for disadvantaged people and communities.

8 School Books £8

Safe Water for 12 People £9

Train a Business Woman £25

Send an Animated E-Card
Jacqui Lawson
Pay £6.25 for a year’s membership and you can send as many e-cards as you like during that year! Think of all the money you spend on paper cards throughout a year. E-cards are the way to go and will save many trees in the process. Visit the Jacqui Lawson site to preview the animated cards.

Other Gift Ideas that may be of interest to you...

Perfume by Jo Wood Organics
Limited Edition Vintage Soy Filled Tea Cups by Corfe Candles

Review of Suki Pure Facial Moisture - Balancing

Sometimes creamy moisturisers are not what your skin wants or needs, so maybe you should try an oil based moisturiser. Suki’s 'Pure Facial Moisture - Balancing' is a divine treat for the face with amazing organic ingredients such as antibacterial echinacea and lavender, soothing chamomile extract and antioxidant loaded rose extract. Don’t worry about looking oily either because the end result is very flattering, giving your skin a healthy glow. This product was previously known as Facial Moisture Serum with Blue Chamomile and Echinacea.

How to use: 1-2 drops on face and decollete

Feel on skin: Nourishing and hydrating feel of oil without the greasy residue

Scent: Fruity and pleasant chamomile scent with strong base notes of jojoba and other oils

Skin Types: All skin types but especially oily, acne prone and sensitive

Results: My skin lapped it up and the overall result was very flattering. Skin glows and looks enviously healthy. Very impressive.

Value for money: Admittedly over £20 is expensive for a moisturiser but it’s certainly not uncommon for most moisturisers these days to be in this price bracket. If you have the money to spend or just want to make wise purchases that your skin will thank you for, then Suki is definitely value for money.

Who would like it? Purists who want good quality and high performing products. Also women with recurring acne or oily skin (but my skin is normal / dry and it works well for me).

Would I buy it again? Yes. I like how healthy and good this moisturiser feels on the skin. The fact the ingredients are so good makes this product leap above other moisturiser options. It is also a good alternative or break from creamy moisturisers. While you could use an almond oil (I personally find it too shiny as a day moisturiser) for true purity and affordability, I think this is the first choice for when you want a serum type moisturiser.

Score: 10/10

Purchase Suki Pure Facial Moisture Balancing (approx. £29)
Content

Naturisimo
Lovelula

Your Natural Store (serum)

More about Suki…
Suki is one brand in the ever growing world of organic beauty that has got my attention time and time again! I have tried 4 of their products now and each experience has made me rush to the laptop to let you all know about it! I'm not a beauty floozy and don't get impressed easily. I’m not even a Suki employer or sponsored by them (I’m still waiting to hear back from them via email actually but I can appreciate they are busy, really I can).

Full ingredients:
organic jojoba (simmondsia chinensis), sunflower (helianthus annus), grapeseed (vitis vinifera), rice germ (oryza sativa), borage seed (borago officinalis) & hazelnut (corylus americano) oils, 100% natural non-gmo vitamin e (tocopherol), organic calendula (calendula officinalis), lavender (lavandula angustifolia), chamomile (anthemis nobilis), echinacea (echinacea purpurea) & rose (rosa canina) extracts, aroma (pure premium steam distilled essential oil)

Other Suki Products I have reviewed (and loved)
SukiColor Tinted Active Moisturiser

SukiColor Pure Cream Stain

If you have yet to try Suki and are not sure where to start, it may help to know what products are popular with other women.

Top 5 Suki Bestsellers (as of March 2009)
Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser
Balancing Day Lotion
Concentrated Balancing Toner
Pure Facial Moisture – Nourishing
Intensive Brightening Cream

Visit Suki online

Eco Friendly Bags by Zaum

Head over to Zaum to checkout their exciting and unique selection of eco friendly bags made from organic cotton, undyed felt and recycled plastic bottles. The innovative designs are handmade in their Massachusetts studio and cater well to the stylish eco friendly urbanites who love practical designs, clean lines and bold colour combinations.

Eco-Avia Messenger Bag
Organic cotton and 100% recycled PET felt (recycled plastic water bottles)
The white and red Eco-Avia is my favourite Zaum bag. I love how clean the colours look and the slight ‘Swiss Winter Olympic Team’ vibe it has. With adjustable strap and interior pockets, it is the perfect casual city day bag. The Eco-Avia also comes in blue and tan colours which would suit both girls and guys.
Eco-Avia - US$ 190

Eco-La Purse
Handmade felt (undyed), organic cotton interiors
These Eco-La purses are so cute and cosy looking. They are perfect for these chilly seasons (but the white felt ones would work just as well in summer). I think they would also make great cosmetic bags. Available in white or chocolate felt with various pretty organic cotton coloured interiors.
Eco-La - US$ 95

Eco-i iPhone Case
100% recycled PET felt
No need to turn to a leather case for your new iphone when there a plethora of colours to choose from, all made from recycled plastic water bottles no less. There is also a place for business cards to fit neatly into the external back pocket.
Eco-i - US$ 20

Eco-Spesa Shopping Bag
Certified Organic Cotton Twill
These ample sized bags are durable thanks to strong handles, triple layering and stitching. The Eco-Spesa is ideal for eco women who want to shop in style! Available in many colour combinations such as chocolate and red, chocolate and tan, red and white, pale blue and chocolate.
Eco-Spesa - US$ 45

Special Offer: When you buy 2 Eco-Spesa bags together you will receive a 10% discount by using ‘Spesa2’ code at checkout (limited time only).

Visit Zaum to find out more about their eco friendly range of bags.