Bright & bold lips look beautiful in the beauty ads but can be intimidating to try to pull off in real-life.  Our gorgeous model Tobi was always afraid her full lips would look too severe in red, but Eco Beauty Expert and Makeup Artist Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty showed us that with the right application and the right color for your skin, anyone can wear this sexy look.  Jessa says that by by choosing a color that is no more than a shade or two lighter or darker than your skin tone, and selecting the right pigment (orange-based or blue-based) to compliment your skin’s undertones, you can play with a myriad of bright and bright colors without fear.  She also showed us how clean, careful application with a lip brush makes this look polished, not kooky.  And don’t worry, if you need help determining which color will work for you or learning how to nail the application, our product specialists are standing by!

What she used:

On Face: Nvey Eco Crème Deluxe Foundation in 873
On Cheeks: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Rapture
On Eyes: Nvey Eco Eyeshadow in 167, Nvey Eco Cake Eyeliner in Black with Nvey Eco Organic Mascara in Black
On Lips: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Rapture

Let’s face it – the hardest look to achieve with makeup is the “I get out of bed looking refreshed, dewy and glowing!’ look.  This is a look we should all learn to master – especially for wearing to work, or for daytime occasions like weddings.  The trick is nailing the palette and finding out how to enhance the natural pigments in your own skin.  Eco Beauty Expert and Makeup Artist Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty explains, “Instead of buying a lip color you think is what natural lips should look like, look closely at your own lips.  They may be pink, mauve, brown, red, peach…Choosing the right colors is the real secret to the natural look.”

For the second look in our 4-part series with Jessa, we have our model Erika.  As a mother and Assistant and Coordinator to a very busy athlete and his charity foundation, Erika needs to always look meeting-ready but doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on makeup.  Jessa showed Erika how to create this pretty, natural look in just minutes!

What she used:

On Face: RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up in 22
On Cheeks: Nvey Eco Powder Blush in 956
On Eyes: RMS Beauty Cream Eye Shadow in Magnetic & Living Luminizer with Nvey Eco Organic Mascara in Black
On Lips: RMS Beauty Lip & Skin Balm and Lip2Cheek in Promise

What makes a fragrance perfect for summer?  Whether light, bright, exotic or sultry, we love summer scents that call on the natural herbs, flowers and  fruits of the season.  These 5 stood the test of  a hot and muggy day in NYC without getting too cloying, obnoxious, musty or pungent.

1.  Best for Brunch with the Girls: A Perfume Organic White Magik Something fresh, modern, unique and bright is perfect for a fun afternoon brunch or garden party.  With spearmint, white flowers, angelica, jasmine and rare woods, White Magik is playfully all four.
Reaction: This was the longest lasting of all the fragrances we tested.  We loved that no one could identify exactly what we were wearing.  Jealous much?




2.  Best for Al Fresco Date Night: Honoré des Prés Sexy Angelic Ok, we all actually love this fragrance year-round but it is one of the most unique, subtle  and attractive natural fragrances we’ve ever known.  Soft and feminine without ever being too sugary sweet, Sexy Angelic is the type of fragrance with very little “throw”, which makes it perfect for dinner or romantic occasions.  It stays close to your skin  and wafts across your nose, making you want to lean in for more.  If you like the subtle smell that some call “skin”, this is the one for you – and your date.
Reaction: Boyfriend, only when very close says “Mmm what are you wearing?”
Side Note: If you tried this fragrance soon after it’s launch and found it to fade too quickly, try it again.  When some complained of it’s fast fading, HDP reformulated, making it slightly more concentrated.


3.  Best for Concert in the Park or Music Festival: Intelligent Nutrients Awaken
Bodies packed together, baking in the sun.  The last thing you need to throw in the pot is perfume.  You want to smell and feel fresh but without stealing anyone’s oxygen.  The totally natural aromas of lemon, lemongrass, lime and mint won’t choke any fresh air.  People may want to drink you – but they wont want to get away from you.
Reaction: Cute barista boy at coffee shop commented “You smell like a spa.”

4.  Best Evening/Formal: Tsi-la Organics Misaki Ever notice how light, summery fragrances can seem too much so when you wear them out at night or to cocktail parties and other formal/semi-formal affairs?  But it is still summer and you don’t want something too dark right?  Misaki is so the perfect fragrance for those times.  It’s complex, alluring  and mysterious but seasonally appropriate with it’s French lavender, green tea and mint notes.
Reaction: “I don’t really like perfume but I like that.  It doesn’t smell like perfume.  It just smells good” – Cocktail Party Bartender

5.  Best All Around: Intelligent Nutrients Jasminas Timeless, intoxicating and sensual.  We can wear this all day, every day.  This is not your grandma’s Jasmine perfume; Intelligent Nutrients Jasminas is the real deal. You simply must experience this summer blooming flower-in-a-bottle.
Reaction: Caution: May cause compulsive self-sniffing!

More Summer Favorites:

Tallulah Jane Misae A decidedly feminine green floral.  Like that vintage silk sundress, you’ll feel pretty every time you slip it on.

Honoré des Prés Honoré’s Trip Honoré’s Trip is a bright but light tangerine, orange, green lemon and pepper explosion. All the light, vibrant sweetness of fresh citrus without the sour.  You will smile when you smell it.

Honoré des Prés Bonte’s Bloom Yes, that makes three Honoré des Prés mentions in one list but we are talking about the legendary Olivia Giacobetti here.  The woman nose what she’s doing!  If summer itself could be bottled, you might have Bonte’s Bloom.  With the department store quality “cleanness” we Americans love, this certified organic treasure is all flowery cheer with sunflowers, blue chamomile, citrus fruit leaves and sage.

Last year I recruited the insanely talented Eco Makeup Artist, Educator and friend, Jessa Blades of  Blades Natural Beauty and the best-in-the-biz photographer Colleen Picciotti of Dyad Photography, to spend a day shooting 4 beautiful and totally different looking women, using only natural and organic makeup. The results were phenomenal. Unlike any of the shoots I had worked on as a model over the years, everyone looked absolutely radiant both on camera and off! Conventional camera makeup looks clownish in real-life while real-life makeup usually doesn’t photograph well. Our photos are a testament to the miracle of how, despite the myths, natural makeup actually looks better than conventional. It makes your skin look healthy and “real’, makes your eyes sparkle and at the end of the day, it even protects and nourishes your skin. But don’t take it from me, just take a look!

For the first of our 4-part series with Jessa Blades, we have our model Justine. Justine is my personal trainer of several years. She’s also a reiki practitioner. We wanted to give her a makeup look that was natural-ish but not blah – something that would make Justine’s skin glow and eyes pop but also not look too “made-up”
Jessa The Genius nailed it by using products that were hydrating and wouldn’t crease or set into (hypothetical) fine lines :

What she used:
On Face: Nvey Eco Moisturizing Liquid Foundation in 513
On Cheeks: RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Illusive

On Eyes: Alima Pure Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in Glow and Alima Pure Pearluster Eyeshadow in Grace with Nvey Eco Organic Mascara in Black

On Lips: Nvey Eco Organic Lipstick in 367 and Lip Lustre in Cristal

If you’re old enough, this season’s trend, PASTELS, may give you Debbie Gibson or Golden Girls flashbacks.  But cool pastels can actually look very fresh and modern, even on darker skin like our French/Cherokee/Puerto Rican assistant Krystal’s.  Have a look!

What we used:

On Face: Vapour Organic Beauty Stratus Instant Skin Perfector II and Atmosphere Luminous Foundation in 125 with Nvey Eco Erase in Deep Beige
On Eyebrows: Alima Pure Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Raven with Alima Pure Liner/Brow Brush #33
On Eyes: RMS Beauty Cream Eyeshadow in Magnetic and Lunar,  Nvey Eco Cake Liner in Black with Nvey Eco Organic Mascara in Black
On Cheeks: Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm in Bronzed
On Lips: We mixed RMS Beauty Lip2Cheek in Muse with Nvey Eco Lipstick in 351 and Topped with Vapour Elixir Gloss in Hush.