Going Green Is More Than A Fashionable Trend

Going green has become quite the fad these days—and one that I hope is going to stick! Environmentally conscious consumer products are literally everywhere, making it easier than ever to green-proof your life. But one woman’s dedication to creating a recycled jewelry collection while leaving the smallest carbon footprint possible is unparalleled.

Meet Ann Skydell Harmon, owner and creator of Ann-Made jewelry, wearable art that is handcrafted out of recycled can tabs. Each recycled can tab is scrubbed clean and polished smooth by Ann’s own devoted husband, dubbed the “Tab King,” before they are used to make earrings, bracelets and pendants. The chunky, unusual pieces are each adorned with beads and natural gem stones for a look that blends man-made and natural materials.

The idea for the collection first came to her when she was an art instructor for emotionally disturbed children. Wanting to teach her students the importance of being environmentally conscious, Harmon introduced the recycled can tabs as an art project.

“The last thing on their minds was recycling. But this was a great way to teach creative problem solving, which these kids needed,” she says.

Harmon ended up creating bracelets out of the can tabs herself and handed them out to the other teachers as gifts. It was her co-workers’ enthusiasm that made her realize she had started something special. “The teachers couldn’t get enough,” she says.

That was two years ago. Now, Harmon’s business has grown exponentially, with her jewelry being sold in stores along the east coast and even as far as Chicago. She has also launched her own website where customers can order pieces from her collection. Harmon travels to about 35 art shows a year and says she is always fascinated by people’s reactions. “I come in contact with thousands of people and it is like a religious fervor,” she says.

But her dedication to the environment is just as impressive as her success. Harmon purchases her can tabs from a nonprofit group in New Jersey that collects tabs from local area schools and sells them to aluminum recyclers. She generously buys the tabs for more than double their retail value in an effort to help this struggling non-profit in their recycling efforts.

Harmon donates a portion of every sale to The Alliance for Climate Protection and its affiliate, The Climate Project. And, to take her endeavors one step further, Harmon even packages her jewelry with clean, reused cardboard and ships her products with left-over, unprinted newspaper—a trick her father taught her, she says. “He has that Depression era mentality.” Something we can all benefit from in today’s economy!

“I wanted to be as socially and environmentally conscious as possible with the company,” says Harmon.

Her company, which is based near her home on the New Jersey shore, is a family-run affair. Her two daughters provide website maintenance, assist at art shows, and help with non-artistic production while her husband helps with packaging. As her business has continued to grow, she has also brought on three assistants to help her family handle the overwhelming demand for her jewelry.

Ann-Made was awarded the Green America Seal of Approval this past June for its green efforts. Harmon’s business underwent a lengthy screening process by Green America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability. Being recognized for her commitment to social and environmental responsibility is something that Harmon is very proud of.

“All along the way this has been such a positive experience,” says Harmon.

To check out more of Harmon’s jewelry or learn more about her environmental efforts, visit Annmadeart.com.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Erin Simpson

Illamasqua Blush in Sin - Makeup Review & Application

As you all know I have been very excited about Illamasqua products and this week I finally got my eager little hands on some of them. Illamasqua is available at Sephora.com and was official released in the US on the 31^st of July. Today I’ll review Illamasqua’s Blush in Sin.

I love my purple blushes, but I have to say they are not for the faint of heart. If you want to look sweet and innocent, there’s no way a purple blush will do. Having purple on your cheeks is certainly scary at first but the result can be really sexy if you don’t go too overboard with it. All of the possible shades of this particular color are superb for fall and winter but I personally prefer the warmer purples. Going back to basic color theory, purple is made by mixing red and blue. If a purple has more blue than red, it is said to be a cool purple; if it has more red than blue, then it’s a warm purple.

However, Sin by Illamasqua has a “problem”- it is extremely pigmented. Unless you want to go back to the 80’s, use the lightest hand, the sparsest brush and the sheerest application you can manage. If your skin is tan or dark, it’s best to repeat the application that going too heavy at first and risk looking like you got in a fight and got bruised. This blush is a matte pressed powder. I like shimmer but purple blush with shimmer would just be too risqué. Please watch my video above for proof of what I’m saying and for help when it comes to how to apply very pigmented blushes.

Overall, in pigmentation and colour, I rate this blush a perfect 10 out of 10 and that seldom happens. I couldn’t be happier with my new blush. Please watch out for my review on Illamasqua lips products and eyeshadows as they are coming up in the next couple of days.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky

Sebamed Derma Hydrating Body Gel With Aloe Review

If I were on a desert island and could only take a small suitcase (no, no, I wouldn’t go if I could only take one or two things), this would be on my “to pack” list. Last year it saved my life and I keep swearing by it to any one who asks what a good product is. It’s great for sunburns, razor bumps, sweat rashes, kitchen burns, wax burns, as an after sun, smells good and is one of the best body moisturizers I have come across. My little miracle is the Sebamed Derma Hydrating Gel W/ Aloe.

It refreshes and calms the skin, regenerating every skin cell. It’s an oil free gel, and I have to admit it can be a little sticky before it’s fully absorbed. The vitamins A, C, D and E are all great for your skin but the vitamin E will restore the damaged skin and the vitamin C will deeply moisturize it. Your skin will feel fresh, and that’s why it is an awesome relief for burnt skin and some itchiness and irritation.

Last year I got an accidental wax burn on my bikini line and you can imagine how much that hurts. Within two days this product solved my problem. After that sad episode, I still had tons and tons of product left so I decided to use it as an after sun. It’s been over a year, I shower everyday and exfoliate 2 times a week and I still have a hint of the tan I got during my last vacation.

This product is also good for men. I’ve been told it is a very good aftershave for summer and because it’s alcohol free it will feel fresh but won’t leave your manly man in tears should he unintentionally cut himself while shaving.

Unfortunately, this product doesn’t seem to be sold in the US right now but it is available all over Europe and in Canada. If you are in the US, periodically check where SebaMed is sold or use the Sebamed Sebamed Face Cream.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration "
Micky

Mascara Reviews – The Good, The Bad & The Between

Rimmel Glam’ Eyes (Regular)

By a wide margin the Rimmel Glam’ Eyes (Regular) has to be my least favorite mascara of all time. That's despite all of the great things I hear women some saying about it. Rimmel claims that with their, VolumFlex Brush® you’ll get volume and separation, leading to up to seven times more intensity. The mascara formula isn’t bad at all and you do get a decent amount of separation and length but as for volume, it’s just regular mascara. It doesn’t smudge nor run and it’s quite easy to take off. That sounds like I'm being so neutral so you’re probably wondering why did I say it was my least favorite mascara. Well, it’s mostly because of the brush. This so called innovation doesn’t effect the final result and if you’re not super careful when closing the tube and doing so slowly, I can guarantee that you’ll end up with mascara all over your mirror, face, clothes, bathroom counter, you name it.
What’s more, I read reviews where people complained that after exactly one week of opening the mascara it started to flake. It happen to me too and I fixed it with a little bit of castor oil but, honestly, nobody buys a mascara to have to fix it after one week, right? I rate this mascara a very sad 4 out of 10.


Maybelline Lash Stiletto


I don’t think I’m particularly picky with mascaras (though I may seem like it after all this review) but I have to say Maybelline’s Lash Stiletto was a disappointment for me. The brand claims that this mascara will give you impressive length and patent leather shine. I already have long lashes and the fact that I didn’t see a remarkable increase in length could be due to that, however my expectations were pretty high on the patent leather shine claim. Once again I was left disappointed. I feel I can achieve the shine it gave me with most mascaras out there and though I don't usually mind mascara smells, I have to say this one wasn't a very pleasant smell. I prefer drugstore mascaras over the high end ones in general so it hurts my soul not to have many good things to say about this mascara. It doesn’t clump, which is good, but towards the end of the tube it flakes like crazy. In the end the only two things I like about this mascara is the packaging and the fact that the wand is wire based, rather than rubber. I’m going to be fairly neutral on this one and give it a 5 out of a possible 10. Despite of all the hype, I didn’t think it was special at all.

Make Up For Ever’s Mascara Volume 1

You’re better off with most drugstore mascaras. This mascara is really pigmented and it does give you nice volume, but that’s all you'll get. For the price it retails for, it should be so much better. I really like the brush and my guess is that all the volume you get from this mascara is due to the wand and applicator. It’s a medium sized, fully packed wire spoolie and to me that’s the perfect mascara applicator. It doesn’t flake but it smudges just a little bit, especially if you wear contacts. My problem with this mascara it’s that it’s “just mascara”. It’s not bad but it’s not outstanding. I’ll rate it an almost neutral 6.5 out of 10.

The Body Shop’s Divide & Multiply Mascara (Regular)

Meant to separate and amplify your lashes The Body Shop’s Divide & Multiply Mascara (Regular) does that and it does it well. I got a sample of this mascara and I’m really happy with it. Separation is awesome, lengthening is brilliant and it gives you decent volume. The wand is a long cone made of rubber with short spikes but it’s so sturdy that it won’t give you any problems on closing the tube. It doesn’t smudge or flake, but can be a little tricky to take off. I’d suggest waterproof makeup remover to ensure that you take every little bit out of your lashes. I tried it on my mom, who has short blonde lashes and they looked almost fake (in a good way) with this mascara. I’m giving this mascara a 9 out of 10 and that’s also because of the price and the smell.

Rimmel’s Volume Flash (Regular and Waterproof)

This was my go to mascara for quite some time and I really like it. It will give insane volume, but be careful not to over do it or you’ll get the worse clumps ever. Both the Regular and the Waterproof versions are super pigmented and don’t smudge, even when they’re almost finished but they do clump more towards the end of their shelf life. The waterproof version is really waterproof and very hard to take off. It won’t move, whether you want it to or not so be prepared with good oil based makeup remover. It resistant to Swimming pools and seawater (yes, I’m one of those women that goes to the pool and beach with makeup on). The smell reminds me of roses and the wand is long, wire based and packed with lots of short spikes. It’s a very, very good mascara is you ask me. I’m giving it an 8.5 out of 10, which means it’s very good but not outstanding.

L'Oreal Volume Shocking Mascara

Two-step mascaras are usually not what I turn to, but the L'Oreal Volume Shocking Mascara might very well be the exception. It promises to give you up to 12x the volume, but while I don’t really think it gives 12x more volume, it does give a decent amount of volume. The first step is a white primer full of fibres, which is what will end up giving you the volume. It’s easy to apply, but because it’s white if you’re not very careful covering it with the actual mascara, you’ll end up with white lashes, which isn’t a very flattering look. The second step is regular mascara. Not much to say about it because the formula doesn’t seem that special. However the applicator is what makes the difference. It’s a comb like rubber applicator that will most definitely comb your lashes and separate them. I’d rate this mascara 8 out of a possible 10. It’s a fairly good mascara but it’s not exceptional.

Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara (Regular)

You might have seen me wearing this mascara in my last tutorial and all I have to say about it is that I cannot wait to get my hands on the waterproof version. It smells like roses, it’s super pigmented, won’t clump, won’t smear and it is the most buildable mascara I have ever seen. That said, If you’re not careful with it, it will leave your eyelashes somewhat heavy and doll like but that’s not the worst thing. If you curl your lashes on a regular basis, try this mascara out. It does justice to its branding, "So Sexy Curves" is exactly what you’ll get. Plus, have you noticed the gorgeous purple tube? Seriously, you it couldn’t get any prettier. The only tiny downfall for this mascara (at least for me) is that the applicator is made out of rubber. However, it’s so sturdy you can barely tell the difference. For now, this is my Holy Grail as far as mascaras go. That’s why I’m giving it a perfect score. 10 out of 10 and let me just say I can barely wait to get my hands on the waterproof version.

I hope I helped out whoever is on the market for a new mascara. I love hearing from you and I'd really like to know what's your favorite mascara.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky

Beauty Review: Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control 1-2-3 Skincare System

I usually have balanced combo skin, but when I get nervous or there is a drastic change in the weather, my skin can straggle the extremes. Some times it gets oily and sometimes it gets really dry. During my last oily skin phase I discovered the Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control 1-2-3 Skincare program. The 1-2-3 Skincare Program works for most skins, whether you need to brighten your skin a bit or get rid of some age spots. This skincare regimen consists of three steps:

Step 1- Clean: Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam What you have to do is work up a rich lather on your hand, massage it over your face and then rinse with lots of water. This cleansing foam has little tiny blue pearls that will help clean your pores and remove even the most stubborn foundation and pollution agents. You can really feel the clean difference on your face – it’s almost the sensation you get after a facial. The one negative with this product is the smell. It really smells like chemicals, which isn’t very pleasant in my opinion.

Step 2- Balance: The next step, and according to Shiseido the one that really makes the difference, is to use their TS Hydro-Balancing Softener Alcohol-Free Tonic. After cleansing your skin, just saturate a cotton pad and wipe gently over your face. No smell problems with this tonic. I’m pretty lazy when it comes to applying tonic, and to be honest I would very much prefer that it already had the saturated pads. Apart from that, I’d say it’s a good product. It doesn’t feel dramatically different from other matifying tonics but it won’t leave you sticky and you can clearly tell it doesn’t have alcohol. It matifies without drying out your skin to the point where it will feel uncomfortable or make you break out.

Step 3- Moisturizing: Pureness Matifying Moisturizer Oil-Free Fluid: Talk about fluid! It looks just like milk, except the fluid is a little bit thicker. With your skin still a little moist from the tonic, smooth this fluid over your face and you’re done. I have to warn you it does smell a lot like alcohol. I don’t understand why would anyone do a skincare regimen with an alcohol free tonic just to go and put alcohol on the moisturizer…?

I hate to say this, but this program broke me out. It’s usually the reaction I get from most face tonics and I know the reason for it so I was not really surprised. Also, this regimen won’t work right away. As with most matifing creams and fluids, it will take up to a week for your skin to get accustomed to the new routine and react the right way. Knowing that, Shiseido should probably make their samples bigger since the ones they have will only last you for one use (and let’s be honest, in most beauty shops people are lucky to go out with a free sample so they’re not very likely to give you more than one). I loved the Deep Cleansing Foam, but I’d only stick to that part. In my opinion, you don’t need to shed your dollars for the whole program. If you’re skin is really oily and you do need deep cleansing, the foam is enough.

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"
Micky

MAC’s Brave New Bronze Lipstick Review

I went to MAC to check out their collection called “Style Warriors” that you’ve probably heard about by now. I went there to buy one, and only one lipstick. That one was the one with leopard print on the inner shell (Yes I’m a print freak, what can I do?). It really doesn't matter sometimes if I like the lipstick or not. I just have to have it for the packaging. And so I got "Brave New Bronze", a satin finish that MAC describes as a “Creamy mid-tone pink nude”. I’d definitely say it has some bronzy orange undertones to it, but it is one of the most perfect nude colors I’ve ever seen. Studio pictures just don't do it justice. I am positive that it’ll look good on just about any skin tone and I’m not even one for nude lips. Today I wore it paired with a glittery pink lipgloss and I can assure you it was one of the most flattering summer lipstick-lipgloss combos I have ever found. Because the finish is satin, it is an opaque lipstick with some shine to it but because the colour itself is so creamy, it can appear a little muddy if you happen to apply too much of it or apply it without a nice lip balm underneath. However, that is the case for most satin, matte and amplified cream finishes, so no big news here. It turns out that I’m practically in love with this shade so I’m really glad I got it. Expect to see me using it in tutorials to come. Let me know if you've checked out MAC’s Style Warriors collection? If so, what did you get? Do you like what you got?

"Fashion Is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky-

Foundation Spotlight: "Hello Flawless"

I’m always looking for the perfect foundation and I haven’t found mine yet, but today I’d like to share with you my thoughts on “Hello Flawless” from Benefit. As you’ll be able to tell, I’ll be completely honest with you. There are some things about this foundation I love and some I don’t like so much. I’d rate it an 8.5 out of a possible 10 and, honestly, that’s the highest I’ve ever rated any foundation.

According to Benefit Cosmetics, “ This silky powder cover-up glides on naturally sheer and layers beautifully for customized coverage with SPF protection. With 6 shades, it's easy to find your perfect match.

Tips and tricks: For a sheer finish, sweep "hello flawless!" on with your brush. With quick, light strokes, blend from the center of your face outward. Use it over bare skin, moisturizer or primer to look naturally flawless! To cover it all (& then some!), apply evenly over entire complexion with sponge. For spot cover-up, dab on boo boos & blend. "

It is true that it’s silky and layers extremely well. Achieving full cover with this foundation using the provided (washable!!!) sponge is fast and easy and powdering your face with the provided brush or any other powder brush (for example this Celazome Natural Skin Brush) is also fast and super easy. I’d recommend buying another makeup sponge with similar texture because sponges can take their time to dry. It has SPF 15 so it might not be the best pick for when you know you’ll get photos taken because SPF reflects the flash light and will give you a ghost-like white aura.

I never buy into the “radiant” and “luminous” foundations. I feel they leave my skin looking and feeling greasy and I hate that. You'll end up powdering too much and it will never feel comfortable. This foundation, whoever, leaves your skin radiant with absolutely no shine and stays on like a dream. I tried it out at Sephora today and walked home about half a mile in an 81ºF heat and it stayed with no shine whatsoever. So that’s the best part about this foundation. This foundation with be best for those with oily to combo skin, though it’d be also nice for people with normal.

Powder and Cream-to-Powder foundations are known to oxidize a lot. This means that in contact with air, the color will deepen. However, I don’t think it oxidizes much; it oxidizes much less than most mineral powder foundations I’ve ever tried. This is definitely a plus and a big one, This means you can put your foundation and walk out the door knowing the color will look the same throughout the day as opposed to applying your foundation really early before leaving the house to avoid looking too pale or having to worry that your face looks orange by noon. Now, as I'm writting this post, 7 hours later, my skin looks awesome.

Some of the down sides to this prouduct, would have to be the lack of color choices and that it transfers. If your skin is darker than a medium-deep tan, they won’t have a color for you. For reference, I am a MAC NC 20 to 25 and my Benefit’s Hello Flawless shade is 01- Me Vain? (Benefit is very original and fun when naming their products. I love it). And sadly, it transfers to your clothes or hand if you happen to touch your face. The transferring aspect is why I don’t give this foundation a higher score.

As I said before, this is an extremely good foundation and, to me, the best so far. If you like MAC’s Studio Fix Powder, this foundation is similar, only it’s better. It has a more radiant finish, it doesn’t do that nasty oxidizing and it isn’t as yellow. It is, however, more expensive.

Buying foundation is something very personal and everybody’s tastes are going to be a little different. I'd recommend go to a Sephora or other place where they sell Benefit Cosmetics and ask the sales assistant to let you try it and see how it works for you. Then let me know what you think. I love reading your comments, and I have a lot of fun replying to you all.

"Fashion is Foremost Inspiration"

Micky