Green Beauty: Waterproof Mascara

My job (as an ecologist) sometimes entails working in un-favourable weather conditions, which mostly consists of rain, and lots of it.

At the end of such rainy days, I normally look in the mirror to see the majority of the mascara I was wearing half way down my face - not a good look! I therefore decided it was time to invest in a good waterproof mascara.

The Body Shop has been a brand which I grew up with, however over the last few years I appear to of passed it by. As I am trying to be a more conscious shopper, one who only uses cosmetics which are cruelty free and as 'green' as possible, it made sense for me to walk into  The Body Shop as I know none of their products are tested on animals. Ten minutes later and I left with a brand new 'big and curvy' mascara  for £10 and a promise from the shop assistant that 'this mascara will not budge'.

And she was totally right...this mascara is not going anywhere! I have now worn it on a number of occasions  including my recent holiday to Ibiza, where I swam in the sea daily and it still stayed put. The mascara also gets top marks for making my eye-lashes look pretty, I am not blessed with the thickest of lashes, but this mascara definitely lends a hand.

This mascara is great for holidays, and days where rain/emotions/sweat may be an issue. I am still sticking to my normal non-waterproof mascara day-to-day, but only because it is slightly easier to remove!

Overall this is a brilliant mascara for the price, but make sure you invest in some heavy duty eye make up remover :) 

The Body Shop: big and curvy waterproof mascara

Buy it at http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/make-up/eyes/big-curvy-waterproof-mascara.aspx or in store.

tp x 

Jewellery inspired by nature - Alex Monroe

One of my good friends Kathryn Bishop writes for a jewellery magazine, she has always had a passion for jewels and has introduced me to some brilliant designers. One of my favourite designers at the moment is Alex Monroe. He takes his inspiration from the natural world around him and has created some beautiful pieces. The bee necklace below is high up on my wish list.....luckily it's my birthday soon :) 

bee necklace - £126

fox necklace - £135

pea pod necklace - £125

All images courtesy of www.alexmonroe.com

tp x 

Birdy Collection

New bird artwork by my lovely friend Bisi

'birdy collection'

For more of Bisi's work visit: http://bwakeham.wordpress.com/
tp x

Art: Neri Ishida

I came across Neri Ishida's work whilst attending an art fair in London, and I was drawn to her cute illustrations instantly. 


Neri is originally from Japan but now calls London home. She uses  water colours to create her art, and produces pieces which are simplistic yet beautiful. She mainly paints people, flowers and animals, all of which are lovely. It is her animal illustrations, however, which I have particularly fallen for.


Whilst at the art fair I brought one of Neri's small note cards bearing the painting of a fox. I now have it in a frame above my dressing table and it makes me smile every time I look at it :)

fox

owl and kite

a polar bear loves music

To see more of Neri's work visit: http://www.neriishida.com

tp x

Spotlight on: 10:10

I first learnt about 10:10 through my job, as the company which I work for has been signed up for the last few years.​ The 10:10 campaign was set up back in 2009, with one simple aim: reduce UK carbon emissions by 10% by the end of 2010. Due to its huge success and popularity 10:10 has continued, and now has over 115,000 participants in 186 countries. Today 10:10 inspires and supports people and organisations to cut their carbon emissions by 10% in every year. Any individual, family, business or organisation can make these cuts, with the philosophy being that, by working together, a real difference can be made. Whether the aim is to help tackle climate change or just to get the bills down to size, it is clear that cutting carbon emissions makes perfect sense. 


10:10 is such a brilliant yet simple idea that it didn't take me long to sign up, and since then I have been doing my best to cut my carbon emissions by 10%. A few simple steps I have taken include: 

Replacing all the old light bulbs in the house with energy saving models (and trying to remember to turn them off when I leave the room!)

Recycling - I am taking full advantage of the recycling services put on by my local council and I am also attempting to buy food which has less packaging

Buying local produce - I am lucky enough to have a garden centre opposite my house which stocks an amazing variety of local goods, from eggs to bread to local beer. If my purse is on the thin side however, and the super stores beckon, I try to buy items which haven't travelled half the way around the world..

Making less journeys by car - I have recently become the proud owner of a new bike meaning that those little journeys I used to make by car can now be done by pedal power instead; better for me and better for the environment!

The 10:10 website itself is very informative, and you can sign up to receive regular emails giving ideas of how to cut your emissions. April is Remade month, where 10:10ers around the world share the skills and build the confidence to fix their clothes, bikes, computers and anything else that we can keep alive with a few basic repairs. The idea being that if we can keep things going on for longer, then less energy will be used to make newer versions.


To find out more about 10:10, to sign you or your business up or to find out about Remade month visit: www.1010global.org/uk 


Go on....you know it makes sense :)


tp x

Nails Go Green (and Pink and Purple and Blue..)

Whilst searching for some finger friendly nail polish, I came across the american brand Priti NYC. I was blown away by the vast number of colours they have on offer, and was even more excited to learn that they are completely organic, vegan and chemical free!

Priti NYC is the brain child of Kim D’Amato, who decided that she wanted a nail product which didn't contain a whole host of nasties. Generally nail polish includes three unsavoury chemicals, Formaldehyde, Dibutyl Phthalate (DHB) and  Toluene- I wont bore you with  the details of each, but I will say that they are all known carcinogenics.

These nail polishes are so safe that even little kiddies can use them and Priti NYC has recently launched 'The Princess Collection' which is specifically targeted towards children. The nail polishes come in a range of cute colours, but most importantly..... they glow in the dark! 

'priti princess' in  'rockstar'

Priti NYC's commitment to the environment has also impressed me - all products are packaged in apothecary style recyclable bottles and their website is even powered by sun and wind energy! They have also teamed up with 'Chemwise' a specialised re-cycling company, which allows customers to dispose of their used nail polish bottles in an environmentally friendly way. 

With so many beautiful shades (and beautiful names!) to choose from,  it was very difficult to pick my favourites. However, as I am slightly obsessed with this seasons 'pastels' trend I have picked three shades which would compliment my spring wardrobe perfectly..

 

'sweet pea'

'bluestar'

'empress tree'

Luckily for us brits, it is now possible to purchase Priti NYC nail polishes in the UK from  www.cutecosmetics.co.uk (prices start from £8.95). I have just put in my order for 'empress tree' and I will let you know how get on!

tp x

Images are all courtesy of Priti NYC www.pritinyc.com

Hello!

Here is my first blog entry..exciting times!

I would like to first of all thank my beautiful and incredibly talented friend Bisi Wakeham. She was kind enough to create the heading and logo that you can see above, which is simply perfect! Unfortunately (for me, not for her!) she is moving to Melbourne in a couple of weeks, and I will miss her dearly - however it is a good excuse for a holiday!

As my blog is going to focus on nature, the environment, green living....and anything else that takes my fancy, Bisi's art work is a good start. Bisi is an illustrator and pattern designer, and has taken inspiration from the natural world for a number of her pieces. I have selected a few of my favourite...

Gulls

Foxy 

Aardvark 

For more of Bisi's brilliant designs please visit: http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignByBisi?ref=pr_shop or follow her blog at http://bwakeham.wordpress.com/.

All images are courtesy of Bisi Wakeham.