Blueberry Soy Sugar Scrub from Eminence

Imagine taking a pile of finely ground sugar cane (smooth as mushy sand) and adding an organic puree of whole fruit blueberries and non-gmo organic yogurt. Sounds like a smoothie right? It's not. It is Eminence's Blueberry Soy Sugar Scrub and it is divine. The facial cocktail starts out a deep purply blue color but when you add water it foams into a white yogurt paste and the fine sugar crystals exfoliate your skin until it is literally scrubbed into a smooth, dewy, delicious surface nourished and refreshed. Enjoy!



Ingredients:

Blueberry: high in antioxidants and phyto-nutrients
Non-GMO Soy: rich in isoflavones and Vitamin B
Raw Sugar Cane Granules: natural Alpha Hydroxy Acid
Sweet Almond Oil: softening, nourishing, protecting
Sunflower Oil: Vitamin E, antioxidant
Raspberry: Vitamin C and phyto-nutrient rich
Avocado Oil: regenerative, moisturizing
Green Tea: antioxidant, Phenol, and Vitamin C
Comfrey: calming, antiseptic
Ground Flax Seeds: exfoliating, anti-infl ammatory
Kelp: improves circulation, detoxifying
Black Tea: polyphenol, antioxidant
Coconut Oil: moisturizing, antioxidant
Biocomplex™: an antioxidant booster of Vitamins A, Ester-C, E, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha Lipoic Acid


Tory Burch Trunk Show at Monkee's!


And the Beauty's Spot contest winner is....

Super Jessica!

Jessica is one of Beauty's Spot's most loyal readers and she posted the greatest number of comments in the last 30 days! She will receive a complete pack of YonKa for Men products as well as one full sized YonKa product.


Thanks to everyone who commented and Beauty Gone Green!

Exclusive Beauty's Spot Contest

Reminder!
Here is your stunningly beautiful weekly reminder, featuring the YonKa male model (otherwise known as the official Hunk of Burnin' Love).

The contest lasts until April 28.

Whoever posts the most comments on Beauty's Spot in those 30 days will receive a care package full of samples (with daily use, each bottle lasts about two weeks). The care package will include the majority of products in Yonka's AMAZING skin care line for men! And I will throw in one full sized Yonka for Men product.

The winner gets to write his own blog entry reviewing the Yonka Products! (We'll call this our first Beast's Spot entry in honor of Beauty Spot's first male reader, Mr. John C.)

Ladies, I'll count your comments too if you have a man in your life who you'd like to gift the prizes to. Thanks to BeautyGoneGreen for their generosity!

New from Shoshanna at Monkee's!

Please please please help me get to Paris.

I need your help. Every time you click on a Beauty's Spot link to totalbeauty.com it gets me one step closer to Paris. The three beauty bloggers with most hits from their site to Total Beauty.com will be going to Paris for Beyond Beauty. Every time you visit Beauty's Spot and then click a link to totalbeauty.com it counts as one more click for me. I am competing against 40 or so other bloggers so please please please click. One idea is to just bookmark this post and click every link in it each time you read it (maybe every day?....Please? Yes, I know I am begging but it's Paris!) There is something in it for you too. You could win a Hybrid Vue, Conflict-free diamonds, Eco-spa getaways, and lots and lots of gift certificates for product. See all of the cleverly designed Total Beauty Totally Green Graphics all over this site? Please please please click them. You can drive me in your new Hybrid Vue to the airport and I promise I'll bring you something Fabulous back from Paris.

Total Beauty Webtour

Laurie at Beauty's Spot has an amazing massage and energy healing session from a San Francisco-based massage therapist and healer.

Monique at beauty girl musings shares how to save your hair from everyday heat styling.

Girl Gloss finds a great new lipstick from the new Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Cosmetics line

Tink at Casual Lavish talks about At home remedies for whitening your fingernails.

Beauty Anonymous invites you to the springtime nail colors of OPI 2008 Beyond Chic Collection .

Beauty411 shares her review of Klean Bath + Body's Blue Hawaii Sugar Body Polish, which smells like a tropical island and exfoliates your skin, too!

Forget virgin daiquiris, The Beauty of Life is all about the gorgeous polishes from the new Extra Virgin Collection from Dashing Diva!

Periodic Style's Jeanne goes back to school at Sephora University!

Toya of The Life of A Ladybug asks "What's your 'thing' right now?"

Find out which organic shower gel, leaves Christine's hubby in a woodsy lather...at Beauty in Real Life.

Answering the complicated question, "What does organic mean?", A Mom in Red High Heels helps clear away the confusion.

Budget Beauty Love takes a look at the new Sally Hansen Natural Beauty foundation and primer and isn’t too thrilled.

Makeup Junkie finds a new best friend in Chi's Pink Flat Iron!

Kitiya of Mischo Beauty has a reader who shares her favorite organic conditioner!

Daily Dose of Coffee features Lush as a green company profile.

Klecka Naturals Massage Oil: Sublime and USDA Certified Organic

I love being a beauty blogger. I examine copious amount of beauty products. I share the results, and my other obsessions (Spa. Organics. and Travel.) with all of you. And I relish every moment of the process. Except occasionally I stumble over how to differentiate between products I think are lovely and want to share with you and products I can't live with out. For this reason I am developing a new feature that will resemble something of a Beauty's Spot Top Shelf or must have list. It isn't quite worked out yet but it is guaranteed that Klecka Naturals Massage Oil will be included. Every last ingredient is USDA certified organic (Top Shelf in the organic world as noted by the lovely Tammy of A Mom in Red High Heels.) It makes my body sing with joy and the smell is transformative. I am currently trying "Joy Touch" and "Happy Touch." I have put the Happy Touch on some dry areas of skin every night this week before I have gone to bed and the sensory pleasure derived from this product is splendiferrous. USDA Certified Organic essential oils of Bergamont, Lemon, Ylang Ylang, and Jasmine combine to create the most sublime, dreamy scent. The scent and its effect are so uniquely grounding and yet curiously inspiring at the same time that I decided to investigate further. Bergamont is a small citrus fruit grown in Calabria Italy and was in fact used in the original Eau de Cologne developed in 17th century Germany. This small Italian fruit is actually a cross of the pear lemon and the Seville orange and is known to be the ultimate peacemaker among perfume scents, allowing each to flourish and also pleasantly mingle with the other ingredients and sources of olfactory pleasure. Ylang Ylang, the other dominant scent is native to Indonesia where I lived out a lovely portion of my life. In fact the Ylang Ylang flower (pictured below) is used for everything from the celebratory decoration on the bed of newlywed Indonesian couples to a key ingredient in Chanel No. 5. Klecka Naturals are available online, at Weaver Street Market , and Whole Foods.

Beauty's Spot featured as Total Beauty's Blog of the Day!

Total Beauty.com is featuring Beauty's Spot as their blog of the day!

Guest Blogger: A Mom in Red High Heels explains "organic"

All of this "going green" has gotten slightly confusing even for me. In order to try and keep it all straight I have divided my makeup shelf into two categories "certified organic" and "chemical free." To help Beauty's Spot readers navigate the murky waters of earth friendly beauty products, Tammy from A Mom in Red High Heels has agreed to share her brilliant guide to sorting through the fields of green makeup springing up this season.


Organic Skin Care Product Labels By Tammy

Confused by what an organic product means? How does it compare to “natural” or “certified organic”? I needed to get the story straight in my own head so I did a little investigating. I found a resource called Organic-Skincare.com that helped clarify the terms for me.

Here is how they explain what certified organic is:
“When a label lists “natural” or “organic” ingredients this does not mean the same as certified organic. There is no authority governing the term “natural” or “organic” on labels.
However, there are internationally recognized certifying bodies (third parties) who govern the use of the term certified organic.
Certified Organic… What Does This Mean?
Independent certifying bodies operate according to strict international standards. The entire process of product development is rigorously monitored beginning with the seed…
* how it is grown* harvested* stored* transported* processed
Provided each stage is completed according to the international standards then the finished product will display the certified organic logo.
You will also see a list of beneficial ingredients on the label which are understandable rather than mysterious ingredients such as methychloroisothiazoinone which appears on some skin care product labels. (This toxic ingredient causes burning to skin and eyes and is harmful when absorbed by the skin).”
For more information about certified organic products, visit Organic-Skincare.com. A directory of where to buy certified organic products and Daily Organic news can be found on the site as well. I appreciate the information the site provided and I hope you find it useful as well.
I also found these little tidbits around the web:
Certified organic products must contain a minimum of 95% organic ingredients excluding water and salt/minerals, with a small allowance for natural, non-organic ingredients that must comply with very stringent processing criteria.
Keep in mind that even if a producer is certified organic, the use of the USDA Organic label is voluntary.
When you use high quality, certified organic products, ALL the ingredients are active. They are ALL beneficial and they all feed the skin.
Further information regarding consumer confusion on the regulating process can be found here.
I hope this helps clear some questions you may have regarding what exactly Certified Organic Skincare is or is not. If you have further information to share on the topic, please leave a comment below. Links are helpful for those seeking information.

Product Rave: Organic wear makeup by Physicians Formula


I am falling for Organic wear makeup rather quickly. In particular the pressed powder is a new must-have. It comes in the most adorable compact with a perfectly sized mirror and application brush. This is not just any compact however. Physicians formula has a patent pending on this Eco-conscious PAPER COMPACT (93% less packaging than a normal compact!) The powder itself is 100% free of harsh chemicals, parabens, and synthetic preservatives. Natural beauty-look lovers can wear this product solo to gloss over imperfections and as an anti oxidant to protect your face from harsh chemicals. The OrganiSoy helps even out skin tone and restore skin smoothness. Every makeup bag will benefit from this addition. My other new must have product from Organic wear is the 100 % Natural Origin Matte Finishing Veil. This can also be worn alone or over makeup and comes in absolutely ingenious packaging. The loose powder flows through the brush dispenser to absorb shine, minimize appearance of pores and enhance staying power of makeup. These products are worth the risk we women take when trying a new line. I promise they won't end up in your product graveyard.

Beauty Gone Green: an online store packed with the best green beauty products.

Beauty Gone Green was started by Terri Exum and Sigrid Yorke in July of 2007. Both women are sought after estheticians with a passion for the best beauty products. In addition to their thriving practices as estheticians, each has their own business on the side (Spa Physiog and Skintopia). Realizing that most woman were as busy as they were, leaving little time to research and physically go buy the best beauty products, they started Beauty Gone Green. Because of this ingenious idea the rest of the world can obtain the best of the beauty industry with the ease and comfort of just one click. Eminence Organics, Yonka Paris and Yonka for Men, Clarisonic, American Biotech Labs, Cosmedix (maker of my favorite facial peel), Pacifica, IS clinical, Glominerals and much much more are all available. Click on any of the pictures below to learn more about the product lines. Terri and Sigrid picked each line based on organic ingredients, earth friendly business practices, and of course the best skin care. Beauty Gone Green's products have changed my skin. Three years ago when I met Terri I had acne, rosacea, dryness, and hyper pigmentation. Today people I don't even know ask me how I got such beautiful skin. The answers my friends are all below...click away!


















Exclusive organic makeup giveaway for Beauty's Spot readers from Physician's Formula Organic wear!


On Tuesday, April 22nd, Physicians Formula is giving away 1,000 Organic Wear bronzers in order to help make our world a little greener with makeup that’s good for the earth and for us too!

The contest will go live tomorrow at noon and here is the link to the site (which will NOT be live until the contest begins): http://www.physiciansformula.com/EarthDayGiveaway/
- The First Mass-Market Makeup Line to Make “Green” History -

The first 100% Natural Origin makeup line available at mass-market with certified organic ingredients
The first 100% Natural Origin makeup line which is 100% FREE of harsh chemicals, parabens and synthetic preservatives
The first 100% Natural Origin makeup line in the U.S. to be certified by ECOCERT® Certified Organic
The first 100% Natural Origin makeup line featuring a patent-pending recyclable paper compact

From SenSpa to Healing Earth Resources: Massage Therapy and Energy Healing with Sara Brown


Sara Brown is a massage therapist and intuitive healer. She is also a dear friend but honestly even if I didn't know that she is one of the most amazing people on the planet earth, I'd rave about her talents as a massage therapist and a healer. Luckily for Beauty's Spot readers (since most of you are in California, North Carolina, and New York) she works in San Francisco at Sen Spa and in Chapel Hill, NC at Healing Earth Resources. Healing Earth Resources is one of the last rare gem's on the planet earth...a business with out a website. It is also absolutely the most charming place I have ever been in Chapel Hill (1403 E. Franklin St. right across from Caribou on Estes) and that says a lot considering Chapel Hill is packed with charming places. I took all of these pictures to try and replace the images of a website but really the true adventure begins inside the house, where every room either has a massage table or den packed with comfortable furniture, spiritual literature, crystals and loads of healing and bodywork resources. Richard Klecka and his wife are the massage therapists who own Healing Earth Resources and they make a line massage oils and mists called Klecka Naturals which are certified organic and about to be available at Weaver Street Market and Whole Foods!

Yesterday Sara gave me a massage and an energy healing session. I don't think I would have ever thought to ask a friend to also practice on me as a massage therapist but last year at this time my heart was broken in what I thought was an unrepairable way and I was desperate. I don't know how I would have gotten through it if Sara had not done energy work on me that week. I know this sounds kind of hippie and far out but I literally felt her lift a black cloud of energy from my heart. Yesterday our session was much less dramatic because well , my life is almost entirely drama-free these days.
She used Klecka Naturals Happy Touch which is made of Organic Safflower Oil, Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Natural Vitamin E, Organic Essential oils of Bergamont, lemon, Ylang Ylang, Pure Essential Oil of Jasmine, and LOVE! (Yes Love is listed on the bottle as an ingredient :) Sara is an amazing massage therapist but you would cheat yourself of her god given gifts if you only ask for a massage. I will just say that four year ago when I quit smoking I had intense weekly acupuncture sessions and Sara does with her hands in 20 minutes what all those little scientifically places needles did over 10 weeks. Although I felt no immediate shifts in energy, at 8:30 last night I was so oddly tired and loopy that I had to excuse myself from my friends and go home and go to bed. I had the clearest most lovely dreams I have had in a long long time. I feel today physically relieved from worry and stress. Today I was clear happy and in the present moment during the entire day. I think that says it all.
Contact Information:
Sen Spa San Francisco 415.441.1777
Healing Earth Resources, Chapel Hill 919.967.5359


Help Elemis Skincare Plant 10,000 Trees on Earth Day!


All you have to do is visit one of the 185 participating spas (full list available at www.timetospa.com/earthday) or buy an Elemis product online at http://www.timetospa.com/ and Elemis will a plant a tree! (To learn more about the Elemis Skincare product line click here)

Beauty Break

Once when I was five years old and riding in the back seat of my mother's car she asked me, "Laur, what is your favorite color?" It had never occurred to me before to pick one color as my favorite so I looked out at the world whizzing by my window and picked the most beautiful thing I could see at that moment. It happened to be an evergreen tree sparkling with sunlight as clouds spread from the sky revealing the newly fallen drops of rain, hung like carefully placed Christmas tree ornaments on its branches. That particular green on that particular tree seemed beautiful enough to me to be labeled "favorite". I did not understand yet that a "favorite" color is not necessarily the color of the most beautiful thing one can see at any given moment. Throughout my life my fascination with visually stunning things has been a blessing bearing seemingly endless gifts or my greatest downfall depending on my understanding of this concept (or I suppose the beauty of the object being ogled) at any given moment. Either way, I am on a daily basis spellbound, even mesmerized, by beautiful things.

Unfortunately, Beauty's Spot is not yet a full time occupation, its is rather an avocation about which I am passionate. But in between all the Spa. Product. Organics. and Travel. there is the routine, daily, hum of working life and good living where I have to remind myself what brings me joy in life. For this reason I discovered and regularly take Beauty Breaks. It occurred to me today on my beauty break that it might be a good idea to share the idea with you, so you too can enjoy the beauty life has to offer even during your time away from Beauty's Spot, or whatever your passion happens to be. Everyday I watch people take bathroom breaks, lunch breaks, smoke breaks, coffee breaks, even on a spring day - a break for a quickie, but I am astounded on my beauty breaks that I am the only one taking a moment to pause and enjoy. I have never, not once seen someone else smelling the flowers, walking the gardens, or investigating the upholstery on the furniture in the local hotel where I most often take my beauty break. Smokers take breaks together, coffee breaks too are often enjoyed in the company of others but until the idea spreads my beauty breaks are I suppose a solo mission.

Here is how my beauty breaks go, so that you may create your own. A beauty break for me takes a total of about 15 minutes where I find the place closest to my office where life feels the most beautiful. Luckily for me this stunning place is the Carolina Inn. I walk through the gardens, enjoy the over-sized bouquets stuffed with lillies, roses, snapdragons, daises or whatever else the florist has included in his delivery that week. The antique chandeliers, classical paintings, and antebellum Southern plantation era furniture inspire me and allow me to forget completely for a few minutes that I am in fact at work. Today the universe delivered a special treat, lining the seating areas and hallways with absolutely beautiful men. One after the other I got to enjoy their faces and smile mischievously knowing they were gifts from the universe meant to be enjoyed and left alone as I am enchanted by single life at the moment. Then there is of course the spacious expansive exquisitely designed bathroom where I get to re-apply my makeup, straighten my hair, and return to work a new woman. The beauty break fills me with the inspired beauty of the creation all around me, freshens my makeup, and makes my coworkers days much better because I am much more pleasant to be around post beauty break. Enjoy!

Read My Lips from theBalm

theBalm has been featured in O Magazine, Allure, Lucky, InStyle, WWD, Elle and Glamour Magazine. This fabulous makeup line has a vitamin infused Vegan Lip Treatment and all the proceeds go to Pug Rescue. Also new for spring is theBalm's reinvention of lipstick with Read My Lips which comes in 100% recyclable packaging. Really it feels much better to look hot and know your helping the earth at the same time. The vanilla mint flavored concoctions contain vitamins A and E along with olive and jojoba oils for a soft sexy stylish pucker.Part of the reason I love writing about the beauty industry is because of companies that start like this one. "Marissa Shipman, Founder & CEO Marissa realized that there were a few simple products she needed to help her feel glam all the time. Then she decided that if she needed them, other women probably did too."
"So she went to Amazon, bought 11 books on how to make makeup and started mixing in her kitchen. "I went crazy. I had a web site designed, got incorporated, worked out a budget, and hired a chemist." And the rest is history! Well, not yet but with her great ingredients, gorgeous colors and fabulous scents, Marissa is certainly making makeup history. "


Organic Spa Magazine

I love Organic Spa magazine because I can read the whole thing online for free. I thought this little piece of information was interesting. Seems the whole of the beauty industry is going green and not just for earth day!
“Consumers have been inundated with headlines focusing on lead in lipstick, off-label uses of pharmaceuticals in cosmetics, the potential perils of parabens and other ingredients, Chinese product recalls and global warming caused by man made toxins. But nowhere has the fear of ingredients been felt more acutely than in the beauty industry,” said Alisa Marie Beyer, president and CEO of The Benchmarking Company. “Consumer demand for natural and organic beauty brands may just be the single most important issue to impact the beauty industry in its history.” To read the whole article click here.

WWD Features Totalbeauty.com

WWD agrees that conflict-free diamonds, hybrid cars stuffed with organic beauty products and eco-spa trips, are fabulous prizes for writing simple beauty reviews at totalbeauty.com. Click here to write your review!

Eminence Organics

THE ORIGINAL HUNGARIAN ORGANIC SKIN CARE LINE IN NORTH AMERICA SINCE 1958 Proudly free of Parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Mineral Oil & Petroleum




I have made no attempt to be even handed about my love for Eminence Organics. Simply put Eminence is my favorite skincare line of all time. I had no idea I was helping the environment by emptying my pocket book for great skin! With all of my posts about their new Citrus-C product line I still had no idea I was fighting global warming with my vanity. For every two products purchased from the Citrus-C line, Eminence will make a donation of 2 energy credits to the clean energy fund as a contribution towards clean wind power energy for North America


"Eminence is committed to doing our part in sustaining the environment, contributing to a healthy life style and educating spas on the benefits of having a greener business," said Boldijarre Koronczay, President of Eminence Organic Skin Care. "Every contribution, large or small, helps."

Over the past years, Eminence has stepped up its green factor, enlisting wind and solar power energy in the making of their products, using recyclable packaging, vegetable-based inks in their printing, and using post consumer recycled paper. All of this while maintaining their position as the leader in quality organic skin care.

Total Beauty.com web tour!

The Beauty of Life smiles pretty after discovering the tartly terrific Lemonade Smile Toothpaste by GoSMILE!

Canadian Beauty gives away a gift basket worth over $200!

Tink at Causal Lavish wants to make sure you are summer ready with a cooling SPF!

Beauty's Spot discovers Korres Natural Products for a brilliant Spring Fever Face Mask at home.


Monique at beauty girl musings findsthis mascara's promises not so promising.

Beauty411 reviews Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser and Toner and has the 411 on the upcoming Kiehl's Earth Day promotion!

Rediscover the Muse's old post on Dior's Spring Collection 2008 mascara mad scientist! Help her decide which mascara to try for her next experiment...
Toya interviews her first beauty lover of color - Angie! Do you want to be interviewed, too?

Check out a snippet from a Q&A with The Body Shop international artist Chase Aston on The Daily Cookie!

Mischo Beauty shares her recommendations for an at-home skincare regimen to maintain the health of your skin in-between facials!

Kia of Yummy411 tries MAC's new Mineralize Skinfinish Loose Foundation.

The girls at Beauty in Real Life, let you in on the secret to getting your makeup to stay put all day and still look natural.

A Mom in Red High Heels finds an eco-friendly nail polish that is even safe for pregnant mamas! Discover the brand and fun color names like Crave!

Meredith at Daily Dose of Coffee checks out the new summer fragrance Bronze Goddess from Estee Lauder.

The beauty industry has gone earth-day bananas!

Totalbeauty.com has fabulous amazing prizes and contests for earth day along with quizes and guides to green your beauty routine! Best. Earth Day. Ever.

More Bliss in Celebration of Earth Day!

Bring in your old bliss bag to any spa location on April 22 and they will give you 20% off any purchase of bliss and Laboratoire Remede products. More bliss all around!
Among Bliss fanatics like myself it is no secret that a little blue bliss bag is as much a treasure as the glittering little beauty product gems that are delivered inside them. I personally have used my small bliss bag as a camera case for the last 8 months. Bliss has picked up on their clients' craving for more of everything bliss and in the name of earth day are making this lovely little offering.

Monkee's gets in on the Earth Day Fun too!


Monkee's of Chapel Hill carries
Tory Burch
Milly
Trina Turk
Sigerson Morrison
Donald Pliner
Diane von Furstenburg
Robert Rodriguez
Tibi
Cole Haan
Taryn Rose
Juicy Couture
Kate Spade
Marc Jacobs
Stuart Weitzman....and many more.