 Another Earth Day has come and gone but shouldn't every day be Earth Day? One way to make every day Earth Day is to live consciously. What does that mean? For me, it means choosing my beauty and personal care products with awareness. Making conscious decisions about what I purchase. It can be overwhelming to look at every label, every ingredient and determine the risks of using those ingredients. But I try to do the best I can! That's really all we can do - be aware and make informed decisions about our personal care products. We can support the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and educate ourselves and others. By taking action with your wallet you are telling manufacturers that you want them to stop using harmful chemicals in our personal care products. If possible, products that we use on a daily basis should contain the least harmful ingredients. You may decide that you just can't do without that body wash or hair conditioner that has some questionable ingredients. At least you are making the decision to use that product with the knowledge of the ingredients. There are a few products that I choose to use knowing that there may be substances in them that are not good for me or the environment. I have yet to find a hair coloring and product line that can deliver the performance and yet be completely "natural," although there are a few brands out there. Intelligent Nutrients brand by Aveda founder Horst Rechelbacher is one I would love to try. They don't offer professional hair coloring but do offer hair care products. A bit more pricey so used less often. But then, I recycle just about everything there is, purchase other products that are all natural, use reusable bags when shopping, purchase organic produce, volunteer and do what I am asking others to - just do the best you can to make every day Earth Day!
As the summer transitions to fall and the leaves begin to drop, we are reminded that life is forever changing, moving forward, the cycle never-ending. Changes are happening at Inspire Natural Beauty as well! We are welcoming the Nardo's Natural brothers into our space. They will continue to provide luxury spa services, featuring their awesome skin care products. Although the decor may be different, the spirit and commitment to green beauty remains. The brothers and I share a passion for quality products made with natural, safe ingredients.
Speaking of the transition from summer to fall, you may have noticed your skin becoming a little drier as the weather becomes cooler and less humid. To keep your skin healthy and supple, exfoliation is necessary to keep the dry flakes away. As an alternative to manual exfoliation (scrubs and brushes), which can be irritating to sensitive skin, try using a gentle exfoliant that sloughs off dead skin cells. Some natural brands to try include Nardo's Natural Facial Cleanser & Exfoliant which removes oil, dirt and make up while gently exfoliating the skin all in one step, Eminence Organic Skin Care's Rosehip Exfoliating Masque, and Tata Harper's Regen
Last month I posted about our indiegogo campaign to raise money to keep our business open. There are 7 days left in our campaign! This is the home stretch and we are biting our nails (we will DEFINITELY need a manicure after this!) in anticipation. Why are we so nervous? After much soul searching, I have reached a decision to close Inspire Natural Beauty if the indiegogo campaign did not work out. As you know, there are hard times all around and we have felt them personally and as a small business - I say they are one in the same - Inspire Natural Beauty born of my dreams, my flesh, my blood and tears. Over the past year or so I have learned so much about business, finances, local government, other local businesses and associations in St. Pete. I have also learned a lot about myself. I would like to thank everyone who supported us from the beginning along with our new friends that just found us. If you can't donate to our campaign can you please send it out to your friends who support green businesses?
Inspire Natural Beauty Eco Day Spa is just that - my dream to inspire others to use natural and organic beauty products that are safe for you and safe for the environment. Spa services can be taxing on the environment using gallons and gallons of water not only in the services themselves but also in washing linens and towels, using disposable tissues, cotton rounds, plastic lip gloss applicators, etc. In addition, spas use large amounts of energy for their lighting and equipment. Eco day spas specifically aim to reduce energy and water use and its impact on the environment. Eco day spas recycle and choose products that come in less packaging or in recyclable packaging. The focus is on lowering the environmental impact while providing luxury spa services. Inspire Natural Beauty wants to go beyond that by also supporting local business owners that produce natural and organic beauty products. In order to reach that goal we recently started an Indiegogo crowd funding campaign. Eco day spas can contribute to their local communities by educating the public about the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and harmful chemicals that are in many personal care products, volunteering for environmental and social causes, and donating spa services and/or beauty products to local charities for fundraising. There is nothing more satisfying than helping others to reduce stress in their lives, make them feel beautiful and relaxed while contributing to the world around us. We hope you will check out our Indiegogo Campaign and share it with your friends!
 Courtesy of Limelight Photography Can you believe that half of the year has almost gone by? June is not only half way through the year but often thought of as the kick off to "wedding season." Although here in St. Petersburg, wedding season is all year round! Temperatures rise into the 90's some days as Spring moves into Summer so we have decided to give you some tips on keeping your wedding make up fresh! First, start with a good, clean, exfoliated and moisturized face by getting a facial. BUT don't get your facial the morning of your wedding! Totalbeauty.com recommends getting one at least two weeks before your big day. Now that your face is fresh, start with a primer such as jane iredale's Absence Oil Control Primer to smooth out your pores and get your face ready for your make up. We prefer jane iredale's Purepressed Base mineral make up since it can be layered for full coverage without looking cakey on camera. You also want to apply a base or primer to eyelids to help keep eye make up from creasing and slipping. jane iredale's Eye Glosses will NOT crease or budge after drying - so make sure you have it where you want it before it dries! The lighter colors such as Liliac and Champagne create a soft shimmery base. Now that your "base" or "canvas" is finished apply eyeshadow, cheek color and lots of mascara. For lips, we like Vapour Organic Beauty's Siren Lipsticks in Knockout for long lasting, yet comfortable color. Use a coordinating lip pencil for longer lasting wear. We strongly suggest that you have a make up "trial" with your make up artist to get the look just right. If you are doing your own make up, try a few looks and write down the products you used so you can recreate it on your big day. Kaitlyn used her make up artistry skills on Elena for her wedding and did a few trials with her to get just the perfect look for her special day!
 Wow! I just noticed that we skipped an entire MONTH! It seems we get caught up in the day to day activities and those turn into weeks and then months and years. I have been reading a lot lately about slow beauty. One major advocate of "slow beauty" is Shel Pink, founder of the SpaRitual brand. She talks about how frenzied we are and how the modern beauty industry is focused on "anti-aging." She describes it as a "product centric...war against ourselves." I agree. We have increasingly sped up our life styles - fast food, immediate gratification, instant messaging, smart phones, and on and on. It's time to slow down and appreciate time, be in the moment and savor it. Experience the smell and feel of fruit enzymes and pulps in our Eminence masques, not as a luxury for immediate gratification for its "anti-aging" properties, but for the appreciation of knowing that it was sourced ethically, without harming the planet or any animals. The spa experience is not one of luxury, although it DOES feel luxurious. Regular facials keep your skin looking radiant and regular massages keep your body and mind relaxed and able to handle the daily stress you put on it. Manicures and pedicures maintain the health of your hands, feet and nails. Slow beauty is healthy beauty that encompasses mind, body and spirit.
That's right! I am confessing that I am a make up hoarder. Although I have changed most of my beauty routine to natural and organic products, I just can't seem to let go of that full bottle of Bobbie Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting SPF 15 foundation that promised to keep my oily skin matte for hours or the Clinique Redness Solutions Make Up SPF 15 (and, of course, the accompanying Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder) that assured me that my rosacea would be calmed and my skin left luminous. I still have the the unused Sephora samples and "Beauty Insider" gifts, Tarte lip stains in multiple colors and formulations, what seems like hundreds of Bare Minerals eye shadows, Trish McEvoy shadows and blushes, countless Aveda lip glosses, stains and lipsticks, Korres lip balms and on and on! My obsession with make up started early in life when I realized that make up has no size, it can be worn by all women and it can transform you from an ugly ducking to magical swan with just a few brush strokes! I was forever seeking the next miracle foundation, powder, eyelash curler, make up brush or skin care product. If it was advertised or reviewed in Vogue, Allure, Marie Claire, W Magazine or any other beauty magazine, it made my list of "must haves." The more exclusive the better! I once drove to Orlando just to get the "new" Meteorites from Guerlain - those little balls of sparkling of powder were irresistible! Today, as I sifted through bottles and tubes whose expiration dates had come and gone, just to find my lip balm, I realized that I had to let go. So, I will be cleaning out all my products that have expired, ones that I will never use - bright blue eyeshadow anyone?And ones that I know contain harmful chemicals. When deciding what to keep and what to toss, I will be using the guidelines Marie Claire has posted on their web site:The little picture either on the label or bottom of a product of an opened jar with a number is the amount of time the product will be considered "fresh" or safe for use. But if there is not a date or a symbol, you can follow the guidelines below. Expiration dates — beginning from the time you first open these products Powders and shadows: 2 years Cream shadows: 12 to 18 months Foundation: 1 year Lipstick & lipliner: 1 year Mascara & eyeliners: 3 months Makeup brushes: Clean weekly using a mild detergent Makeup sponges: Replace weekly, or when sponge becomes soiled Read more: Makeup Expiration Dates - Expired Makeup - Marie Claire Are you addicted to make up too? Tell us your story!
As you already know, we LOVE Nardo's Natural products but get ready because they made them even better (if that's possible!). The Brothers will be appearing on the ABC reality show "Shark Tank" and are launching their "Fourever Young" four piece skincare line. The set comes in a cute box and contains a face cleanser & exfoliant, face cream, age-defying serum and regenerative mask. PLUS it comes with a lip balm!! Every thing you need to keep your skin FOUREVER YOUNG. Check out their re-vamped web site @ Nardosnatural.com or drop by and see their awesome calendar displayed at Inspire Natural Beauty today!
We were recently notified that we will be recognized as a Pinellas County Extension Green Business Partner! The program is open to all businesses in Pinellas County that "choose to implement resource conservation measures and demonstrate a culture of environmental, social and economic awareness in their business practices." At Inspire Natural Beauty we are committed to providing the best day spa services in an environmentally friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Why is that important to us? In supporting the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics we have committed to reducing our guests exposure to harmful chemicals in all the decision we make from the skin care and cosmetic lines we carry, the cleaning products we use, choosing glass cups for our refreshments instead of paper or plastic cups and recycling everything we can! We are always looking for more ways to green - so please share any of your tips with us!
_Now that my cleanse is over and Thanksgiving overindulgence has ended, I decided to dig a little deeper into the relationship between diet and your skin. I had noticed a significant decrease in my rosacea symptoms during the cleanse and am wondering exactly how diet effects your skin. I came across this article about balancing your diet to control rosacea. We have many guests coming into the spa who are battling rosacea. Three people came in just today! So you can image how prevalent this skin condition is. Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that produces a flushing of the skin, can also include a red rash, capillary damage, and sensitive skin. It flares up depending on the person who is suffering from this skin problem. Some people have a flushing, redness to their skin and no other symptoms, others experience the flushing and a rash, acne and other symptoms. If you suffer from rosacea or any other skin disease check out this article - it has great information on how your diet can effect the condition of your skin:
http://www.dermaharmony.com/rosacea/alkalinedietandrosacea.aspx
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