Most of us need to do all these things: Awaken, Purify, Refine, Renew and Illuminate.

Golden Path Alchemy is an amazing holistic, handmade, herbal skin care  line. Their unique  combination of Chinese herbs, Western herbs, therapeutic essential oils, flower essences and gem elixirs create powerful healing blends that transform your skin from ordinary to extraordinary.  I was intrigued to try and very much needed to Renew.

What makes the line luxe, is that every product is handmade in small batches with all-natural, local and certified organic ingredients.

Each line is comprensive and has every thing your skin needs.   My fave was the Renew collection, which brings together natural botanical essences that embody the Metal element to refresh, replenish and revitalize, the skin, body and spirit. Renew combines pure, fresh ingredients that breathe new life into your skin uncovering your youthful radiance. This line features uplifting essential oils of Rose, Neroli and Geranium. Selected botanicals, including Coconut, Rosehip, Sea Buckthorn, Pumpkin and Almond, synergistically unite to powerfully hydrate and renew the skin, body and spirit.

The steam and body scrub truly stood out and are now my bath ritual essentials.  Bring the bath back into your life, I say!

Golden Path Alchemy is all about keeping beauty products real.  They are support many initiatives that every girl should know about… one that I have always supported too is The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.  There are too many glowing things to say about the founders Ashley Beckman and Minka Robinson, but both are certified in aromatherapy and flower and gem essence therapy and they are truly heading down the right path.

Ahhhh to now have my very favorite NY luxuries in my own bathroom (read: my own lil’ deep soak bath mini spa + beauty bar).

Their entire arsenal of the most luxe Blow dry bar hair products are now available to ship directly to your door, isn’t online shopping just fabulous.  Their collection of professional formulas is fortified with exclusive pure protein blends to protect, perfect and prolong your blow out every day.

The line is oh so ecoFab too, being free of sulfates and parabens that deplete hair and limit the life of your blow out, not to mention do a doozy on our water supply.   Naturally, never testd on animals, never to be taken for granted.

Here is one stand out from the line…damage control.  I love this pre & post holiday party season…but hopefully the only party damage control I’ll need.

I know, I know.

I have you singin’

What’s up Girl?  What have you done for me lately.  Ooh Ooh Ooh Yeah.

Doll,
I’ve missed you too.   What is a girl to do when the goin’ get CraZy?  So, I will be a peace maven next week and get you all the scoop you’ve been waiting for.  Love ya, mean it.

At least there have been some Apple Cider Bellinis  involved to keep everything on keel.  (my sigi drink for fall xH)

xo H

Tamarind Lychee Candle

The fruits of passion entwine, transporting you to a garden of earthly delights. A place where refreshing white grapefruit, tamarind, lychee blossom and zest of yuzu are warmed with aromatic ginger and smooth, creamy coconut milk to awaken and invigorate the senses.

Malagasy Vanille Home Fragrance Mist

Venture into uncharted territory, at once familiar yet deeply exotic. Capture the feeling with our Malagasy Vanille Home Fragrance Mist. Release the room-filling scent of silken Madagascar vanilla layered with creamy sandalwood, cinnamon bark and golden amber, with a lush undercurrent of bergamot, ylang and velvet musk.

White Persimmon Reed Diffuser

A luscious assortment of ambrosial fruits gilded with notes of rich vanilla…a juicy offering of white nectarine, crisp pears and plump Royal peaches, enshrined with guava and ripe, tangy sweet persimmons.

With artistically inspired design to enhance any décor, Indigenous Home Reed Diffusers offer a fragrant escape to a whole new world.

So, next steps.  Find your faves.  Join my world.  xo H

So Sweet.

BlueDogz Design makes the sweetest recycled wood gifts, home accessories & smile making pieces.  Yes Smile!

The beautiful mama, Nadine (with sweet babe girl), who started this company is a fashion & design maven to be reckoned with.  BlueDogz Design will surly become one of you favorite go to sources for gifting & making your own world a little sweeter.

Here are some highlights of their fabulous line, all gorgeous colors and patterns.

Clipboards. For when a girl is on the job.

Clipboards are great for your office, home, car, cubicle, kitchen or right in your bag – and of course,  they are the essential ingredient to a fantastically great gift!

Be Boxes for your lil’ treasures or just a gorgous way to store every day essentials.
Think, bridesmaid gifts, graduation or fabulous party favours!
As always, BlueDogz Design Be Boxes are made of recycled wood.

Tie a Teeny Tag onto a bouquet of tulips,
a bottle of wine, a clipboard, your luggage,
around napkins for dinner parties or events…

The Big Button Box, a recycled wood box, painted to perfection,
with a pretty satin ribbon that ties around a bone coloured button for closure.

For your Love Letters, what else?

I have to say, Korres is haute on the scene when it comes to makeup.

Their new line did not disappoint, at all!  In fact, I was so impressed with the collection that I have been blabbing about it to all my girl friends …who have been ordering up their own.  I certainly am not parting my Korres lip glosses ladies.

Here are a few of my favs…and 30% OFF code details below!

The lip & cheek tint.

The ultimate lip treatment with an intensely hydrating formula.  Also packed with a juicy pop of color.  Shea Butter’s anti-inflammatory and potent moisturizing benefits cushion the skin and help to restructure it.  Rice Wax helps to seal in hydration, leaving the lips smooth all day.  A product that packs a fabulous punch.

The provitamin B5 and rice bran lash-strengthening mascara.  I never leave the house without my mascara.  Now, I never leave the house without THIS masacara.

Naturally volumizes my thin and brittle lashes, while adding length & drama {I love drama}.  The provitamin B5, is a proven natural hair strengthener, while the rice bran natural extract expands {just like rice does in water} to provide maximum lash length, volume, and fullness.

Get lovely lashes, ladies.

The Monoi oil bronzing powder. Love the bronze, but not a huge fan of the bronze sparkle look.  Then, this is your compact girl.

Monoi oil, is a tropical Tahitian oil, gives skin light, non pore clogging hydration, and enhances skin’s natural radiance.  It is a bronzer to be reckoned with!

So there’s the scoop on Korres…for now…

xo,

Heather

p.s. that fabulous code I promised:  use code: PEACELOVELUXE
for 30% OFF your online order
at korresusa.com
valid till September 30th, 2009

Do you have fabulous curls?  Of course you do.  Are they sometimes, just a little hard to handle?  For those of us who have had a few bad hair days, and we’ve blamed the curl…Deva Curl to the rescue.

Seriously, this line is amazing.  My curls that had gone, let’s just say a lil’ flat this summer with the heat, are back in full force.  It is so easy too, because the product does all the work.  I love that.

I have been using the Low-Poo (he he) cleanser.  It smells of  Starfruit and Mango and is a coconut-derived, mild lathering cleanser.

Then to keep my locks shiny, DevaCurl’s ultra creamy, daily conditioner – OneCondition – which smells of Lemon Grass (this is actually one of my all time fav scents!).

Finally, I style it up with Deva’s curl defining gel – AnGEL – and let’s just say the F-word (we’re talking frizz here) has not reared its devilish head since since.

Plus, Deva Curl is botanically infused and sulfate-free.  Way to go green.

Now go get your curl back.

xo, H

p.s. go check out the full line and become a Deva too.

This is how I rolled on the RV vaca up to Jackson Whole, Yellow Stone & Teton National Parks.  Get out and see our beautiful, beautiful country!  Enjoy the majesty of it all. Don’t mean to sound like a commercial but it is true!

So, I’ve gotta give some props to my outdoor vaca essentials…

Rockin’ the LeSportsac Frieda pack.  I basically never leave home without this baby, and it is a true head turner because it is so glam and cool…and I know everyone else wants one.  So go get your own.  BTW – clicking on the different designs you can pick from is half the fun.

Also have to say my Patagonia windbreaker never let me down either.  When the temperature fluctuates in the mountains or around town this is all ya need.  In purple to, of course.  Least not forget the dedication Patagonia has to our world, our environment.

xo H

Hey dolls.  Did ya miss me?  I totally missed you – mwah – kisses.

I’m back from vaca – WY – Lady Luxe trip – NYC – brought the kiddos back to G-parents – NJ.  Party’s over.  Lots to fill you in on…

Organic Lip & Cheek Balm is a super wide, super luxe, super fab way to get some straight up moisture when you need it or when your babe needs it.

For chapped lips, cheeks, and hands, Erbaviva’s new organic baby balm helps moisturize and heal dry skin while creating a barrier between skin and dry or cold weather. Rosemary extract gives the balm natural antioxidants, while chamomile comforts baby. With a great taste and smell, you and your babe will love the wide stick, easy-to-apply, almost 100% Organic Lip and Cheek Balm!

Organic butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), organic cera alba (beeswax), organic cathamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, organic ricinus communis (castor) seed oil, organic simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, organic lavandula angustifolia (lavander) flower oil, organic anthemis nobilis flower oil, organic calendula officinalis flower extract, organic rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract.

Polish, moisturize, repeat.

The Japanese bathing ritual or “ofuro” has been an important and sacred custom for many centuries. Baths provide both relaxation for the mind and improved health for the body by stimulating blood circulation.

Scrub away stress is what I say.

Yu-Be Foaming Skin Polish is chock full of fine grains of rice bran combine with bamboo and gentle cleansing agents to create a luxuriously foaming scrub that washes away dry skin. Extracts of ginger root and ginseng tone and balance the skin, while green tea, geranium oil and camphor are soothing & refreshing.

After bath, use  Yu-Be Moisturizing Body Lotion to lock it all in. The glycerin formula with a unique blend of vitamin E, B2 and camphor provides ideal daily hydration and protection for many troublesome dry skin conditions. The perfect year-round, all-over body moisturizer.

Sayonara Dryskin!

Gretchen and Grace Greenwear is the ecoBoutique on the scene any they are stocked with our favorite brands like…Del Forte, Eberjey, Kris Nations and Night Owl.

An ecoFabulous place to shop.

Bettering our world doesn’t have to be difficult. It can be relatively easy to make small lifestyle changes that can have a large and positive impact upon our planet. Recycling, fuel and energy conservation—these are ideas that everyone can implement in their lives to lower their carbon footprint and improve our environment.

At Gretchen and Grace, you can find a wealth of resources for green fashion items that you can enjoy all the more for knowing that by purchasing them, you are becoming part of the solution and not the problem. Whether it’s a pair of gorgeous earrings made from recycled materials, the most comfortable organic cotton clothes you’ve ever worn, or personalized stationery that uses 100% recycled paper and vegetable-based inks, expressing yourself has never been so good for our world.

Time to shop ladies.

Okay – I am starting to feel like it is fabulous Etsy week so let’s just call it that.  K.

And, yes, MCA that was for you man.

Here’s the story of a lovely lady – Alisun Franson - Cruisin’ the Streets in Style – How Beatrice Holiday  all came to be…

The birth of Beatrice Holiday – Cruiser Couture came to be after countless mishaps on my cruiser bike. Fallen lipstick into a gutter, lost credit card that slipped out of my pocket while in transit, keys that slipped thru the crack of my basket into another gutter. Lots of cruiser roadkill left in my path! I can’t be the only one right? So, I created a line of Cruiser Handlebar Bags, Cruiser Basket Liners and matching Cruiser Seat Covers crafted out of vintage upholstery fabrics that really make your cruiser stand out from the pack!!

Cruising around the neighborhood is something that is second nature to me living in sunny Denver, Colorado. I love to cruise to the farmer’s market, the park with my dog, meet up with friends that are also on their cruisers. It’s just part of my everyday routine… so naturally I wanted to pimp out my ride a bit – and doing so with vintage fabrics and naming the line after my NANA makes it all that much better.

Beatrice Holiday products are designed and constructed out of vintage upholstery fabrics and made in Denver, COLORADO.

Thank you in advance for supporting locally made products and earth friendly crafts.

RECYCLE CAPS WITH AVEDA

Aveda found that a majority of plastic bottle caps do not get recycled today.

Often these caps end up as litter or trash, ending up in landfills and beaches or migrating into our rivers and oceans. Birds and other marine creatures mistake them for food with tragic results. The magnitude of this pollution problem is devastating to our oceans and wildlife.

You can be part of the solution by joining Recycle Caps with Aveda.

Aveda is announcing a new recycling initiative that helps extend the current boundaries of recycling and elicit participation from all corners of our community. With the help of our network of salons and stores, in partnership with community schools, we are building a new recycling program for plastic bottle caps in which caps are collected at stores and schools and then sent by Aveda to our recycler where the material is recycled into new caps and containers. Aveda has been able to work closely with our suppliers to develop ways to make new caps and containers from the recycled caps. We hope to ship new products using this reworked, environmentally-friendly material later this year.

What type of caps do we collect?
The program accepts caps that are rigid polypropylene plastic, sometimes noted with a 5 in the chasing arrows recycling symbol. This includes caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.

Excluded from collection are pharmaceutical lids and non rigid lids such as yogurt lids, tub lids (margarine, cottage cheese), and screw on lids that are not rigid. If you can bend or break the lid with your bare hands, then it does not meet the rigid plastic definition. Please do not include any metal lids or plastic pumps or sprayers. Unfortunately, too much of the wrong types of materials can contaminate the recycling process. We appreciate your efforts in keeping it clean!

We kicked the cap out of plastic at
New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009

Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2009 marked the official kick-off of Aveda’s Caps Recycling Program—our powerful grassroots effort to help save marine life by reducing the amount of caps littering our beaches and oceans. Models, stylists and designers backstage participated in the program—bringing in their plastic caps to Rodarte, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Preen and Alexander Wang—Aveda’s designer partners in “green-ing” the runways.

Join the Recycle Caps with Aveda campaign. Bring your plastic caps into an Aveda Store and feel great knowing that they will be repurposed into new Aveda packaging and kept from entering our waterways and harming wildlife.

Want to know how your school can get involved?
Click to learn more: Parents | Teachers. Remember to contact capcollection@aveda.com when you are ready to enroll your school.

Like to color or know a child who does?
Click here for a Fun and Educational Recycle Caps with Aveda Coloring Page. Enjoy!

Jee Vice is the reflection of a Woman’s soul. Deep. But we LOVE these glasses.

The collection is a fabulous throwback to the glam designs of the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. All are designed in France and made in Italy.

Seriously ladies, at this point, who doesn’t need a fresh pair of shades for the rest of summer.

Here are a few or our favs:

A cheeky cheek stain, by tarte cosmetics of course. Give a gorgeous, healthy, natural glow.  I love it so much because it is long lasting, and I really can’t mess up.  So easy to put on, blend in and go. FYI: Cheek stains are free of alcohol so they won’t dry out your skin and oil so they won’t clog your pores. Also, they are infused with the tarte t5 super fruit complex™ for a healthy dose of natural antioxidants. The tarte t5 super fruit complex™ is a proprietary blend of the five most active superfruits: goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. The first blend of its kind, the t5 super fruit complex™ is loaded with naturally occurring, antioxidant rich nutrients and vitamins that have been known to deliver refining, anti-aging and skin-restorative benefits with each application.

			skinvigorating™ ingredients
			acai berry extract: antioxidant rich super fruit helps fight free radicals, promotes cell regeneration, has known anti-inflammatory and skin softening properties and combats premature signs of aging
			acerola: rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, which not only aid in brightening skin, but also help fight skin damaging free radicals
			goji berry extract: nutrient dense berry often referred to as a ’super fruit’ due to its numerous nutritional benefits
			maracuja: has been known to reduce redness, irritation & inflammation of the skin
			mineral pigments: colors and dyes derived from natural minerals have been know to soothe and soften the skin
			pomegranate: high concentration of antioxidants and vitamin C
			t5 super fruit complex™: The tarte t5 super fruit complex™ is a proprietary blend of the five most active superfruits: goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate. The first blend of its kind, the t5 super fruit complex™ is loaded with naturally occurring, antioxidant rich nutrients and vitamins that have been known to deliver refining, anti-aging and skin-restorative benefits with each application
			water: pure water delivers and retains moisture

skinvigorating™ benefits dermatologist tested petro chemical free paraben free phthalate free natural fragrance gluten free GMO free oil free preservative free sulfate free talc free

green packaging

tarte’s health couture rocks…don’t ya think…

Health Couture™ is all about pure style:
the marriage between fashion and nature.

We’re on a mission to prove that glamour
can be good for you.

Over the years, you’ve come to know tarte
for our chic, luxe packaging that reflects the latest
runway trends. That style comes naturally to us,
but our beauty is more than just skin deep.
It’s what’s inside that counts, and what’s
inside of our products are wholesome,
skinvigorating™ ingredients that treat, nourish
and protect skin, to help fix problems
instead of simply hiding them.

Mother Nature has never looked
so glamourous.

Sula Beauty’s Paint & Peel Trend Collection

Sula has litereally created an on – off switch for nail polish.

Now it is on, nails looking sexy.  Chip, oops.  Now it is off.  Ready for a fresh coat.

Check  it…

The options in this collection are gorgeous & you are sure to find a fav (or a few).

Fabulous hues inspired by what’s happening on the street and the runway – colors that are hard to come by but not to remove! Touch ups are a snap with the fast drying formula.

.

Sula tells you how it is done…

1. How do I use Paint & Peel™ nail color?
   A: Apply Paint & Peel™ on clean, dry nails. Let dry for at least 30 minutes.
2. How long will it last on the nail?
   A: Without Permanent Top and Base Coat: As long as mascara lasts on your eyelashes? As long as properly applied foundation? Paint & Peel nail color is makeup for your nails. It’s not forever darling. With “Permanent” Top and Base Coat: Paint & Peel will last as long as standard polish.
3. I can’t stand the smell of nail polish and remover, does it smell like all the others?
   A: Nope! It is a water-based product that smells like… nothing! Sula Paint & Peel™ has a “Big 3-Free” formulation that is free from Formaldehyde, Toluene and Phthalates – the smelly stuff, and is also free of the remaining cancer-linked ingredients still found in standard polish.
4. Can I use Paint & Peel™ on acrylic nails?
   A: Paint & Peel™ will paint onto acrylic nails but it will not peel off!
5. Why is it called nail “color”?
   A: This is not your average nail polish. The range of Paint & Peel™ colors combined with how easy it is to apply and remove makes this product effortless. It’s about playing with color. You can’t do that with nail polish.
6. Does it dry faster than normal nail polish?
   A: Yes, two coats take two minutes but we highly recommend letting it set for 30 minutes. It needs this “curing” time before you peel it off.
7. Why Paint & Peel™?
   A: Because it’s non-toxic, fast to apply and fast to dry with an array of amazing colors to choose from. And it’s fun, no… ADDICTIVE to peel. Experimenting with different colors on your nails has never been this easy!
8. Do I need special remover?
   A: No! Even Permanent Top Coat and Metallic Top Coat, which will extend the wear of Paint & Peel™, are water-based and will peel off the nail.
9. How do I peel off the color?
   A: Just like you would chip or peel off your nail polish, start a little chip and then peel the whole thing off in one strip.
10. Will all the peeling ruin my nails?
    A: No, the polish sits on top of the nail and it will not dry them out. Normal environmental elements will dry nails out so you should always condition your nails.
11. How often should I apply?
    A: Daily! Either apply a fresh top coat of the same color, or peel and paint a new one!

JASMINE GRAPEFRUIT, soft, feminine and subtle.  You will love it!

Aluminum & chemical free this is a fabulous deodorant to get you through summer feeling & smelling fresh.

Organic grain alcohol. Essential oils: Jasmine, Grapefruit, Ginger, Cedarwood, Cypress, Orange, Sage and Lemon

Here’s the scoop on Erbaviva & why we love them so much!

Erbaviva uses the purest, highest quality ingredients it is possible to find. Starting with the quality of the organic essential oils, which are the finest you will find anywhere. Sourced from around the world they import their own oils from the finest growers and distillers. Often Erbaviva’s suppliers are small farms who have worked for generations to make the optimum essential oil they can make.

All of their other raw ingredients, whether they be organic oats, organic milk , organic lavender flowers, organic echinacea etc., all have a remarkable story connected to how and where they are sourced. All in all, you can feel completely confident that Erbaviva has brought some of nature’s best ingredients & products.

It is summer.  It is hop.  All kids jump in the pool!

Then the bath…try this California Baby Shampoo and Body wash for the perfect wash up.

Age: 6 months and older
For Use: Hair, face and body
Scent: Beautiful aromatherapy blend that includes lemongrass (yummmm)

Exceptional! Beautiful scent! Gentle! Works to rebalance pH! We can go on and on… The structure of the hair is very vulnerable to drying agents such as sea salt, chlorine and styling aids. California Baby®’s silky Swimmer’s Defense™ Shampoo & Bodywash works to wash them away gently yet thoroughly. No tears and extremely biodegradable. Perfect for year-round use.

To take the green out of blonde hair: For blondes,‘going green’, after prolonged exposure to chlorine in swimming pools isn’t unusual. In fact, sometimes darker hair can develop a green tint to it too. According to studies, the problem is due to high concentrations of copper dissolved in the pool water. Copper can chemically interact with chlorine and the resulting chemical compound readily binds to the hair cuticle. It has also been reported that high levels of copper in tap water can turn hair green! One solution is to wash hair immediately after swimming with a pH rebalancing shampoo (like this!).

A note from Jessica, developer of California Baby®: Bask in the scents of summer year-round with this unique and useful shampoo & bodywash. I always remember summers by their smell and I’m certain that this blend will make it to many top ten lists. Add this product to your shampoo rotation; it will remove build up, add moisture and make washing your hair a treat instead of chore—I love it!

A mild and gentle cleanser.  You simply can’t go wrong.

Sensitive and reactive skin gets soothed and restored with this gentle hypoallergenic cleansing lotion. It’s a creamy, fragrance-free facial treatment that gently cleans, calms and protects your skin.

Sweet almond oil is packed with essential fatty acids that help nourish and soothe your sensitive skin while balancing your moisture loss and absorption for truly healthy beauty. Plum kernel oil contains high quantities of antioxidants and vitamins A and E, which absorb easily to soften your skin and protect from skin-damaging free radicals and environmental influences. Your skin feels calm, supple and balanced. Fragrance-free and delightfully mild, you can’t help but be soothed by the purity of your naturally cleansed skin.

And the photos of the biodynamic farms and flowers they get all their ingredient from are too beautiful not to share.

big, chunky and luxe bar of soap.  get one in your bath!

simply devine.  by hugo naturals.

each bar is handcrafted with vitamin e, botanical extracts and pure essential oils.

all are handcrafted from cruelty-free ingredients.