Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You don't have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day; everyone can be Irish today. Just because! Do you want to wear green or go green? St. Patrick's Day may be a good day for a green choice. Here are some ideas for you if you choose to go green - all featured here in the past. These are organic and natural beauty products that have earned their place in my life.

John Masters, Amazon Beauty (Rahua), and WEN hair care products are natural choices to make your hair healthy and shiny. You can find them at their own sites and at Beautorium, New London Pharmacy, and QVC, respectively.

Try MELVITA skin care. Founded in Ardèche, France by beekeeper and biologist Bernard Chevilliat in 1983, Melvita (meaning "honey and life" in Latin) has always been a passionate advocate for the complete organic lifestyle. Check out the many MELVITA options at SkinStore.com.

Looking for fragrance? How about Kō Denmark Organic Jasmine + Neroli Roll-On Perfume for pure jasmine and neroli oils combined to create a heavenly fragrance. Or Ambre Blends, unique essential oils with an amber base for a sultry sophistication? How about one of Mandy Aftel's gorgeous scents, which you can find at Aftelier Perfumes?

Alima Pure is offering a 20% discount on green eye shadows and green eyeliners to celebrate the day. You'll receive bonus samples of D'Oro and Gold Dust with each green order.

Kiehl's Organic Açaí Skin Care Collection The four-product line is everything you would expect from Kiehl's and more. It's Ecocert and Gold Cradle-to-Cradle certified.

My favorite U.S.-made olive oil is made by McEvoy Ranch. Just in case you aren't a "foodie," McEvoy Ranch makes some of the best olive oils on earth. They are certified organic - not simply great, but award-winning.

Definitely try McEvoy's 80 Acres skin- and body-care products enriched with McEvoy Ranch estate-produced pure, organic olive oil. Morningside and THANN are two more of my favorite natural skin-care brands.

Don't forget the Green Grab Bag, your source for natural, organic, and vegan beauty sampling.

You won't find yourself sacrificing elegance for purity when you use these products. They are luxury defined. Want to add your own favorites in the comments?

I think going as green as possible is more important than wearing green one day out of the year. Nevertheless, I'll be wearing green today. I have a smattering of Irish blood in me!

Update: Look at this gorgeous green tie Jason Layden, Tom Ford rep at Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie, was wearing today! I had to snap a photo of the chrysanthemum pattern in the store, so it's a little dark. I'd love to have a scarf in this pattern!

Photo at top courtesy of Julian Powell. You could follow the little darling at Facebook.

Green Grab Bag - Natural, Organic, and Vegan Beauty Sampling

In an effort to demystify the world of eco-friendly beauty, White Apricot has introduced the Green Grab Bag, a monthly sampling program that delivers a sustainable jute bag, filled with natural, organic, and vegan beauty product minis into the hands of beauty addicts across the United States.

Named one of Lucky magazine's "Five Eco Sites to Love" in 2010, White Apricot has become a go-to resource for staying on top of what's hip and hot in the eco-friendly world. Each week online, White Apricot spotlights the latest trends in green fashion, beauty, and lifestyle and directs subscribers to sources for featured products.

"The way Green Grab Bag works is not unlike other popular sampling programs, except in this case, every product in the bag - from cosmetics to skin care, shampoo and nail polish - is organic, natural, and/or vegan," says White Apricot's founder Carrie Pollare, who along with Editor Bonny Osterhage, conceived of Green Grab Bag as a way to give White Apricot readers the luxury of test driving some of the best natural and organic beauty products and vegan cosmetics on the market.

I was sent the Green Grab Bag shown above for consideration for review. If you think you'd like to try the Green Grab Bag program, you can choose from a $15 month-to-month subscription or a discounted one-year subscription at $145. Each month, you'll receive a bag of natural beauty product minis. If you find a product you love, you can order it at a discount through the White Apricot Exclusive Offers page. You can see the contents of the bags from the last few months at this link.

My Green Grab Bag arrived in eco-friendly packaging. I eagerly dove into the bag, discovering all the goodies. As you might expect, I had immediate favorites. The Vapour Organic Beauty Aura Multi-Use Blush Classic ($28) in Spark sang to me. Aura Multi-Use Blush is available in five universally-flattering colors work on all skin tones. We can give the Vapour glow to cheeks, lips, and eyes with one convenient stick. Aura blends like a dream for a polished look in seconds. No wonder Aura is the darling of beauty editors!

Vapour Aura Multi-Use Blush is made with 70% certified organic ingredients and 30% mineral pigments and vitamins. It nourishes with Vapour’s face-specific infusion of anti-inflammatory frankincense, antioxidant tulsi, and moisturizing and calming lotus flowers - all without chemicals.

I think Spark is a stunning peach shade. It applies and blends effortlessly for a pretty glow. Here's a swatch photo of Spark taken in full sun (which upped the shine factor). I applied it straight from the tube to my arm and didn't blend it.

The moment I saw Spark, I thought of Kelly at Gouldylox Reviews. Not only is she an active advocate for cruelty-free beauty, she's a peach blush addict. I think she would love Spark. Unfortunately, I don't want to give mine away.

I was also smitten by the sample from the Maris collection of pure skin care products. The collection consists of natural soaps, bath and shower gels, body scrubs, crèmes, and lotions. The pure scents are complex blends, inspired by the most beautiful places in the world. The spa-quality ingredients include African shea butter, organic Madagascar vanilla, Moroccan rhassoul clay, and Indian jasmine oil. Divine!

I had fun with my Green Grab Bag and think I'll order the next one offered. Fifteen dollars is a small price to pay for all the samples in the bag, some deluxe. You can find the Green Grab Bag at the White Apricot Web site. See what you think and let us know!

Photo at top courtesy of White Apricot/Green Grab Bag; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Let's Go Green!

You don't have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick's Day; everyone can be Irish today. Just because! Do you want to wear green or go green? St. Patrick's Day may be a good day for a green choice. Here are some ideas for you if you choose to go green - all featured here in the last year. These are organic and natural beauty products that have earned their place in my life.

John Masters, Rahua Beauty, and WEN hair care products are natural choices to make your hair shine. You can find them at Beautorium, New London Pharmacy, and Chaz Dean, respectively - and at other sites.

Try MELVITA skin care. Founded in Ardèche, France by beekeeper and biologist Bernard Chevilliat in 1983, Melvita (meaning "honey and life" in Latin) has always been a passionate advocate for the complete organic lifestyle. Check out the many MELVITA options at SkinStore.com.

Those beekeepers are onto something. Beecology has a beautiful line of skin-care and hair-care products.

Looking for fragrance? How about Kō Denmark Organic Jasmine + Neroli Roll-On Perfume for pure jasmine and neroli oils combined to create a heavenly fragrance. Or Ambre Blends, unique essential oils with an amber base for a sultry sophistication?

Holly Green at Norabloom offers a wonderful botanical Rose Bud Creme Cleanser. It contains an impressive list of good-for-your-skin ingredients, and as you might imagine, the natural fragrance is heavenly.

Kiehl's Organic Açaí Skin Care Collection The four-product line is everything you would expect from Kiehl's and more. Introduced last year, it's Ecocert and Cradle-to-Cradle certified.

My favorite U.S.-made olive oil is made by McEvoy Ranch. Just in case you aren't a "foodie," McEvoy Ranch makes some of the best olive oils on earth. They are certified organic - not simply great, but award-winning. Beautyhabit offers 80 Acres, a small line of skin- and body-care products enriched with McEvoy Ranch estate-produced pure, organic olive oil.

You won't find yourself sacrificing elegance for purity when you use these products. They are luxury defined. Want to add your own favorites in the comments?

I think going as green as possible is more important than wearing green one day out of the year. Nevertheless, I'll be wearing green today. I have a smattering of Irish blood in me!

P.S. If you click on the links here, you can learn more about the products and where to find them.

Photo courtesy of literatehousewife.com

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! May the luck of the Irish be with you today and every day!

Remember to wear green today. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day! Here are some green-themed products and offers to put you in the mood.

Interested in a new green fragrance? Bond No. 9 High Line ($145 or $220) is now available (you can read the BTiB post here). The scent starts off with a prairie grazing weed - purple love grass - mixed with citrusy bergamot and zesty Indian rhubarb. The perfume’s floral heart is composed with red-leaf rose, Lady Jane tulips, and grape hyacinth. Its lingering base notes combine bur oak - from the sheltering tree that thrives in New York - with imported sea moss, musk, and teakwood to evoke the Hudson River’s proximity.

How about a green eye shadow? Even if you don't want to cover your lid entirely with green, you can use the shadow as a liner close to the base of your lashes or "paint a pop" of green in the center of your lid.

The Armani Beauty Maestro Eye Shadows ($29) are among my favorites. The formula contains pure silk-like powders to create a soft, lightweight texture that glides onto the eyelids in a silken veil of color - the application is even and easy to blend. Three different finishes replicate the breathtaking effects Giorgio Armani achieves with silk in his clothing: #15 is matte and gives smooth, deep color; #13 is satin to create a lustrous sheen; and #14 illuminates with iridescent deep teal shimmer. All three are gorgeous, and as you might imagine, I have all three! I'll be wearing #13 today.

Don't forget the green nail polish! Choices abound.

Let's not forget the earth-friendly products we now call "green." Beautorium is celebrating St. Patrick's Day with a drawing. Three Green Beauty Selection Kits worth over $100 each will be given away. You can enter their contest by becoming a Beautorium fan on Facebook or following @Beautorium on Twitter - or both. Sign up today, and you will receive special offers in e-mail. Beautorium is a standout company - one of the best natural and organic beauty sites on the Web!

How will I be celebrating? I will prepare my hair with John Masters Organics shampoo and conditioner that I bought from Beautorium. I'll be wearing my latest green fragrance, Armani's green eye shadow, a green tourmaline on my hand, and, of course, a touch of green in my clothing. I may have to go looking for some green beer too! Hope you have a fun day!

Photos courtesy of life123.com, Armani Beauty, and Beautorium

Beautorium's Think Pink, Go Green Campaign

"Think Pink, Go Green" is the theme of Beautorium's campaign for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and this campaign will last well beyond October!

Natural beauty retailer Beautorium will be donating the proceeds from select products listed on their Web site to support a new initiative that will unite breast cancer fundraising, in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure North Jersey Affiliate, with education about the health benefits of natural and organic beauty products. From October 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010, 25% of the proceeds from select products will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Beautorium has enlisted several of its brands, among the top natural beauty companies in the world, to participate in the effort. Exuberance Beauty, John Masters Organics, Juice Beauty, Marina Cosmetics, Pangea Organics, Red Flower, Revolution Organics, Saaf, Sophyto, and Trilogy will donate to the cause. Melvita Organics will also join the lineup at the time of its US debut. Among the 40 natural and organic products hand-picked to benefit Susan G. Komen North Jersey are Beautorium top-sellers like Trilogy Organic Rosehip Oil, Exuberance Brightening Facial Serum with Vitamin C, Saaf Organic Eraser Body Oil, and Juice Beauty SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer.

The unique support that Beautorium brings to Susan G. Komen highlights the organizations’ interest in health awareness and education for women. In addition to raising funds that will help save lives, bring care and support to breast cancer patients, and work toward a cure, Beautorium seeks to further the understanding of the importance of natural and organic products for our best health. Many ingredients that are commonly found in commercial beauty preparations have been linked to cancer or other health issues. Given that skin is our largest organ, able to absorb 60% of what we put on our bodies, the choice of natural and organic personal care products is an important step in protecting ourselves from an overload of harmful chemicals.

Beautorium offers only the highest quality natural products that are free from ingredients like parabens, phthalates, sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and polyethylene glycol, which may pose serious health risks. To learn more about the potentially harmful ingredients in your beauty products, visit Skin Deep.

Beautorium founder Ann Francke says, “We are passionate about the fight against breast cancer and thank Susan G. Komen North Jersey for the opportunity to support their work. We are hoping that our benefit campaign will be highly successful and enjoyed by all!"

You know from reading Best Things in Beauty that Beautorium is an online marketplace with a premier collection of natural and organic beauty care. They take the guesswork out going green by carefully editing the world’s most effective and ethical natural beauty brands. The beauty world is saturated with “natural” and “organic” products, and it’s hard to know what’s real and if it works. Beautorium has hand-picked and carefully screened over 650 products from 20 brands according to five selective criteria to ensure consumers get an authentic, effective, and elegant experience. For more information go to their Web site.

I've certainly been impressed with the products I have purchased at Beautorium. I anxious to try their new brands: Revolution Organics and Melvita, which will be added on November 9. Meanwhile, I'll have bouncy, shiny hair from John Masters Organics hair care products!

P.S. Until midnight today, you can get free shipping on a $50 order with code FreeFall.

Photo courtesy of Beautorium