I’ve noticed that I have unwittingly fallen into a winter beauty routine: I wake up, get ready for work, hop on the bus and immediately put lotion on my hands.

I get to work, wash my hands (busses are gross) and put more lotion on my hands.

…I have two bottles of lotion in my office, a travel-size container in my purse, and two more bottles at home: one on my nightstand and one by the bathroom sink.

It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.

No matter how much water I drink, winter destroys my hands.  They’ve have gotten drier as I’ve gotten older, too, and I’m easily able to go through an entire eight-ounce container of lotion before it goes bad or I get bored.  As long a lotion is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and synthetic fragrances, I’ll make use of it.

Since my pot of Karma Kream is almost out, I’ve started looking for new lotions again.  Though I love the lotions I have, I’m not a brand loyalist (yet), so I’m really excited to try something new!

I see lotions scented with citrus, rose and lavender all the time, but almost never jasmine – and never, ever just jasmine. It’s one of my favorite scents, and finding a jasmine lotion created by eco-friendly Jurlique (price: $38) is huge. (I’d probably toss their Love Bomb, a salve that’s good for lips, fingertips and other small areas, in my purse.)

Out of Africa works with women’s co-operatives in Benin, West Africa to create raw, natural shea butter products that are vegan and eco-friendly, and uses the proceeds of their natural shea butters to support School Children Unite, giving kids in the same area better education opportunities. Their natural shea butters come in unscented, lavender and verbena, and they’re only $8.99 each.

I cannot believe that Hugo Naturals All Over Body Lotion is gluten-free, paraben-free, SLS-free, petroleum-free, vegan, only $9.99 and comes in all of these scents:

• Sea Fennel and Passionflower;
• Spearmint;
• Grapefruit;
• Lemon Verbena and Bergamot;
• Unscented;
• Vanilla and Sweet Orange;
• French Lavender; and
• Shea Butter and Oatmeal.

Lemon verbena and bergamot?  Sea fennel and passionflower?  I’ve died.  This is heaven.  Thanks, God.  Two moisturized thumbs way, way up.

Dr. Andrew Weil, the founder of integrative medicine, partnered with Origins to create a line of natural products. As a physician, he promotes integrating alternative and traditional medical techniques to achieve optimal health. He’s a big believe in stress reduction and is against the war on drugs. I dig him a whole lot, but even if I didn’t, I independently dig the idea of a Matcha-based lotion. Energizing!

I just received a sample of this hand cream and am really excited to try it. At first I thought, “Ew, cherry? Cherry princess? What is this?” Then I dabbed a little on my fingers, rubbed it in, and sniffed. It’s intoxicating: a blend of cherries and floral notes that is really unexpected, but not as “LOOK AT WHAT A GIRL I AM” as I thought it would be. I can’t wait to see how it wears throughout the day…and if I love it, I may even pick up the Cherry Princess Solid Perfume as an in-purse pick me up.

hemp

I recently wore my b greens during a workout (I’m using Running Mate – similar to Couch to 5K – to get myself back in shape) and was surprised at how well they held up: no bunching, wedgies, or weirdness.  If that doesn’t constitute a panty party…well, I’m having one anyway, so too bad.

While I love my lacy, mesh, frilly stuff, there’s something to be said about a pair of classic cotton panties.  b green carries lots of different styles, but they’re all cut to the same four forms: bikini, thong, brief and short:

• Organic Classic Bikini
• Organic String Bikini
• Organic Bikini with Lace
• Organic Boy Short
• Organic Hot Short (yowza!)
• Organic Hot Short with Lace
• Organic Hi-Cut Brief
• Organic Thong
• Organic Thong with Lace

Oh, and that’s the other theme: every pair of b green panties is made using 95% organic cotton.  Their absolute commitment to eco-friendly materials is as important to them now as it was when they began.  Consistency!  I love it.

Along with panties, b green also makes classic tees, menswear (including organic cotton boxers and briefs) and my current obsession, activewear.  I recently resolved that I would only buy green workout gear from now on (including the recycled Under Armour top we found at Nordstrom Rack last week) and am really excited that I have b green as an option for yoga pants and a hoodie – which I am sorely in need of.

Organic Athletica Hoodie

Organic Sports Cami and Organic Yoga Crop Pant

Speaking of active, have you recently started a new fitness routine?  I’d love an accountability buddy!

organic

Anna K!

Congratulations, Anna! The lovely Max from New Factory, Friend will contact you soon to get your color choice, size preference and shipping address.

Didn’t win? There’s a giveaway going on right now at The Ethical Rag, and more coming soon!

With that in mind, it’s high time I share one of Lindsay’s and my ethical fashion secrets: eco-friendly sale sites. Earlier this month we featured the budget fashion websites we’re most excited to shop about in 2012 on Broke & Beautiful, and now it’s Awakened Aesthetic’s turn! Every site below either caters to all-eco-fashion or features hoards of US-made, fairly-traded and organic designs.

#1: OpenSky

OpenSky isn’t the most eco-friendly – it can’t be, with curators from all walks of life spanning the design, health, food and fashion categories – but with bombshell vegans like Alicia Silverstone and green mavens like EcoStilleto, you have a lot to choose from.  I spend sooooo many hours on this website: following curators, adding organic foods to my wish list, swooning over eco-friendly clothing and vegan shoes.  It takes some fortitude, and also a lot of snacks, but my wish list grows strong.  (Time to go back to the health and fitness section again…)

And that, to me, is the best thing of all: OpenSky isn’t just about fashion.  Or beauty.  Or whatever.  It spans all of my obsessions, allowing me to order new headphones, gluten-free cookies (must…replenish…snacks) and a Five Bamboo dress all at the same time.

I follow an absolute symphony of people, and I won’t force you to slog through a list a miles long, so instead I’ll give you a short and dirty list of my favorite curators on OpenSky right now:

• Michele Varian, a designer who features products using sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood;
• Keri Glassman, a dietitian with a penchant for organic tea;
• Cynthia Rowley, whom I bow to (she also often features indie designers and organics);
• Carolyn Murphy, a local-loving model featuring lots of US-made fashion and food;
• Shopafrolic – see that ostrich clutch above? It’s faux, and they feature it!;
• Bradley Bayou, whose choices encompass everything I want in my home and on my body;
• Alicia Silverstone, one of my first choices to follow, only features sustainable, vegan products; and
• MarcellaVallodolid, whom I’d never head of before I fell in love with the organic bamboo cutting board she’s currently featuring.

#2: LovingEco

Awakened Aesthetic partnered with LovingEco last September, and we’d do it again in a heartbeat.  What I love about LovingEco is the way they sneakily educate you as you shop:

• Next to the price of each sale item is a list of icons that tell you the ways in which the item is ethical (biodegradable, fair trade, handmade, vegan, etc.);
• Beneath the price is the name of the non-profit you’ll be donating to with each purchase; and
• Each week, LovingEco features TasteMakers, who have a chance to support their own favorite charity.

Every time I visit LovingEco I learn more about the brands and charitable organizations they’re involved with…and I’m doing it while shopping.  For things that are on sale.  Um, yeah.

Did I mention that their sales last all week?  Because I don’t have to rush through the typical one-day sample sale, I can take my time deciding exactly which Mata Traders dress I have to have, knowing that my purchase does something good for multiple eco-aware companies.

#3: Pure Citizen

Pure Citizen is moving up in the ranks!  Along with our feature in 2010, they’ve also been discussed on Refinery 29 and CNBC – and with good reason: Pure Citizen does flash sales right, sending its subscribers short daily emails (the Daily Love) with a list of the ethical brands they’re featuring each day.  Each sale lasts 72 hours and offers organic and vegan fashion at between thirty and ninety percent off.

Those high discounts have…well, it’s not a catch, per se.  More of an incentive.  If you think you’re getting a screaming deal, you can choose to donate part of they money you’ve saved to charity – directly, with one click, through Pure Citizen‘s website.  They’ve already raised thousands of dollars!

I’m a huge fan of Pure Citizen’s Last Chance Sale, which always features ethical brands at deep discounts – it’s like a flash sale clearance section.

#4: Citizens Planet

I get kind of giddy about maps.

Citizens Planet aims to “bridge the global fashion gap” by offering its members a chance to learn about and purchase from designers and brands from around the world.  They do all the legwork – chatting with locals, scouring small boutique stores – and are focused on finding brands that best reflect the culture surrounding them, allowing a girl in Seattle to wear real, localized, classic French fashion without paying an arm and a leg.  This is the kind of site I get excited for, because it immediately reminds me of all of the cool places and people in the world – and makes me strive a little harder to see them someday.

#5: Fab.com

Ohmygodyouguys. Fab. If you haven’t gotten into Fab.com yet, now is the time. They’re this sexy beacon of independent art and design, featuring artists that span style and era while playing with the idea of function and form. Fab’s like that cool artistic guy you met in college and wish you had the stones to talk to, but he’s just so cool… – except in this version of events you and Fab meet at a party and he’s actually really down to earth, and later you realize that you’re an interesting, sexy person too, so there’s really nothing to be nervous about.

All this to say that Fab features tons of unique designs, but it all seems somehow relateable – you know?

Have you found a new favorite eco-fashion website?  Tell me about it!

Coffee + Shopping.

It’s true – every time. We fight with our partners – coffee + shopping. We show up wearing the same thing – coffee + shopping. The moon falls out of the sky – coffee  + shopping. Our collective, next-to-each-other, shared BFF epitaph – coffee + shopping.

You get the drift.

After a tough work day yesterday, we decided to coffee + shopping and head into Nordstrom Rack for some eye-candy and affordable fashion. As we walked the three story Seattle store, we started to feel a little odd. Other-dimension-odd.

Everywhere we looked – there were ethical fashion and beauty products.

A massive Burt’s Bees & Origins display!

Don’t get me wrong – we’re born’n'bred Seattle girls – Nordstrom is an amazing store (one of the best ever, we say!) and they have been carrying ethical designers and products for years, but we’re not used to seeing high-end ethical brands so deeply discounted! We’re talking insane-level discounts here…

We only covered a small portion of the apparel section (much to our dismay), but within that time, we found more eco-friendly clothes than we were prepared for.

This top that I’m holding was pulled from the activewear section (we’re having a year of running & yoga, so, you know, gotta go coffee + shopping). It’s a long-sleeved, hooded, running top made by super-reputable company, Under Armour. As a part of their UA Green line, it’s made from 100% recycled fabric & printed with soy-based inks. What even? This is awesome! Even better – $27. (Here it is on the Under Armour site.)

Okay, eco-fashion-philes, ready to have your mind blown?

I hold in my trembling hands an EDUN dress for $9.99.

I know, right? Sadly, I left it at the store (easily distracted by shiny things – in this case, there was a shiny quesadilla calling my name), but EDUN was everywhere! We also found an adorable skirt (straight from the runway) for less than $70.

Amazing ethical brands carried at Nordstrom & Nordstrom Rack, not pictured:

• Threads4Thought
• Alternative Apparel
• R44 Standard Issue by Rogan
• Stem
• Splendid
• Nau
• Dayna Decker
• SPROUT Watches
• Petunia Pickle Bottom
• Timberland EarthKeepers
• Eileen Fisher
• Whish
• Tela Beauty Organics
• L’Occitane
• Jack Black
• Kiehl’s
• Jedidiah

…Amazing, right? Definitely count the Nordstrom stores as part of your eco-arsenal! Stay tuned for more eco-shopping sojourns…

(Dear Universe: I’d like to fly to the British Isles, please, so feel free to send an awesome designer my way.  Also, a free plane ticket.)

Re-dress was founded in 2008 by Rosie O’ Reilly, Kellie Dalton and Kate Nolan, three ladies that have a passion for their home country of Ireland and wanted to promote ethical, local fashion practices.  They created Re-dress to do just that.  Here’s their mission:

“Better Fashion is – aesthetically and creatively inspiring, environmental respectful acknowledging the limitations of our world’s resources & respectful of  the rights of the people manufacturing and creating garments globally.
Better Fashion is measured by its merits, not its profit margins and it starts with you.”

Since 2008, Re-dress has focused on consumer education and awareness through their public events, art installations, and their Better Fashion work: Better Fashion Week, Better Fashion Resources and Better Fashion Industry.  They even have a full list of fabric definitions!  My favorite of their consumer awareness projects, however, is their made in Ireland swing tag.

It’s simple, really: every single product with the made in Ireland swing tag is guaranteed to be made in Ireland. If you live in Ireland, choosing products with this swing tag means you’re buying locally, and guarantees that your purchase helps the Irish economy.  It also guarantees a type of quality and ethics not always found in fashion cooperatives:

“Successful applicants of the made in Ireland project are expected to commit to:

• Achieve best practice standards in their own fields.
• Aspire to provide the highest quality of design, finish, service & presentation in their products.
• Ensure the highest standard of accountability within their production facilities including the recognition and application of employment rights and labour standards.
• Apsire to increase their manufacturing and production capacity here in Ireland.”

The made in Ireland website lists its members – all Irish fashion and jewelry designers, of course – on its website.  Because I love eye candy (and I know you do too), here are some of my favorites:

eilis boyle

eilisboyle.com

Emma Manley

emmamanley.com

Heather Finn

heatherfinn.com

Lisa Shawgi

lisashawgi.com

Sinead Doyle

sineaddoyle.com

You can find the rest of the made in Ireland members here.

That’s a polar bear in a plaid shirt.  Yep.  So good.

Corella Design calls this an animal lover’s calendar, but I think it’s more of a strange conversation piece.  I want to have a Valentine’s Day party just so I can hear someone say, “…is that a wolf wearing a hat?”

Winter is coming, okay?!*

—

*Does that make April “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”?

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Image via MyGlam…and since they only open up membership every so often, if you want in I recommend following them on Facebook!

While I love my box as a whole, I’m a little uncertain about one of the products I received: Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner.

But before I go on, did anyone else hear “Wen” and immediately think of the original definition of the word?  You know, an abnormal growth or a cyst that typically protrudes from the face?  Not sexy, Wen.  Not sexy.

Here’s what MyGlam says about Wen (the cleansing conditioner, not the cyst on your face):

“Wen is a single step Cleansing Conditioner with natural ingredients. The most important thing about Wen is actually what it’s NOT. It’s not a shampoo.

“Wen avoids sodium laurel sulfate and other damaging detergents usually found in shampoos, so it won’t strip hair and scalp of natural oils. The astringent and antibacterial properties found in the Cleansing Conditioner thoroughly cleanse the hair without lather or harsh ingredients. It’s designed to add sheen, luster, moister, manageability and helps enhance color retention.

“Wen is the creation of the celebrity stylist, Chaz Dean, and is the must have hair product for stars such as Alyssa Milano. It can be used for straight, wavy, curly, color treated or ethnic hair!”

I’m…skeptical.  I’ve heard some great reviews of Wen, but most of them have been from people that have only been using it for a few days or those that don’t really pay attention to what’s in their shampoo.  (Wen doesn’t use sodium laurel sulfate, but it does use potentially harmful chemicals, including fragrance and PEG-60, so it’s only sort of eco-friendly.)  I’ve also read bad reviews of Wen, criticizing everything from how oily it made their hair to automatic billing issues after ordering.

Guys, I’m nervous!  Before I open this package, I am hoping someone reading this will come forward and tell me about their experience with Wen.  Did you love it?  Hate it?  Get billed a million dollars for it?

eco

Hello, little cow.  Let’s go get a coffee.

This calendar features hand drawn and painted British wildlife prints, including nocturnal owls, a blue tit in mid-flight and that adorable highland cow.

I think I’m in love.

—

Second image via the American Highland Cattle Association.

eco

One of my “must see” countries is Greece.  This 2012 calendar by stephmel features original photographs of Greece, which has me looking at plane tickets.

What countries are on your must-see list?

eco