Honeycat Fishnet Gift Basket

 Is your bath time in need of some sprucing up? Well, Honeycat has just the remedy! Get the bath water warm and steamy to your liking, and drop in a Frisky Kitty Bath Time Fizzy. These bath bombs come in scents of oatmeal, cocoa butter, lilac and honey, and rose and lemongrass. After the long grueling workweek, what could be better than treating your woman to a gentle and body soothing bath? ($10)

Frisky Kitty Bath Time Fizzy

 Scrub it all around! You’ll have her meowing in the shower, once she gets a whiff of this peach, brandy, and brown sugar shower gel. Shower time should be filled with peace and comfort. Get that washcloth all soapy, lather all around, and have her body smelling divine. ($16, 120z) 

Honeycat Shower Gel

          Our skin deserves the best and nothing less. Have a mini spa for yourself and love your face! Take care of your beauty needs with Doux me’s Caroline’s Cream and the White Rose Comforting Face Mask and Exfoliator.

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From the Ultra Delicates Line…

          Not only does Caroline’s Cream provide the face and neck with 99.2 % natural ingredients within the formula, but it also smells lovely, and moisturizes your skin. The main treat and active ingredient within the cream is organic beech bud extract. “Beech bud extracts have the property to regenerate skin cells in a very effective way. The beech buds contain extremely rich energetic preserves, which stimulate the metabolism of these cells. It boosts the skin’s metabolism, smoothes the micro-relief of the epidermis, and restores the hydration of the skin. It is perfect for dry and reactive skin,” says Caroline Wachsmuth, founder of Doux me.

          Awaken your skin by refrigerating Caroline’s Cream and rejuvenate your face and neck in the morning and before you go to bed. According to dermatological testing, there was “101% more moisturizing 4 hours after application” and “ 95% more moisturizing 8 hours after application” of the cream. When applied to your skin, the cream feels gentle and soothing, not harsh or oily. You’ll find other natural gems like shea butter, sweet almond oil, rose hip seed oil, macadamia oil, and more each time you apply the cream.

You can purchase Caroline’s Cream at Doux me’s website here.

From the Specifics Line…

          What has apricot kernel oil, bamboo powder, white desert rose extract, Indian jasmine extracts, and more skin soothing organic ingredients? That would be the White Rose Comforting Face Mask and Exfoliator. As for me, I always have to be careful with what I apply to my skin, since it is extremely sensitive and goes from being oily one week to being dry the next. Skin varies from woman to woman on a daily basis. Doux me’s exfoliator, caters to those women with fragile and sensitive skin. You can choose to cleanse and exfoliate your skin every day or one to two times a week, which is up to you and what your skin endures on a daily basis. With the busy lives many of us lead, dedicating time each day to your skin may seem impossible, but it is worth the extra 10 minutes.

          I recommend exfoliating before bed, when you aren’t pressed for time to get to work or shuffling around the house. You may be wondering what’s so unique about this exfoliator as opposed to the others? Wachsmuth says, “We can use it in three different ways. Either just as a mask, as an exfoliator or both! Its smell like it is some kind of pastry and the effect that it has on the skin is amazing.”

You can purchase the Comforting Face Mask and Exfoliator at Doux me’s website here.

Caroline Wachsmuth

          Doux me is the first organic beauty and cosmetics line for women that launched in France in 2002. Today, Doux me is thriving with love from women around the globe. All thanks to the founder Caroline Wachsmuth, whose curiosity of what things are made of as a child, sparked her passion as a young woman to create her own cosmetics line.

Check out Wachsmuth’s three lines, Aromatherapy, Ultra Delicates, and Specifics at the Doux me online at the website: Doux me.

Jane:  What or who influenced you when creating Doux me?

Caroline Wachsmuth: I was born and raised in Switzerland and my parents were quite ecological and green. As far as I can remember when I was a child, I was interested in understanding what was within food, products for skincare, make-up, perfume, and any household products. Then of course, my personal research came later as I was a beauty and health writer.

Jane:  As a woman, what is most important to you when it comes to beauty products?

Caroline Wachsmuth: The safety and efficiency of the products and most important of all, how green they are (formula, packaging etc…). Then comes their smell and texture.

Jane: Who or whom supported you when you were working on your line?

Caroline Wachsmuth: My husband, my friends, a lot of faith, and hard work .

Jane: What is the importance of safe beauty products to you? And why do you feel more people should take a stand to create more natural products?

Caroline Wachsmuth: Anything on this planet that is created by man “should” be safe. We all know it is possible… anything that is a “product” such as: food, skincare, body care, clothes, and household products, anything that has a name! But we went so far in the opposite direction, that we have to struggle extremely hard to “reverse” it (beliefs, tastes, habits, knowledge…). Thank God there was a real awakening, for different reasons like green and conscious lifestyle brands. Whereas they are created out of fear for the next generation, political views, personal rebellion and beliefs or just to satisfy a narcissistic urge, are flourishing everywhere and that is what counts!

Jane: What is so unique about your Comforting Face Mask & Exfoliator?

Caroline Wachsmuth: The fact that we can use it in three different ways:). Either just as a mask, as an exfoliator or both! Its smell like it is some kind of pastry and the effect that it has on the skin is amazing, I love it!

Jane: How does organic beech bud extract within Caroline’s Cream help those individuals who have dry and sensitive skin?

Caroline Wachsmuth: Beech bud extracts have the property to regenerate skin cells in a very effective way. The beech buds contain extremely rich energetic preserves which stimulate the metabolism of these cells. It boosts the skin’s metabolism, smoothes the micro-relief of the epidermis, and restores the hydration of the skin. It is perfect for dry and reactive skin.

Jane: What is the most rewarding, exciting, and best part about creating a line for women that supports being healthy and beautiful?

Caroline Wachsmuth: Receiving messages from women from all over the planet saying they love my products and also seeing how loyal they are to the brand after eight years. From a complete day-dream, it became a reality and it still is and I hope it will be for a long time! It is also proof to myself that I actually did it. I am so grateful!

Jane: How does it feel to be known as the first line in France that is organic?

Caroline Wachsmuth: I am proud of what I did because it came from my heart. I didn’t create it to follow a trend.

Jane: Which product or products of yours can’t you live with out, you use, and why?

Caroline Wachsmuth: Caroline’s cream, morning and evening, because it is just perfect for my skin that is quiet dry and very reactive.

Next week, look out for a review of Caroline’s cream and Comforting Face Mask & Exfoliator from Doux me!

Whether you are walking through a department store, flipping through a magazine or scanning the television channels. We are clouded with advertisements for cosmetics and beauty products in every way imaginable. With so many products out on the market, who’s to know what’s good for our bodies and what is damaging our entire nervous system. We don’t. Unless, we each do our research and dig through information on each product and company. Susie Wang, founder and chief creative ambassador of 100% Pure fruit pigmented cosmetics line as well as beauty products made with pure food grade ingredients. Fruit is beneficial for our bodies when we eat it, so why not put some fruity vibrant colors on your skin, that won’t cause you damage. 

Jane: Can you give me a little background about 100% Pure and when and how your company sprouted?

Susie Wang: Previously to 100% Pure, I invented a way to stabilize natural ingredients from oxidizing in skincare. Just as you would cut an apple in half and watch it turn brown from the oxygen– the same thing happens in skincare. If you put vitamin c for example in a cream, the benefits of the vitamin c oxidizes. So, I invented a process of formulating skincare to prevent oxidation and patented this technology. Once I filed for this patent, I started getting calls from large cosmetic companies to work for them. I was very honored and dropped out of college to work for the cosmetic companies as a formulator. During this time, I discovered that a lot of chemicals were incredibly toxic and hazardous.

This is how 100% pure was created. I wanted to create a line that was free of all the toxins that can wreak havoc.  Whatever you apply on your skin is like eating it because it gets absorbed. There is an easy test to do at home to test this. Cut a garlic in half and tape the juicy side of the garlic to your wrist and in 30 minutes, you’ll taste the garlic.  

Jane: When formulating your line, 100% Pure, what or who influenced you?

Susie Wang: When I used to be a formulator for these gigantic cosmetic companies, I learned about how toxic some chemicals were and I learned that sometimes when companies claim no animal testing, it means the final formula was not tested on animals but it doesn’t necessarily mean the ingredients were not tested on animals. 

             Susie’s love for animals is heart warming. None of the products or at any point of production are tested on animals-at all. 100% Pure has rescued and found homes for 21 dogs and stands up for the rights of animals. As we all should and must.

Jane: Why is it so important to be cautious of what we put on our skin and body?

Susie Wang: Whatever we apply on our skin, we ingest, inhale, and it gets absorbed.

          While Susie was working in the lab formulating an eye cream, prior to her pride and joy, 100% Pure, she unintentionally knocked down a chemical that was to be used in the cream formula. The chemical ate away at the lab table, leaving Susie in utter shock. However, she was proactive, and decided to take a stand and do her own research.

           The unfortunate truth, is that many people work for cosmetic and beauty companies and have no idea what the chemicals they are playing with can do to the human body. Where as cutting costs for some companies, may mean using cheaper ingredients, that hurt us in the long term, yet leave us, as the consumer, deceived and with a list full of health issues and problems.

Jane: Have you always had a passion to create natural/organic products?

Susie Wang: Not always – it wasn’t until I learned first hand how dangerous some of the chemicals in cosmetics were and how much we actually ingest that turned me very passionate about natural / organic beauty which is why I developed 100% Pure.

            All of 100% Pure’s products are cruelty-free, vegan, synthetic fragrance free, paraben free, and toxic free.

Jane: By providing women with natural products that will keep them healthy and safe, how does that make you feel?

Susie Wang: The purpose of cosmetics is to indulge women and to make women feel beautiful and I feel grateful that I get to do this in a healthy way for so many women.

Jane: Why did you choose to create fruit pigmented cosmetics?

Susie Wang: I was blessed with the idea of color cosmetics with fruit, vegetable and flower pigments while I was picking blackberries one summer. Coloring cosmetics with fruit and vegetable pigments is so much healthier and more beneficial than with minerals or dyes because fruit pigments contain all the healthy vitamins and antioxidants of fruits.

Jane: By incorporating natural ingredients such as fruit pigments into your products, how are you also protecting the environment?

Susie Wang: The ingredients are healthy and biodegradable and so 100% Pure is not introducing any harmful or toxic chemicals into the environment.

Jane: What can natural beauty lovers and newcomers to your products expect to see in the near future?

Susie Wang: I love animals. My passion is to help as many animals as I can.  In the future, my goal is to open up an animal sanctuary that can rescue thousands of animals. I am also excited about a clothing line I’m currently designing.

          Susie’s clothing line is set to take off in the Spring of 2011. You can find the designed fashioned in recycled materials and vegetable dyed textiles. Get fashionable in eco-friendly clothing for your body and our environment.

 Jane: When you start off your day, which of your products can’t you live without?

Susie Wang: I can’t live without 100% Pure’s coffee bean eye cream – it keeps my eye area looking refreshed and makes me look rested.  I am also crazy about 100% Pure’s apple products. The delicious smell of crisp green apples is my favorite out of all our delicious bath and body products.   

 Jane: Is there anything else you’d like to add as far as advice for women when it comes to transitioning over to natural products and to 100% Pure?

Susie Wang: We often take for granted our health and ourselves.  Eating healthy, exercising, drinking plenty of water and using natural products are all things to do for the sake of your own health and well-being.

 Learn more about 100% Pure and about Susie at her website, 100% Pure!

       Set the phrase, “No Pain, No Gain” straight! There is absolutely no need to sacrifice your health and well being for beauty. I recently walked into a couples shared bathroom, and to my horror saw the whole sink counter cluttered with women’s beauty and men’s hygiene essentials. All of those products have a variety of chemicals we must avoid. According to the Campaign for Safer Cosmetics, a red flag should pop up when you see triclosan, synthetic musks, formaldehyde, nitrosamines, lead, parabens, phthalates, hydroguinone, and 1,4-dioxane listed within the ingredients of your product(s).

       Every single day we come into contact with a variety of substances and many of us forget to stop and think about what exactly our body is consuming. In a recent news release on July 21^st, “representatives Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., introduced the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010, which gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful ingredients” (Environmental Working Group).  A seven-minute video, “The Story of Cosmetics,” was released by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, produced by Annie Leonard and Free Range Graphics whom crafted a powerful and eye awakening glimpse into the truth about the world of cosmetics. You can also see the video here at: The Story of Cosmetics as well as visit their website, Campaign for Safer Cosmetics and be proactive in the fight to create safer and healthier products for each and every one of us.

       “From lipstick to lotion, our medicine cabinets are filled with cosmetics that may contain potentially dangerous chemicals. This important bill closes a gaping hole in our Federal laws that allows potentially dangerous chemicals to remain in the cosmetic products we use everyday,” says Representative Markey. As of March 17, 2010 over a thousand companies have signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics (ranging from 100% Pure, known for their fruit pigmented cosmetics to Zuii Organic, who use certified organic flower petals, whose products and information can be found in Skin Deep’s database. Skin Deep debuted in 2004 and stands proud to be “an online safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products.” Check out Skin Deep and type in a product, ingredient, or a company to find out how harmful/safe a product is, the hazardous level of a company and more information about the hidden ingredients within your products.

       When it comes to your health, there should be no pain involved. The only pain that exists is the one many of us suffer, from constant use of products that deteriorate our body and overall health. Our government has sat far too long out in the sidelines and it’s time for it to get up and play the role of protecting us from harmful toxins. The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 “recognizes that consumers have a right to safe personal care products, that companies have a responsibility to understand the health effects of the chemicals in their products, and that we need government to help us get there,” says Janet Nudelman of the Breast Cancer Fund and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.” Don’t be a guinea pig for a company, take a stand to protect your body, do your research, and be a part of the Campaign for Safer Cosmetics!

            Also, coming soon is an interview with 100% Pure Founder and Chief Creative Ambassador, Susie Wang!

Every woman wants to look her best, so why not get glamorous? FusionBeauty ColorCeuticals provides a four in one LipFusion Balm Tinted Lip Conditioning Stick that will hydrate, plump, give you color, and protect your lips with SPF 15. Try the balm in all four vibrant shades of Buff (a light nude), Bitten (peach), Berry (plum), Butterscotch (baby pink), and in Clear. Within the lip balm, is FusionBeauty’s unique Amplifat technology, which boosts the body’s collagen production over the course of 28 days. Snatch your balm at a Sephora for $22.

Do you ever find yourself in a hurry, trying frantically to apply a powder blush with a brush, but can’t seem to get an even tone? Not everyone is as lucky as some to have natural rosy cheeks. Whether you have a light skin tone like me or have a darker skin complexion, FusionBeauty has a suitable shade for your cheeks. SculptDiva Contouring & Sculpting Blush comes in four gentle on your skin shades of Crave (pink/peach), Cherub (pale rose),Haute (neutral with a bit of pink), and Bella (a deep neutral shade). Infused in the formula you will find Hyaluronic Acid, which each of us is born with and helps to regulate our moisture level in the body. Yet, as we age, our HA level diminishes. Now, with SculptDiva, your skin can have a natural plump within 28 days of use. The next time you see grandma or grandpa, proudly show them your cheeks, and let them give you a little squeeze! Sephora, $29.

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Fall is almost near ladies! Start your days off the right way with REVOLUTION Organics. Luscious lips has a whole new meaning, and I’m not only talking about the colors. Say adios to synthetics, chemicals, parabens, mineral oil, artificial ingredients, petrochemicals and animal testing, because you won’t find any of that in REVOLUTION Organics beauty products. From the Freedom collection comes Freedom Gloss, which features five colors that are 100% natural and have 85% certified organic ingredients in Fresh Warm Peach, True Strawberry Red, Soft Baby Pink, Sheer True Pink and Shimmering Golden Rose. Give your lips a dose of happiness each time you apply. SaffronRouge.com, $25.95.

Who knew a lipstick, cheek stain and eye shadow all came in one recyclable and biodegradable package?  REVOLUTION Organics brings aboard Freedom Glow Beauty Balm in Fresh Peach Glow, True Rosy Blush, and Warm Golden Bronze Glow. This multi-purpose balm instantly gives you color, wherever you desire to apply it. With organic olive, coconut and jojoba oils, you can moisture and soften the area where you want that extra color to show. Do as their motto, and put on “guilt FREE glam.” SaffronRouge.com, $33.95.

Be kind to your husband. Don’t shock him by smearing your face with a heavy, greasy night cream. Choose a protective cream that is quickly absorbed and leaves you looking lovely while it effectively works away to prevent dry skin. This rule holds true for your hands, too. Always use a greaseless lotion or cream. Just before you hop  into bed enjoy the luxury of dabbing perfume or liquid sachet behind your ears and at the base of your throat. Be sure the scent matches your body cologne. You’ll float off to dreamland in style.

During the day, while you are doing your housework, make it a point to look neat and presentable. Then you won’t have to run for cover if a neighbor drops in or tradespeople interrupt you in the middle of your chores. It’s a good idea to hang a mirror in the kitchen with a shelf or drawer that can be stocked with a small beauty kit for emergencies; hand lotion for before and after dishwashing and messy chores; a comb, a compact and lipstick for a quick slick-up job. Keep two pairs of household gloves in the drawer.

This new type of latex mitt is specially designed to hug your wrists so that water doesn’t seep in on your hands. Yet, you have perfect flexibility of your fingers when you are laundering or dishwashing. To protect your manicure while dusting or using the vacuum, don a pair of of cotton gloves.

Steal as little as twenty minutes daily to relax. You have to protect your good disposition as well as your looks. Let this be your yardstick for success: When the boys ask your husband, “Who was that dream we saw you with last night?” His proud answer will, of course, be, “That lady was my wife!”

Keep beauty in your marriage

BY Dorris Ellis

Love is a beautifier. Your marriage should grow more beautiful each year if you never loose sight of the thing that brought  you together—you’re attraction for each other.

If your husband thinks you are a good cook, that’s wonderful. If he thinks you are a good housekeeper, that’s wonderful, too. But, if he continues to think you are the nicest person to be with, that’s the most wonderful thought of all.

When you are single your beauty habits are unusually locked in the privacy of your own room. Once you marry, you acquire a roommate. Unless you learn to adjust your beauty routine to this new life, your husband will think he’s a one-man audience who wandered backstage. A little thoughtfulness on your part will help to preserve the illusion of your glamour. Here are some suggestions that may help:

Let’s talk about getting ready for sleep. Never be too busy or too tired to neglect your evening bath. This is the time to apply a mild deodorant and follow it with a soothing rubdown with your favorite cologne.

To read more tips, click below.

Choose a fresh, attractive nightgown. If you prefer pajamas make sure they are cut on feminine lines. Mannish-looking pajamas are fine for a single girl to wear. But you are married now, and a husband would rather see his wife wearing something dainty and feminine. When you are through in the bathroom, give it a thorough inspection to make sure everything is in spic-and-span order before your husband takes over. That’s a subtle way to encourage him to be just  as neat and considerate  as you are.

If you have to set your hair every night, it might be disillusioning to your husband to see you with a headful of hardware. Use a lightweight hairnet over your pins (it was much better to look like you are about to start flipping burgers apparently) , curlers or clips to keep them in place; then keep them out of sight with either of these cover-ups.  1.) A piece of pastel tulle would around your head and tied in a frivolous, frothy bow. Like a closely knit turban or a quaint lacy sleep cap tied with satin ribbon chin straps.

How do you look without makeup? Unless you are so devoid of natural color that you look frightening, don’t be overly vain and feel that you must wear makeup whenever you are with your husband. If you have an excessively sallow complexion and colorless lips and feel self-conscious about your appearance in the morning, the author actually suggests  putting makeup on before going to bed!

She recommends: outline your lips with a special formula pink lipstick that will not smear, so as to add a blush of color and won’t come off on he bed linen.