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I love wearing lipstick and am definitely a red lipstick girl. For me red lips are associated with glamor and elegance so the allure of a new red lipstick is always high on my agenda. This season I am in luck. The trend has moved away from beige (which makes me look like I am about to throw up) and pale pink (anemia anyone?) to bold reds and I for one am excited.

Red lips are actually quite a traditional look stemming from the 1920′s when

Minerelle Marie Lipstick

shades of red were the only shade available. Fortunately by the 20′s lipstick was a sign of female empowerment rather than a sign of being a fast woman as it was previously seen!

The thing about wearing red lipstick is that it tends to stand out so wearing red lipstick is a state of mind. Wear it with confidence whatever the shade or style.

A few red lip trends and tips:

1. Go for gloss – glossy shiny lips with a hint of colour rather than a bold statement of red.

2. Choose a sheer red – I have a sheer red lipstick that gives the idea of red lips

Ere Perez Life Lip Bar

without the intense rich colour of a matte lipstick.

3. Blot back the colour – for a softer red look, apply a matte lipstick and blot back with a tissue.

4. Choose the correct shade of red for your skin tone. I have a blue skin undertone and so only wear blue-reds. If you have a yellow skin undertone, you can choose from the ocher reds as well.

5. Reapply during the day – I tend to arrive at work with lovely red lips and by mid-morning I have eaten most of it off (I snack frequently!). To maintain your elegant red lipped look, reapply after eating, drinking or kissing!

6. As to the above point, if you are going to eat off the lipstick you are wearing, make sure you choose natural products. Apparently women can eat up to 2kg of lipstick in their lifetime (I have yet to verify this fact however, I can only imagine how much I have eaten since I started wearing lipstick…certainly a goodly amount) and there is still the lingering risk of conventional red lipsticks containing lead (read more about this here).

Back in the bad old days (!) when I used conventional skincare and makeup I had about 20 different shades of red (told you I was obsessed). Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, a good natural or organic red is harder to find…but I have still managed to come up with half a dozen or so!

My favorite natural red is Lavera 20 which is a burgundy red with a blue base. It

is oh-so-bright so I usually wear it when I am going out. A great day time red is Lavera 18 which is called light berry but with a definite red look and feel about it. For a dramatic, not-to-be-ignored red, try Minerelle Marie. This red is not for the faint-hearted!

For those with yellow undertoned skin, Lavera 27 is the true red of choice. Gorgeous and intense, wear it with confidence!

Me with Red Lips!

If you prefer tints or gloss, try Ere Perez Life Lip Bar (the merest hint of glossy red) or EcoTints Plus Red for a stronger but still a sheer look. Another brand that has a few good shades of sheer red is Hemp Organics.

PS apart from red, the other shade of lipstick I wear are plum and dark pink – I pretty much go for strong, bright colours. When it comes to lipstick, subtlety is not my forte!

The beauty of many natural skin care remedies is that far from being exclusive, they can be found in your kitchen cupboard, growing in your back yard or even in the supermarket isles. Generally they are inexpensive, costing as much as a teaspoon of honey or a tea bag. In some cases such as aloe vera, you can grow it in your own back yard. Made with ordinary ingredients, these remedies are easily available, simple but highly effective and can have powerful healing benefits.

Aloe Vera

Aloe is one of the best remedies for soothing irritated skin and healing burns including sunburn. Aloe contains constituents that have a demulcent (soothing)

Aloe vera plant

effect and so can be used on grazed, red or inflamed skin; as well as a vulnerary (wound-healing) effect. Aloe inhibits the formation of tissue-injuring compounds that gather at the site of a skin injury and so can be applied to the wound site to promote healing. When applying fresh aloe from the leaves of the plant, use only the clear inner pulp of the leaf. This component has soothing and healing properties. The yellow/green sap that is exuded by leaf surface can be irritating to skin and so is best avoided. If you don’t have an aloe plant growing in your back yard, you can still harness the benefits of this plant by choosing products that are made with Aloe vera.

Antibacterial honey

Raw, unprocessed honey is one of the most useful natural remedies we have available for wound healing. Medical grade antibacterial honey, particularly for chronic and poorly healing wounds such as ulcers has even proven its worth in clinical trials. Not all types of honey are effective for wound healing and the

A bee honeycomb

differences related to the floral source. Manuka honey from New Zealand along with honey from the Leptospermum tree found in Australia, are considered the most effective medical honeys. Antibacterial honey is beneficial for wound healing because it has such a broad range of therapeutic effects. It offers wound protection by proving a physical barrier to antibiotic resistant strains of microorganisms thereby preventing cross infection. It promotes clean wounds by removing necrotic (dead) tissue and debris. Finally it promotes wound healing by maintaining a moist wound environment and encouraging tissue granulation.  Medical honeys are available in typical honey form, which is ideal for oral use or incorporated into creams or lotions and even bandages for easier application to external wounds. Raw honey is also available in products such as Live Live Bee Yummy Skin Food and Eko Organica Calm Magic Balm (UMF16).

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil has two qualities that make it one of the most effective essential oils as

Native Australian Tea Tree

a natural skin remedy. Firstly it is a powerful antimicrobial and antiseptic, active against all infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi. Secondly, it is a very effective immune stimulant, increasing the body’s ability to respond when in contact with any of the above micro-organisms. Tea tree oil is useful in the management of infection in minor wounds and even acne. In the case of mild infection, liberally apply 100% tea tree oil to the affected area. Further application of tea tree to any bandage may also be applied and then changed every 24 hours.

Lavender Oil

Apart from its soothing and relaxing aromatherapy benefits, 100% pure lavender essential oil can be used as an effective first aid remedy. When applied to minor

Lavender

burns and bites or stings, the undiluted essential oil has an antiseptic and pain relieving effect. The sooner the oil is applied, the faster the pain relieving and healing effects of lavender will occur. Apply undiluted oil for burns or skin irritation or combine a few drops with a carrier oil such as jojoba for use as a relaxing massage oil.

Related Articles:

• Raw Skin Food – Bee Yummy
• A knock on the head – wound healing

A recent study in Mexico revealed that certain phthalates are associated with increased incidence of breast cancer. The study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal reviewed the phthalate urine concentrations of 454 Mexican women (223 with breast cancer and 221 as controls) and found a link between higher concentrations of phthalates and breast cancer incidence.

Phthalates are a group of compounds commonly found in artificial fragrances, deodorant, perfume, nail polish and certain plastic food packaging including articles such as baby bottles. Previous to this study, research indicated that this group of compounds has potential to affect the hormone system (endocrine disrupting effect). The exact link between this effect of phthalates and breast cancer has not yet been established however, the authors of the study suggest that it could be related to the DNA damaging effects of phthalates on breast cells.

Perfumes are a source of phthalates

Interestingly while some phthalate compounds (Monoethyl phthalate (MEP), which is a metabolite of diethyl phthalate (DEP)) were positively associated with higher breast cancer incidence, a number of other phthalate metabolites, including monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), negatively correlate with breast cancer. The researchers suggest this is due to the ability of certain phthalate compounds to change gene expression without altering the genetic code of the cell.

As with all preliminary studies such as this one, it is important to note that while phthalates are associated with higher incidence of breast cancer, they aren’t necessarily responsible for the development of the cancer itself. Further studies in broader population groups will help establish a link, or not. Authors noted that additional research is need to identify the source of phthalate exposure, be it cosmetics, plastic packaging or a combination of many sources.

Source: Environmental Health Perspectives Journal

Exposure to Phthalates and Breast Cancer Risk in Northern Mexico
Lizbeth López-Carrillo, Raúl U. Hernández-Ramírez, Antonia M. Calafat, Luisa Torres-Sánchez, Marcia Galván-Portillo, Larry L. Needham, Rubén Ruiz-Ramos, Mariano E. Cebrián

Editor’s comments: I am of the opinion that while there is no need to be alarmist about such studies, particularly as a direct link has not been established between phthalates and breast cancer. However, on the other hand I also think that where there is smoke there is fire. There is an easy solution – reduce your phthalate exposure. The easiest way to do this is to avoid the products in which they are commonly found eg. artificial fragrances in skin care, perfume, deodorant, baby bottles, plastic take away containers. Instead choose natural and organic skin care alternatives and use glass baby bottles and food storage containers. If you do get take away, just make sure you put it into ceramic or glass before heating in the microwave or take your own container to the restaurant!

See related articles:

Non-Toxic Nail Polish

Safe Shopping Guide for Skin Care

What Were Our Parents Thinking

Women apply up to 515 different chemicals to their skin daily

Live Live Bee Yummy Skin Food

I love it when I come across a product that is just fantastic and by fantastic I mean that it provides a solution or exceeds expectations in some way. That is just what happened when I came across Live Live Bee Yummy Skin Food. A raw food product rich in unpasturised honey and honey cappings, Bee Yummy is a real solution for those with acne prone, oily or congested skin. The healing properties of the raw ingredients are extensive…too many to write about (can’t be getting RSI!) so of course, I have done a video blog instead (can you get RSI of the mouth?).

Just before we launch into the video blog, I want to mention the growing raw food trend. Emerging from the US, raw food is really coming into the fore in Australia of late and while I think that many Australians would do well to eat more raw and “live” foods, like many trends it has so many positive aspects and some downsides. I am going blog my opinion (because thats all it is!) about raw foods very soon however, I have to say, back to the product, Bee Yummy has all the best of the raw food/skin care trend and none of the downsides.

View Video Blog: Bee Yummy Review. View related Live Live products

Who would ever have thought that a silk pillow case could get me so excited! Well have you ever woken up with a ‘sleep-crease’ on your face? I do every day (on my left side damn it!). For reasons completely unrelated to my daily ‘sleep crease’ I bought a silk pillow case (well just because I love the feel of them) and my ‘sleep crease’ was no more. Woohoo – you can bet I was happy!

So I have done a video blog about Slip Silk Pillow Cases:

To read more and view this product go to Slip Silk Pillow Case.