Nearly five years. Thousands of articles. *So many* comments. 

Today the current chapter of EcoSalon’s half-decade history closes – and we don’t know if we’ll be back. So we feel it’s important to say this:

Thank you.

We have always been, and we always shall be, in it for the discussion. We’ve treasured every time you took a moment out of your day to give us your thoughts – and we’ve loved it when you returned, again and again, to keep a discussion going (particularly when you were presenting us with compelling counter-arguments to what we’d published? Contrarianism? Bring it on). In short, we like your minds, and we’re inestimably grateful for all the times you’ve given us a piece of them.

Here, then, are seven posts where at least half the fun is in the comments.

Thanks again.

10 Reasons Never To Let Anyone You Love Near A McDonald’s

 7 Stupid Laws Against Women

The Conscious Case Against Veganism

Broke? 20 Fun Things To Do Without Spending A Dime

When Good Causes Go Wrong: 7 Utterly Outrageous PETA Stunts

Jesus, Enough With The Chicken

15 Best Foods To Boost Your Metabolism

Images: {christy b}, ralpe, keith011764, Mr. Theklan, striatic, iheartmacaroni and SMercury98.

The post Best Of EcoSalon: The Comment Meltdown Edition appeared first on EcoSalon.

If you’ve started a vegetable or herb garden, it’s important to keep your sage separate from your cilantro and to know your tomato plant from your pepper plant. And if you’re a beginner gardener, that may be harder than it sounds. Luckily, a crop of Etsy designers have created so clever and gorgeous re-purposed plant markers, which add a little fun, along with function, among your greenery.

Upcycled Garden Markers from Mon Petit Chou Boutique

Vintage silver-plated cocktail and shrimp forks come together with reclaimed copper beautifully in these upcycled garden markers shown above. While the handmade markers are nothing less than polished, each one boasts one-of-a-kind charm as the artist bends, hammers and torches vintage silverware and customizes the plant names to make a perfect set for your garden.

Eco-Friendly Rustic Garden Markers from a Remark You Made

Brilliantly crafted from fallen branches, these twig-like rustic garden markers will blend into your garden seamlessly. Each stick is sanded smooth by hand with a flat carved spot for labeling your plants. You can write in the herbs and veggies yourself, or have the artist customize them for you.

Old Silver Spoon Garden Markers from Daisy Chestnut

Made from vintage spoons that are silver-plated and adorned with illustrated labels, these garden markers are so adorable you hate to have them hiding behind your greens! The Connecticut-based Etsy artist illustrates and colors each vegetable and herb label by hand using archival ink and a finish that’s moisture and UV-resistant made to last in the garden. Buy by the veggie or choose a set customized to your needs.

Chalkboard Garden Plant Markers from Bradens Grace

You can change the names on these chalkboard plant markers as often as you like – annually, seasonally or when your crops don’t survive and need replacing – so you don’t have to constantly buy new ones. If writing with chalk outside where rain and H2O from your watering can could wash away your labels worries you, this Etsy seller swears by chalkboard markers that are longer lasting than regular chalk.

Fused Glass Plant Markers from Pane in the Grass

Starting with a base of recycled knives and forks and topped with colored glass rectangles, these markers add a splash of color to your garden and color-coding makes it easy to tell the difference between your lettuce and arugula from far away. For $20 you’ll get a set of six with the herbs, vegetables or even inspirational quotes of your choosing. Plant names are fused onto the glass so you don’t have to worry about the printing coming off.

The post Best of Etsy: Eco-Friendly Vegetable and Herb Garden Plant Markers appeared first on EcoSalon.

This past winter was all about rich, dark colors and metallics with a glint of sparkle – thanks to Twilight-mania, naturally. As much as I love my sheer pinks and nudes for summer, I still get excited about wearing bright reds and berry colors during the warmer months, too. Now that I’ve equipped you with some of the best organic eyeliners, it’s time to turn our attention to lipsticks! I recently had the chance to test out three organic makeup lines: Josie Maran Cosmetics, Lavera and NVEY Eco. And what did I find out? That some of the meanest green lips are on this side of She-Hulk.

Did you know that we can eat four to six pounds of lipstick throughout our lives? If you buy standard lipstick, you’re basically chowing down on artificial dyes, lanolin, sodium lauryl sulfates, colors derived from petroleum and even carmine that comes from the shell of a female beetle. Say it with me now – gross.

This can complicate things if you are green-minded and if you like a lipstick that stays. Frankly, a long-lasting lipstick can be hard to find. Sure, there are the decidedly non-organic lip stains that Revlon and MAC have on the market. But using them is like sneaking a Coke Zero once in a while. Yes, I have been known to stain my lips with something that doesn’t have organic jojoba oil as its main component. Why? Cause this green girl likes a lipstick that lasts.

Luckily, things seem to be changing. Check out these organic lines that like to stay on our lips!

Josie Maran Cosmetics

Josie Maran’s line offers a lush lipstick containing organic jojoba seed oil and coconut cream. It goes on light and hydrates. Just one application lasts at least an hour – which is how long it was before I started reaching for my balm.

I love the hue Desirous, which is a rich, berry plum. It feels like a lip balm when it goes on and better yet, it does provide a lasting color. I have the complexion of a snow woman, so anything dark on me looks really dark. But Desirous managed to be colorful without dead washing.

And then there is one of the best glosses on the market. Josie’s Brilliant a Levres in “Joie De Vivre” is a sparkly, deep red that slides on your lips with a cotton candy kick-off. 

Why is it so great?  Anyone with hair longer than their chin knows that lip gloss can be a precarious adventure. A slight wind can mean you have your ponytail instantly attached to your bottom lip. But the “Joie De Vivre” glosses without accessories your hair style to your mouth.

Lavera Naturkosmetic

These lipsticks contain extracts of organic shea butter, jojoba and almond oil.” This German line is certified natural by BDIH, which has one of the strictest standards in Europe. For one, this means that the ingredients are from plants and minerals only come from sources that have been organically grown or wild harvested.

How does Lavera feel? Like Josie Maran, it is extremely hydrating. Their shades are more bold than Maran’s and seem to have an orange base to them. I sampled the peach and felt like I was rocking out a hip, light orange that would kill it on any red carpet.

NVEY Eco

This organic line out of Australia is made from ingredients that include natural beeswax, rose, jojoba oil, chamomile and more. (Click here to check out the various organic awards and certifications this company has racked up.) Their Organic Lip Lustre offers a nice, slick color. Flirt in particular offers up a pretty, fall plumage. For a gloss, it is decidedly unsticky (more props to the organic lines!) and provides a nice, rich color. However, it doesn’t last long, so treat it more like a tint. Would I use this as a moisturizer for my lips? It’s not so hydrating that I’ll retire the lip balm anytime soon.

The post Pucker Up this Season with the Best Natural Lipsticks appeared first on EcoSalon.