January is the time for all sorts of fresh starts. So, why not make a New Year’s resolution to have the freshest face in the city this year? It sounds silly, but in all honesty, keeping your face clean and supple is always an admirable goal.

To help you keep that resolution, EcoSalon is giving away this $500 E-Gift Card to Ecco Bella. The lucky winner gets to choose whatever her heart desires from the line. All you have to do to become eligible to win this generous prize is sign-up for our newsletter.

Ecco Bella is known for its unique FlowerColor Makeup and VitaminCell Skincare.

FlowerColor Makeup

Ecco Bella’s FlowerColor Makeup is chemical-free and long lasting. Each product is infused with flower wax, nature’s best-kept beauty secret. It’s essentially the same delicate coating that protects flower petals from the elements–just imagine how it could enhance your beauty?! Mineral-enriched formulas create a protective layer that keeps the body’s natural moisture from seeping through makeup–looks stay fresher and linger longer on the face, eyes, and lips. There are no toxins or chemicals that could dry and irritate skin in these products — there is only a pure, mineral-enriched formula (along with the finest natural ingredients).

VitaminCells

Defy the hands of time with the only anti-aging skin care enriched with VitaminCells. They contain trillions of microspheres that deliver the world’s most powerful skin vitamins like lutein, lycopene, astaxanthin, COQ10, and vitamins C + C deep into your skin to protect and rejuvenate it from stress, sun, environmental aging, and blemishes. Experience the anti-aging skincare that lets you reset your body clock.

In addition to selling the above lines, Ecco Bella also carries hair and body care items, as well as perfume.

You know you want the best skin you could possibly have in 2016, so sign-up for our newsletter now. And if you’re already a subscriber, you know the drill (you’re already entered).

Learn more about the brand by liking and following Ecco Bella on social media:

Facebook- EccoBella
Twitter- EccoBella
Instagram- EccoBellaBeauty
Pintrest- EccoBellaBeauty
YouTube- EccoBella1

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The post EcoSalon and Ecco Bella Want You to Start Off the New Year With a Fresh Face [$500 Giveaway!] appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnRed is a commitment color for lips and a strong fashion accessory.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard, “I want to wear red, but I can never find the right color for me,” I’d have a vacation home on a tropical island somewhere.  Good news! Every single one of you can wear red lipstick. It’s one of the most universally flattering colors and never goes out of fashion.  Whether or not you feel comfortable with fire engine red lips or a sultry cherry colored mouth is another story. Luckily there are innumerable variations on that rouge hue to suit any skin tone and any comfort level and I’ve compiled a list of reds with “green” ingredients.

Now, it wouldn’t be much of a suggestion list if I just looked on the internet for some random red shades of lipstick to suggest.  Instead, I took the time to test out several shades from various natural brands, both on myself and any willing friend with skin darker than mine. The most interesting part of the experiment was walking around almost everyday for the last week and a half with different versions of red slicked across my kisser.

First, I had to give up the idea that red was a party color and couldn’t go with casual clothing in the daytime.  Not all reds work for shorts and a tank top, but the more sheer ones can. Second, I needed to wear more foundation to take out the extra pink in my skin tone and use a bit more eye makeup to create a balance in features. Third, I had to be much more attentive about upkeep and applying lipstick with precision rather than the usual smoosh around on my mouth and run.

This is a commitment color, and definitely not low maintenance. So you’ve got to be willing to spend extra time with your makeup application and reapply diligently. If you take that challenge, then you are ready for the perfect red mouth to be your newest fashion statement.

Pro tip: Shape is incredibly important. If you have small, thin lips you’ve really got to emphasize rounding out and lifting up the cupid’s bow of the top lip and bottom center. Otherwise you’ll have two horizontal lines of red across your face, and that’s not cute.

For all the brands I’ve reviewed they range from very natural, pure and organic, to natural with some synthetics. Almost all of them use carmine, an ingredient that for some people is a turn off because it’s made from crushed beetles.  However it’s the only way to get a bright red in lipsticks at this point in time. Also with natural formulations, long-wear isn’t really possible. So don’t expect most of these to last for hours on end without some touch ups.

In alphabetical order here is the red round up:

Ava Anderson has two reds that in the tube look completely different but on the lips their difference is quite subtle. This very hydrating, pepperminty, natural lipstick is carmine free and goes on incredibly sheer, but if you are willing to put a few coats on, it does build up to a rather bright color that looks dewy.  The taste is pretty neutral. The wear isn’t super long, nor does it really stain the lips but they are carmine free.

Beach Rose is a bright and classic looking red which tested well on light, medium and very dark skin tones. (On very dark skin it just showed up more subtly and had to be applied with many layers, but the effect solicited some happy cooing).

Hot Cider appears to be a deep purple just by looking at the lipstick but upon application it turns into a more orangey red that is slightly deeper and less bright than the former color. This is great on someone with pink undertones in their skin.

Ecco Bella has a cool red lip crayon they call Cranberry, which is pretty accurate for the shade it turns.  It’s a pretty and very vibrant color after a few swipes back and forthwith the pencil, which offers great control.  It’s fairly waxy, and does leave a good stain but the wear wasn’t quite as long as I’d hoped given they call it a long wearing product.  The smell and the taste are pleasantly neutral.  This color is great for anyone with dark hair that has cool tones in it and is flattering on a variety of skin tones from fair to dark.

Dr. Haushka makes two reds suited perfectly for those looking for a distinctly cool or warm tone.  Their lipstick is pretty heavily pigmented, moisturizing and has great wearability.  I detected a bit of minty flavor with theirs, but it wasn’t overwhelming.

No. 4 is a rich warm red with orange undertones great for a redhead or someone with pink undertones and caramel colored hair.  No. 6 is the cooler version that borders on a berry red, perfect for blondes and brunettes, especially those with more olive/golden complexions.  Both colors could work on just about anyone.  Because No. 6 is more berry, it’s a bit more audacious as a statement.

Mineral Fusion’s lipstick has lots of pigment and a waxier feeling that gives it great longevity.  Flashy is an orangey red, that is slightly lighter than Dr. Haushka’s No. 4 so it’s a great option for someone looking to do a sophisticated, warm red that isn’t screamingly bright but still holds its own where pigment and wearability are concerned.

Youngblood’s Vixen is the endurance queen. This one has got some synthetics in its mostly natural formulation, and is worth mentioning because it’s a cool red that screams, “I’m here for the party and not leaving ‘till dawn!” Talk about a bold red that just won’t quit.  Even in the world of traditional lip colors I’ve yet to come across something so vibrant that doesn’t need to be touched for hours. This color would work on anyone brave enough to put it on.

Hopefully you’ll be inspired to take on the summer with a mouth as hot as you feel and try out some of these great shades. If you have any reds that have rocked your lips in the natural category, leave a comment below.

Editor’s note: Got a celebrity look you’d like to copy or a trend you’d like to see incorporating healthy, non-toxic makeup? Send your questions to High Definition columnist Kristen Arnett at beauty@ecosalon.com

New York City based Kristen Arnett is an internationally renowned makeup artist and founder of the Green Beauty Team, styling high profile celebrities and runway models as well as a sought after beauty expert, educator and teacher for other makeup artists.

Image: Davide Todini

Makeup: Kristen Arnett

The post High Definition: Red Lips For All appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnWant to have an iconic summer look beachside? Follow these tips.

Sun-bleached blondes with beach tousled hair, smoldering black eyes and pouty nude lips captured a time in the ’60s when curvy women in bikinis lit up movie screens. Over the decades, Brigitte Bardot and Claudia Schiffer have been inspirational icons for this playfully seductive summer look – one that will never go out of style.
GUESS’s Spring 2011 campaign reignited the part of me that would love to go wild with a box of peroxide, a teasing comb and a kohl pencil. Like most things that inspire me, this is a pretty unrealistic look for anyone who wants to do more than sing songs with choreographed dance moves on the beach. The reality is that much black eyeliner would protect from sun glare, but would be a nightmare as soon as one drop of salty water hit.  If you plan to stay dry and want to have some fun with your makeup recreating yourself as a ’60s beach bombshell, here’s the how-to.

Black out

To start you’ll need a black eye pencil, black liquid eyeliner, black eyeshadow, a tube of black mascara, and an eye contour brush.

Green product suggestions:

Living Nature Eye Pencil in Midnight

Lavera Liquid Eyeliner (vegan)

Alima Pure Satin Matte Eyeliner (to be used as eyeshadow) in Black (vegan)

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Brush #004 (vegan)

Pro tip: Put foundation on after eyeshadow so you can easily clean off any powder that may have dropped onto your face.

1. Line the upper and lower lashes of your eye with the black eye pencil. This doesn’t need to be precise but it does need to be thick and dense.  You may have to go over it a couple of times to get the right intensity.

2. Take your eye contour brush and begin buffing the edges of the lines to diffuse them up into the crease for the upper lid.  For the lower lid, pull the liner with the brush down to about the place where the ends of your lower lashes touch. On most people that’s about ¼ of an inch.

Pro tip: Do not connect the inner corners of the eyes with black and leave the water line free of liner to give a more wide-eyed effect.

3. Use the brush and go more heavily into the crease of the upper lid with black eyeshadow using a windshield wiper motion using very rounded strokes. Leave a fair amount of space between the shadow and the brow bone. Everyone’s eyes are different, so for some it maybe 1/8 of an inch and for others almost 1/2. Concentrate the color on the outer edges of the eyes. Make sure that the edges aren’t pointy, rather soft and arching. Follow with just a touch of shadow underneath the eye following the rounded curve. Keep the application a bit lighter here.

4. Curl your lashes.  A lot.

5. Whip out that black liquid liner and make a thick line across the top lashes. Then paint on a thick, but slightly thinner line underneath.  If you are feeling very deft, make the lines a little bit thicker towards the outer corners of the eye as you go.  Remember not to connect the inner corners with liner because it will shut down the eye and make it look more punk rather than 60’s.

Pro tip: If you mess up your liner use a pointy cotton squab dampened with a touch of water to quickly “erase” your mistake.

6. Layer on the mascara. This look has nothing to do with restraint. If you need to use half a tube on both upper and lower lashes then do it! Clumpy and pointy work here.

A bold brow

Is anyone getting tired of hearing me say that bold brows are the way to go for pretty much every look? This look really needs it and it’s what is most modern. Naturally groomed and less manicured brows add a great frame to the eye and structure to the face. Need a quick tutorial on that, check out this video.

Don’t touch those freckles!

If you are blessed to have a freckly face or even a freckle-less face, don’t cover it with a pile of foundation.  Let your skin show through and only conceal the tiniest bits where necessary.  The key to this look is really keeping things raw, rough and textured.  Use a tinted moisturizer with SPF to help even skin tone, protect and allow the skin texture to still be seen.  Try Josie Maran Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30.

Light lips

To balance such a heavy eye, a very nude lip is the way to go.  There’s nothing overly skilled about this part.  Just slap on some lip color and you are set! Ecco Bella makes a great natural, vegan lip color called Almond that should do the trick.

Alright beach babes, get out their and show ‘em how glamorous your summer style can be!

Editor’s note: Got a celebrity look you’d like to copy or a trend you’d like to see incorporating healthy, non-toxic makeup? Send your questions to High Definition columnist Kristen Arnett at beauty@ecosalon.com

New York City based Kristen Arnett is an internationally renowned makeup artist and founder of the Green Beauty Team, styling high profile celebrities and runway models as well as a sought after beauty expert, educator and teacher for other makeup artists.

Image: Ellen Von Unwerth for GUESS Inc.

The post High Definition: Beach Bombshell appeared first on EcoSalon.