The hottest trends for nails this season.

Put away your bold blues, greens, and purples of yesteryear (or, last year). This spring, the hottest nail colors are light, pretty neutrals and soft pastels at home in your flower garden. But not to worry – bold metallics and funky patterns are circling the edges of the country club, ready to sharpen out the edges of the season. Here are seven of the sassiest shades of the future, refashioned without many of the harmful chemicals of the past.

Blooming Buds

Natural neutrals are now gracing our fingertips, as pretty and delicate as the buds blooming outside our windows. And what better to crown the pretty princess of color than this sheer shade (Coronation $12.50) from Priti NYC. This non-toxic polish is made without the chemicals commonly found in nail polishes, including toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DHB) and formaldehyde. Ready to replace your old nail polish? Priti NYC also offers a recycling program for your used bottles.

Back To Your Roots

Want to take neutral to the next level? Spa Ritual offers up near-skin tones with their latest nail lacquer duo, Soil 2012 ($20.00). It contains Back to Your Roots, a shimmering, olive-toned shade, and Native Soil, a deep, rich, nutty brown. This line is a limited edition duo of vegan varnish which donates 20% of profits to the social/environmental non-profit Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) located on Haiti. Buyers also get a package of wild flower seeds with each purchase. You can find the duo, available in April, at sites such as Beauty.com. Spa Ritual nail colors are also free of toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DHB) and formaldehyde.

Heavy Metals

Not feeling neutrals for your nails this spring? Coming to you this April, Priti NYC has you covered with some heavy metals that will leave you ready to rock it with your fingertips. Inspired by the 2012 London Olympics, Priti is offering four edgy, metallic shades in gold, silver, and bronze, each of which are respectively reminiscent of the Olympic medals. Here we see Chrysanthos ($12.50), offering up a rich, shimmery gold that shines with a single coating.

Sassy Shimmer

If you want to go for some pretty shimmer, check out Priti’s bronze color, Bills Bronze ($12.50), combining the best of both neutral and metallic trends. This pretty color offers up a shimmery, silvery pink for your nails. Sure, it might represent third place, but you’ll come out on top with this lovely, light tone for your tips.

Funky Bold Colors

Metals and neutrals aren’t the only colors for warmer weather. Spa Ritual gets into the spirit of things with Spirit Child Shimmer ($10.00), a funky, deep red with a subtle gloss of gold to it. It’s a classic color with a dash of vintage disco.

The Half-Moon Manicure

Funky takes a front place with the half-moon nail. Made popular by seductress Dita Von Teese, this classic retro look gets an update from Priti’s Red Riding Hood Tulip ($10.00). If you’re like most people, you’re probably not adept or double-jointed enough to get those perfect half moons. Here’s a great tutorial with some tips to a chic half-moon manicure.

Art-Inspired

Want to take the half-moons even farther? Consider tricking out your tips with some creative, art-inspired images. Patterns are all the rage this spring, with some artful nail enthusiastic taking it to the next level. Pictured here is Keith Haring-inspired nails, done up with OPI nail polish. OPI nail colors are also free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde.

FTC Compliance

Image: Ladyblitz, MTV via Cake Creations, Spa Ritual, Priti Nails

The post 7 Inspired (And Less Toxic) Looks for Nails This Spring appeared first on EcoSalon.

EcoSalon and The Yoga Beauty Bar pair up at the Yoga Journal Conference this weekend in Estes Park, Colorado.

Ever wonder what a thousand oms and stretches under a Colorado sun looks like? We’re going to find out this week as EcoSalon travels to Estes Park, Colorado, to co-host the Yoga Beauty Bar with organic beauty brand Buddha Nose. From September 22nd to 24th, we’ll be celebrating all that is good in beauty and well-being at the Yoga Marketplace, part of the 16^th Annual Yoga Journal Conference in Estes Park, Colorado, a seven-day event of 35-plus master teachers sharing their knowledge in the mountains. A gathering for both teachers and beginners, the event seeks to showcase the best and brightest the yoga world has to offer.

Nestled within all this is the EcoSalon sponsored Yoga Beauty Bar, an interactive collective featuring the best in indie organic beauty and wellness brands.

The Yoga Beauty Bar is the brainchild of Buddha Nose founder Amy Galper, whose New York City-based shiatsu practice inspired her to create a line of products to encourage its user to “be still and breathe.” Buddha Nose is certified organic body care to inspire a “mind-body-beauty” connection.

Each day the Yoga Beauty Bar booth will feature a special beauty and wellness treatment, so make sure to stop by and make an appointment to receive chakra balancing, hand shiatsu or mini scalp treatments or simply to chat and sip some organic tea. The Yoga Marketplace at the conference is free and open to the public so if we are all you’re looking for (though we hope you’ll stop and peruse the vendors outside our oasis), beeline it straight to us and we will pamper and educate you on how everything you put on and in your body has a direct effect on your well-being.

On hand for green beauty advice is yours truly, ready to dish out my seasoned knowledge on organic and all-natural beauty products. Meet me at the conference or Friday evening for cocktails with all the participating brands at our cabin in the woods.

After you’ve enjoyed sampling products at The Yoga Beauty Bar, you might want to purchase some award-winning products from their featured brands. God knows we will:

Buddha Nose body care

Dr. Alkaitis Skincare

Wei of Chocolate

Lotus Wei Flower Essences

Pravassa Wellness Retreats

Priti Organic Nails

Runa Tea

Trance Essence Perfumes and Candles

Yarok Organic Hair Care Products

Revolution Organic Color Cosmetics

We look forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Contact Yoga Beauty Bar organizer Amy Galper at info@buddhanose.com or Amy DuFault at amy@ecosalon.com

Additional contributions to this post by Amy DuFault

The post Join EcoSalon at the Estes Park Yoga Journal Conference This Weekend! appeared first on EcoSalon.