Clean Your Beauty Routine| Cruelty-Free MakeUp with Less Waste & More Thoughtfulness
 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Elate. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the beauty industry a better place!

Elate Clean Cosmetics

Always excited to switch things up on the fashion blog and move over to the beauty talk! Since adapting to a more organic lifestyle 7ish years ago, there have only been a handful of makeup brands I have thoroughly enjoyed - and this means enjoying a range of their products rather than just their lipstick or mascara. So it's nice to discover a cosmetic brand where I adore most of their products, and their ethos is one I can stand 100% behind.  

Why I love Elate

It's pretty simple...they care! They think about your skin, your lifestyle, and the planet. Therefore, all products use loving ingredients and are vegan, cruelty-free, toxin-free & gluten-free. One of my favorite parts is their use of packaging. It's something I haven't seen before! Instead of giving you a whole new compact for your eye shadow or blush, you receive magnetic packaging that comes in an envelope made of seed paper. Then, you use their Bamboo Palette to create your mix of makeup. That's a pretty great idea. They use bamboo packaging for their lipsticks, eyeliners, loose powders, and mascara because it's a self-regenerating natural resource. Woo hoo - no plastic!

& then, of course, the obvious - I love it because my skin loves it! 

lithe-eyecolour.jpg
Large_Palette.jpg

What I'm Using

Over the last month, I've become familiar with a handful of their products.

My Elate routine includes their...

Essential Mascara {$28}: THIS mascara is my new favorite. You get seriously luscious lashes & it lasts throughout the day. No clumps, just plump. 

& from their Bloom collection {featuring bright hues and neutral shadows}...

Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Belle {$19}: No dry lips, just a beautiful sheen of pink. There is even a hint of mint with its infused peppermint essential oil! 

Flushed Pressed Cheek Color in Titian {$22}: Probably one of the boldest blushes I've owned - One swipe and you're set. It's gorgeous! 

Create Pressed EyeColor in Cinder & Union {$16}: I tend to stick to the more neutral tones when applying eyeshadow {I don't like it heavy!}. This color combo is perfect for me. I start with the Union on the insides of lids and work my way out with the Cinder. 

Below you can see some candid {no enhancing of the makeup :P} shots of me wearing all four:

Where To Buy

Shop Elate's entire collection here. For Each purchase, you receive a free sample, PLUS there is free shipping on orders of $75 or more! Stay up-to-date with everything Elate on Instagram

Now, go clean your makeup routine! 

 
Bye-bye Single Use Plastics, This Shampoo is Refillable
 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Plaine Products. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the beauty industry a better place!

Plaine Products

refill - reuse - rejoice

Striving towards a zero-waste lifestyle but finding it difficult based on where you live? I get this. The town I live in does not have a bulk store for us to refill our shampoo and body wash. This notion that it's easy for all of us to live completely zero-waste is unrealistic. Truth is - it's difficult, especially if you don't have a friendly neighborhood bulk store. Luckily for those who don't, brands like Plaine Products are here to help us. Plaine Products offer a bath & body subscription dedicated to eliminating single-use plastics. To make it even better, their products are all-natural, and they work!! My hair feels incredibly soft - probably the softest it has ever been outside of going to the salon. I'm impressed :D 

If you have yet to hear, only 1 in 5 people consistently recycle items from the bathroom, and out of all the plastic in the world, roughly 10% is actually recycled. They estimate that by 2050, more plastic bottles will be in the ocean than fish. Can you imagine?

I believe in the little things, and subscription services where you never have to throw a bottle away again can genuinely make a difference.

So how does this subscription service work?

Order one of their products - or all - {Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash}, and let them know when you are running low. They will ship you a replacement and a box with a return label. Ship the empty bottle back so it can be reused. No trash and great quality body products right to your door! Easy as that. They decided to go with an aluminum bottle because they can withstand a ton of travel and they are easily cleaned & sterilized. Plus, Plaine Products uses one of my favorite shipping supply companies, EcoEnclose - so even the packaging is thinking about the planet.

psst.. Based on your preference, you can opt to have a pump sent with your first batch for easy access!

psst.. Based on your preference, you can opt to have a pump sent with your first batch for easy access!

As I said before, these products make my hair incredibly soft. The scent is a blend of rosemary, mint, and vanilla {yeah, smells fantastic!}, and the formula is excellent for any hair type {even those with sensitive skin and scalps!}. In addition, all products are hypoallergenic, baby-safe, color-safe, cruelty-free, and toxin-free. 

Ready to downsize your waste? Click - here - to shop and start your subscription. 

Let's work together to make this world have a little less bath&body trash!

 
Sustainable Clothing Good for the Earth & your Body
 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Sustain by Kat. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the fashion industry a better place!

Sustain by kat

Have you ever thought about the number of chemicals the average t-shirt holds? A new chemical is added to the mix at every step, from pesticide-treated cotton to toxic azo dyes for color. What we wear on our body ends up in our body, so why aren't we taking the necessary precautions regarding our clothes? Better yet, why not choose clothing that is beneficial to our bodies? With Sustain, you can! Kat, the creator, had particularly sensitive skin, and it took a while for her to figure out the rashes caused by her clothing. All the chemicals were too much, and she needed to find a solution. Having difficulty finding brands that used healthy fabrics, she decided to venture out independently. Sustain is made for every day - from work to home to dinner out. The best part of it all, not only are the fabrics eco-friendly, but they benefit your health, as well. 

I'm wearing the Indi-go shirt made from 100% ayurvedically dyed organic cotton. So what does this mean? This shirt is dyed using a form of ayurvedic medicine called Ayuvastra, the notion your skin absorbs the chemicals {good or bad} within your clothing. The National Institutes of Health has proven your skin absorbs the chemicals in your shirt. Crazy right?! However, it makes sense; I've figured this to be true for many years. Knowing there is a dyeing process that can take advantage of our skin's absorption properties is impressive. The Indi-go shirt is dyed with medicinal plants helping to detoxify and improve your skin. Some plants include; ficus, nettle, indigo, neem, pomegranate, Indian ginseng, and white sandalwood.

Plus, this top doesn't stop here... it has a positive social and environmental impact, too! {Clearly, they know what a sustainable garment is ;)}

The fabric is made by handloomers and dyers who are part of a non-profit focused on the sustainable development of marginalized traditional weaving communities within India. After the weaving and dyeing, the fabric is shipped to LA to be made into Sustain clothing at a family-run manufacturer. Rosa and her husband have been manufacturing in downtown LA for over 20 years and have been such an asset to Sustain's growing team. To address the environmental impact, the Indi-go shirt is made from organic cotton with natural plant dyes, so the entire garment is entirely biodegradable with a minuscule carbon footprint. The Indi-go deserves five stars for its fit, quality & positive environmental, social & health impact. 

Sustain also uses GOTS Certified Organic Cotton and Peace Silk in their other designs. Peace Silk is a fascinating fabric as it's a non-violent form of silk where the moth has completed its transformation and left the cocoon. To shop their entire collection, click here.

Now we can look good, protect the planet & help our skin simultaneously!! 

 
Modern, French Luxury Basics | Empowering Women & Supporting the Planet
 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Les Sublimes. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the fashion industry a better place!

les sublimes

"THE STRENGTH OF A GIRL-BOSS, THE SPIRIT OF A GLOBAL CITIZEN AND THE HEART OF A WORLD-CHANGER."

Someone pinch me - I've found the softest black tee on this planet. Based in the lovely city of Paris, Les Sublimes adds a touch of sustainability and style to our essential everyday garments. Those tees, tanks, and dresses that make our wardrobe effortless now have a conscious twist! They don't want us to compromise when it comes to the basics, so let us all say 'bye' to that $5 t-shirt & 'hello' to sustainable, accessible, French luxury :D

Created by two Girl Bosses, Kachen Hong & Alexis Assoignon, Les Sublimes is the perfect brand to kickstart Women's International Week'. A women-led company & designs made just for amazing worldly women - it makes sense to celebrate & share them this week, right!? Not to mention, their mission goes beyond the actual product. They have a purpose - to empower women, make a global impact and open their hearts to spread happiness to everyone - aka #beingSUBLIMES.

To understand the concept a little bit better, see below for a super cute bubble chart {complete with a heart}:

Les Sublimes believes education is key to elevating poverty. Therefore, each item purchased supports one month of education for a young girl in need. Did you know one extra year of primary school boosts girls' future wages by 10-20%?! & then another year of secondary school adds 15-25% on top of this! I absolutely love it when a fashion brand reaches out to the global community and enables the opportunity for young women to learn and grow.

I'm wearing the Stockholm Luxury Tee {in black, but you can find it in white & rose, too!!}. Like I said before, SERIOUSLY THE SOFTEST & CHICEST TEE EVER makes it perfect for every day & any occasion. The relaxed fit has a feminine neckline and a curved hem for effortless tucking and untucking. && the Stockholm is made from one of my favorite fabrics, MicroModal! While a maximum of 10% of fibers used are synthetic {for movement, durability, and comfort purposes}, Les Sublimes goes above and beyond to find the best natural and botanical fibers with minimal carbon footprints. Their current collection features two fabrics - Lenzing MicroModal {made from Austrian beechwood} and GOTS Cotton {a certification giving you peace of mind from farmer to maker}. All garments are ethically manufactured at a family-owned factory about 400 km south of Paris in Renaison, France. Even high-quality consideration went into their yarns which are made in Northern France, and their tags are made from recycled poly by a Taiwanese family business. But that's not all, folks... their shipping materials are sourced locally, and orders are shipped with a carbon-neutral delivery service.

WOW! #lesSUBLIMES ;)

The complete Les Sublimes collection features five other beautiful pieces, too! Click below each photo to start shopping now. 

The Paris Luxury Tank 

The Pokhara Luxury Tee

The Tokyo Luxury Tank

The London Dress

The Buenos Aires Dress

Plus, Les Sublimes has a lovely Insta feed I highly recommend following!! 

It's finally time basics were a little more luxurious. Don't ya think?

Enjoy, my modern-conscious ladies <3 

 
From Recycled Bottles to Kaleidoscopic Prints, THIS is Sustainable Swimwear
 
DSC_0951-4.jpg

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Wolven. We only ever add brands & products we truly believe in. Thank you for supporting the brands who are making the fashion industry a better place!

with Wolven Threads

If you are someone who is continuously striving to lessen waste, you should support the brands that are seriously cleaning up this planet. Wolven Threads is taking discarded plastic bottles and making some of the most fantastic swimwear I've ever seen. For this LA-based brand, creating less waste and promoting a more conscious lifestyle {inside & out} is the heart of their business. Their patterns are inspired by nature's great use of geometry, with colors pulled from Indian art & yoga roots. In-house designers Kiran Jade & Will Ryan take these elements to produce some of the most mesmerizing patterns. Don't you remember getting lost in a kaleidoscope as a child? 

So.. about those plastic bottles..

With over 6.4 million tonnes of plastic entering our oceans every year, we need to find a solution to this problem. In a perfect world, it is not to use plastic AT ALL anymore. However, this is only partially realistic at this time, AND we still have most of the plastic made just floating around. So why not do something with it so bottles don't outnumber the fish in the sea?! Wolven Threads has taken it upon themselves to find a solution - in an enjoyable, fashionable way, am I right?!. Their entire swimwear collection {including their Activewear line}, is made from OEKO-TEX-certified Recycled P.E.T fabric (RPET). This certification shows the material does not contain any harmful or toxic chemicals. Plus, RPET is excellent for physical activity with its quick-drying, moisture-wicking, and antibacterial properties.

Besides the stunning prints and remarkable material, Wolven Threads gives back. For every purchase made, 5% is donated to bring yoga to at-risk youth. Practicing yoga can help build confidence, lessen anxiety, and become in tune with your mind & body.

I'm wearing the vibrant Red Flower One Piece. The print and cut make this piece extremely flattering - I am OBSESSED with it. If you love this print as much as I am, you can find it on leggings & yoga tops, too! &&& What is so cool about each one of their designs? You can wear them for more than one purpose. Their swimsuits look great with high-waist jeans, shorts, and skirts. Woo-hoo for versatility! 

Ready to embrace your inner free spirit & wild self through planet-saving fashion?

Shop Wolven Thread's entire line - here

& their most recent swimsuit collection - here -

Be sure to stay up-to-date with all the gorgeous swimsuit and yogi shots on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest

 
Natalie Costello Comments