Friday, September 30, 2011

VEGAN Diet Tips



Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of non-human animal products. A Vegan diet excludes intake of any animal product including eggs, dairy, and meats.


If you have recently embraced a Vegan diet or been a Vegan for years it's really important to have a well balanced diet including fibre, proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins. But that doesn't mean you have to eating boring tofu and couscous! Here are our diet tips for all you  Vegan Vixens who follow a healthy eco-friendly eating plan.  

  • PROTEIN - add protein into your daily diet with lots of seeds, tofu, nuts, lentils and beans. 
  • FAT - restrict your intake of saturated fats & cholesterol and  embrace "friendly fats" like omega-3 which can be found in flax seeds, walnuts, kidney beans, olive oil & avocado oil. 
  • CALCIUM - Get more calcium by including green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, celery and broccoli into your diet. Soy milk, almond milk, sesame seeds, almonds, flax seeds, brazil nuts, oranges and papaya are also high in calcium. 
  • VITAMIN Dget some sun! Exposure to sunlight for 15 to 20 minutes a day helps a vegan get the required vitamin D which helps you absorb calcium. 
  • IRON - getting lots of iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen to your body's tissues so add more iron rich foods into your diet. Eat lots of spinach (think Popeye) dried apricots, beans, tofu, pumpkin & sesame seeds, broccoli, green peppers, red kidney beams, chickpeas & peaches. 
  • WATER - drink at least 2 litres of water each day to maintain a healthy body and boost blood circulation  and flush out toxins. Watermelons, oranges & apples contain lots of water and make great healthy morning or afternoon snacks. 
  • FIBRE - An apple a day keeps the dentist away... Choosing a fibre-rich apple for your 3pm sweet treat will keep your gums healthy and strong. 
  • FRUIT - For Vegans fruit is like delicious candy from mother nature. Replace processed refined sugars with natural sugar from fruits like pineapples, strawberries, apricots, peaches, oranges and cherries. 

It's Good to be Green


GREEN TEA   |  green is good
Add a cup of organic green tea into your daily diet to boost your immune system. There are so many healthy benefits from drinking green tea because it contains antioxidants. It lowers cholesterol levels, lowers high blood levels, reduces stress, assists with weight loss and even contains anti-cancer properties. 


AVOCADOS  |  avocados are awesome
Aren't avocados fattening? Well the truth is avocados contain monounsaturated fats, which is actually a good fat. Monounsaturated fat can increase metabolism and assist weight loss. Add an avocado to your daily diet will help maintain good brain function and overall body maintenance. Avocados are full of vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, B, A and C. Plus one  avocado contains half the recommended daily dose of potassium! The Avocado is a super food which contains L-Carnitine, an amino acid which burns fat. 


BROCCOLI  |  life is better with broccoli 
B is for beautiful and for broccoli. The benefits of broccoli are truly amazing. Adding broccoli into your diet a few times a week will regulate blood pressure as it contains magnesium and calcium. One cup of broccoli contains the recommended daily dose of vitamin C which can help fight off the common cold. Broccoli has high levels of calcium & vitamin K important for bone health and potassium which helps maintain a healthy nervous system and promotes regular muscle growth. Eating broccoli strengths your immune system and also aids in digestion as its high in fibre. As if that wasn't enough Broccoli is also high in protein, B6 and folate. Broccoli is brilliant! 

Living a Vegan lifestyle is not only healthy and full of good nutrition, but your diet choices help save the planet! For the animals, for the earth and for your health... it's good to be Vegan! 

  • For more vegan diet tips and recipes we recommend reading Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet

Spring Beauty Trends



In Australia, our favourite season Spring is already in full swing. So with weather warming up it's time to give your makeup routine a spring clean and embrace this season's beauty trends. As featured in Myer's My Beauty catalogue for Spring 2011, this season's lips make a statement in rich shades of pink, red and orange. For eyes are intense with bright colours in single shades of green, orange and teal. This spring is certainly about bright vibrant colours for eyes, lips and nails. 


TREND 1. Bright Bold Nails 



Revlon's glamorous new Top Speed Nail Enamel provides amazingly quick colour & glossy, salon-smooth nails in just 60 seconds! With the built-in top coat these new runway-worthy shades are perfect for the glamour gal who loves effortless beauty with maximum results. 
32 cool colours to chose from means that there is a colour perfect for every occasion! 
Bright bold nails will be this Spring's hottest fashion accessory. We love Revlon's hot new shades in Electric (a sunshine yellow), Chilli (a bright fiery red) & Lava (a magenta pink).

TREND 2. Bright Fluorescent Eyes


Create a spring sensation with pretty peepers by adding a wash of colour to your eyes in shades of lime green, bright orange, lemon yellow, aqua blue and royal purple.  The key to pulling off this look is pairing your bright eyeshadow with a neutral lip in soft pink or peach. 


Our favourite vegan eyeshadows are Lime Crime's Magic Dust. These vibrant shades can be used wet for an intense vibrant look or dry (over an eyeshadow primer) for a super pigmented look. The perfect spring eye colours are Lime Criminal (a bright lime green), Circus Girl (bright golden yellow),  Empress (vibrant royal purple), Troubadour (shimmery turquoise) & Shoe Addict (vibrant ocean blue). 


TREND 3. Statement Lips




The hottest runway trend this spring season is bold statement lips in shades of siren red, fuchsia, magenta and orange. This daring look will certainly stop traffic! Pair your picture-perfect bold lips with nude/naked eyes, simply lined with black eyeliner for definition. 


For runway-ready lips we love Napoleon Perdis DeVine Goddess Lipstick in their new limited edition colour Artemis. This nourishing lipstick glides on smoothly, leaving a just-been-kissed flush of romantic rosy pink. Perfect for date night or lunch with the girls. Napoleon says it's "Swoon-worthly lipstick" and we agree it brings a new meaning to the word divine. If this shade is not your cup of tea, don't worry, Napoleon has created lots more desirable lipstick shades. Our other DeVine Goddess favourites include Calypso (a bright fuchsia pink) and Aphrodite (a sexy siren red). 


TREND 4.  Sweet & Fruity Fragrances 





When it comes to Spring & Summer, fresh floral fragrances and sweet summery scents are a beauty-must in any Glamour Gal's daily beauty routine. 
Just in time for Spring and Summer our favourite diva and new celebrity mum Mariah Carey  has release 3 brand new scents, Lollipop Splash The Remixes. This new collection features vibrant purse-friendly-size bottles in bright pink, orange & magenta. Each bottle includes Mariah's signature butterfly cap with matching candy bling gift boxes. The new scents named after popular Mariah songs, Never Forget You (orange), Inseparable (pink) and Vision of Love (magenta) follow her best selling Lollipop Bling fragrance collection. 
With ingredients like french macaroon, coconut, vanilla beans, raspberry and pink musk they smell almost good enough to eat, almost! 


This spring it's time to ditch the dull and embrace vibrant & bold colours! From fuchsia pink to siren red to vibrant orange, this season is all about experimenting with colour and putting the fun back into your beauty routine! 


Thursday, September 29, 2011

Introducing ECO TAN 100% Natural Tan


Introducing Eco Tan, Australia's first certified organic 100% natural tanning product. Created by Gold Coast single mum Sonya Driver after her sister was diagnosed with a melanoma a few years ago. Sonya was concerned with the risk of skin cancer, so she turned to spray tans but she says "When I did some research and found out the number of toxic chemicals in these products I was disgusted".  So Sonya embarked on a 2 year journey, or rather a beauty mission to create a safe & natural fake tan. After thousands of hours of researching and formulating, the result was her organic, all natural tanning solution she named Eco Tan



Eco Tan's eco-friendly formula made from organic pigments, herbs, flower extracts,  fruit extracts and chamomile creates a rich golden natural tan. Mixing natural ingredients from Mother Nature and cutting out all the nasty chemicals and synthetic ingredients, Sonya's Eco Tan is the only organic tan to be certified by the Organic Food Chain. Sonya states "I use certified organics and naturals in all my formulas. I will not compromise quality or safety for the mighty dollar. "

Eco Tan ingredients:



  • Avocado Oil
  • Honeysuckle Flower Extract
  • Rosewood Oil
  • Rose Geranium Oil
  • Grapeskin Extract
  • Cacao Fruit
  • Aloe Vera
  • Glycerin
  • Bergamot
  • Chamomile
  • Flower Extract
Eco Tan range includes the Eco Tan Organic Rich Honey Tanning Solution their hero product, which is a professional formula, 100% natural with certified organic ingredients providing a rich golden tan that  lasts for approximately 7 - 10 days. This natural tan contains no artificial ingredients and no fragrance, which means no nasty tanning smell. No breathing in harsh chemicals and there's no green or orange base, just clever mother nature!




For best results use Eco Tan's Tan Away Glove to exfoliate your body before and after tanning. This extreme exfoliator removes dead skin layers and old tan to reveal fresh smooth skin. The Tan Away Glove is made from 100% natural viscose with eco-friendly dye. It's Australia's best tan remover glove, Eco Tan guarantees it!  


If you don't have time to use the tanning solution, then you can always try Eco Tan's  Invisible Tan.  An organic moisturiser that transforms into a beautiful glamorous tan. It nourishes your skin without any synthetics or toxic ingredients. This product is our personal favourite, it's so easy to apply, we recommend leaving it on for 8 hours before rinsing for best results. Unlike traditional self tanners which often have an overpowering "tanning" smell, Invisible Tan has a lovely soft note of Rose flower oil which is very pleasant on the skin.  Best thing is that once applied to clean skin it dries instantly! Plus you can even sleep in it as it won't stain your sheets because it's invisible! This organic self tanner creates a beautiful, natural looking, rich golden tan and with summer just around the corner, we have no doubt that the Eco Tan Invisible Tan will become your new beauty BFF.  




Eco Glamazine's Editor & professional makeup artist Lauren Day recently tried Eco Tan's Invisible Tan and was really pleased with the results. "I have very fair skin that burns very easy, and with the high risk of skin cancer here in Australia sun-baking is just not an option. I have tried so many fake tanners which always promise to take my skin from pale to perfectly tan but never seemed to deliver the golden tan that I desired. That is until I tried Eco Tan's Invisible Tan! All I can say is Wow! This fake tan is not only organic but it really works and gives me a beautiful long-lasting golden tan. The smell is really nice and after about 1 week my tan starts to fade naturally without looking patchy and yuck. I am so impressed with how easy this product is to use. The first day I wore my Invisible Tan,  I decided to wear a white t-shirt just so see how invisible it really was, boy was I surprised! There was no tan residue or stains on my shirt, I couldn't believe it. I would highly recommend Invisible Tan to anyone who wants to get a gorgeous golden tan without the damaging effects of sun tanning! Thanks Eco Tan for helping me create the gorgeous golden tan I've always wanted!" 


Eco Tan is available online and in health food stores Australia wide. You can also keep up to date with all things Eco Tan via their social media profiles on Twitter and Facebook


Eco Tan is Australia's most beautiful tanwww.ecotan.com.au

Monday, September 26, 2011

DEMI LOVATO: From Disney To Diva


Demi Lovato Disney to Diva
WONDER WOMAN

Demi Lovato (born Demetria Devonne Lovato) was once a Disney darling as the star of Disney's Sonny with a Chance. This young actress & singer once dated Joe Jonas, starred in popular Disney movies and was even referred to as the new Miley Cyrus. But she recently hit rock bottom when she experienced an emotional breakdown. 


 

Only 3 years ago Demi was flying high with the success of her movies Camp Rock and Princess Protection Program and a starring role on Disney's hit show Sonny with a Chance. Along with the success of back to back pop albums Don't Forget and Here We Go Again, and a summer tour, it seemed as if she had it all. But behind the pop princess smile, Demi was dealing with self confidence issues, depression and even self-injury. "I basically had a nervous breakdown".  In October 2010 her family checked Demi into a treatment centre where she got help for cutting and multiple eating disorders.

Demi: "I went from being at the highlight of my career having a movie… being on this tour and having so much success. So many things were going great in my life and then all of a sudden my personal life just went down at crazy speeds and I  just I had a negative breakdown and it changed my life forever. But I'm glad that it did because if I had never gone into treatment  I don't know if one I would be sitting here today and two if I would be alive today." 




Her struggles with anorexia and bulimia started at age 9 after many years of dealing with school bullies. "One of the words they called me was fat. At that age, you think, Oh, so I don't have friends because I'm fat." 

Demi is now a spokesperson for Teens Against Bullying, a bullying prevention movement and she hopes to put an end to bullying.  "I'm in such a good place now. There needs to be a [positive] role model out there and for the first time in my life I feel like one." 

She recently became a contributing editor for Seventeen Magazine, opening up about the pressure to be perfect, her personal struggles and her newfound confidence in the hope to inspire others. 



Demi made an appearance last month at the MTV Video Music Awards showing off her new sexy curves in a sexy figure-hugging gun metal grey sequinned mini dress. Fans embraced her new curvy figure so much that the phrase Demi Lovato is Stunning became a worldwide trending topic on Twitter for 24 hours following the VMA awards. 




This very courageous 19 year old has done some seriously growing up recently and Demi shares her experiences with fans, her new album Unbroken was released last week. Now with her Sonny with a Chance days behind her Demi is focusing on her music career. Skyscraper, the first single off the album is an anthem for every girl going through a rough patch. 

Demi:  "My first single is really special to me — to me it symbolizes my journey from the person I was to the happy healthy person I am today, and the fact that people are able to rise above anything, despite the odds."




Demi describes her new album Unbroken as "more mature" and mixes emotional ballads with party songs to create a fresh new collection of tracks showcasing Demi's killer voice. The album also features guest vocals from Missy Elliott, Timbaland, Jason Derulo and Jordin Sparks. 
Demi: "Every other album I haven’t had time to really take my time and craft it like I really wanted to do because I was finding spare time between a television show, and movies, and touring, and then all over again. I’ve worked on (the album) for the past year and really gone hard over the past few months, but you can definitely tell that I took my time with this record."


Demi co-wrote 5 tracks from the new album including All Night Long, Together, Unbroken, Hold Up and For the Love of a Daughter. "With my new album, I'm hoping to provide inspiration for girls everywhere who are going through the same issues I've faced."
Although Demi is often compared to fellow Disney pop stars Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, Unbroken certainly showcases that her voice is certainly in the same league as Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson. 


From Disney to Diva, this inspiring young actress has overcome depression, bullying, eating disorders and self-defeat and emerges determined and driven, ready to be a positive healthy  role model for young girls. We admire Demi Lovato for her strength to seek help and use her celebrity status in a positive way to make a difference. Demi Lovato is Unbroken. 


After a difficult year, Demi Lovato battled her demons, got the help she needed and is back on top. She gave a powerful and candid interview to Ellen about her eating disorder and her road to recovery. She's an incredible person.

Demi Lovato

twitter: Twitter.com/ddlovato
Facebook: Facebook.com/DemiLovato
official: www.demilovato.com

 This is a feature article from Eco Glamazine September 2011


Sunday, September 18, 2011

Beauty Must Have: Lip Balm



Whether it's summer, winter, autumn or spring lip balm is an absolute beauty must-have! 


When it comes to buying lip balm, natural & organic lip balms are always the best choice. 
So why choose natural? Well, most cheap commercial lip balms are full of nasties like mineral oil, chemical additives, preservatives and petrolatum (which is made from crude oil - yuck!).  


You can still moisturise and nourish your dry lips, while also being friendly to the environment with these eco-friendly natural lip balms.

BURT'S BEES  Get naturally soft, healthy lips. 100% Natural. 


Give your lips the soothing feeling they deserve. This natural lip balm is loaded with coconut and sunflower oils, rich in vitamins and essential fatty acids, to nourish, condition and soften lips. Beeswax seals in hydration. We've even added peppermint oil for a refreshing tingle. Take your pick of an old-fashioned yellow tin or a recycled plastic tube. No wonder it's their most popular product.


Key Ingredient - Beeswax: 
A natural wax made by bees in the cell walls of honeycombs, this substance is a natural emulsifier used in cosmetics. It adds a wonderful natural smell and color to products and helps to seal and protect the skin when used in moisturising formulas. 




Burt's Bees does NOT conduct product or ingredient tests of any kind on animals. A few of their products contain ingredients derived from animals such as beeswax, royal jelly, milk and carmine.
www.burtsbees.com.au


ECO LIPS  Experience the difference with Eco Lips. 


Eco Lips has a huge range of affordable environmentally-friendly organic lip balms to choose from. Made with the finest certified organic ingredients, these lip balms soothe and heal chapped lips quickly and will keep your lips moist, soft, and supple. 
Their SPF Lip Balm is perfect for the eco-chicks who love sand, surf and the great outdoors. It contains aloe leaf extract to protect lips under the harshest conditions. 




The hero product is their Gold USDA Certified Organic Lip Balm made with the finest certified organic jojoba oil. The ultimate lip moisturiser, enriched with vitamin A & E and made with organic sunflower oil and organic beeswax, this lip balm is unflavoured.  




For the Vegan Vixens, Eco Lips created a Bee Free Vegan Lip Balm made of candelilla wax, organic jojoba oil, vitamin E & organic cocoa butter to leave your lips incredibly soft and supple. It's like a vacation for your lips! (cruelty-free, gluten free, organic & vegan) 


Eco Lips lip balm is handcrafted in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A family run business, Eco Lips has innovative organic lip care products with award winning packaging and environmental initiatives in place. Eco Lips is making its way around the world, one set of lips at a time.


lip friendly. earth friendly. eco lips.  www.ecolips.com




BADGER  powerfully pure body care  


Smooth & totally improve your tender chapped lips & thirsty dry skin with our Badger's huge variety of totally natural lip balms. The range includes classic lip balm, cocoa butter lip balm, cute lip balm tins, tinted & shimmer lip balms and SPF Lip Balm.





Chocoholics will love my personal favourite from the Badger lip care range, the Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.  Badger's dreamy Cocoa Butter Lip Balms come in a larger .25oz stick with a magical Badger on the label! These creamy lip balms feature rich, Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified Cocoa Butter, which has the sultry fragrance of dark chocolate. Our Cocoa Butter is traditionally processed at low temperatures, allowing the butter to retain its natural, health-giving properties. Flavored with all natural steam distilled essential oils - no artificial sweeteners or fragrances. 


Badger is a family run company who's mission is to create fabulously pure and effective products of the highest natural quality. Based on simplicity and thoughtful preparation with the intention to soothe and heal. Badger believes in environmental responsibility and works hard to create a healthy business with ethical and charitable principles. Badger's ingredients are 100% natural and most of their products contain more than 85% certified organic ingredients. Badger is 100% cruelty-free certified by Leaping Bunny. 


www.badgerbalm.com 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Eco Glam: Parlux Eco-Friendly Hair Dryer



Parlux has created a new Eco-Friendly Ceramic & Ionic Hair Dryer. Perfect for the eco-glam girl, this ozone friendly hair dryer is made from recyclable components and during use there is no toxic emissions. The Parlux 3800 Eco-Friendly Hair Dryer features a brand new built-in silencer which significantly reduces the amount of noise. The Parlux 3800's rapid drying time means less energy consumption and frizz-free fabulous hair. This  low polluting, energy efficient hair dryer is a world first and features ceramic and ionic technology which makes hair shinier, softer and healthier. The product's packaging is made and printed on 100% biodegradable recycled paper and card.  




Features: 

  • 2100 Watts.
  • Airflow: 75 m3/hr
  • Compact and lightweight
  • 4 Temperature / 2 Speed
  • Cold shot button
  • Impact resistant casing and heavy duty switches
  • 2 Nozzle 
  • 3 meter power cord 

The Parlux 3800 Eco-Friendly Hair Dryer is the perfect styling tool for the eco-savy glamour gal. 


Available at i-Glamour.com $189.95