I notice that a lot of raw foodist in my meetup area, wear lots of makeup. Lipstick, mascara, eyeliner, foundation, etc. I thought all those things in makeup have chemicals. Since I've been raw, I stopped using makeup, except for mascara.

I even noticed they they wear perfume. Again, I haven't since I've been raw, but I do miss wearing it.

Sometimes I use essential oils as a perfume.

As for makeup, if there was truly an affordable, all natural kind that didn't harm my body or the environment, I'd probably use it. I always enjoyed wearing makeup when I was in my 20s. I think of using it as another expresion of creativity--it's not necessarily always just used as a way to look like society says we should look. It's a creative way to express ourselves, I think. If you ever find out there are some natural makeups, I'd love to hear about it. I think makeup is fun.

Love,

Gypsy

i havent used makeup since highschool ..somehow i got it into my head (wayyyyy back then when were walking to school both ways barefoot in the snow) that it was bad for the skin ... my sister who is 5 years older then me looks about 15 years older then me but she has always been a sun worshipper , heavy make up wearer .. where i have been the exact opposite and have very pale nearly line free face

i think there are some natural based things out there on the market but honestly have never done the research

some old time make-ups were:

you could paint the lips and cheeks with a stain of blackberries or raspberries or pomengranates like the olden days

a little powdered charcoal for that smokey eyed look ..(charred wood might be toxic im not sure a bout this one)

a dusting or cornstarch powder to lighten and even out the complexion


other then that ya got me stumped lol

you could easily mix up your own perfume using essential oils (dont put some directly on skin as they can burn) just a dot or two on your collar or?

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist




Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2007 08:40PM by Jgunn.

Most of the ingredients in perfumes, including the scents added to hand creams, shampoos, soaps, etc., have to be disposed of as toxic waste and are known carninogens. Google 'perfume' and 'toxic' and you'll never wear that stuff again.

I've slowly, but naturally, let makeup go.

I'm the girl who couldn't leave the house w/o foundation on!

I just found that the more naturally I was living, the more makeup felt fake and gunky.

Lipstick/gloss was the first to go. I couldn't stand having gunky feeling stuff on my lips.

Next to go was foundation - even though my complexion isn't perfect, I just felt like the stuff was clogging my pores and I couldn't stand to have it on my face anymore. And I don't even use the liquid stuff - I used mineral makeup.

Next, blush - it just didn't even look good on me anymore.

My final frontier is eyeliner. (I've never worn mascara). And I only do that once every week or two.

I don't think I'm a beauty, but I feel more confident in my body and looks now than I ever felt. Even though I know my complexion still need help (and I do look forward to time healing it) I don't feel a need to hide any blemishes from the world.

I also find that I don't think that people with heavy makeup on, are as attractive as I used to think. It's just interesting how my perceptions have changed.

My husband couldn't be happier...he's never liked makeup on me. I know not all guys feel that way, though.

Sarah
[goingbananasblog.com]

You can use a burned cork for eyeliner.

I have trouble staying raw so I'm not so physically, but for some reason I could never stand that stuff on my skin. I can't wear nail polish either, or deal with perfumes. They all smell like bug spray to me, very toxic.

What I don't 'get' at all are the raw foodies who get breast implants. I mean, this just does not compute.

I'm definitely a make-up & perfume girl. Sorry to hear they're toxic.

sarah you are gorgeous dont kid yourself

burnt cork !! o.O really heheh thats different ..

my guy likes the nomakeup taste on me as well lol

sunshine i think there is some more natural makeups and perfumes out there .. just gotta dig for them ! if i can find anything i will post it

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

ALL my cosmetics are natural, pure, non animal tested & crulty free and from the health food stores. I love make up.

It's funny, but when I sneak into the store, with a pony tail & no make-up, my confidence is not as high, yet guys flirt & smile at me. I wear my glasses into stores, and I found out a young man who works at one of the stores, has a crush on me. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Even if our mothers and grandmas told us we NEED makeup, it's nice to feel kinda cute, in someones eyes, without makeup.

I had hair extensions, about 4 years ago, because I wanted it down below my butt, and it felt creepy, because I don't know what the story is behind the hair, or what kind of spirit it has,good or evil, sorrow, fear, poverty, death, disease, ...... who's hair it was, and if she died, or was forced to give up her hair. When I got rid of the hair, I felt free from something dark. Maybe if someone has cancer or is bald, the spirit would be a greatful one, to help someone feel pretty again. But not for vanity, for me.

Oh, I just want to add, I wear natural nail polish & use natural polish remover. It's called, "NO-Miss" [65.108.6.137]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/2007 11:13PM by Rawrrr!.

Like greenie said, a lot of cosmetics have so many toxins in them. I really like the website: www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. It rates all kinds of products (toothpaste, makeup, deodorant, shampoo, etc.) and breaks down the ingredients and if they are known to cause any harmful effects. It also shows what products are tested on animals. It's been a great reference for me.

Ever since I started to clean up my diet, I've stopped being able to wear make-up. My skin will break out and my face will start itching and burning until I wash it off. I haven't tried the make up products on the website I mentioned before...I've gotten too used to not wearing it!

rawrr, your post about hair extensions made me laugh. my totally cooked g-friend has them and even she says she sometimes feels like her head is full of all the thoughts of the people whose heads the hair came from. very strange that...

as for perfume, essential oils are an amazing substitute. there are all kinds of fragrances from fruity to musky to floral to earthy and you can blend a custom combination to suit any taste. essential oils are non-toxic to people and the environment and usually won't irritate those with an environmental sensitivity to chemical fragrances. they can even be healing or supportive to cleansing and other conditions. why bother with a scent that thousands of other people are wearing when you can create your own unique blend? i have one of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, orange, patchouli and lavendar that makes people want to get closer and i get asked all the time what they heck it is. it's super nice!
i usually just rub it into my hair, that way my skin doesn't absorb it and i can smell it myself all day, every time i move it wafts around my face, i love it!

fake-o makeup is easy to get away from. there are TONS of mineral makeups available in health food stores these days. you can blend and create to your hearts content. i make lipbalm that's easily tinted with mineral powder and costs next to nothing to make. easy easy. indian khol (charcoal) is available to darken lash lines and brows too, not hard to find at all.

the best thing i do for my face is keep it clean and free of junk on my skin. i concentrate on treating it well with natural cleansers, masks etc that i make with stuff out of the fridge and i find that my skin looks great and needs nothing on it. if i do wear makeup on occasion it's just to highlight my eyes and mouth. no one believes that i'm 35, i usually get 25-30, sometimes even younger! not that i think the goal is to look younger, i like being in my 30's, i just think it's the norm to kind of start falling apart in the thirties and if you aren't people just think you're younger than you are. it's an excellent invitation to mention my healthy lifestyle in a way that people are more than happy to hear about.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2007 03:02PM by coco.

I LOVE Larenim Mineral makeup. (Larenim is mineral spelled backwards) Its better than any other mineral makeup (I've tried a lot) and has NO additives, no nano-particles, no nothing. It is smooth and weightless, and is the only makeup I have truly liked. I love the invisi-pore concealer. It is totally natural, chemical free and cruelty free: www.larenim.com

You can get it at some Whole foods and other organic stores.

Vegcase, Larenim is a nice makeup line, and it's one of the lines I use. Gabriel, ZuZu, Dr. Hauschka & Eco Bella, are also nice, too.

i like lancome for makeup and yonka for face wash and creams. dont wear perfume but i like the way japanese cherry blossom body cream from bath and body works smells and feels.

dont know about chemicals, but i know these are cruelty free.

i am only 29, so i dont have any lines on my face. but i know alot of girls my age who do have lines and look older than me. and from what i know, these particular girls dont use any makeup or lotions.

[www.cosmeticdatabase.com]

this site has toxic load info on many, many products.

unfortunately lancome is owned by nestle. there is a conscientious boycott of all nestle products going on, the company is so ridiculously corrupt. you can read more about that here if you wish. i don't give them a penny of my money.
[www.thirdworldtraveler.com]

generally speaking, if it comes premade it's likely to have ingredients in it that are harmful to bodies and/or the environment. add to that the pollution and waste created during manufacturing and shipping and i just can't personally justify buying when i can make my own. there are things i have to buy, i haven't figured out how to make my own shampoo and conditioner or how to do without for example. but i try to minimize what i buy premade as much as possible.

except for mascara. just try taking that away from me!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2007 08:53PM by coco.

I wore makeup a lot when I was young. Sometimes to go to a party I wear something from the body shop on my eyes just for fun, or a bit of blush. I usually want to take it off asap though because I feel like it is clogging my skin and making me look old and more sexy than I want to! I like the fresh young look, I am 27. My skin care routine though is far from simple. I have loads of stuff from everywhere. One thing that is a miracle product to me is this soap from Israel: [www.gamila.com]
I swear up and down that this cured me from acne and I never got acne again. Actually my skin is near perfect. I also need this sunscreen [skincarerx.com] that was suggested by my homeopath. Its amazing. I also have to admit I use a probably toxic lotion with retinol that I hope will keep the lines at bay. So far so good.

I love playing with color. It's fun. I do it occasionally. I am too lazy for everyday makeup and I do not think heavy makeup looks good. My skin seems to look better without foundation. I like lip gloss. I am hopeless at applying eyeshadow. I'd rather someone painted my face for me.

Gosia


RawGosia channel
RawGosia streams

wwoooo! thanks coco. interesting links.

I stopped wearing makeup when I was trying to heal my acne and I realized it was just making it worse. Even the all natural stuff. I used to be embarassed to be seen without makeup, now I feel so happy to feel fine without it. I feel more real. That's just my experience. I wore some a few times over the past few years for bellydance performances, and I felt so icky, I was rushing to wash it off afterwards.

I do think some people look really cute with the way they do their makeup! Colors are fun. But I will never miss the days when I felt I had to slather spot cover up, foundation, powder and then blush all over my face to feel like I could even leave my home without feeling totally ashamed of myself. If I didn't wear blush people would worry I was sick! What a prison that was. I bet others are there right now. Skin CAN heal, from the inside out, and radiate to make make-up unnecessary, just for fun if anything.

To me it sure seems a prison when makeup is not *optional*.

Love,
Uma





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2007 01:24AM by uma.

le sigh, kind of like how a bra is a boobeh prison when it's not optional?

Uma, that's nice, you bellydance. I'm not a professional, but I used to do bellygrams. It was fun. I did it to get through college, when my kids were young, a single parent. It was good money, and respectable (clothes on, no nudity). I enjoy watching bellydancers at Renaissance fairs. Fabulous exercise.

Coco, haha, funny.

I get my cosmetics etc from www.beautynaturals.com - all natural and dont use animal products or test on animals - worth taking a look. VERY reasonable prices too - free delivery as well! All good stuff.

I absolutely LOVE to bellydance even though I don't do it professionally.
it just seems so natural ... i don't seem why everyone just doesn't do it

i know that sounds silly but i'm really serious ( probably the only time i'm serious)

i did have some lessons.. took a few classes and the instructor was quite good actually but it just seems like

if the rhythm is in you, your feet just start to move..

oh yeah, this post had to do with make up

yeah, concerning make up

i think mascara is okay : i got one of those all natural mineral make up mascara things but i ended up using it just once...maybe i'll use it again
if i ever feel like it


i don't wear colored lip stick.. only a lip balm so my lips feel soft

its called "Lip Trip"

and it feels nice

Thanks for all the information ladies.

I love makeup. In the eighties I used to get wild with my eyeshadow. I am a homebody and I hardly ever wear makeup but when I do go out I love to wear it. It isn't because I feel insecure when not wearing it. I would hate to be in a makeup "prison" like that. I haven't worn nail polish in years. My 12 year old was wanting to paint hers and we talked about how toxic that stuff is so thanks for the polish link Rawrr.

Very few of my girlfriends even consider these topics. It is so nice to benefit from all your knowledge and experience.

Pakd4fun, they sell No-Miss nail polish at most health food stores here. The colors are fun, and last. Their nail polish remover is all natural, tho it only removes their polish, not the toxic stuff. Right now I'm wearing Olive 370.

La_veronique, I love it. too. I had a friend who was a professional bellydancer. She was Italian, beautiful and died her hair with grape juice every month, so her hair was purple black. She gave me bellydancing lessons & taught me how to make costumes.

Rawrrr! I can totally see you bellydancing just from your picture for some reason!

Rawrrr! and la_veronique, yeah it is fun, and a good excuse to get dressed up. I have taken lessons for a few years and done some performances. Lately I am studying with a woman who teaches tribal bellydancing. That is so cool.


Love,
Uma

rawrrr thats so cool .. i won 3 bellydancing lessons once and after the lessons my torso was so sore lol i was using muscles i probably hadnt had in action since a kid hahah

really nifty too i was thinking of trying blackberries in my hair this summer but never got around too it .. never thought of grapes ..we have a huge old grape vine in the backyard

heheh i cant wait to explore with natural dyes next summer

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist

rawrrr

did her hair really get purple black... grape juice, huh? neat!

hey uma!

tribal dancing? that sounds like a LOTTT of fun

i may take up more lessons in the future... i ALWAYS benefit when i learn from others too... its just that, sometimes, i just feel like doing my OWN moves, ya know?

i have this strange rebellion thing going on... ( i actually know where it comes from... but i ain't saying...

i think if everyone did belly dancing.. there would be world peace


i think there is also belly dancing parts for men, no?. ( well, i saw a guy belly dancing at a fair, once...on stage ( outdoors) and .....welllll....he were'nt tooooooo bad

i won't say anymore about that (

mmmmm nothing like a little dose of lead in the morning ! lol


Lipsticks and Lead

By Karen Jacobs
Thu Oct 11, 6:59 PM ET



ATLANTA (Reuters) - Lipsticks tested by a U.S. consumer rights group found that more than half contained lead and some popular brands including Cover Girl, L'Oreal and Christian Dior had more lead than others, the group said on Thursday.


The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics said tests on 33 brand-name red lipsticks by the Bodycote Testing Group in Santa Fe Spring, California, found that 61 percent had detectable lead levels of 0.03 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).

Lipstick, like candy, is ingested. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of public health, environmental and women's groups, said the FDA has not set a limit for lead in lipstick.

One-third of the lipsticks tested contained an amount of lead that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's 0.1 ppm limit for lead in candy -- a standard established to protect children from ingesting lead, the group said. Thirty-nine percent of the lipsticks tested had no discernible lead, it said.

"It's critical that manufacturers reformulate their product," said Stacy Malkan, a co-founder of the coalition. "It's possible to make lipsticks without lead, and all companies should be doing that."

Lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, the group said in its statement. Lead has also been linked to infertility and miscarriage, it said.

Procter & Gamble Co's makes Cover Girl brand and France's L'Oreal is one of the largest cosmetic companies in the world.

Over the last three months, more than 20 million toys made in China have been recalled, mostly due to the use of lead paint.

The coalition said that some less expensive brands it had tested, such as Revlon, had no detectable levels of lead, while the more expensive Dior Addict brand had higher levels than some other brands.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association trade group said in a statement that lead was a naturally occurring element that was not intentionally added to cosmetics.

The FDA has "set strict limits for lead levels allowed in the colors used in lipsticks, and actually analyze most of these to ensure they are followed," the association's statement said. "The products identified in the (CSC) report meet these standards."

L'Oreal's U.S. arm said its products are reviewed and tested by a safety team that includes toxicologists, pharmacists and doctors.

"All the brands of the L'Oreal Group are in full compliance with FDA regulations" as well as safety requirements in international markets, L'Oreal USA said in a statement.

P&G said in a statement that the quantity of lead a consumer might be exposed to from its lip product "is hundreds of times less than the amount that she would get from eating, breathing and drinking water."

"Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels. The latest studies show there is no safe level of lead exposure," said Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice.

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist