A slightly delayed Monday treat!

by Naomi

Yes...I know....it's been a while. Unfortunately or fortunately the last few Mondays have been super busy and I haven't had the chance to post! But I am here at last!

So today I am posting about what Ecogoddess did on one of the aforementioned Mondays! In our neck of the woods, the first Bank Holiday Monday in May means one thing: Stilton Cheeserolling!

It's not the high adrenalin break-your-neck-and-legs event that those crazy Gloucester folk partake in. It does involve rolling cheese down a hill (well wood painted like cheese), but as what constitutes for a hill in these flat fens is what other people would look at as a gentle slope, it is much more..... laid back! It does however require fancy dress and is part of an all-round huge fete which the entire village and surrounding villages turn out for.

After a hugely successful trial run last year, raising money for the EJF, this year Lorna and I ran our second charity bake sale. This year, it was to raise much needed funds for The Mustard Seed Project, which works to empower the people of a slum community in Mombasa.

We spent the weekend baking and icing and by the time we had finished, we had 180ish cupcakes, three traybakes, one loaf cake, 8 jars of chutney and lots of vanilla cookies and shortbread! We also sold some jewellery made out in Africa.

The pics here were taken after we had sold most of our cakes, but you can get an idea! We dressed the stand in ribbon and kitsch patterned fabric and tablecloths, and put cupcakes on pretty plates and cake stands.

The sun was shining and the fete-goers were loving cake - we sold out by around 2.30pm (which meant we could go and enjoy a nice cider in the sunshine!) After deducting costs, we raised a wonderful £310!

If you are thinking of doing your own charity bake sale, here are a few of our top tips:

• Presentation is everything - there were plenty of other stands selling cake and cupcakes, but our extra effort in dressing the stand and decorating the cakes attracted a lot of customers.
• Mix it up a bit - flavours should offer the classic favourites, but also something a little unusual. We did classics like Maple & Pecan, Coffee & Walnut and Carrot Cupcake, but also Oreo Cupcakes with a cookie at the bottom, Chocolate & Banana Loaf Cake, Lemon Cheesecake with a lemon curd centre, and Strawberry Cream Cupcakes with a jam centre and cream cheese frosting. Make flavours they can't resist!
• Know your audience - we tailored the cakes to appeal to both children, teenagers and adults. Some of the cupcakes were smaller, and so more manageable for children. We also did a rainbow sponge cupcake with bright glitter icing to appeal to kids and big kids! Not everyone likes chocolate or a huge amount of buttercream icing, so we did more grown-up flavours like Mocha, Lemon Drizzle and Orange Drizzle.
• Price it right! We needed to make a good profit over our costs, and knew that visitors would have varying amounts of money to spend. We sold little cookies at 25p each, then smaller cupcakes and slices of traybake at £1, and large deluxe cupcakes at £1.50.

Overall it was a great success and something we hope to repeat. We would love to hear about your bake sale experiences and any fundraising ideas!

Facts: Bank Holiday bake sale for the Mustard Seed Project. Cakes and cupcakes made from organic, fairtrade and free range ingredients.

Wardrobe hero - Go nuts for Monkee Genes!

By Lorna

The old scool theory that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes (Pareto principle 1906) is certainly true in my wardrobe.. I definitely wear 20% of my clothes about 80% of the time!

Of course, it's lovely to have that awesome vintage dress/suit you picked up from that amazing Aladdin's cave shop, for a special party. For normal life however, we all have our Wardrobe Heros! This is the first blog I've written about about a wardrobe hero (there will be more)... I've decided that to qualify for this prestigious title, they must be ethical (obvs), must have been worn for six months, still look great and must be a key item (one of my 20%) This strict set of rules means you can truely trust my tried and tested opinion!

I can honestly say my fav pair of organic cotton black skinny Monkee Genes tick ALL boxes! They look great, still fit really well (despite frequent washing), have not faded in colour (as many high street jeans do) and I wear them to DEATH. Seriously.... I think I have a problem. They look great with tees, with jersey dresses over, with shirts, as leggings, etc etc.. they are my 'go-to' work outfit. I bought them for £50 from Topshop on Oxford Street (London) but they have their own website showcasing lots more lovely basic and fashion forward styles for guys and girls!

Skinnys have been the KEY shape for Denim for a long time now but as the 70s trend continues to grow in strength this summer, bootcut and Flares are getting more and more popular. Luckily the lovely (and ridiculously cool) people at Monkee Genes have got it all under control..

If I was to buy another pair now, I'd probably buy the organic lightweight chino jeans, chinos are big news at the mo, perfect for work and play!


Check out these fab WARDROBE HEROS here

Facts: Monkey Genes, awesome jeans, eco, organic cotton, £50, unisex

A perfectly beautiful Monday treat

by Naomi

After the long, dark and cold winter, which I spent pretty much entirely covered in layer upon layer of clothing, there's nothing like sunny days and the prospect of summer to inspire me to make that little bit more effort with my appearance!

You may remember that a little while back that I reviewed a Bourjois liquid foundation; well after a while I got a tired of using liquid (it seems to come off on everything I come into contact with, although I would still recommend it if you're a fan of liquids) so the search for perfectly beautiful skin was back on!

I spied that Une had an offer on: buy any foundation and get a free Breezy Cheeks Blush worth £8.99. I love a good deal and I have been eyeing up their foundations for a while. I chose Une's 100% Mineral Powder Foundation, £9.99. 

I cannot recommend mineral foundation enough, and this one's a beauty. It gives even coverage and has a kind of dewy, glowing finish to it which makes it great whatever your skin type and will also work as a day-to-night foundation. It doesn't seem to block my pores or look cakey and the colours available are refreshingly non-orange! The pot is quite small, but you don't need a lot on your brush.

As for the blush, it's made from 100% natural ingredients, 10.2% of which are from organic farming, certified by EcoCert. I went for and the B 03 shade which is a sort of vintage dusky rose pink that's very in fashion at the moment, very light and summery, and which combined with the creamy texture gave a really delicate, subtle glow. The front of the case is also a mirror which is very handy if you like to do your make-up on the go!

I'm hoping that next week's Monday treat will be a super-chic crafty one - fingers crossed that it works!

P.S. I can't post without addressing the terrible situation in Japan. Our thoughts are with all of those affected. If you can spare even a few pounds, you can donate to help them here.

-x-

Facts: Une Beauty make up: on offer at Boots; buy any foundation and get a Breezy Cheeks Blush free (subject to availability); natural ingredients, some of which is derived from organic farming.

Feeling romantic?

by Naomi

It's Valentine's Day and this has got us all fired up with romance. Seeing as Lorna has so beautifully taken care of the occasion for single ladies ("all the single ladies, all the single ladies"...yes singing this is now compulsory), I thought I would add my two pennies for those of you that are loved up!

So my post today has two parts: I am going to show you what I made for my beau, and also what I came across that got my fashion loins burning!

First things first....an idea for a cost-effective (around £15 shhhh...) and a pretty easy romantic gesture:

I made Red Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes with cream and red maraschino buttercream and little chocolate hearts to decorate (these were a find in the supermarket baking aisle!). While they were baking I made Milk Chocolate Honeycomb Hearts, White Chocolate Orange Hearts which I dyed pink, and White Chocolates with Milk Chocolate Hearts. All with fairtrade, organic and free range ingredients where possible. Yum!

So from bright pink hearts and things to something a little more dark and mysterious! If Valentine's has got you thinking about popping the big question, then take a look at Hattie Rickards' stunning jewellery collection.

She works with a Colombian mine that has high environmental standards, works in partnership with an NGO to ensure traceability, and all gems and stones are sourced from a supplier with strong ethical and environmental policies.

Her designs are contemporary and full of expression. This Raw Crown ring, made from 18ct gold and rough diamonds, is definitely not for your traditional bride-to-be! But there is something magnificently vampish about it; it's almost villain-chic (I'm thinking Cruella De Ville/ Bond baddy/ Miranda Priestly of Devil Wears Prada). It was recently sported by the stunning (and not remotely villainous) eco goddess Livia Firth at the London Film Critics Circle Award.

If your lady likes jewellery pieces that are edgy, unusual and striking this could be perfect! Prices are on request.

Facts: Homemade Valentine's treats. Hattie Rickards Raw Crown ring: ethical gold, rough diamonds.

Happy Valentine's Day from EcoGoddess!!!

By Lorna


This Valentine's Day post goes out to all the single ladies.....(Queue Beyonce) ..."All the Single Ladies, All the Single Ladies"... Treat yourself and your Eco-Goddess friends this evening to a night of self-indulgent luxury! I recommend the following organic and fairtrade treats...

Green & Black's Valentine Dark Chocolate collection £10

Co-op Fairtrade wine from £4 The Co-op’s Fairtrade wine range has scooped an amazing four out of eight awards at the Fairtrade Wine Committee’s annual wine tasting event so its bound to be a good tipple! Now all you need is a good/ ironically bad film, maybe a natural face mask and some Eco nail polish as featured in our earlier post here! Enjoy!!

Facts: Green& Black Organic Chocolate £10 from Green&Black online
Co-operative Fairtrade wine from £4 available at Co-op stores across the UK

Nubar Nail Polish free of DBP (phthalate), formaldehyde and toluene, and are vegan and cruelty free. Available here 

Free beauty bible alert!

by Naomi

Cosmetics lovers around the UK - get yourselves down to a branch of Boots! Une cosmetics has teamed up with Beauty Bible to offer a free copy of 'The Green Beauty Bible' when you spend over £15 on the range.

If you aren't familiar with it, Une makes beauty products using natural and organic ingredients and with eco-friendly packaging. Every product in the range of 20 is from at least 98 per cent natural origin and 14 of them are Ecocert certified. Une's ethos is to help make the most of natural beauty, so its shades are quite muted - lots of lovely nudes, browns and pinks!

'The Green Beauty Bible' is written by beauty journalists Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey who promise to "tell you everything we know about naturally gorgeous; how to live, feel and look healthy and beautiful in a more sustainable, eco-friendly way." 

This includes: tips, interviews with 'green goddess', Tried & Tested consumer surveys based on the opinions of over 1,050 testers, covering 44 categories from natural ‘miracle’ creams to mascara, shampoo to deodorant, from nearly 100 brands. Hhhmmm - sounds promising!

It has received pretty good reviews on Amazon and I have been wanting to try the Une range for a while, so I will be heading to Boots to get my hands on some goodies this week!

If you have already taken advantage of this offer, let me know what you think of the book (and products!)
xx

Facts: Une Beauty: spend £15 on products and get The Green Beauty Bible free at Boots. Une Beauty: Ecocert, sustainable practices, eco-friendly packaging, natural and organic ingredients.

Bbbrrrrrrr....wrap up this Christmas with gorgeous knitwear

by Naomi

In my opinion sexy boots and scrumptious knitwear are two of the most important fashion saviours in the cold weather, and as Lorna has so wonderfully covered the former below, I am here to bring you a delightful selection of the latter. Warning: you will want to purchase and wrap up in all of these!

There is something eternally girly about bows - I can't get enough of them! 

Hand-Knitted Bow Scarf by Emmadime, £30 from Miki Organic.

Camilla Norrback Trompe L'Oeil Bow Jumper Dress,  £60 from Fashion Conscience.

Alpine prints are really hot...and these will keep you warm! Plus, they can't help but make you feel festive (and want a cameo in Wham's Last Christmas video...or is that just me?!)

Nordic Vintage Tunic by Lowie, £210.

Nordic Vintage Fingerless gloves by Lowie, £38.

Nordic Vintage earmuffs by Lowie, £38.

People Tree Fairisle Fair Trade Cardigan £92.

Last but by no means least, no-one can feel the winter blues whilst wearing a cape - it defies the laws of science...or at least the laws of wonderful knitwear.

Hooded Cable Cape by Lowie, £178.

Faux Fur Collar Cape by Tara Starlet

Facts: gorgeous organic, eco and ethical knitwear by Emmadime, Camilla Norrback, Lowie, People Tree and Tara Starlet. Perfect for winter!

She Died Of Beauty.

By Lorna

At Eco Goddess, we love it when we see famous models using their positions on global beauty pedestals to promote chic ethical fashion. Erin O’Connor has always been a model that supports smaller brands and issues she believes in but she has now taken it one step further... London Fashion Week 2010 saw the launch of a new brand designed by Erin and her long-standing friend, stylist Kate Halfpenny – She Died Of Beauty.

The range is a simple and concise collection of monochrome organic cotton typographic t-shirts and bags which play on the brand’s name. The inspiration behind the collection comes from the desire to make “a teasing yet affectionate tickle_ at the fashion industry we continue to love, honor and serve”.

The signature style of She Died Of Beauty is witty, purposeful and un-apologetic – in their own words,

“the very visual nature of fashion is to manipulate and exaggerate almost everything. We loved the idea of twisting a polite sentiment into a naughty yet, frivolously funny statement that we hope will appeal to all.”

The core brand philosophy is based upon ethically and organically sourced materials important to both Erin & Kate. All products are manufactured solely using sustainable energy generated from wind and solar power. “after all, there’s no reason why style and conscience can’t co-exist!”, say the design duo. Amen to that girls!!

From £20 per bag and £40 per t-shirt, you can check out all the styles here.

Facts: She Died Of Beauty, Erin O’Connor, Kate Halfpenny, Organic Cotton, T-shirt & Bags, LFW 2010.

Velvety skin - oui s'il vous plait!

by Naomi

On a recent excursion to stock-up on my favourite make-up, I was gutted to discover that my trustworthy, amazing and super-cheap mineral foundation had been discontinued. I am a bit of a drama queen and make-up addict so this was relatively big news in my world, particularly as it suited my skin perfectly.

Anyway, needs must so I set about trying to find a replacement. Given the number of mineral foundations available, this would have been quite simple, was it not for the fact that I have really yellow-toned olive skin that cosmetic companies don't seem to cater for. Shades of foundation and concealer seem to go from white through to dark orange with a few weird pink/orange shades in the middle. Anyway, rant over, I was unable to find a mineral foundation the right shade, and was just about to resort to donning a paper bag for the rest of my natural years when this caught my eye:

It's a new liquid foundation by Bourjois called Bio Detox Organic. It's Eco Cert, with 98% from natural origin and 21% organic ingredients.

I was a bit reluctant to return to using liquid foundation as I love mineral so much, but I have to say I was impressed with this. It gives a really smooth, velvety finish and isn't too heavy. It smells really fresh and didn't sit on top of my skin as much as other liquids I have tried before. I did need to finish it with powder as my skin is oily, but the colour was a perfectly acceptable and non-orange shade of beige, if a teeny-weeny bit paler than I would have liked (I used shade 54).

It's on special offer at the moment in Boots for around £10.99 and normally it is £13.99. It contains chlorophyll and claims to detoxify your skin. I have no idea what detoxified skin would look like, or how much use chlorophyll is in foundation, but it's worth a try on the previous merits alone.

I haven't taken any pics to upload yet, but I'm hoping to do some eco-beauty looks in the coming weeks, and will add this into the mix!

Facts: Bourjois Bio Dextox Organic liquid foundation: Eco Cert, 98% natural ingredients, 21% organic ingredients, fresh smell, velvety finish, available from Boots and Superdrug, RRP £13.99.

Go organic between the sheets with our number 1!

by Naomi

Having hopefully provided you with some inspiration with 10 through to 2 in our Top 10 Organic Finds, coming in at number 1 is something that could get your manshapes (or ladyshapes!) excited about going organic!

The beautiful organic silk designs from Knickers In a Box are enough to get anyone's blood pumping!

The knickers, which we first featured a little while ago, have gorgeous side-tie bows and frilly edges. Prices start at £28 for the pieces in organic silk.

And now you can rule the boudoir in these stunning silk slips, starting at £120:

There's nothing more sumptuous and luxurious feeling than silk and that's why they're our number 1!

Facts: Knickers In A Box: luxury organic silk lingerie and nightwear.

Chinti and Parker...in at number 2

by Naomi

There is nothing more exciting about the changing seasons than the new fashion, especially when that new season means the end of summer and the onset of dark nights and chilly days! I much prefer to dream up new looks and lust over new fashion pieces!

Chinti and Parker is a brand that I discovered in Elle, and is one of my finds of the new season, hence it's place at number 2 in our Top 10 Organic Finds.

The brand launched in October 2009 with the vision of creating versatile luxury wardrobe staples. Organic cotton jersey separates and basics come in three easy-to-wear weights, oh and then there's the Cashmere pieces. Swoon.

Prices start at around £45 for t-shirts and £260 for knitwear, and are available direct from Chinti and Parker as well as a selection of London boutiques.

Facts: Chinti and Parker: luxury womenswear, organic cotton jersey, cashmere, featured in Elle magazine.

Organic beauty find - number 3!

by Naomi

Beauty find alert!!

I have to be honest, I don't often visit 'health stores'. I generally find them confusing/ dingy/ strange smelling and they make me feel guilty for eating food not made from lentils. But these issues are worth putting aside in the quest for great beauty products! I recently stepped foot inside a local health store seeking Calendulon ointment (great for spots, scars and grazes when you fall off your heels!) and was pleasantly surprised to find a great selection of Weleda products.

If you haven't tried any of them out, I thoroughly recommend you start with the Skin Food - it's AMAZING. It is a balm that moisturises lips, hands, elbows, body - pretty much everywhere. It soothes dry skin and is a great nourishing night moisturiser - just be warned a little goes a long way! It is also a great protective cream, so perfect for the harsh winter weather that lies ahead!

Made with organic sunflower seed oil, and extracts of wild pansy, chamomile, calendula and revitalising rosemary extract, it is number 3 in our Top 10 Organic Finds. Priced around £8.50 it could be one of the best beauty buy you make this season!

Available at health stores across the UK and at Weleda.

Facts: Weleda Skin Food: nourishing moisturiser with organic sunflower seed oil.

Organic number 4.... its 45% off!!!

By Lorna

Can u keep a secret EcoGoddesses.....???

CELEBRATING ORGANIC FORTNIGHT. SECRET SALE WITH 45% OFF EVERYTHING AT ASCENSION UNTIL MIDNIGHT TUESDAY 7th SEPTEMBER


Get your fingers tapping those keyboards, and take advantage of this AWESOME offer from Ascension! Check out these beauties which will all be super cheap in aid of this amazing celebration of all things organic!! 

Shop here then simply enter the code 'ORGANIC" at the checkout and 45% will be taken off your order! Look sharply goddesses... secret sale ends at midnight tomorrow!! Ssssshhhhhh........x

Get rockin in organic cotton...our number 5

by Naomi

From sturdy jeans and classic shirts to soft jersey tops and summer sundresses, nothing offers us wardrobe versatility like cotton; it washes well, wears well and can be layered and layered and layered and, well you get the picture. So at number 5 in our Top 10 Organic Finds is organic cotton.

Yes it is quite a big one, because buying organic cotton is one of the main things we can do as shoppers to help limit our environmental and social impact. Fortunately there are lots of brands making gorgeous organic pieces, which makes it easy peasy!

People Tree is a great go-to for organic cotton - just check these lovelies!

Fab for autumn, the Organic Cotton Jersey Cardigan is down from £30 to a bargainous £18! I am in love with the Organic Cotton Carrot Leg trousers which have just the right amount of draping (you don't want to look like you're wearing a parachute after all). They are down from £50 to £30. Both are available at Asos.com

And you can add to your winter wardrobe with preppy designs from the recently launched Emma Watson A/W 2010 collection:

Top £26, harem trousers £42.

Organic cotton can be found across lots of other things from swimwear, bed linen to cotton wool, so keep an eye out next time you are doing some retail therapy!


Naomi x


Facts: organic cotton: People Tree, ASOS, Emma Watson collection.

Organic gets Sexy at Number 6!

By Lorna

Wowser! Check out these new beauties from luscious eco lingerie brand Enamore.. and yes they are organic too! Now even the love in your life will have a reason to celebrate Organic Fortnight!!!

Enamore also do lots more eco lingerie...from a wide range of sustainable and materials such as natural silk, hemp, bamboo and organic cotton. Personally we're loving the eco- nipple tassles! : )

Check out the rest of the Pin-up inspired ranges here! 


Facts: Enamore organic lingerie: sexy as hell, organic and sustainable fabric.