Best of the Boots...

By Lorna

Yes Ecogoddesses, it's that time of year when even if the sky looks okay in the morning by the time you come to leave the office/Uni/day job in the evening the tide could have turned and you could be wading through puddled streets with squelching socks! Depressing, eh!? well... it would be if you hadn't invested in the most BEAUTIFUL WINTER BOOTS you had ever seen! Think about it, even if you are sloshing through what feels like pavement tidal waves, just looking down at your new boots make you smile!! : ) This is the way I felt about a pair of boots I bought last year from eco shoe masters WHERE. I have worn them endlessly... so much so that I am now anchoring for a new pair of on trend weather proof boots so I can alternate. This desire resulted in me scouring the internet to share with you my top finds for the best winter boots!


Stopping the rain at no 1: BOURGEOIS BOHEME - VEGAN BLACK PATENT KNEE HIGH BUCKLE BOOT £120

Putting a spring in your beautifully veg tanned leather clad step at no 2: Its the LANA boot from TERRA PLANA (with brand new non-toxic biodegradable gel pad for superior comfort!) AT £220

Stepping up the style ranks at no 3: NEU AURA- SUNBIRD OVER THE KNEE BLACK VEGAN BOOTS at £222.00

Availability: In stock.

PLEASE SPECIFY THE FOLLOWING DETAILS :

Keeping toes toasty at no 4: NEU AURA -BLACK VEGAN RIDING BOOTS at £156

Sustainable wooden soles at no 5: SANITA - AYA CONE ANKLE BOOT at £149

Winner of the style stakes at no 6 (not as practical!!): NINA DALCETTI- BEV 

Click on the description below for a link to the shoe of your wintery dreams....

BOURGEOIS BOHEME- VEGAN BLACK PATENT KNEE HIGH BUCKLE BOOT at £120
TERRA PLANA- LANA BOOT AT £220 

NEU AURA- SUNBIRD OVER THE KNEE BLACK VEGAN BOOTS AT £222.00
NEU AURA - BLACK VEGAN RIDING BOOTS at £156
SANITA - AYA CONE ANKLE BOOT at £149
NINA DALCETTI - BEV 


Facts: Winter boots, Ethical, Vegan, Puddle Proof, Veg tanned leather, sustainable soles, toxic free biodegradable gel inserts, Bourgeois boheme, Terra Plana, Neu Aura, Sanita, Nina Dalcetti

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.

Get your fill of eco style online!

by Naomi

Just a quickie to let you all know that we have been featured on a directory of eco fashion websites - woohoo!

Check it out here - there are lots of other amazing sites listed as well, so you can really fill your boots on eco style!

xx

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.

Ease yourself in with these festive treats!

by Naomi

If you are like me and have a humungous number of people to buy Christmas presents for, then preparation for Christmas cannot be left to a mad dash around the shops of Christmas Eve.

So, now is around the time when I begin to ease myself into Christmas present shopping, to try and make everything as stress-free as possible. I will be posting lots more ideas for an eco/ethical Christmas, but here are a few things that will get your present-juices flowing!

Lush is...lush.

For those emergency situations when you get a surprise gift from someone you hadn't expected, or office Secret Santas when you have no idea what to get, these little treats are perfect - who wouldn't love them? Keep a couple in your present stash as they are guaranteed to come in handy! Have a Sweet Christmas (£5.95) contains a Candy Cane bubble bar and Godmother Soap, and Chillin With My Gnomeys (£6.50) is perfect for boys or girls, and contains Snow Globe soap and Whoosh shower jelly.

I absolutely adore this Matryoshka Russian Doll - it is so cute and packaging free! The outside is a limited edition So White soap, and inside are two doll-shaped ballistics, So White and Cinders. The scarf can be reused as a hanky or napkin!

This Gingerbread House gift box (£13.50) comes with a reusable tin, perfect for your biscuits once you have used up all the products! It contains a Gingerbread House bubble bar, a Cinders bath ballistic, a Candy Cane bubble bar and a Lil' Lush Pud ballistic.

Last, but not least, this is one of my favourites because of the beautiful vintage-style handpainted tin! Winter Garden (£29.95) contains an impressive array: Vanilla in the Mist soap, Mandarin’s Tea Party soap, Snowcake soap, Maple Taffy lip balm, Once a Year

massage bar, King of Skin body butter, Sugar Plum Fairy sugar scrub, The Olive Branch shower gel - phew!
 

 
Shop online at Lush 
Facts: Lush Christmas gifts, reusable, minimal and sustainable packaging.

Stella McCartney does Paris Fashion Week...

By Lorna

Ok so I'll admit its not exactly the best weather to show you beautiful light summery clothes but when offered a sneak preview of Stella McCartney's Summer 2011 collection i bet you'll find it just as hard to resist as I did!!

The collection was shown yesterday at Paris Fashion Week- Highlights include an array of soft pastel colored tailored suits, modern thigh high split dresses and a tangy vibrant all-over print to add a flash of bright colors. The accessories are also well worth a lustful glance and as always with the lovely Stella, its all animal friendly!

You can check out pics from the catwalk here 


Facts: Stella McCartney, Animal Friendly, SS11 Catwalk

Roll up, roll up! London Fashion Week designer raffle!!

By Lorna

Exciting eco-fashion news! The Environmental Justice Foundation have launched a charity fashion raffle with over £100 prizes, worth over £8000!! 

Launched at London Fashion Week, tickets are only £5 each and the winners will be drawn on Oct 15th. 

100% of profits from the sale of raffle tickets goes to support the EJF's work empowering people who suffer most from environmental and human rights abuses around the world.

Be quick to snap up your chances to win now by heading to the EJF online shop.

Facts: Charity Designer Raffle, Environmental Justice Foundation, London Fashion Week.

Get soul with your soles!

by Naomi

If you're one of those that refuses to give up wearing summer shoes when Autumn arrives, then you will love TOMS shoes!

TOMS makes super funky espadrilles in all sorts of fabrics and patterns, and for every pair bought it gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need; one of the key causes of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted disease which can be caught through bare feet, not to mention the risks of injury and infection from walking barefoot.

There are classic designs like these black TOMS (£32):

Or graphic neon numbers like these by artist Gabe Lacktman ($68):

Or my personal favourites, these amazing glitter designs!

Get creative with the white TOMS (£32) and paint them with your own design - you could even host a Style Your Sole party and get all your girls/boys creating their own unique TOMS!

Just check out these pair customised by Regan in Texas - beautiful!

There are organic cotton vegan styles, leather styles and they even do a range of boots (because there are some days when you really can't get away with wearing canvas shoes!)

TOMS is setting a trend across the globe having made an amazing achievement and just given away its millionth pair of shoes!

Buy them from TOMS US or TOMS UK.

Facts: TOMS shoes, one for one, canvas and cotton espasrilles, Style Your Sole parties.

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.