The Organic Beauty Expert

Read a book lately? The Beauty Diet from Lisa Drayer

Lisa Drayer, the nation’s leading nutritionist, columnist, and television personality launches deliciously nutritious beauty diet secrets to glowing skin, whiter teeth, shinier hair, brighter eyes, and stronger nails in her book, The Beauty Diet.

According to Drayer, it’s not only what you put on your body, but what you put in your body that makes you beautiful. Drayer's groundbreaking guide reveals the Top 10 "Beauty Foods" that can visibly improve your skin, hair, teeth, eyes, nails, and overall health in addition to promoting weight loss. In the book, she presents an easy-to-follow plan with simple-to-prepare recipes for optimal, glowing wellness.

Featuring delicious meals and beauty snacks that include the Top 10 “Beauty Foods:” wild salmon, yogurt blueberries, spinach, kiwis, tomatoes, oysters, sweet potatoes, walnuts, and dark chocolate, The Beauty Diet adds up to just 1,500 calories a day. It’s the scientifically-proven way to look absolutely fantastic.

Drayer has helped her clients lose weight, reverse the effects of aging, and improve overall health and appearance—not through plastic surgery, costly creams, or expensive spa treatments but with basic Beauty Foods you can find at your supermarket. In The Beauty Diet, her comprehensive guide to beauty nutrition, she tells you everything you need to know—and exactly what you need to eat—to look absolutely gorgeous from the inside out.

Read a book lately? Toxic Beauty : The Hidden Chemicals in Cosmetics and How They Can Harm Us

from press release

On average, Britains spend £120 per year on beauty products, but do we really appreciate the true cost of beauty? Do we know the whole truth about the beauty products we use or are we actively harming ourselves for the sake of vanity? Dawn Mellowship’s new book, Toxic Beauty is a compelling and timely read which provides the essential low-down on the products we use on a daily basis.

Beauty products have become objects of art, beautifully packaged with alluring scents to entice us, but inside those appealing boxes lurks a cocktail of synthetic chemicals. There are over 100,000 chemicals registered in the European market, most of which have never been tested or barely tested for safety on humans, or their impact on the environment. Chemicals found in skin lotions, deodorants and hair dyes have been linked with tumours, cell mutation, allergies, reproductive complications, endocrine disruption and even cancer. Isn’t it about time we all paid more attention to exactly what goes into those eye shadows, body washes and lipsticks we love to use?

With quotes from leading experts in the field and straightforward, stress-free natural beauty tips,  Toxic Beauty is a truly fascinating look at the beauty industry and will open your eyes to what is really sitting in your makeup bag and bathroom cabinet. The book reveals:
•    Key chemicals you should avoid
•    Just how natural ‘organic’ beauty products really are
•    A directory of natural brands

Toxic Beauty is available online at Amazon.com.

Read a book lately? excerprt from The Perfect Menopause :: 7 ways to wrinkle proof your face now!

In four years, I'll be forty. My doctor often tells me how blessed I am to be black as, often times black and Asian women appear to age better. Bonus! But I've notices that I feel like I'm preparing for the inevitable crow's feet and smile indents that are sure to come, so when this arrived in my inbox, well, I thought you might be interested, as well.

Excerpted and adapted from The Perfect Menopause: 7 Steps to the Best Time of Your Life

While aging, sun exposure, our lifestyle choices, and estrogen deprivation are all working against your skin, there are many ways that you can keep skin wrinkling at a minimum, and even reduce the signs of wrinkling, without plastic surgery.  The following 7-step plan will help keep your skin vital during the menopause and post menopause years:

1.  GET A SKIN PRESCRIPTION.  Talk to a dermatologist who specializes in menopausal women.  She might prescribe retinoic acid, such as Renova® or Avage®.  There are also prescription medications which contain collagen and hyaluronic acid.  Such prescription medications for your skin may be very appropriate, and the effort you put into this will pay great dividends down the road.

2. DRINK UP!  Most of us are in a constant state of dehydration.  The older we get, the consequences of dehydration are more severe.  In a woman's menopause and post menopause years, the skin is thinner and fluids are lost through the skin more quickly.  Drink water and other appropriate fluids constantly, and keep in mind that some fluids such as alcohol and caffeinated drinks are actually dehydrating.  If you drink them, compensate by drinking more water throughout the day.  Hydration can come in lotion form, too: morning and night, apply lotions that contain antioxidants such as vitamin E, vitamin C, alpha lipoic acid, green tea, and coenzyme Q10.  All protect your skin from free radicals.  In the winter months, don't forget a humidifier: dry heat from the furnace dehydrates your skin and entire body.

Read a book lately? Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual hits bookshelves December!

It doesn't matter whether you use green cosmetics or the other stuff when it comes to knowing how to use and apply your face just right. And this is the perfect self-gift for the "girl" in all of use!

from the release:
BOBBI BROWN'S MAKEUP MANUAL is the book that Bobbi Brown's fans have been waiting for: her 25-plus years of makeup styling experience distilled into one complete, gorgeous book. Bobbi looks at everything from skincare basics to every aspect of facial makeup. And Bobbi looks beyond the face with informative chapters on "Hands and Feet" and "Body Skin Care." Plus, there's a groundbreaking section of the book that will be of special interest to women who've wanted to know how makeup stylists do what they do: the top beauty secrets only these artists know, essential equipment to keep on hand, how to break into the business, and how to work with photographers and celebrities.

BOBBI BROWN'S MAKEUP MANUAL will be the only book any woman will need to look absolutely fabulous.

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!

Read a book lately? OBE reader reviews Carmindy's "Get Positively Beautiful"

We often have giveaways here at the OBE and I ask the winners to email me and share their thoughts. Some of you gals get so giddy with your free stash, you completely forget about sending your comments back to me! Thankfully, Maria came back from her giddy glam haze to share her thoughts on Carmindy's new book, "Get Positively Beautiful."

Maria writes...

Overall, I really liked the book. I think it's better than the first one. Chapters one to four and chapter fourteen are about Carmindy's vision of positive beauty, her own beauty journey and how to find one's best feature. Chapters five to eight explains how to enhance a person's best feature (eyes and what color to choose to make them stand out, skin, cheeks and lips). Chapter nine describes different types of tools (brushes) and how to use them. Chapter ten is about what needs to go in every woman's makeup bag, chapters eleven and twelve teach how to apply makeup following different moods or seasons. Chapter thirteen features makeovers of real women of different ages. At the end of the book there is also the list of products that Carmindy used to create all the different looks with expensive and less expensive alternatives. Finally, the book also features questions from Carmindy's fans and her answers.
 
Although the book doesn't necessarily show step-by-step makeup application, I thought the information was very clear. It explains basic makeup techniques but it also allows the reader to learn how to create new looks and be creative.
 
What I like about Carmindy's work is that her approach allows you to play with makeup and have fun with colors without going overboard. However, I must say that when it comes to makeup, I like it when it's classy, chic and put together. Therefore, I don't know if someone with a more extravagant taste in makeup will like the book as much as me.
 
On the low side, even if I agree with her ideas, I thought that Carmindy really repeats herself over and over again when it comes to her vision of beauty. I think the three first chapters could have easily fit in only one chapter. I also think that although Carmindy is beautiful there is no need to put that many photos of her all over the book.

And there you have it, OBE readers. Any more of you read the book and want to share your comments?
 

Read a book lately? Eco Friendly Families

The summer's abundance of garden treats are ready to be served. Just picked, sun-ripened tomatoes from back yard gardens and America's farms are finding their way into our homes and onto our tables.

In her new book, Eco-Friendly Families author Helen Coronato offers concrete advice, simple, tasty recipes and shared activities that involve each member of the family, from toddlers to teens, approaching snacks and meal times from a eco-friendly perspective.

This is the time of year we rely on our backyard harvest – eating what is in season and savoring every bite – this is what nature intended. Eco-Friendly Families is a parent's perfect guide to raising a family with "green" values. Following an eco-diet gives family members the opportunity to expand their culinary tastes and savor the colors and textures of the season. Recipes in the book include:

-    Homemade applesauce
-    Mom's Red – an Italian tomato sauce
-    Super Simple Soup
-    No-sugar & Spice Cake
-    Tillinghast Trail Treats

Take a sneak peek at the fresh recipes inside:

Mild-Mannered Salsa

2 medium tomatoes diced in food processor
2 medium tomatoes chopped by hand into chunky cubes
¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ green pepper, chopped
½ yellow pepper, chopped
Juice from one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, then refrigerate at least four hours.
Stir before serving. Makes about 3 cups of salsa.
Serve with raw vegetables and blue corn chips.

Eco Friendly Families is available at Amazon.com. Find out more about the author on her website.

Read a book lately? If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing

After dealing with alopecia areata for more than thirty years, LeslieAnn Butler, award-winning artist, writer and former photographic fashion and runway model, has written a book for women and children who suffer with this auto-immune disorder. “Beauty is not what’s on your head. It’s what’s in your heart.”   This is the single most important idea that fills this book with practical advice and powerful optimism.

Illustrated with twenty-three of LeslieAnn's paintings, If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! is a beautiful art book filled with tips on how to discuss alopecia areata with family and friends, available treatments, doctors, dating,  makeup, wigs, and perhaps most important, attitude.  Written with warmth and humor, If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing! helps women realize that they can enjoy and celebrate life with alopecia areata and go after their dreams knowing they're not alone.

The cover illustration of the book is entitled Bald Boogie, which LeslieAnn painted as a gift to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation and resides at their headquarters in San Rafael, California. She has released 24” x 32” prints of Bald Boogie which are available on the NAAF website for a minimum $100 donation to NAAF.  A percentage of the sales of If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing!  will also be donated by the author to NAAF.

The book is also available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and the NAAF marketplace.

Read a book lately? The New Science of Perfect Skin

This book isn't about natural skin care per se, and not all the books in my book club will be, but I like the approach of this book and the no-nonsense "here's the facts" writing. So if you like getting information about skin care, this book is a must add to your collection.

From the release:
“What’s the difference between a peptide and an enzyme?” “Can creams really repair my DNA?” Hundreds of women are trying to crack the beauty secret: what ingredients and which products will give me beautiful, healthy skin?

Bio-scientist turned skin-care pioneer Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D. takes his skin care expertise – more than 20 years of researching, manufacturing, supplying, and formulating skin-care products – and captures it in THE NEW SCIENCE OF PERFECT SKIN: Understanding Skin-Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age.

“Despite the gains made by the newest wave of skin care advancements, there’s never been more confusion and uncertainty about which products deliver results, and which are a waste of money,” said Daniel Yarosh, Ph.D. “I wrote the book so consumers have a practical skin care reference guide that helps them make smart choices.”

Read a Book Lately? Return to Beautiful Skin

MyChelle Dermaceuticals’ founder Myra Michelle Eby announces the release of her new book, Return to Beautiful Skin: Your Guide to Truly Effective Non-Toxic Skin Care, published by Basic Health Media.

Return to Beautiful Skin empowers readers by showing them how to make better choices when it comes to their body care products. According to the coalition of nonprofit organizations known as the Environmental Working Group, every day one in five adults is exposed to cancer-causing ingredients in personal care products. On average, adults use nine different personal care products each day that have ingredients that can potentially contribute to illness.

“I have always believed that an educated consumer is a healthier consumer, and that applies to skin care consumers, too,” says Eby. “This book is a definitive guide to truly effective, nontoxic skin care. My goal is to give readers trustworthy, comprehensive information about which toxic ingredients to avoid, and how to create a nontoxic skin care regimen that’s also very effective, drawing on the best natural, bioactive ingredients and cutting-edge science available today.”

MyChelle Dermaceuticals produces an extensive line of highly effective pure skin care products. Each product is formulated with superior ingredients with the chirally correct molecular structures to ensure proper absorption and effectiveness.

MyChelle Dermaceuticals’ products are available at fine health food stores nationwide. You may also visit them at http://www.mychelleusa.com.

Read a book lately? --- Green Chic

What better way to launch my new "book club" than with Green Chic, the sassy new book by Christie Matheson.

The Breakdown:

I really enjoyed this book! What I enjoyed most about Matheson's book is her totally laid back approach to going green. She's not on a soapbox and she doesn't assume that everyone wants to be green for fear of the future repercussions. Not only does she offer simple tips on how to "go green," she makes it seem so easy and very fiscally possible. In fact, as I read it, I found myself laughing aloud because I felt like she was sitting in my living room, sharing a bottle of organic wine.

Her style of writing is very engaging and offers the best I've read so far in just getting the info out there -- no agenda, no pontificating. 2007 saw many books being written on this subject and I browsed them all, thinking them dry and lacking, and pretty much offering the same information. Green Chic is funny, educational and geared for women (and some men) who like their education with a bit of sass and a sip of wine.

Highly recommended! You can find the book online at Amazon or at your local chain bookstore.