Lose the Plastic
ISSUE: Summer 2011
DEPT: Mind and Body
STORY: Anna M. Park
Angela Sun is a plastic guru, and not in the surgical way. An active environmentalist, the host of Yahoo! Sports Minute and co- host for NBC’s 1st Look is all about healthy, clean living. “I collected all the plastic I used in a week and within three days had enough to fill a huge bag of trash,” she says. Sun went to an even bigger dump to film her documentary Plastic Paradise — what’s known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Midway Atoll of the Pacific Ocean.
More than once, I’ve made the mistake of caking on the foundation and powder. It gets a bit messy now that the summer heat is pretty much melting my makeup off of my face. That’s why I was tempted to snag this week’s free giveaway item for myself — a set of four eco-friendly Dermablend Professional brushes that give you a barely-there makeup look. The trendy baggy comes with a concealer, foundation, powder, and face and body brush.
The four Dermablend professional brushes have a total value of $124.
When looking for a shower gel, here is my single most important requirement: it has to smell good.
While I put emphasis on scent above all else, my mom looks for ones with the best value. Others prefer ones that guarantee they kill 99.99 percent of germs or ones that won’t irritate their skin. Surely we put some consideration when we purchase our daily essential body cleanser, but have you ever thought about what happens to it when it goes down the drain? After all, there are chemicals inside that are bound to have a negative impact on the aquatic environment. But no worries — there are ways to reduce your chemical waste. The Body Shop introduces the first ever 100 percent biodegradable shower gel range from their Earth Lovers Collection. Now, as quoted by The Body Shop, you can “lather up with a clean conscience”!
In our Summer 2011 issue, host and filmmaker Angela Sun gave us some tips on how to green our life. Here, more of Angela Sun’s green recommendations:
When I was in college, I distinctly remember one ill-advised trip to an outdoors activities fair which led to the worst sunburn I’d ever had in my entire life. My nose looked like it was falling off and my shoulders cried out in pain for the remotest of touch.
“Why don’t you put some aloe on that?” My friends winced at me.
Nowadays, it’s no longer the homeless that stay in humble abodes made of recycled materials. In fact, buildings made out of recycled material are very hippie chic, like the first bottle school in San Pablo, Philippines completed this spring.
As the weather slowly but surely warms up, I’ve got spring cleaning on the brain. As I switch out my faux fur for florals, my sweaters for shorts, I’m feeling like the house could use a little spring-ification as well.
We all know a coat of paint does wonders for a room. But one of the newest ways to spruce up a home is with some green, sustainable wallpaper.
Now, before you start picturing bamboo walls or a thatch hut, take a look at these wallpaper beauties. All eco-chic and definitely not what you’d picture when you think “tree hugger.”
Floral in Crème-on-Crème from Bohemien by Arte.
A gorgeous, very modern floral print in a go-with-everything neutral. The flock design is on crushed, non-woven paper that is breathable and eco-friendly. Floral in Crème-on-Crème (12302) from Bohemien by Arte, $250 per lineal yard.
If you’re more minimalist-urban, a monochromatic pattern adds a layer of texture without detracting from the overall theme.
Leaf in Oyster and Silver from Zenobia by Arte.
Leaf in Oyster and Silver (14102) from Zenobia by Arte, printed with water-based inks on breathable, environmentally-friendly non-woven paper, $195 per single roll (minimum order two single rolls).
Of course, a botanical print says “green,” but you don’t want it to compete with your existing furniture. A sage-colored paper like this one is soothing and adds a bit of a tropical getaway feel to the room. It’s made of grasscloth, a renewable resource, so even without the green thumb, you’re still bringing some nature indoors.
Grasses in Green from Grasscloth Resource by Thibaut.
Grasses in Green (T5006) from Grasscloth Resource by Thibaut, hand-printed grasscloth made with water-based inks, $126 per single roll.
I have to admit, one good thing that’s come out of this recession is the return to a sense of responsibility and awareness. And I’m not just talking fiscally, though I am glad conspicuous and excessive consumption is finally considered not just passe but in poor taste. (Good riddance Paris Hilton-itis!) The down economy has really driven home, for me anyway, the need to conserve the environment, for healthy spending (and saving) habits, and to give back to the community, whether local or global.
It’s in that spirit that I’ll be doing a lot of my gifting this year with the environment and the less fortunate in mind. These gift ideas help you do that … and also drop some major hints to recipient friends and family who may not have quite gotten the message yet.
Baggu Bag
Reusable totes are a dime a dozen these days, but now that grocery stores are actually giving you credit for using them, there’s no better time to stock up. I love Emily Sugihara’s Baggu ripstop nylon totes. The hip, aerodynamic shape comes in every imaginable color, in a whole slew of sizes, and they start at just $3.
