The 'No Makeup' Makeup Look!

By Allison, Supplies Coordinator & Green Beauty Enthusiast

Makeup can be overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out or trying to achieve a certain aesthetic. Today, I am going to spotlight the ‘No Makeup’ Makeup Look with a step-by-step guide.

Here is how I achieved effortless radiance: (Disclaimer: I am an enthusiast, not an expert!)

• Apply tinted moisturizer to clean skin. 

  • I mixed the Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream Tinted SPF with the Mad Hippie Luminizing Facial SPF because the Josh Rosebrook was a little too dark for my complexion. I applied this to my entire face using brush, but your fingers will do the trick, too.

  • There is a ‘No Makeup’ Makeup Look for every budget and desired coverage! Andalou Brightening Facial Tinted SPF, Mad Hippie Tinted Serum SPF (Medium/Dark), and Mad Hippie Tinted Serum SPF (Light/Medium are all great options. 

  • Tip: for more coverage without applying a foundation, consider using a concealer underneath the eyes or on top of blemishes.

• Fill brows with brow pencil.

  • While I let the moisturizer absorb into my skin, I filled my brows using gentle sparse strokes of the Jane Iredale Pure Brow Precision Pencil in Medium Brown.

• Give brows hold by combing through with a brow gel.

  • I topped my brows with the Ere Perez Aloe Gel Clear Lash & Brow Mascara, so they hold their shape throughout the day.

• Now for the eyes, apply tinted sunscreen to the lid and set with a setting powder.

  • I applied the Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream Tinted SPF as a base to my lids and followed up with setting powder (before applying eyeshadow).

  • This will help the eyeshadow stay without creasing.

  • Again, for more coverage opt for a concealer on the lids instead of tinted moisturizer. 

• Apply eyeshadow.

  • I used the Jane Iredale PurePressed Eyeshadow in Pink Quartz. I applied the lightest shade to the whole eye using a fluffy eyeshadow brush to brighten the eye. Then, I applied the medium shade to the outer corner of the crease to give the eye some shape and definition - make sure to blend it so that you aren’t left with harsh edges.

• Apply mascara to finish off the eyes. 

  • I used the Ere Perez Natural Almond Mascara in Black.

  • For those who prefer waterproof mascara, we have the Ere Perez Avocado Waterproof Mascara. 

• Use a multi stick to apply blush.

  • I used the Axiology Multi Stick Tinted Dew in Humble to give my cheeks a bright yet natural rosiness. I applied it to the apples of my cheeks, but lots of people have a preferred blush location for their personal face shape - so apply it wherever you like!

  • Cream blush will give a natural radiance to the skin that is desired in the ‘No Makeup’ Makeup Look - powder blushes will create a more matte finish.

• Finally! Lips - apply the same multi stick used for blush to your lips

  • I applied a thick coat of the Axiology Multi Stick Tinted Dew in Humble to my lips

  • For a bolder look, apply a lip liner on your whole lip before applying the multi stick.

Now let’s up the glam just a little bit! (optional)

• Apply highlighter.

  • I used the Axiology Vegan Multi Use Balmie in Frosting on my upper cheekbones to create a gentle glow.

  • Axiology Vegan Multi Use Balmie in Champagne and Axiology Vegan Multi Use Balmie in Chestnut are great highlighter shades for deeper skin tones as well.

• Apply gloss.

  • I used the Ere Perez Mango Lip Honey in Pop, but feel free to pick any gloss that goes with your multi stick.

The final elevated look!

Not Just Skin Deep: Five Favorite Sunscreens For Glowing Summer Skin

By Mary, Customer Service Specialist & CN Blog Contributor

If the last heat wave was any indication, the sun remains strong even as summer’s end looms ever near. Like most health conscious consumers, we at Cambridge Naturals are especially careful what products we use on our body’s largest organ: our SKIN! I don’t think I’m alone when I say the scent of SPF-laden sunscreens I remember from my childhood has no place in my current beach bag. I guess with age comes a higher standard for skincare, among other things.

A fully stocked shelf of sunscreen can be intimidating when all you want is one bottle to get the job done. I’ve narrowed down our collection to a few favorites from skin-brightening to toddler-approved.

For Everyday Sun Soakers: Badger Rose Tint
This sunscreen gives your face the protection it needs without the white sheen! The sheer tint is just enough coverage to even out skin tone and the ingredients nourish and restore tired skin. The luxurious rose essential oil-based scent makes this an easy choice for daily use.

For Tightening & Brightening: Andalou BB Creams
Want a product that has more than one function? Andalou Naturals makes multiple BB creams that do just that. These BB creams, or Beauty Balms, blend sun protection with coverage, moisturizers, and antioxidants that nourish skin. Depending on your skins needs, whether it’s aging concerns or oil control, Andalou has multiple options so you can find your perfect match.

For All Over Protection: Thinksport Regular
This is the official staff favorite in terms of full body sun protection for long summer days spent outdoors. It absorbs almost immediately and feels like a moisturizer rather than a suit of sun armor. Bonus - it's water resistant for up to 80 minutes!

For Fussy Kids: Badger Kids
Some kids loathe sunscreen entirely based on the scent alone. Can you blame them? Luckily Badger makes a sunscreen with these kids in mind. Their Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Kids Sunscreen Cream has a clean and natural tangerine and vanilla scent that is nice and sweet. On top of that, it absorbs super well, so they won’t have any reason to complain!

For Little Ones: Thinksport Baby
Just like the all over ThinkSport Original, this one is great to have for trips to beach with a baby. Just as highly absorbing as its counterpart, your little one will be able to crawl their way through sand castles sunburn free. Confession: I’m deep into my twenties and I love this one for my own sensitive skin. Don’t let the name fool you, grown ups can use this one too!

Not Just Skin Deep: Interview with True Moringa's Emily Cunningham & Kwami Williams

We first saw Moringa Connect at Natural Products Expo East, a little over a year and a half ago. Co-Founder Emily Cunningham enticed us over to talk with her beautifully packaged, golden moringa oil, and we were hooked by the efficacy of the product and the story behind the brand. We're relaunching our Not Just Skin Deep blog series with an interview with Emily.

Tell us a bit about how you got started! What were you doing before you founded MoringaConnect?

My co-founder Kwami and I were both undergraduates and met through MIT's D-Lab program, working with small farmers in rural Ghana on a host of affordable technologies. While we were there, we were struck by the enormous potential we saw. As it turns out, there are over 1.5 billion acres of uncultivated land in Africa and 120 million small farmers living on that land earning less than $2/day. Meanwhile, the tools they needed to transform their lives were growing in their own backyards. 

It was the farmers we met in rural Ghana who first introduced us to the moringa tree. We worked alongside them to develop technologies to extract the antioxidant rich oil from the moringa seeds and supply chains to connect them to conscious consumers worldwide. 

Prior to our love affair with moringa, I had studied development economics and bounced around a number of different sub-fields of development work (including a brief stint as a rickshaw builder), and Kwami had his sights set on being an aerospace engineer (and even worked for NASA!).     

Photo credit: Agritools

Why moringa? What's so special about the moringa leaf and oil?

Moringa is known locally as the "miracle tree" because there really isn't much it can't do. Moringa leaves have more vitamin A than carrots, more calcium than milk, more protein than eggs, and more iron than spinach per serving. Moringa oil is being called "argan on steroids" for its anti-aging, moisturizing, and skin-soothing abilities. It's extremely versatile and makes a wonderful facial oil (replacement for a daily moisturizer or night cream), conditioning hair treatment, or body oil. Even the waste product from oil processing (pressmeal) can be used as a natural fertilizer, protein-rich animal feed, or flocculant to purify water. 

The tree itself flourishes in arid climates, requiring little water, and producing seeds in eight months and leaves in two months! It can be intercropped within existing crops to help those crops grow better, and replenishes the soil with essential nutrients. So for farmers, it's a no-risk, high reward source of food security and income all rolled into one. 

How do you process the oil? Who is making your product and how are they compensated?

What makes us special is that we manage the entire supply chain. We work with over 1,600 small farming families throughout Ghana, providing the inputs and financing they need (like seeds, organic fertilizer, and plowing services) to kickstart their moringa farms and the training they need to grow product up to the high standards of the global market. We then buy the seeds from them at a fair price, and ship them to our processing facility (that we designed and built from scratch and tailored specifically to moringa processing) where they are cold-pressed into our True Moringa oil. This ensures that we're able to produce both the highest quality oil and have the most social and environmental impact. To date, we've planted over 250,000 moringa trees. 

Photo credit: Agritools

What other exciting projects is the company working on?

We launched our Minga Foods brand in Ghana to make nutrition easy on the go. Our first product is an infuser pouch filled with moringa powder to add into smoothies, soups, or stir-fry for an extra boost of nutrition. Word on the street is it may be coming to the US soon! 

We're also launching the largest moringa farm in Africa - our nucleus farm - this spring. It will be steady source of organic seeds and leaves, a demonstration site for the latest permaculture and agricultural methods as well as a testing ground for off-grid processing technologies. We're excited to provide income and food security to hundreds of new farmers and ramp up production to meet growing demand!  

What products are in your beauty bag?

Photo credit: Sasha Pedro Photography

I use True Moringa Unscented Body Oil for literally everything - it's my go-to facial cleanser, moisturizer and hair conditioner while traveling. For those of you afraid to put oil on your face or in your hair - I've been there! Every skeptic I've met who has given moringa oil a try as a replacement for their facial soap or moisturizer hasn't turned back. 

For body soap and lotion, I turn to Alaffia (they're doing amazing things with rural communities right next door in Togo) or Dr. Bronners (amazing supply chains around the world and a to-die-for peppermint aroma). For more than just the basics, I love Josh Rosebrook, Ilia, and One Love Organics.

Where do you see the company heading in 5 years? 10 years? What's your vision for the future?

Moringa oil is going to be the next "big" beauty oil - akin to coconut, jojoba, or argan. We're looking forward to replicating our high impact model and processing technologies in partnership with smallholder farmer organizations around the world to ensure that those at the bottom of the supply chain are treated fairly. 

We're really excited about Minga Foods too - we believe that true development will happen when products are not only grown and processed in Africa, but also packaged, branded, and sold in Africa - to Africans. We're looking forward to creating a line of healthy snack foods powered by moringa, utilizing all of the wonderful natural resources already grown in Ghana and the surrounding countries, but often exported to the Western world (think pineapple, mango, cashew, cocoa, honey). Over the next few years, we hope to see Minga become a pan-African brand and ultimately a global brand.