But what about fashion?

If you’re like me, “eco friendly clothing,” (as stereotypical as it is) used to remind you of hippies, with dreadlocks and muslin ponchos. Not exactly what I would call high fashion. But not anymore. These days more and more designers are embracing the eco-friendly trend, and are committed to making beautiful clothes with a conscience. And, the best part? They are all at very affordable prices, which make it nearly impossible to ignore the attraction of adding sustainable fashion to your wardrobe!

Browse our gallery for some of our best eco-friendly fashion fixes….

Sustainable Silk Scarves From GreenSewn

How To Recycle Anything

Model Liya Kebede Talks Lemlem, Her Sustainable Clothing Line

5 Fab Essential Earth Day Accessories

Why It’s Eco-Chic: SpaRitual is committed to creating eco-friendly products and packaging perfectly crafted for the enlightened consumer. They use Vegan ingredients from around the world, including many specially sourced and selected plant essences that are wildcrafted OR organic. The formulations are naturally colored and free of synthetic dyes. SpaRitual is constantly monitoring sustainability issues and strives to be on the cutting edge of environmental awareness.

Where To Buy:

sparitual.com, $9

More Eco-Chic Items:
Eco-Friendly Gold Earrings By Marie Todd
Environmentally Friendly Hand Soap By EO

Here’s an A-Z list on how to recycle:

A

Aerosol cans: These can usually be recycled with other cans, as long as you pull off the plastic cap and empty the canister completely.
Antiperspirant and deodorant sticks: Many brands have a dial on the bottom that is made of a plastic polymer that’s different from the plastic used for the container, so your center might not be able to recycle the whole thing (look on the bottom to find out). Tom’s of Maine makes a deodorant stick composed solely of plastic No. 5.

Go green with this Eco-Tools brow grooming set.
B

Backpacks: The American Birding Association accepts donated backpacks, which its scientists use while tracking neotropical birds (americanbirding.org).

Batteries: Recycling batteries keeps hazardous metals out of landfills. Many stores, like RadioShack and Office Depot, accept reusable ones, as does the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (rbrc.org/call2recycle). Car batteries contain lead and can’t go in landfills, because toxic metals can leach into groundwater, but almost any retailer selling them will also collect and recycle them.

Beach balls: They may be made of plastic, but there aren’t enough beach balls being thrown away to make them a profitable item to recycle. If a beach ball is still usable, donate it to a thrift store or a children’s hospital.

Books: “Hard covers are too rigid to recycle, so we ask people to remove them and recycle just the pages,” says Sarah Kite, recycling manager of the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, in Johnston. In many areas, paperbacks can be tossed in with other paper.

C

Carpeting (nylon fiber): Go to carpetrecovery.org and click on “What can I do with my old carpet?” to find a carpet-reclamation facility near you, or check with your carpet’s manufacturer. Some carpet makers, like Milliken (millikencarpet.com), Shaw (shawfloors.com), and Flor (flor.com), have recycling programs.

Cars, Jet Skis, boats, trailers, RVs, and motorcycles: Even if these are unusable-totaled, rusted-they still have metal and other components that can be recycled. Call junkyards in your area, or go to junkmycar.com, which will pick up and remove cars, trailers, motorcycles, and other heavy equipment for free.

Cell phones: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fewer than 20 percent of cell phones are recycled each year, and most people don’t know where to recycle them. The Wireless Foundation refurbishes old phones to give to domestic-violence survivor calltoprotect.org. For information on other cell-phone charities, log on to recyclewirelessphones.com. In some states, like California and New York, retailers must accept and recycle old cell phones at no charge.

Compact fluorescent lightbulbs: CFLs contain mercury and shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. Ikea and the Home Depot operate CFL recycling programs; you can also check with your local hardware store or recycling center to see if it offers recycling services.

Computers: You can return used computers to their manufacturers for recycling (check mygreenelectronics.com for a list of vendors) or donate them to a charitable organization (log on to sharetechnology.org or cristina.org). Nextsteprecycling.org repairs your broken computers and gives them to underfunded schools, needy families, and nonprofits.

Crayons: Send them to the National Crayon Recycle Program (crazycrayons.com, which melts down crayons and reforms them into new ones. Leave the wrappers on: “When you have black, blue, and purple crayons together without wrappers, it’s hard to tell them apart,” says the program’s founder, LuAnn Foty, a.k.a. the Crazy Crayon Lady.

Crocs: The manufacturer recycles used Crocs into new shoes and donates them to underprivileged families. Mail them to: Crocs Recycling West, 3375 Enterprise Avenue, Bloomington CA 92316.

GET MORE TIPS HERE

Check out this environmental friendly flip-flop doormat for your home.

The catwalker’s LemLem collection is a model of sustainability. Would you expect anything else from a beauty like her?

Liya Kebede discovered that traditional weavers in her native country of Ethiopia were losing their jobs due to a decline in local demand for their goods and wanted to do something about it. Recognizing the beauty, quality and historic significance of their work, Liya started Lemlem in 2007 as a way to inspire economic independence in her native country and to preserve the art of weaving.

Happy Earth Day! Just a friendly reminder to get out there and help make this planet a better place to live.

Nicole Richie was doing her part Wednesday night at the Dasani DIY PlantBottle party, where she joined designer Erica Domesek in creating fashionable green caps out of recycled sweatpants.

So do what you can to be ecofriendly, folks.

5 Things Not To Do On Earth Day

5 Fab Essential Earth Day Accessories

(From shine.com)

You’ve probably already seen hundreds of tips on what you should do – and maybe they’re now a big mish-mash in your brain. Here are ten things you SHOULDN’T do.

1) Don’t drive like a teenager, speeding up and slowing down and weaving in and out of traffic. Such aggressive driving can lower fuel efficiency by 33%. Accelerate gently and stay with the traffic to save gas and money.

2) Don’t use cleansers and personal care products that contain triclosan or other antibacterial agents. Public health officials worry that antibacterials (in cleansers, window cleaners, and soaps are causing us to become resistant to antibiotics. Use simple soap (like Dr. Bronner’s castile soap) and hot water for cleaning, and body soaps and lotions that do not say “antibacterial” or “fights germs” on the label.

3) Don’t go shopping without a list! According to the U,S. Department of Agriculture, people waste about 30% of their household food budgets buying groceries that eventually expire and have to be thrown out. Know what you want to buy before you hit the store aisles – you’ll buy less, buy more of what you’re likely to use, and reduce the impact your shopping has on the planet. Then put your list on your refrigerator so you don’t forget what’s inside.

4) Don’t leave the lights on when you leave the room. You could save as much as $100 a year in electricity costs by turning off a 100-watt lightbulb when you’re not using the light.

5) Don’t leave the computer on if you’re going to be gone longer than two hours. Don’t leave the monitor on if you’re going to be gone longer than 20 minutes. If you plug your electronics into an energy-saving power strip, you can reduce the energy they use by as much as 40%.

GET MORE HERE

5 Fab Essential Earth Day Accessories

Earth Day 2010: No Child Left Inside

1. Sigg stainless steel water bottles

These stainless steel water bottles are not only good for the environment but they are also good for you. Sigg (24.99) by far makes the most stylish and chic stainless steel bottle with fun designs on them that your husband, kids and most importantly you will love.

Think about every time you buy a plastic water bottle and let’s face it, most of the time we don’t recycle our paper and plastics. Bottled water is a very wasteful product. Some of you might think that reusing plastic water bottles is better than throwing them out but that’s where you start harming yourself. All the phthalates and other chemicals in the plastic bottles does leech into the water you and your family drinking. There have been no long-term studies on the effects of phthalates and chemicals found in plastics on us as humans but I think it’s safe to assume it just isn’t good.

2. Envirosax reusable totes

Reusable totes have flooded the market and I’m sure you’ve gotten a few for free yourself. Trust us, nothing beats Envirosax (8.50) in the tote game. The amazing thing about these totes is that they fold up so small that they can fit into the palm of your hand. This way you can carry your tote in your handbag and when you go to do the grocery shopping or to run an errand after work you just pull out your tote, unfold it and you’re ready to go. We’ve never seen something more convenient that Envirosax’ totes.

They also come in gorgeous designs that can fit with just about any style out there. Reds, blues, greens and oranges allow you to even accessorize your tote with your outfit for that day! So stop trashing plastic bags and start producing less waste with these fab totes!

3. Environmentally friendly beauty products

Ditch the disposable Q-Tips and applicators and invest in reusable and environmentally friendly make up brushes. The Eco-Tools 6 Piece Brush Set ($11) is the perfect way to provide more sustainability in your beauty regime.

Here’s why this Eco-Tools kit is better for the environment:

• Bamboo handle has a low impact on the earth’s resources as it is a highly sustainable plant.
• Synthetic taklon bristles are 100% cruelty free.
• Sleek ferrule is made from recycled aluminum.
• Cosmetic case is made from natural cotton and hemp.

We can’t really find a reason not to use Eco-Tools…

4. Reusable lunch containers

You or your kids may already have a stylish lunch bag that can be reused instead of throwing out a brown paper bag each day, but you do have a less wasteful way to store sandwiches and snacks? Wrap-N-Mat (8.50) offers a great solution to the great Ziplock/Saran-Wrap problem. This mats are double-sided so one side is soft and padded to protect your food and then the inside is coated with a washable surface that is easy to clean when you’re done using them. The mats fold up and then velcro together to provide a highly sustainable way to carry your food.

The mats come in a variety of colors and prints including gingham and polka dots!

5. Reusable products for “that time of the month”

It happens once a month…and that means you’re producing more waste once a month! There is a way around this waste. You can try using the DivaCup!

The DivaCup (25.00) is a reusable menstrual cup that is made of non-porous hypo-allergenic silicone that can be boiled to completely disinfect. When the cup is in place, it can be worn for about 12 hours depending on how heavy your flow is. Their site claims that the cup does not leak because it is designed to fit with your body to provide the most coverage during your period.

Here’s a testimonial from their site:

I’ve been using the Diva Cup for a few months now, and I will never go back to tampons! It’s comfortable, and hassle-free. It also cuts down on waste! I absolutely love it and tell all my girlfriends about it!

Think of all the money you’ll save as well because you’ll never have to buy another feminine product again!

Check out this very informative video on the DivaCup:

Have a happy (and sustainable) Earth Day!

Here are some tips on how to raise Earth Day awareness:

1) Work with student organizations at a local university to raise Earth Day awareness among future leaders. Major universities typically have multiple organizations dealing with organic living, conservation and environmental advocacy.

How to recycle anything.

2. Volunteer at a local school on Earth Day to educate children about Earth Day. You can work with fellow parents to present fun information about protecting the environment.

3) Submit letters about Earth Day to the editor of every print publication in your community. You should look for articles focused on environmental issues in these publications to help frame your letter writing. You may find more of these articles at the end of February.

Click here to find out more.

(from ehow.com)

Did you know you can go green with your makeup tools? Find out more here.

We’ve randomly picked a winner for our tarte Earth Day eco-bag and lip sheers giveaway, and it’s Toni from Texas! Or BP member MsTease712 to you. The lucky Toni won a “be good to your mother (earth)” reusable bag and lip sheers set from tarte cosmetics.

Want to know her favorite home beauty remedy?

This recipe can be used as a body butter AND a hair moisturizer!

7oz unrefined Shea butter
4oz Aloe Vera Gelly (Clear, Fruit of the Earth brand from Target)
3oz Coconut Oil
2oz oil of your choice
OPTIONAL: Drops of your fave EOs if you don’t use a strong flavor oil

First, melt the Shea butter in a glass bowl set in boiling water. Soften coconut oil in the microwave (not all the way to liquid) then mix in a glass bowl with the Aloe gel and Banana oil with a wire whisk. When Shea butter fully melts, pour it in the Aloe/oil mix. Beat with mixer on medium speed for about two minutes. Then pour into an empty plastic container that has an air tight lid. Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours to solidify.

Try it yourself and tell us how it went!

Stay tuned for the next contest….

xoxo,

Gift Gal

I don’t know if you know this, but a lot of nail salons and spas are GROSS. And you don’t even know it. But I like to be in denial about things, so I figure, what I don’t see won’t hurt me. However, I DO love all-natural products. I have a seriously lame immune system and my skin is super sensitive, so I’m always looking for things that don’t have harsh chemicals and over-processed ingredients. The new Wink Beauty Bar, in Brooklyn, proved to cater to all of my paranoias at once.

I won’t lie – it’s not very big. You won’t be waiting in a giant lounge, sipping fruit water while wearing a robe and slippers. But the body treatment room is intimate and smells amazing, while the manicure and pedicure stations have more of a fixed-basement feel than an acetone-infused nail hell. The pedicure stations have big, comfy leather chairs and copper foot bowls (the owner uses copper because it doesn’t harbor bacteria like most salons’ pedicure baths. A little traumatizing – I know.), while the nail stations are pub-style, with raised chairs and standing manicurists who treat you from across a long bar.

The beauty bar is also an apothecary, where you can customize your own lotions, body butters, soaps and scrubs. You can use your custom blend for a treatment, or mix a larger-sized product to use at home. I received a Wink manicure, which involves a hand exfoliation and lotion massage. It’s kind of amazing. I wanted to go around feeling people’s faces, but that just would have been creepy.

From manicures to waxes to body wraps to bikini/fanny facials, every producted used in the store is organic. And that’s totally hard to come by these days. The hippie in me relished the thought of doing something good to the earth.

Wink’s grand opening was this week – stop by and get green treatments for you and someone you love in celebration of Earth Day on April 22!

Wink Beauty bar, 602 Vanderbilt Ave, Brooklyn, NY. 718.230.3443 | winkbeautybar.com

Looking to end your day of beauty with a new hairdo? Try hitting up Phyto Universe while you’re in New York!

Earth Day is April 22, and you know how much we love all things free and eco! And since we’re so good to Mother Earth, we wanted to spread the love to our beautiful readers!

We’re giving away one “be good to your mother (earth)” reusable bag and lip sheers set from tarte cosmetics. The three 24/7 Lip Sheers, appropriately named “reduce,” “reuse,” and “recycle,” are packaged in post-consumer recycled aluminum and packed with SPF15 and come in a foldable, reusable purple tote with gold strap.  Gift Gal has a set, and not only do the sheers look great on every skin tone (she shared them with her friends!), but the bag is cute and sturdy enough to carry groceries, gym clothes, or random items.

The limited-edition set runs for $35 and are available at Sephora and other boutiques everywhere.

Want one for free? Just do the following:

1. Leave a comment in the comments section telling us what your favorite homemade beauty recipe is
2. Check back at the beginning of next week to see who our lucky winner is
3. Enter next week’s giveaway and win something for yourself or someone you love!

GOOD LUCK!

For complete contest rules, click here.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

CONTEST DESCRIPTION:

The HelloBeautiful.com Giveaway Earth Day contest (“Contest”) will begin at 12:00 PM. on April 14, 2009 and end at 12 Midnight April 20, 2009 (“Contest Period”). One (1) winner will be awarded one small product sample bag from Tarte Cosmetics.

HOW TO ENTER:

Legal residents of the U.S. who are 16 years of age or older and are members of BlackPlanet.com will be able to take part in this Contest. To participate in the Contest, participants must do the following:
1. Go to HELLOBEAUTIFUL.com and comment on the designated article of the day.
2. Contestants must be registered members of BlackPlanet.com to submit their comments at HELLOBEAUTIFUL.com. Membership is free. To join, go to BlackPlanet.com and submit the requested information.
3. Upon entering the Contest website, participants with a valid email address are to follow the on-screen instructions. Once a member becomes a winner, they will be contacted to confirm, their name, address, phone number, email address, and additional contact information in order to mail the prize to the winner’s residence.
4. All Internet entries/comments must be received by Midnight EST on APRIL 20, 2009 or they will be void.
5. One entry per person per day during the Contest Period.
6. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of a participant’s online entry, the entry will be deemed to have been made by the authorized holder of the e-mail account at the time the entry was made.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS:

1. The Contest is open only to legal residents of the United States who are registered members of BlackPlanet.com, and are 16 years of age or older at the time of contest registration.
2. Employees of Radio One, Inc., Community Connect, Inc. or Interactive One, LLC (together “Company”), its officers, directors, subsidiaries, affiliates, general sponsors, promotional partners, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, parent companies, members of the immediate families (defined as spouse, child, sibling, parent, or grandparent), and members of the households (whether related or not) of any of the above are NOT eligible to participate or win in this Contest.
3. Persons who have won a prize in another contest or promotion of any kind from Company within the thirty-day (30) period immediately preceding the start date of this Contest are not eligible to participate.
4. Contestants agree to abide with any applicable federal, state, local laws and regulations.

PRIZES:
1. Prize package will include the following:

One (1) of “be good to your mother (earth)” tote set – 24.7 natural lip sheers with SPF 15 and reusable natural cotton tote

One (1) prize packages will be awarded during the Contest Period.
2. If a winner is unable to accept the prize, the prize will be forfeited in its entirety.
3. No substitution of prize is offered, no transfer of prize to a third party is permitted and non-cash prizes may not be redeemed for cash value, except as determined by Company management and/or the sponsor in its sole discretion.
4. All Contest winners must sign and date official Company release and waiver forms as requested. Failure to do so will result in the winner’s forfeiture of the prize.
5. All cash prizes won will be awarded in the form of a check.
6. Company will award the prizes only upon winner verification and final approval. Each winner or selected entrant will be notified by email, mail and/or phone within five (5) days after being selected (e.g., date of drawing). Each winner or selected entrant will then have five (5) days to respond with their information. Company will then send prizes or prize-verification information via the U.S. Mail. If the winner or selected entrant is unable to be contacted within five (5) days after being selected (e.g. drawing date), is ineligible, fails to claim a prize or fails to return completed and executed release forms and affidavits, if applicable and as required by Company, or if the prize notification or prize is returned undeliverable, that prize will be forfeited and an alternate entrant will be selected. If the winner is a minor (under the age of eighteen (18)), all release forms and affidavits must be signed by the winner’s parent or legal guardian.

EXECUTION:
1. During the Contest Period, eligible participants will be encouraged to take part in the Contest by commenting online at HELLOBEAUTIFUL.com. After completing their comments regarding a designated article posted on HELLOBEAUTIFUL.com, entrants will be qualified for a chance to win the prize.
2. The grand prize drawing will take place on APRIL April 22, 2009. One (1) winner will be selected by random drawing from among all eligible entries received.
3. The winners will be notified by email. Winners will be required to provide HELLOBEAUTIFUL.com with a mailing address to ship the prize. Interactive One, LLC will then ship one (1) prize package to the winner.
4. All decisions made by Company management regarding any aspect of this Contest are final.

GENERAL CONDITIONS:
1. Winners are responsible for all applicable taxes associated with the receipt of the prize (prizes are not transferable and may not be exchanged).
2. Any person winning over $600.00 in prizes will receive an IRS form 1099 at the end of the calendar year for tax purposes and a copy of such form will be filed with the IRS as required by law.
3. No purchase necessary. Contest is void where prohibited. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, local laws and regulations.
4. Odds of winning depend upon the number of eligible contestants participating during the Contest Period.
5. By participating in the Contest, the winner or winners agree to have their name, voice, or likeness used in any advertising or broadcasting material relating to this Contest, in any media now known or hereafter devised for advertising or promotional purposes without additional compensation, and must sign a publicity release prior to acceptance of the prize. By entering this Contest, each participant agrees to comply with these Official Contest Rules and the decisions of the Contest sponsor which shall be final and binding in all aspects relating to the Contest.

6. Company retains the right to disqualify any contestant if all contest rules are not followed.
7. All Contest winners will be required to sign a liability release prior to acceptance of any prize. Pursuant to the liability release, the winner or winners will agree to hold Company, any other Contest parties and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, agencies, officers, shareholders, directors, employees, agents and representatives of each of the foregoing, harmless against any and all claims or liability, directly or indirectly related to or arising from or in connection with Contest participation or the acceptance, possession or use / misuse of any awarded prize or any portion thereof, or participation in prize-related activities, including but not limited to any related travel.
8.By accepting the prize, the winner acknowledges that Company has neither made, nor is in any manner responsible or liable for, any warranty, representation or guarantee, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the prize or to any portion thereof, including but not limited to its quality, mechanical condition or fitness for a particular purpose.
9. Any information collected by registering to enter the Contest shall be used only in a manner consistent with these Official Contest Rules.
10. Company, participating sponsors and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates or their representatives, agents and employees are not responsible for the inability of any contestant to complete or continue an internet registration due to equipment malfunction, busy lines, inadvertent disconnections, unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or other connections, communication failures or human error that may occur in the transmission, receipt or processing of entries, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer arising from or relating to participation in this Promotion,. In addition, Company, participating sponsors and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates or their representatives, agents and employees are not responsible for late, postage due, lost, misdirected, mutilated, illegible or incomplete contest entries. No mechanically reproduced or automated entries permitted. Entry materials/data that have been tampered with or altered are void. Once submitted, entries become the property of Company and will not be returned.
11. If for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including without limitation, any suspected evidence of tampering or technological corruption or if any portion of the promotion is compromised by virus, bugs, worms or unauthorized human intervention, fraud, acts of God, strikes, terrorists acts, criminal acts of third parties, an insufficient number of qualified contest entries, or any other causes beyond Company’s control which, in the Company’s sole opinion, corrupts, threatens or impairs the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of the Contest, Company reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest at its sole discretion.
12. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be in violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Company reserves the right to seek remedies and damages (including attorney’s fees) from any such entrant to the fullest extent of the law, including criminal prosecution.
13. To receive the name of the winner, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt to: HELLO BEAUTIFUL GIVEAWAYS, c/o INTERACTIVE ONE, LLC 205 HUDSON ST. 6th Floor, NY, NY 10013 ATTN: ALYSON MANCE