Beauty By The Batch

Have you checked this place out?

"Beauty By the Batch is dedicated to promoting the benefits of using handmade beauty, health and home care products to consumers seeking high quality products."

We are one of the featured artisans there and I am really proud to be a part of this new website. They have artisans listed, but they also have articles in their Personal Care Articles Library that are saturated with an enormous amount of information that we can all learn from.

=)

...don't be left out without the information

Plum Is The New Black

According to the New York Times (some time last week), the color plum will be the new black. Now, who makes these predictions and how does it work? My thinking is that some designer somewhere decides to spread a fashion rumor and make a ton of clothes, stilettos and credit card designs in whatever color they close their eyes and magically choose on a whim. I don't buy into it. Sorry. I like plum, but more than the color, I like the name. That's really all. I don't like being told what I need to start wearing or producing because all of a sudden some bozo behind a desk claims it to be so. I say, "Fe!"

Know what colors I think are cool? Cranberry red, pomegranate red and calming cream. Of course black is a staple for me. I like the color and it looks good with anything and everything. I happen to own a lot of black and that's that on that matter.

Here are some plum things that I think look cool, but not because someone tells me it's cool.

Felted bracelet- 3 Fun on Etsy



Handmade polymer beads - Polyclarific's Shop



Plum tee - ChicksWith Sticks



Ginger plum salt spa bar - Crazy Times Candles

All Natural Ranting (And Raving)

Photo courtesy of Product Body

The All Natural trend is a very frustrating topic for me. I own Product Body and created an all natural line of pregnant bath and body formulations with my own hands: Mama Bomb. When doing research on pregnancy products, I found that so many companies making the pregnancy skin care say "ALL NATURAL" on the front of the label but contain parabens and other toxins (look on the ingredient list in the back). How awful! I guess they are allowed to say that it is ALL NATURAL because all natural ingredients are in there. How awful to pull the wool over people's eyes, especially when they are carrying. If pregnant women want to use unnatural products it is their choice but to fool them into your product when they are specifically looking for a natural moisturizer? Shame on them! When I came out with Mama Bomb (a truly all natural body line for pregnant and new mothers) I was thanked by so many pregnant women customers of mine. A choice!!

I am not against the use of parabens. At 1% usage in some formulas, the effects are inconsequential... in fact, broad spectrum preservatives (many of which do contain parabens)
are effective against bacteria and mold that can otherwise be deadly to the
consumer! If a product has no water in it, and no water is introduced into it, there is no need for a chemical preservative. If I were to make a formula with water or aloe vera juice, a chemical preservative must be used to protect the consumer from exposure to bacteria or mold.

I am hoping that my Mama Bomb products will help convince people to educate
themselves about the pros and cons of preservatives and other chemicals.
While in some contexts (as I mentioned) preservatives are critically
important, it is wise to balance that fact with recent studies that have
found parabens can cause hormone disruption - no kidding. I ask you, does a
pregnant woman need to be any MORE hormonally disrupted? I think not!!

I am all for all natural, and I am also in favor of super fun products that aren't all natural. It is the choice of the consumer. WE make the choice for our own bodies and for our family. We should not be lied to or deceived to think we are using something we are not. That is plain trickery and I continue to get all fired up about it.

Chicago's Gone Green For St. Patty

For over 40 years, the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers turn the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick's Day Parade celebration. This was created by Mike Butler and his crew beginning in 1961. You can visit Mike at his web site for more river dying information at, www.greenchicagoriver.com.



Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Pant-Shoes or Shoe-Pants? Hairy High Heels?

And what's going on over here....?

Photos all from the Virtual Shoe Museum. Please go take a look at their website. Fascinating woks of (shoe) art.

Warning About All Natural Labeling!

There are plenty of companies out there hoisting the “all natural” banner, but we urge you to pay close attention and to read the labels.

For example, fragrance oils are not natural, while essential oils are.  Also, an ingredient ending in “ben” (with the exception of Gentle Ben, though who would put that sweet bear in a body product is beyond us) is in all likelihood a paraben (ethylparaben, methylparaben etc.). The thing is, PARABENS ARE NOT NATURAL!  They have been shown to have hormone-disrupting effects (we think pregnancy does that effectively enough, thanks) as well as a few other nasty side effects that we don’t want you to have to worry about.

We know of one very prominent pregnancy product company that has the phrase “All Natural Ingredients” boldly written right on the front of their belly butter while the ingredient label lists no less than 3 chemicals including two different parabens and phenoxyethanol.  The latter is listed on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) under toxicology with the following copy:

“Harmful if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through the skin. May cause reproductive defects. Severe eye and skin irritant.”  No, we aren’t kidding. You can read the data yourself right here:http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/PH/2-phenoxyethanol.html. And mind you, this is in a Belly Butter!

At first we scratched our heads over the “All Natural Ingredients” label and more than one person in our office got pretty pissed off over it.  So here’s what we think:  they don’t mean that ALL the ingredients are natural, but that SOME ingredients are “all natural”, as in “This product contains some all natural ingredients.”  Fabulous.  So does Mop N’ Glo, which might make your belly look really nice, but we don’t recommend rubbing it on.  Apparently there’s a fine line between lying and just misleading. Bet no one ever explained that to you in ethics class, did they?

Seriously though, we find this sort of misleading labeling disgusting.  Sadly it happens way more than you might think (we were shocked and angered ourselves).  In this case it’s particularly putrid as this company is urging you to rub something that is “harmful if absorbed through the skin” and “may cause reproductive defects” all over your pregnant belly.  Yuck.

Look – we aren’t saying that parabens or chemicals are inherently evil.  And really, we all ought to use whatever bath and body products we feel good about using.  But we all need to make informed choices. Misleading people that are trying to make smart and healthy decisions is disgusting.  Factor in the fact that the people they are misleading are pregnant women with growing bellies and it just gets worse.

So we URGE you to read labels.  Educate yourself about ingredients so that you can make smart choices that you can feel good about, both for yourself and your baby.

And remember this: every MAMA BOMB product is ALL NATURAL, and we mean EVERY INGREDIENT.  We also don’t use water or other fillers  - every ingredient has a purpose, so you aren’t paying for something who’s primary ingredient you can get from your tap.  Read our labels.  Look up the ingredients.  We promise that WE won’t ever lie to you, ever.

This is published on Mamabomb.com.

Top 20 Hottest Publications To Watch

Pierce Mattie PR Names the Top 20 Hottest Publications To Watch In 2008

Written by Shannon Nelson for Pierce Mattie Public Relations 

Pierce Mattie Public Relations (www.piercemattie.com) has comprised a list of the hottest magazines ranging from industry leaders, quickly emerging stand outs, as well as publications that will be launching in 2008.

 1.     Vogue: Not having Vogue on the list would be a crime. Under Anna Wintour’s guidance, Vogue continues to remain a publication with an old fashioned sense of sophistication that is still able to capture women’s attention and create buzz among it’s demographic.

 2.     Esquire:  Not only can Esquire boast a circulation bordering on the 1 million mark, but their website is ranked #2 by MinOnline.com for achieving the highest page views (4,417,927) and unique visitor count gains for a magazine brand in 2007.

 3.     Domino:  With home magazines on the rise, Domino is emerging as a stand out publication. Under the helm of Editor in Chief Deborah Needleman, Domino has found success in relating to readers who are just as savvy about the style of their home as they are to the fashion that they wear.

 4.     Brides:  Bridal magazine titles have increased 96% since 2002 and Brides magazine still has remained a powerhouse with the highest circulation, leading the way among their competitors.

 5.     Cookie:  Parents who aren’t looking to compromise on style and aesthetics have found the perfect outlet in Cookie. Increasingly popular among fashionista’s who have graduated on to motherhood, Cookie’s focus on style, beauty and home décor has resonated with a sophisticated audience. 

6.     Real Simple: Time is a luxury and Real Simple has struck a chord with female readers looking to simplify their hectic lives. In this fast paced society, this easy to read publication continues to surge in popularity bordering on a circulation just shy of 2 million.

 7.     W: The fashion bible of the industry has been and will always be a must-read magazine. Those in the know are readers of W.

 8.     Genlux: Regional magazines are among the fastest growing in the publishing industry; in fact they were king in 2007 as the largest magazine category while Luxury magazines had the second highest launch rate in 2007. Genlux is the best of both worlds as a Los Angeles luxury-driven magazine; it’s the one magazine that has both editors and consumers raving.

 9.     Conde Nast Portfolio: This business publication for the influential executive trendsetters already has a circulation of 350,000 and it’s only been on newsstands less than 12 months. The business community is applauding Editor in Chief, Joanne Lipman, for this must-read that is sure to continue being hot in 2008.

 10.  Nylon:  Nylon is the thinking fashionista’s style magazine. Consumers respond to Nylon’s smart writing and substance-based editorial.

11.  Lucky: Despite an impending recession, women love to shop.  Lucky brings the best style to the consumer from all price points, who right now, are all about knowing their options.

 12.  O, The Oprah Magazine: This goes without saying, whatever Oprah touches turns to gold. With a circulation of roughly 2.5 million, O magazine remains hot with no signs of burning out.

 13.  Garden & Gun: Amazingly the Evening Post Publishing Co. found a way to mix sporting life and southern landscapes as if it were completely natural. Being southern never looked so good.

 14.  Martha Stewart Living: Covering a broad spectrum of topics, Martha Stewart Living defines the home décor category. To date, Omnimedia’s hit publication is unparalleled in circulation (just over 2 million) and website traffic.

 15.  ZooZoom:  As digital publications are becoming more prevalent, ZooZoom’s cinematic editorials are catching the eyes of those who view fashion as art. Visually appealing for the fashion intellectual, ZooZoom distinguishes itself from other digital magazines as the original online glossy.

 16.  Organic Spa: Co-Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mary Bemis has created a quite fervor among spa lifestyle enthusiasts. Just launched in January of 2007, Organic Spa has found its way onto the shelves of Whole Foods reaching a circulation of over 40,000 of those looking for the true meaning of Spa.

 17.  New York Look: Just launched at the end of November by New York Magazine, consider New York Look your supplement to Fashion Week. The imagery is mesmerizing with an insider’s view backstage, front row and even atop the runway.

 18.  IQONS: Following the success of the fashion industry’s answer to social networking, IQONS.com is launching its namesake magazine internationally in February during New York Fashion Week. Iconic fashion designer, Diane Pernet, will be Editor-in-Chief and with contributions from the IQONS community, the magazine is sure to be a success.

19.  On Makeup Magazine: The February 2008 launch of On Makeup Magazine from The Powder Group is sure to catch the eye of makeup artists (both current and aspiring) as well as consumers with a love for the cosmetics industry.  Positioned as distinctively pro-driven and consumer-friendly, we’re sure this quarterly publication will have readers rioting for it to be published monthly.

 20.  Latina: Ethnic magazine titles rose by 52% in 2007 and Latina, since 2003, has become one of the top ten fastest growing magazines in America. Its growth continues to surge and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

About Pierce Mattie Public Relations:  visit www.piercemattie.com

 

 (Product Body has been featured in GenLux #8 - yay!)