In my best skincare list Nude Skincare Advanced Renewal Serum. Instant skin quencher and hydrator right after shower and before applying my day cream. Nude Skincare, created by British businessman Bryan Meehan, is changing the natural skincare world by bringing to us eco-friendly and natural products that actually work!

Nude Skincare Advanced Renewal Serum a great British import

Nude Skincare’s Bryan Meehan interviews with Marta Walsh

Organic Skincare, Natural Skincare. Here’s Marta Walsh’s take on Organic Skincare or Natural Skincare. I’m very picky when comes to the latest trend in the beauty market and the magic word: ‘Organic’. Just because a product says it’s organic does not make it a good product. Often time some organic products are greasy with all their natural oils, smell too ylang ylang or a strong lavender and are off putting to me. Quite frankly, some of them don’t seem to work in cleaning my face or keeping my face super hydrated. Only select few get it right. The 1st brand that comes to mind is NUDE Skincare founded by Bryan Meehan which is a brilliant organic skincare line that actually works for me. I also like REN skincare, also a British import. In the USA I love ARCONA Los Angeles skincare line.

My latest discovery is Intelligent Nutrients Certified Organic and these three products smell amazing and are not greasy! I haven’t tried the rest of the line, but these 3 are good. L to R: Certified Organic Hand Purifier, Certified Organic Hand Sanitizer, and Certified Organic 100% Pure Jasmine Absolute. The brand was founded by Horst M. Rechelbacher.

Organic Skincare: Loving the amala Purifying Face Polish. With ingredients, such as: Blue Lotus, crushed bamboo, and green tea, need I say more? This face scrub is very gentle on my skin, smells relaxing, and is all organic. Available at www.amalabeauty.com

ENESSA’S New Organic Shea Body Souffle features African Shea Butter with natural nutty scent, citrus oils & no artificial colors or preservatives, moisturizing dehydrated CHAPPED skin in cold dry weather.

I like to use the ENESSA Organic Shea Body Souffle on small areas at the time such as my legs, elbows and feet. It smells a bit like citrus and clean. And my skin keeps super soft for hours.

More about ENESSA Organic Shea Body Souffle: A moisturizer that has that feels like velvety smooth butter with colorful textured grains, the new Shea Body Souffle by Enessa is a luxurious blend of organic oils that richly moisturize dehydrated, chapped skin in cold or dry climates.

“Our organic Shea Body Souffle differs from the many shea butter products available to consumers because we use all natural, unrefined African shea butter with certified organic coconut oil, which is rich in essential fatty acids and vitamins and help heal and nourish the skin,” states Enessa Skincare founder Michelle Ornstein. “This unrefined Shea butter is manufactured under fair trade and organic guidelines. This means it is not extracted using hexane or other chemicals, bleached, or deodorized, and we do not add preservatives, yellow coloring agents–natural or artificial–or other additives. We bring it to you fresh in its purest and most natural state, which is why it has a beigish, light brown color.” The shea nuts come from wild shea trees over a vast area in central and northern Togo, a West African country located between Ghana and Benin, where cooperative members use centuries old extraction techniques to produce this truly exceptional quality shea butter.

“Like all premium unrefined shea butters, it has a characteristic nutty scent, which disappears after a few minutes when rubbed on skin,” adds Ornstein, who recommends it for moisturizing hands, feet, cuticles, and any other rough spots such as the elbows, heels and feet. “Unrefined shea butter is a very versatile active ingredient for skin and hair care products, and has excellent anti-aging, soothing and moisturizing properties.”

Other ingredients in this delicious body moisturizer include: Vitamin E and organic red palm oil, which together render the smooth velvety texture, helping to regenerate the skin; and a refreshing citrus blend of mandarin, petitgrain, and litsea cubeba essential oils, which calm and sooth the skin, while invigorating the senses.

Available in a 3 oz. Jar, the product retails for $35.50 online at www.enessa.com . A similar version of this Shea Body Souffle is available specifically for babies. It can also be ordered via toll-free number at (888) 4-ENESSA. The complete Enessa skincare line includes facial cleansers, organic hydrosols, organic facial nourishments, seaweed nourishing gels, exfoliant and facial masks, anti-aging products and special treatments.

Looking for great green face scrubs. When I say green I mean chemical free, natural, and organic.

Nude Skincare Facial Scrub, $52: Pure addiction for Marta:) This facial scrub is so gentle and silky feeling yet effective in making my skin smooth, exfoliated, and ready for my face cream. Available at Sephora, sephora.com and www.nudeskincare.com

RAW Essentials by Carol Alt RAW-finish Rigorous Face Scrub, $19.50: Super silky scrub and very soothing to my skin. Smells a bit like citrus which makes it perfect for my morning shower. I have a suggestion for RAW Essentials by Carol Alt: Please make a body scrub with this formula! It would be amazing. My hubby is also a fan. Formulated with 40% pure aloe with Jojoba round micro-beads. Gently removes dead skin cells and promotes healthy cell renewal. Suitable for all skin types. Visit: www.rawessentials.com foe more details.

I’m so excited to share with you my interview with one of the greatest supermodels of all time, Carol Alt. Any of you remember Carol featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1982? I was too young to remember but I do know I really loved her at NBC’s 2008 The Celebrity Apprentice, with Donald Trump. On that show, Carol came across as not only a very beautiful woman but also very smart one. A type of woman I look up to.  Carol is all about raw food and has a great book about the raw food lifestyle called: the Raw 50 (with David Roth forwarded by Nicholas J. Gonzalez, M.D.) I’m also very excited to let you know about Carol’s skincare line called: RAW Essentials.

If you are into green and clean skincare products you might want to learn more about Carol’s skincare line. I personally love the RAW Essentials Raw-finish Rigorous Face Scrub, RAW Eeentials Raw-juvenate Eye Recoup, and RAW VITA Eye Serum (image below).

In this interview Carol Alt talks about how did it all begin for her in the modeling world and some of her most memorable moments of her career. What led her create RAW Essentials and what makes it different than the rest. Gives advice to anyone interested in a RAW lifestyle and RAW food diet. Reveals what’s in her makeup bag. Gives word of wisdom to aspiring supermodels. And future plans.

Marta Walsh: Your career as a supermodel and actress is undeniably impressive. How did it all begin? What were some of your most memorable moments of your career?
Carol Alt: Oddly, my career kicked off right after a breakup with a boyfriend at the time! I was spotted waiting tables during my freshman year at Hofstra University, where I was enrolled in Army ROTC. The modeling opportunity was the perfect excuse to get off of Long Island and embark on an adventure.

I had always been raised to rely on my brains, not my looks, so my parents were skeptical at first. My mother had been a model and always placed a high premium on my education. They made me promise that I’d go back to school – but once that first check from Elite came, I made the decision not to go back. Things really took off in an incredible way.

The modeling profession offers you so much. It’s really what you make of it! It’s so hard to choose just a few moments. From doing the Sports Illustrated Winter Issue to shoots in Africa to shoots on Mount McKinley in Alaska – there have been so many!

MW: What drove you to create your own skincare line: RAW Essentials?
CA: Necessity is the mother of invention. No one had a clean skincare line without chemicals. I made the decision to live the cleanest life I possibly could and to function in as clean an environment as possible. That includes what I’m putting in my body and what I’m putting on it. RAW Essentials grew out of my desire for a pure, results oriented skincare line that I could use every day.

MW: What makes RAW Essentials skincare different?
CA: We don’t fib! When you see a RAW Essentials label you know you’re getting exactly what we promise – pure, effective products, made without synthetic chemicals.

MW: Which products from RAW Essentials you just can’t live without?
CA: The Raw-covery Facial Revive Wash, Raw-vitalize Anti-Aging Night Face Cream, and Raw Vita Eye Serum. The eye serum is Vitamin A packed, which is basically a natural form of Retin A. It’s so incredible, I can actually feel it working as soon as I put it on. I use the night cream during the day for extra moisture – my skin loves it.

From left: The Raw-covery Facial Revive Wash, Raw-vitalize Anti-Aging Night Face Cream

MW: Which new RAW Essentials products are you inspired to develop in the future?
CA: I’d love to have a glycolic wash – we’re working on it, but again, the challenge is that it has to be raw, has to be cold-pressed to pass the test. It has to meet the standard of being raw and also delivering superior results, just like the rest of our products.

MW: What advice can you give to anyone interested in a RAW lifestyle and diet?
CA: Start slowly! And, make a list of your favorite foods and look for what I like to call “raw cousins” – keep an eye out for products labeled unpasteurized, dried, cold-pressed. I love brands like One Lucky Duck and Good Stuff by Mom and Me. They both have delicious raw snacks.

MW: What can we find in your makeup bag?
CA: Because I travel so much, I have a toiletry kit permanently packed. You’ll find:

Head pHirst Shampoo and Conditioners
Jason Organics Toothpaste
LuMESH Lip Gloss – so moisturizing and it lasts!
Ready to Wear Mascara – doesn’t smudge, but comes right off when you’re ready!
RAW Essentials Raw-covery Facial Revive Wash, Raw-vitalize Anti-Aging Night Face Cream, Raw Vita Eye Serum, and Raw-fresh Facial Toner.

MW: What advice can you give to young girls who aspire to be supermodels?
CA: Eat well and take good care of yourself. I wish someone had told me that earlier! I realize now that I could be healthy, look fabulous, and have incredible energy by eating raw, rather than depriving myself of anything.

MW: What is your philosophy about beauty?
CA: Keep it as clean as possible – both in terms of the formulations of the products I use, but also in the overall look. I’m pretty much a lip gloss and mascara kind of girl. Clean, simple, pure.

MW: What is your favorite: city, movie, and restaurant?
CA: Rome – The architecture, the color of the air and the sky. It really has it’s own special kind of light. Plus, it’s so easy to eat raw there!

I just saw The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and it had a real impact on me, something about the cycle of life being the same whether done forward or in reverse really struck a chord.

For raw restaurants, I love Pure Food & Wine in NYC. I also love sushi – there are just so many options.

MW: What one or two things some people may not know about Carol Alt?
CA: I’m an intensely spiritual person, that’s probably a little known fact. And, that my work is my passion and my hobby all rolled into one. I genuinely love what I do.

MW: What is next for Carol Alt?
CA: I am focusing a lot on RAW Essentials and on expanding the line into makeup and hair care – I want a complete line to address all beauty needs. I also love producing and I’m eager to do more of that. Generally, I’m someone who really “meets the moment.” I’m constantly moving forward and changing what I do. If I see a need for something, I go to it.

I’m excited to share with you my interview with American model and actress Josie Maran. Josie is also the founder of her own natural cosmetics product line, named Josie Maran Cosmetics.

In this interview Josie Maran talks about what led her to create Josie Maran Cosmetics. Her ultimate beauty secret. Her passion to protect the environment and for all things green. The people that inspire her the most, and future plans.

Marta Walsh: You are known for your career as a model and actress, what inspired you to create your own cosmetics line?
Josie Maran: When pregnant with my daughter a few years ago, I decided to look for natural makeup formulas to use and discovered that none lived up to the levels of sophistication and luxury as I wanted. It was then I realized that after spending so many hundreds of hours in the makeup chair, I was uniquely qualified to create my own line of cosmetics, the type of makeup that I was searching for: chic, luxurious and, most importantly, healthy. Not long after the birth of my daughter, Josie Maran Cosmetics was born.

MW: What is the Josie Maran Cosmetics philosophy?
JM: I believe in beauty without the baggage. Less is more. When starting my makeup line, I knew I wanted to avoid using toxic ingredients such as parabens and petrochemicals. Therefore, I aligned Josie Maran Cosmetics with The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of women’s, consumer rights and environmental health organizations. I want to contribute to making positive change, and I also want to create something fun, beautiful, and luxurious. My dream is to build a brand with so much influence and popularity that my customers and I can work together to make the world a better place.

MW: Which products from your cosmetics line are you most in love with?
JM: Argan Oil is my ultimate beauty secret and favorite ingredient—I use it in over 90% of my line! As a moisturizer for skin, hair and nails, this 100% organic oil is housed in a recyclable glass bottle and purchased from women’s cooperatives in Morocco. A new favorite is my Argan Moisturizing Stick—now available exclusively at Sephora—which infuses the powerful hydrating ingredient of Argan Oil with rich Avocado Butter and Tea Tree Oil for concentrated moisture wherever you need it! This stick is the perfect size for my purse and I use it throughout the day on my lips, cuticles, elbows!!

MW: What was the most enjoyable part of creating Josie Maran Cosmetics?
JM: The most enjoyable part is knowing women will be getting healthy beauty products. I am very strict when it comes to ingredients and I am creating a line people can trust and feel good about on the inside ant out.

MW: Where does your desire to protect our environment come from?
JM: I was born into a family that cares about environmental and social issues – so you could say my awareness of environmental issues was just a natural part of my upbringing. My father is a green builder, my mother an artist, my grandmother a human rights activist/professor at UC Berkeley. We were always into a socially conscious way of living. But, I do feel that now having a daughter of my own has led me to a whole new “eco-awakening” – inspiring me to be even more conscious of our impact on the environment.

MW: What is your number one beauty secret?
JM: When I’m tired, I like to use my Argan Oil under my eyes… and I smile a lot.

MW: How would you describe your own style?
JM: I’m a free spirit who loves to be barefoot or in organic high heels.

MW: In your opinion, what makes a woman beautiful?
JM: It’s not what makes a woman beautiful, it’s what a woman makes beautiful. I think beauty comes from within and it’s up to women to take care of herself inside-mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. And then her beauty will shine through….

MW: Which people inspire you the most?
JM: My mom has always influenced my style and sense of beauty, and of course my daughter, Rumi Joon is my biggest inspiration.

MW: What is your favorite city in the world?
JM: San Francisco

MW: What are one or two things some people may not know about you?
JM: That I’m an inventor and the pronunciation of my last name rhymes with “Karen”

MW: What’s next for Josie Maran?
JM: I’m evaluating all my ingredients and formulas to make sure they are healthy and reformulating where need be. We are launching a brown mascara and some amazing new Argan Oil products this fall.

Green & Organic Beauty: Bamford Body collection offers luxury bath items ranging from bath oil to hair care items that are completely organic from each ingredient incorporated in the creation of the brand to the recyclable packaging.

Product Range:
– moisturising body cream for use over the body, hands and feet
– nourishing body oil for the skin, bath and massage

Organic Moisturising Body Cream Camomile “soothing nourishment for dry or sensitive skin”, $20-$64.
Organic Moisturising Body Cream Rosemary “stimulate your skin”, $20-$64.
Organic Nourishing Body Oil Camomile “replenish moisture levels”, $24-$72.
Organic Nourishing Body Oil Rosemary “ultimate rehydration and reinvigoration”, $24-$72.
Like all Bamford collections, Bamford Body has combined the design aesthetic and the sensual appreciation demanded by the luxury sector with the passionate belief that organic and natural products are better for you and the environment. Born from the Bamford Haybarn Spa, bamford body is a natural extension of the bamford way of life. Bamford products for bath, body and baby re-fuel the skin naturally and luxuriously. All of their ingredients are gm-free and contain no nasty chemicals.

– no parabens
– no mineral oils
– no sodium lauryl sulphates
– no synthetic fragrances
– no artificial colouring

Available in the UK: Bamford & Sons Notting Hill, London.
France: Hotel Ritz Paris, Hotel Du Cap, Hotel Chateau.
USA: Select Neiman Marcus & Barneys New York
Hong Kong: Lane Crawford Pacific Place

For more locations and product details visit: www.bamford.co.uk