Showing posts with label green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

GREEN BEAUTY: Zoya Nail Polish

You can totally GO GREEN with Zoya this summer! Zoya Nail Polish, a professional nail lacquer is my favorite nail color right now. Zoya Nail Polish is formaldehyde, toluene and camphor and DBP free. I recently ordered a pack of Zoya polish, which I received when I exchanged (and mailed to Art of Beauty, their parent company) my old, mostly chemical ridden nail polish to receive the same amount of Zoya polish. Zoya comes in delicious shades of red, orange, browns, greens, and even blue, silver and gold! What am I wearing on my toes right now? ZOYA "Trixie" a fabulous metallic silver shade!

Yours in a sea of green,

DuEwa Frazier

Thursday, August 21, 2008

GREEN BEAUTY: Natural, alternative nail color!





If you read my last post on giving yourself a natural manicure and pedicure at home, well check out this latest post on some of the natural nail color!
PeaceKeeper Nail Paint is a vegan line of nail polishes for which all profits, after taxes, are used to support women's health advocacy and human rights issues. All PeaceKeeper beauty products fund projects such as breast and reproductive cancer research, osteoporosis research, clinical depression research, domestic violence prevention, gender equality advocacy, infanticide prevention, and rape prevention.

My favorite PeaceKeeper Nail Paint, (which I purchased at Whole Foods and I paint my toes with it) is "Paint Me Grateful". It is a rich purple color, one I liken to the hue of grapes, and it's absolutely divine. I enjoy supporting PeaceKeeper because their proceeds go toward health and human rights issues that are truly important in our world. Visit their website for more information.


No Miss Nail Polish does NOT contain: Formaldehyde * Toluene * Dibutyl-Pthalate or Camphor. Cosmetic Colors, come from earth. No Miss Nail Polish NEW and IMPROVED ingredients are: Nitrocellulose-a fiber used for viscosity. Ethylacetate, N. Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol-solvents used to dissolve Nitrocellulose. also may contain: Mica, made from sand, cosmetic titanium dioxide, (white),cosmetic iron oxide blue, (indian paint pot grey/blue), iron oxides, earth born colors made from rocks, zinc oxide, from the earth, used to promote drying and to deflect harmful UV rays from the sun.

No Miss Nail Polish colors are absolutely beautiful. I first started using their nail color back in 1998. My first bottle (which I totally used up, it was my favorite) was a bluish silver nail color and I wore it with everything! I bought my first bottle at Wild Oats in St. Louis (my hometown). Most recently, I've been sporting the sassy hot pink No Miss Nail Polish "Wakulla Watermelon" which I purchased from Whole Foods. This is a great summer color for your toes, it really pops with sandals! Visit their website for more information.

HONEYBEE GARDENS , Honeybee Garden Waterbased Nail Color is an alternative to solvent-based nail enamel. The water-based polish is odor-free, and:


· Non-toxic: no toluene, xylene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate
· No FD&C colors; only natural mineral pigments
· Water-based, not solvent-based like traditional polish


I have not personally tried Honeybee Gardens Nail Color, but I see that the colors are beautiful and this product does not contact many of the harmful chemicals we have come to know in other mainstream nail color brands. I will certainly order one of their nail color products in the near future and see how I like it! Visit their website for more information.

Yours in a sea of green,
DuEwa Frazier

GREEN REVIEW: Taiwo Soaps 2-1 Conditioner






Every now and then we break the routine of using our tried and true bath/body and beauty products. I love to incorporate new products into my daily beauty regimen! This post will be the start of my "Green Review", my reviews of green products that I feel you may enjoy! Yetunde of Taiwo Soaps, a natural body products company, sent me one of her scrumptious products. And I've been using it with much glee! Taiwo Soaps 2 - in - 1 Silky Body Wash and Conditioning Shampoo (enriched with Cocoa & Shea Butters) is a light and refreshing, liquid soap that doesn't leave any residue on your skin. I love the Pear Glace fragrance and you don't need to use alot of the soap in the 4oz bottle I received, to work up a lather and get clean.
The ingredients for this fragrant body treat are:
  • distilled water
  • saponified coconut and corn oil
  • cocoa butter
  • shea butter
  • and borax ( a natural mineral)

The soap itself is a light golden color and the bottle is recyclable which I love! What more can I say!

Visit Taiwo Soaps to find out more about the natural body products they offer, and tell Yetunde I recommended it!



Yours in a sea of green,
DuEwa Frazier


Tuesday, July 8, 2008

GREEN EATS: Ice Cream Alternatives!








When I was a little girl and visited my lovely grandparents, in the evening after dinner one of our favorite pastimes was sitting out on the screened-in porch, listening to the Cardinals baseball game and eating a bowl of cherry vanilla, neopolitan or mint ice cream. Oh how sweet it was! In my life I've been a lover of all types of ice cream treats: from frozen eclairs, to Dairy Queen Blizzards and of course Ben & Jerrys! In the last couple of years, I've tried some of the more lowfat ice cream alternatives and even started making my own fruit smoothies to fulfill my ice cold, sweet treat craving. Here are a few of my "healthier than ice cream" picks for frozen treats! PLEASE NOTE: Some of these treats contain sugar, cane sugar, brown rice syrup or corn syrup for those of you watching your sugar intake.


  • Tofutti Cuties - These little individual treats are just like the ice cream sandwiches we had as kids, minus all the chemicals. This product is milk free, no butterfat, lactose free.

  • Rice Dream - I enjoy all of the flavors of this treat which comes in 1pint servings or quarts. It has flavorful, natural ingredients and no dairy. Rice Dream is also not "too sweet." If you don't like alot of sugar, this is a good treat for you. My favorite flavors are: carob almond, cookies n' dream and mint chocolate chip.

  • Rice Dream Frozen Pie: Hhhhhhm! My favorites: chocolate pie and mocha pie. Absolutely delicious on a hot summer day!

  • Haagen Dazs Fat Free Sorbet: One more way to enjoy your favorite fruit flavors. My favorite is mango!

  • Natural Choice Organic Frozen Fruit Bars: These wonderful frozen fruit bars come in a variety of flavors. My favorite is strawberry!





    Now for my scrumptious and nutritious fruit smoothie:


    Add 1 tablespoon of honey or brown rice syrup or agave to sweeten

    Add a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon for a spicy kick

    Add powdered vitamin c and/or protein powder

    Add 2 1/2 cups of soymilk (plain or vanilla), or rice milk or fruit juice

    Now blend all of your ingredients until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. You may have to put your blender on liquefy just to get all of the frozen smooth nice and blended with your sweetner, juice and spice. You can taste it just to see if it's sweet enough for you. This mix makes 2-3 servings depending on the size glass you use. Enjoy!








              Yours in a sea of green,



              DuEwa Frazier



              Monday, June 30, 2008

              GREEN BEAUTY: Strawberry Cleanser for Your Face


              A precious, green beauty isn't complete without her daily health and beauty regimen! Whether you have been using the same beauty products for years or you have recently switched to more natural, non-toxic products, you know that your skin is going to show how well you take care of it. Years ago, I purchased a wonderful little paperback handbook, titled The Herbal Body Book by Stephanie Tourles, filled with natural beauty tips and recipes. Inspired by many of the recipes, I began making a few of my own beauty products at home. One of the things I did, was to experiment with natural ingredients to create facials for myself. Here is one of those fabulous recipes!

              STRAWBERRY CLEANSER
              • Good for: normal or oily skin
              • Use: daily - when strawberries are in season
              • Follow with: astringent or toner
              • Prep time: 5 to 10 minutes
              • Mix with: mortar and pestle, spoon
              • Store in: Do not store. Mix only as needed.
              • Yields: 1 treatment
              • Special: The strawberry juice can also serve as a tooth cleanser and whitener. Very refreshing!

              Ingredients: 4 very ripe medium-sized strawberries, sliced , 2 drops essential oil of yarrow or peppermint

              Mix/Prepare: Mash the strawberries and press through mesh strainer or squeeze through cheesecloth or panty hose. Catch juice in small condiment bowl. Add essential oil and stir to blend. Apply to face and neck with a saturated cotton square and massage with finger tips for about 1 minute. Avoid eye area. Rinse with cool water.

              Yours in a sea of green,

              DuEwa Frazier

              Wednesday, June 25, 2008

              GREEN CLEAN: Dr. Bronner’s Classic Soaps


              I can remember as a little girl, the strong smell of peppermint in our family’s bathroom on the second floor of the house. Was the smell coming from peppermint candy? No. Or how about peppermint room spray? No, not at all. It was the scent of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap, a product that has been around since 1948! Dr. Bronner’s makes several scented, non-toxic soaps which can be used for a variety of things. I love the peppermint soap because of it’s fresh, clean smell. Sometimes I use the soap to clean the bathroom and I also use it as a hand soap. You can definitely use Dr. Bronner’s soaps in place of any toxic, chemical ridden, cleaning product that you have in your home. One thing is for sure, this soap is strong! My bottle of peppermint soap states, you must “dilute, dilute, dilute” the soap with water before using. If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll be happy to know that Dr. Bronner’s soaps are 100% Vegan! Also a little bit of the liquid soap goes a long, long, way! My second favorite Dr. Bronner’s soap is lavender. Lavender is probably my favorite natural scent of all time (followed by rose, orange, patchouli, honeysuckle and ylang ylang). I love lavender bath salts, lavender room spray, lavender satchets and hair products with lavender. If you have a favorite scent, you may find that Dr. Bronner’s makes a product that is just for you!

              Additional green info. to make you smile: All oils and essential oils in Dr. Bronner’s soaps are certified organic to the National Organic Standards Program. Dr. Bronner’s liquid soaps are packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles.

              TIPS to Help You Get the Most Green Use Out of Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soaps:
              • Wash your face and body with the soap
              • Wash your hair and scalp with the soap
              • Wash your baby
              • Use it to shave
              • Wash your delicate clothing
              • Wash your hands and feet
              • Clean your car
              • Wash your pet
              • Dilute in water and mop your floors
              • Dilute in water and wash your sink, counters and dishes
              • Wash your make-up/beauty tools
              • Wash your children’s toys

              Yours in a sea of green,

              DuEwa Frazier


              Sunday, June 22, 2008

              GREEN HEALTH: Ways to beat the summer heat!


              The summer season can be relaxing, fun and entertaining for some, or a hot, sticky, bothersome season for others. There are a number of ways in which you can stay cool and healthy during the summer, while also saving energy in your home.
                TIPS FOR STAYING COOL IN THE SUMMER
              • When it is especially sunny outside, during the daytime, I close my blinds in the living room so that it stays cool.

              • If I use the air conditioner I turn it on just long enough to cool the place, and then to save energy (and to keep from getting too cold), I turn the air off.

              • I try not to use a curling iron or other heating tools on my hair when it is very hot. These tools use up alot of energy and with a full head of hair like mine, my hair may frizz out anyway. In this case I opt for my favorite "air dry" hairstyles.

              • On a hot day, my kitchen and living room are usually warm. To avoid heating my entire place to an uncomfortable temperature, I try to cook on top of the stove as much as possible.

              • If you do not have an air conditioner and you find yourself using one of more fans to keep cool at night, try dampening a small face towel and leaving it in your freezer in a sandwich bag for a few minutes. Once the wash towel is nice and cold, rub your face, neck, chest and arms with it. This method should cool you off in no time!

              • Drink plenty of H20. If you do not trust the good ole' tap, try instilling a water filter on your kitchen faucet so that you can drink cool water round the clock and take a bottle or two with you when you go out.

              • Wear sun glasses, sunscreen, cool hats and anything else that will help you enjoy the summer and stay healthy.

              Here is an article featuring other tips for staying cool. Enjoy!



              Yours in a sea of green,

              DuEwa Frazier

              Thursday, June 12, 2008

              INTRO: Hey Beauty - We're Going Green!



              I named this blog Mocha Beauty Goes Green because as a woman of color I know that women of every shade and hue do care about issues toward saving our earth, living healthier, raising children to be strong and healthy, and maintaining our unique beauty. I am a woman with so many interests and passions and being more conscious about how I live and the environment around me has increasingly become more important to me. I know that people of color have not always been widely represented in the discussion of how to live a more environmentally conscious, natural and non-toxic lifestyle. But just recently two magazines which are geared toward our diverse community, Essence and Black Enterprise have featured articles about going green! How fantastic! We have to be a part of this dialogue. Whether you are a Hispanic woman, an African American woman, a multi-racial woman, or a Caribbean American woman, I desire to share tips and all the wonderful things I have learned about going green to help you enhance your life!

              "Going Green" is a new phrase, not necessarily a phase but a lifestyle choice and an effort to undue what we’ve come to know as a wasteful, unconscious and toxic way of living. Over ten years ago the environmental movement was but a whisper to many, now none of us can remain ignorant to this cause. From Al Gore’s recent Nobel Prize win for his outstanding push to bring environmental issues to the forefront, to the popularity of mega health food stores like Whole Foods, and the widespread promotion of World Earth Day, to help save natural resources, more and more people are awakening to the idea that going green is actually doable and imperative. If you take it one step at a time each, one of us can do something toward helping our environment and our bodies heal from the pollution, disease, decay and neglect that have become a standard way of life for most. As a woman of color, I care about the environment. I care about what I put into my body and how I live just as much as anyone else. I think at times, we only get a picture that certain groups of people care about earth issues and living naturally, when in fact it’s on all of our minds. Many of us may be hesitant toward giving our attention to these issues because we either think it will take too much time, money and effort to live more consciously or we think this whole eco-friendly movement is a fad. Well if you had the chance to see Al Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Truth”, or read any of the numerous online and print articles which talk about our need to recycle, reuse and buy natural and organic produce and other products to save ourselves and Mother Earth, then you would know going green is no joke!

              It’s amazing that in my years on this earth I have gone through many phases, times in my life when I was extremely conscious and strict about my diet, my activity outdoors, my support of certain causes and times in my life when I’ve been immersed in the hustle and bustle of the daily career grind, paying bills, budgeting, traveling, shopping, etc. So at times, I haven’t been the greenest sister I could be, but somewhere lingering in my mind has always been the thought that I could be so much more of a champion for living a more natural, non-toxic lifestyle and to inspire others to do the same. I think back to 1997 when I began making my own natural body products and the only people who got a chance to use them were a handful of people close to me. And I think about a time when I had a friend and healer visit the class of third graders I was teaching, to talk with them about eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, spending time to meditate, exercise and take good care of their young minds and bodies. This is championing natural and non-toxic living. Great memories, but no more reminiscing for me, the time is now; we can all have our own revolution to add to the greater good. Mocha Beauty Goes Green is going to talk about what we can do as beautiful, aspiring, smart and creative women to go green and still live a fabulous life filled with all of the things that make us feel good about ourselves. It’s about starting where you are right now with what you have. Each one of us can do something, one or two small things to make a difference in the way we live. No one is perfect, but Mocha Beauty, we’re going to strive for our own sense of perfected wellness, beauty and harmony in our lives.

              I want to share with you what I am doing to go green, as well as fabulous products to enhance your life, ways of caring for your home in a non-toxic way, organic recipes, issues in greening and more!

              It’s all about you Mocha Beauty! Get ready, because today we’re going green!


              Yours in a sea of green,

              DuEwa Frazier
              The “Green Diva” Writer