Ecostiletto’s Eco Hero – Christy Coleman Part 3

Natural Performance By Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff

Part Three of Four.

Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff: People often say natural beauty products don’t perform as well as conventional. Have you found this is true? What do you see as the difference? Are there any conventional products that just don’t exist in eco-beauty yet?

Christy Coleman: Only in certain circumstances. A lot of natural beauty products do not have the lasting power of the conventional brands—this means shelf life and how the product stays put on the skin or lips. I see this as a good thing, because we know that most conventional products contain harsh and harmful chemicals such as synthetic preservatives to make them last longer in terms of shelf life, along with detergents, dyes and resins to keep the product and or color on the skin. Eco-friendly waterproof mascara and eyelash glue unfortunately do not exist as of yet. I can’t wait for those, since they are staples of the professional beauty business.

Christy’s classic cat-eye.

RLS: Give us some hot trends for spring. How can we get the look with natural beauty products?

CC: Many of the Spring 2011 runway shows such as Dior and Peter Som showed vibrant colors on the eyes. Jane Iredale makes a great palette called Artist Eyes I & II which consist of matte vibrant shades. I find these “colored eyes” are great worn with a fresh face allowing you to not look “overly made-up.” Yves Saint Laurent showed a dark mouth. If a defined mouth is too much for you dab a bit of color to the inside of your upper and lower lips and press, blending color outwards. Marc Jacobs showed smokey eyes. A great way to get this look is by using a shimmer powder in green, brown or silver and lining with a black pencil. Be sure to line the inside of your eyes as well as upper and lower lash line for a true smokey effect. If you use a shimmer powder on the eyelid, this allows the eye to look finished but not “socked out” as the shimmer allows light to pass through.

RLS: What three products should a woman never be without and why?

CC: I have a few more than three! My brushes are perhaps the most coveted of my possessions. I get most of mine from paint stores. EcoTools and Aveda make really great brushes that are made from taklon so they’re vegan. EcoTools’ handles are made from bamboo and Aveda’s from flax resin—both sustainable materials.

For concealer, I use RMS to cover any imperfections. I like Couleur Caramel lipstick for stronger pigment and Jane Iredale for a more sheer finish; sheer lipstick can also double duty as a cream blush. Honeybee Gardens’ liners define the eyes. My favorite eyelash curler is Shiseido’s, which I buy in Tokyo.