The Modern Hippy

     A few months ago I started a hunt on etsy to find someone whom provided safe cosmetics. I read through countless ingredients list, profile pages. I managed to narrow it down to what I was looking for specifically – mineral foundation and eyeshadow. Which really, only narrowed it down a little. I eventually decided to try a sample pack from a little shop called Orglamix. I liked what she said, her ingredients lists, and the pictures were just so fetching!
     I love her stuff! I’ve ordered from her several times in the last few months. My makeup case has been recreated without chemicals. Cheri is my makeup girl!
     In December I ran out of my foundation so I ordered the large size for winter color. And got it, along with a couple of sample eyeshadows. Lovely! (The other time I ordered from her she sent a sample as well. I love samples!)
     Then yesterday, Rick got the mail and brought me yet another package. I wasn’t expecting anything. I already had my handmade shoes delivered a week ago. (Yes, handmade! With vintage fabric! I’m in love with them and will eventually do a post on them in the future.) I opened the package to find two of my foundation color! With the order form from December. I was confused to say the least. Today, I sent her a message and asked what I should do. I offered to pay for them, ship them back, whatever she wanted me to do. She sent me a quick note that it was a mistake, but don’t worry, they were on her! I still feel strange about keeping them. But since I plan on ordering from her indefinitely, she will definitely get more money from me. (I wish there was a way to tip through paypal)
     I wanted to tell everyone whom reads my little blog that Cheri at Orglamix is super awesome! Thank you Cheri for your kindness, and great service!

     Since we decided to cut back on our expenses, we have only used the wall heater two days. Both days were very cold and neither Rick nor I could stay warm. That is not too bad though, two of ten or so days, without using the wall heater.
     I have done my part to stave off using the heater. I put on a couple more layers of clothing. I have avoided very cold foods, such as frozen fruit smoothies – though I am not sure how much longer I am going to want to “avoid” those.
     One thing I have done to stay warm on the cold days is having a cup of tea. I have always loved tea and coffee cups. My grandparents always had pretty ones with flowers. I have one of them. I love it. But it isn’t big enough in my opinion. I love huge mugs. I found this one at theLynnwood Goodwill a month ago. It was only $1.60 or so. It is so pretty, clear, light blue. It holds just the right amount of hot drink.
     This holiday season why not try a Goodwill? You can find many things far less expensive. It may take a little hunting but it will be worth it.

     In the last few months my skin has developed some problems. I now have eczema on my right hand which on a bad day will cause deep cracks making me wear a glove while I massage. I’ve discovered that a lot of the common ingredients in hand lotions and hand soaps make it worse. So I use natural, organic alternatives. I’m also having more trouble with the skin on my face. I’m getting blemishes like I’ve never had before, deep pimples and clogged pores that seem closed. I am slowly switching away from cosmetics and facial care that includes synthetics of any kind. My basic skin care regime is changed and that has helped. However, the cosmetics I have in my bag now are not all natural. I’ve done some research about where to find better alternatives. Many of them are not local and would have to be shipped. If that was the only option that would be fine. However, after some more research I found out that Sephora carries some alternatives to the normal cosmetics. I looked online first, going through product lists and reviews of the products and wrote down a couple of things too look at when I went to the mall. I consider myself lucky in that because I love just a few miles from Alderwood Mall so it is more cost effective for me to go into the store and buy what I need rather than having it shipped to me.
     I’m not a fan of the mall. I find all the superficiality I see there to be repulsive. Though I enjoy makeup I think it’s what is inside the person that matters, not the outside. I walked slowly through the whole store with a friend not wanting to ask for help because I was expecting to come across a rude snob. Well, though the customers where annoying and fake the woman I asked was very helpful and nice. Questions answered and direction to the product for which I was looking I pick up what I needed and looked a couple of other things. I was very excited. I don’t mind ordering online, however it is nice to be able to see things in person, and colors are not always well presented on computer either because of the camera used or my computer at home.
     I decided to get two products a mascara and a mineral eye shadow. I’ll let you know how they are after I’ve used them a few times. An idea to help with choosing a cosmetic is to look locally first. Though maybe your local mall may not seem like a typical “green” alternative consider this – it may cost you less to drive to the mall to look. It’s good for you to walk around; most malls require a bit more walking than your typical grocery store. The products have already been shipped to the shop so by going there you don’t have another truck have to ship things to your home – your car probably gets better gas mileage than a UPS truck, or you can take the bus or walk. Might seem like a stretch but it makes sense to me. You may also be lucky enough to have a local small business nearby that makes eco-friendly cosmetics. So far I have not found that, but if anyone whom reads this knows of a local small company in Snohomish County WA let me know. I will continue looking myself.

     I hate to be the one to bring this up. It is after all not yet Thanksgiving. However, with the economy in the crapper many of us may want to try to spread out our Holiday shopping over a couple of months rather than one month.
     Rick and I always try to get a head start because when December rolls around we don’t always have a ton of money to blow. We started shopping in the spring for Christmas. Each time we go to Target together, we peruse the sale items looking for the fun item to make someone laugh or something useful that didn’t get completely bought out. We also love to go to the Antique Mall in Shoreline and try Goodwill on occasion. There are other options to consider though.
     Earlier this year I discovered something called Etsy. It’s great! It’s a lot like Amazon or Ebay except there is no bidding and everything has to be handmade or vintage. I bought a reusable grocery bag on Etsy a few months ago and it has been a life saver. I window shop at Etsy now and again looking for something unique.
     I decided to look under the vintage category to see what was listed. Some of the things weren’t overly exciting, some of them were great though. So far I’ve bought one thing for Rick for Christmas. I can’t post about it right now because, though he says he doesn’t read my blog, I don’t want to risk him reading it on a whim and spoiling the surprise. You’ll just have to look back after Christmas for my awesome Etsy gifts.

     So a plug for Etsy: if you are gifting handmade items and you don’t want to make them yourself or don’t have the talent, or you want to find something vintage that no one else has think online and support these artists and craftsmen and craftswomen. Support the little men and women instead of your local Wal-Mart!