Holiday Shopping Party and Trunk Show

Please join us, Kahina Giving Beauty, at Corrente Handbags, 179 Orchard in the Lower East Side, NYC, for a very special trunk show Thursday, Dec. 8, 6 to 9 PM.

We’ve invited top organic & natural make up artist Jessa Blades to help you color match, experiment with new make up brands, and refresh your look with a mini makeover. Enjoy refreshments (wine!) while you shop Corrente’s amazing locally-designed and produced leather goods, Kahina Giving Beauty, and Jessa's favorite natural beauty products and gifts. Yes, this is a party. And you’re invited. RSVPs encouraged-  email mairin@givingbeauty.com.

HOW TO: Prep your skin for winter

Now that Thanksgiving is over I'm finally accepting the fact that winter is here. Root veggies, crock pots, wool socks and hydrating skin care is what I have been thinking about lately. I know how hard winter can be on your skin and I am here to help! Check out this video I did with the great folks over at Abe's Market. In it I share my tips and tricks to help you prep your skin for this upcoming season.

EVENT: Find out what your OBGYN and your Mom never told you about Birth Control

Have you guys ever heard of the Fertility Awareness Method as a method of birth control? A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to take an intro class with the wonderful teacher Katinka Locascio and now I am thrilled to be able to host the class and share this knowledge with all of you.

Please join us for this very special event:
Fertility Awareness Workshop and Discussion with Katinka Locascio
November 2nd, 7-9 pm, Ft. Greene Brooklyn.

Whether you are looking to welcome a child into your life, 'waking up from the pill' and looking for a more natural form of birth control, or wanting to better understand you gynecological health-

This evening will be a fun flash back to high school biology class and a conversation about little talked about, but very safe forms of birth control that we bet your Doctor or your Mother never told you about!
_____________________

DETAILS:
Fertility Awareness Workshop, 7-9pm, Wednesday NOVEMBER 2nd
7-7:30pm- Cocktails, Herb Tisanes and Conversation
7:30-8:45pm- Lecture begins at 7:30pm; Q&A and discussion to follow

$25 per person Buy your ticket here 
 For questions or more information, contact: jessa@bladesnaturalbeauty.com or call (646) 580-2851

About Fertility Awareness:
Fertility Awareness teaches a woman how her body works and provides a method by a which she can chart signals to know each day if she's fertile.  Not the ineffective rhythm method, Fertility awareness is based on science and understanding one's own body.  It is inherently empowering and helps women gauge their gynecological health as well make choices about fertility. This class will not teach the method itself, but provides an introduction and be an open forum for discussion and questions.  Check out this great article too: Your Grandmother's Birth Control Might Actually Work by Nona Willis Aronowitz.

About Katinka:
Katinka Locascio, is the founder of Earth + Sky Healing Arts and has been practicing bodywork since 2001.  She currently teaches classes on Fertility Awareness method and natural birth control and writes for PostModernFertility.tumblr.com

Natural Beauty Gurus: The 10 Questions I Always Ask

So honored to be asked by Whole Living Magazine to share my thoughts about natural beauty and be in the company of such a respected group of Natural Beauty Gurus.

Name: Jessa Blades

Occupation: Founder Blades Natural Beauty

Natural Beauty Expert and Makeup Artist

Location: NYC

Who is your beauty inspiration? My answer is simply real women. Everyday I meet another woman who is inspiring and luminous. Women who are passionate, have their own sense of style, who love themselves... this is something that you can actually see radiate and I find this "glow" very inspiring. Most recently I've been inspired and motivated by a teacher of mine, herbalist healer and elder Rosemary Gladstar.  She blends cross-cultural herbal remedies and tradition with common sense advice about living a healthy life. Rosemary is in her 60's and full of energy, love, compassion, and just a ton of plain-old goodness.
What product/treatment/beauty indulgence do you spend the most on? I would probably have to say eating really high quality food.  I believe that a healthy skin and beauty regimen starts within and I try to get all my vitamins and nutrients through my food. I definitely treat myself to a diet that is local and seasonal, which when you have my taste, can add up—but it is totally worth it! I also treat myself to massages which relax me, bring me back down to earth and are an essential part of my beauty indulgences.
What do you spend the least on? Body moisturizer. I just use high quality, organic oils, sweet almond or coconut all over my skin. I don't spend a lot on shampoo either—I find that the less I wash my hair the better. I use organic shampoo and to that I'll occasionally add in some apple cider vinegar and baking soda—to clarify, condition and clean. [Ed.: Learn how to make similar DIY beauty treatments from common pantry items.]
What does age mean to you? To me, aging feels exciting and it also means wisdom and patience. As I get older I'm thrilled and relieved to experience an overall feeling of calmness as I get to know myself better.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned about skin/hair/nails/beauty this year? The most interesting thing that I have learned lately is about the deep connection that herbs and plant medicine have for our beauty and wellness. I've spent all summer studying herbs and while I have always known that plants are healing and an essential part of many skincare ingredients, I now have a much deeper understanding of how and when and why to use them. I've also learned to use less soap and wash less. We are simply not that dirty and all of the scrubbing and exfoliating is stripping our bodies of the necessary oils that we need to balance our skin back to heath.
What’s the one thing you do (not product-based) that you think affects your appearance more than anything else? Relaxing. I know it is annoying to hear that kind of advice, especially when you are really stressed. But stress is so dangerous to our body and our skin. I also try my best to make sure that I get enough sleep and drink plenty of water. Trying to stress-less is super hard, especially in this city, but at least being aware of how powerful it is helps me to avoid stress as much as possible.

Why naturals? Using natural, simple, healthy products is the logical direction for us all. Many of the formulations and ingredients are remedies and recipes that we have been using for centuries to heal and beatify. We simply got a bit off track with the boom of the enormous business of beauty and started to trust them instead of trusting ourselves. I love teaching about why coconut oil is healing or why to use calendula and why to drink nettles. It is time to take back the power from the big beauty companies and put it back in the hands of the people and the earth. We can re-learn how to listen to what our bodies need and how to use products and ingredients that are truly helpful—without all the toxins, preservatives, fragrances and hype from the marketing world about what we need or should have in our products. My mission is to share this exciting message about naturals and actually help heal and empower women (and men) to live their healthiest and best life.

Healthy Hair

It seems that healthy hair care is on everyone's mind these days.

The lovely ladies over at No More Dirty Looks gave us a Summer Hair Challenge. We were asked to leave our hair alone...."Some time in the next week, when you get up in the morning, shower, shampoo and condition your hair using nontoxic natural products, comb it when you get out of the shower, and that’s it. No leave-ins, no heat. Once it’s dry, send us a pic."  

131 beautiful ladies sent in their photo (click through to see us all- I'm number 51).

And to round it off, Tisha, from the style blog TISL, was on her own quest to find a healthy shampoo that works. We got to talking about hair care, why and how shampoo works... and how to find the perfect shampoo for you.  from TISL...  

"Jessa Blades, a natural beauty expert and makeup artist based in NY is tired of sacrificing women’s health in the name of beauty.  “Our hair is way too clean.  It's specifically the lathery-foam that takes our hair out of its balanced state,” she says.   In essence, we wash our hair daily stripping its natural oils just to “try” to put it all back in by using a “moisturizing” shampoo.  Funny.  Sounds like a circle that can be avoided.  Blades’ advice is to, “stop washing your hair as often.  Try using a dry shampoo in between washings, and give your hair some time to balance itself out.”

Fashion Week

I cannot believe that Summer is over and Fashion Week is here. I'm looking to the movie Indian Summer (watch it free on Hulu) for my inspiration of what to wear this week. Have you guys seen that movie recently?

 Its from '93...Bill Paxton with long hair... Diane Lane with long hair.... muscle tees, tribal prints... I'm in love.

In addition to watching movies from the '90's I'll also be getting inspired by the other fashions on the runway. Looking at clothes for Spring/Summer 2012 is helping to ease the pain of the end of Summer 2011.
Speaking of clothes...

I was able to collaborate with an incredible NYC based designer Caron Callahan for her Spring/Summer 2012 fashion presentation, doing the makeup to complement her beautiful designs.
Here is a sneak peek... Stay tuned for more pics and behind the scenes coverage of the show.

Let's chat about Placenta

A fresh placenta simmers with ginger, lemon, & a jalapeño pepper. photo via NY Mag  

Did you guys read "The Placenta Cookbook" article in NY Mag? I just finished it and my mind is full of questions and ideas regarding the topic. I love that NY Mag covered the story and I can only imagine the response the article has gotten them. I think the topic is fascinating. I'm curious to study how other cultures honor the placenta and their rituals surrounding birth. And the fact that other animals eat the placenta after birth is pretty interesting, we are, after all, animals (even though we spend much of our time disconnecting from that identity).

If eating your placenta after birth can help with alleviating postpartum depression, aid in breast milk production and lactation, act as a uterine tonic, and replenish nutrients lost during pregnancy... I'm in. 

Read the whole article here

HOW-TO: Make Lavender and Rose Body Powder

Sweaty Summertime calls for all sorts of recipes and ideas to help you deal with the heat. I'm a big fan of powders, for hair and body. If you are looking for a fun project, consider making this super easy Body Powder-         

Jessa's interview from Stylecaster.com: "This is one of my favorite recipes. This powder is a natural deodorizer because of its absorbent properties. Once you are done making it, you can put it in a spice shaker for sprinkling on the body or just apply it by hand. Have fun and be creative with powders; they can be scented any way you like, and they are so simple and inexpensive to make."

Shopping List:
1 cup white cosmetic grade clay
1-2 cups cornstarch (you can substitute with arrowroot powder)
3-5 drops of essential oils- my favorite is lavender
Lavender and Rose flowers (optional but they make it look really beautiful!)
1. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk or fork, mix the clay and cornstarch together.
2. Add essential oil (note: It will absorb quite a bit)
3. If you decide to add the herbs, finely grind the lavender and roses (or other herbs of your choice) to a fine powder. Sift. Then grind again. They must be as powdered as possible or they will give a gritty feeling to the powder. A coffee or seed and nut grinder will work fairly well (make sure the grinder is VERY clean or you will smell like coffee).
4. Cover the body powder with a porous cloth and let sit for several hours to dry. Package in a powder container, spice jar with a shaker top or a vintage glass bottle.

Good luck and let me know how it goes!  

Hot pink is (and has always been) my favorite color

What are you guys wearing on your lips these days? I'm super into hot pink (as usual), I think it goes well with my freckles.

From Ecosalon.com: What’s got organic makeup artist Jessa Blades excited for spring? Bright, juicy colors for the lips. As Jessa told us, “I love the fuchsia lip pencil by Zozimos Botanicals. I fill in my whole lip, smack my lips together to really let it sink in, and then swipe a bit of H. Gillerman flowers lip balm on top and voila! The pop of color mixed with the moisture from the balm makes the perfect combo- without being too glossy.”

The 24th New England Women's Herbal Conference

In just a week I get to head up north to the Women's Herbal Conference. The conference features over 60 workshops for all levels of interest and experience. Workshops focus on women’s health, herbal crafts, medicine making, plant identification walks and many hands-on demonstrations.

I'm looking forward to the plant walks, early morning yoga, a sweat lodge, henna, drumming, and learning from some of the most knowledgeable and powerful women in the herbal world. Hope you can make it- there is still space- just register here!

HOW TO: Make a Plum and Peach Crisp

My favorite Summer desserts have always been crisps or cobblers, letting the ripe Summer fruit really shine through. Last night I made a Peach, Raspberry and Blueberry Crisp. I improvised the filling part but used the topping recipe from 101 Cookbooks. Everyone loved the end result and the topping came out crispy and moist and perfectly sweet. I had never used yogurt in a topping before but it was a success and I think I will be making this recipe again and again.

Shopping List:
Fruit:
1 pound ripe peaches
1 pound ripe plums
1/4 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoons arrowroot (or cornstarch)
a scant 1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water (opt)
Crisp:
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour (all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup natural cane sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
big pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup yogurt
See the full recipe at 101 Cookbooks

HOW TO: Weave a floral garland and create the perfect Summer Hairstyle

Don't you just love this garland?

See how to make one over on Refinery29

HOW-TO: Make Spicy Heirloom Tomatoes & Sweet Corn

Happy Summer everyone. It has been hot and sticky here in Brooklyn but I don't mind the heat, I used to live in the Caribbean. So when this time of year comes around I'm in a great mood and all I want to do is eat vegetables, swim and never wear shoes. I recently reconnected with an old friend from my days on the island of St. John (yes, we used to live there... and no, I don't know why I left). Nicole is a super talented photographer and I've spent most of the morning looking at her work and drooling on my computer. I thought I would share this recipe, as it is a timely one, as us folks on the East Coast are getting pumped up about our August diet that consists of only corn and tomatoes.

Shopping List:
heirloom tomatoes
fresh corn
chives (optional, or your favorite fresh herb)
sea salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne or paprika
drizzle of olive oil
squeeze of lemon or lime
See the full recipe here on Nicole's Blog

Face It: Healthy Beauty Event

In June I had the opportunity to head to Pittsburgh to be a part of an amazing event hosted by Women For A Healthy Environment. Hundreds of women gathered at the beautiful Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens and together we talked about what is really going on with our personal care products and then had an opportunity to mingle and shop around for alternatives. Our panel discussion was hosted by Emmy-award winning correspondent, Tonia Caruso, and featured myself (Jessa Blades of Blades Natural Beauty), Betsy George from Duchess Marden, Vanessa Green from the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics; and Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, Executive Director of Women for a Healthy Environment.
After the panel the guests were able to meet and shop with local natural beauty vendors (As I am Naturals, Cherry Valley Organics, Simple Sugars Scrub, Third Day Luxury Soaps, and Una Biologicals) and participate in my makeup demonstrations. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night surrounded by open and thoughtful women in the most BEAUTIFUL botanical garden. More videos and photos are on their way.

Curious to hear more about our event or how we can organize one in your city or community? We are always looking to collaborate and share our knowledge of healthy beauty. Contact us and let's discuss ideas!

HOW TO: Make Homemade Chai

Loving Chai Tea these days. Feeling inspired to make my own after looking at this picture.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Shopping List:
4 1/2 cups Filtered water
2 sticks Cinnamon
3 small slivers Ginger
14 whole Cardamom pods
2 whole Star Anise pods
20 whole Cloves
1/4 tsp Black Pepper, ground
1/2 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1+ tsp Orange zest
2/3 cup Brown sugar
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Vanilla
10 Black tea bags
 See the full recipe at www.kmillerphotographs.com 

The Green Fashion Show at Boston College

Last week I went up to Boston College for their sustainable fashion show. The students created the most amazing clothes, using everything from trash bags to gum wrappers. I was honored that they asked me to come up and educate the students about safer products as well as how to do makeup for the runway. We were so lucky to have the most amazing eco, non-toxic tools and products to work with- W3LL PEOPLE, Jane Iredale and EcoTools

Check out my interview (complete with lots of giggles and my loud voice in the background) with my expert makeup artists- Katie and Lauren. These two rockstars had just completed doing the makeup for around 25 student models. I am so proud of these two for working so hard and picking up the tricks of runway makeup in record time.

Natural Eye Makeup: Brands and Buying Tips

Curious about what to buy and what to avoid with your eye makeup?

See my tips at The Daily Green-

It's here! EWG's 2012 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce

Use EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides to reduce your exposures as much as possible.
Download the guide here

FACE IT...Healthy Beauty from the Inside Out Event in Pittsburgh

I'm getting so, so excited for next week's event.

The incredible organization Women for a Healthy Environment is bringing me to Pittsburgh to chat about healthy beauty for a special girls night at the stunning Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.

If you are in the area, I look forward to seeing you there and if not, please help us spread the word to any friends you may have in Pittsburgh.

Details for the event-
You are invited to attend WHE's first fundraiser for a girls' night out on June 7th from 5:30-8:30 pm at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.   Is your facial toner filled with toxins? Lead in your lipstick? Parabens in your powder? Join us to hear the answers to these questions and more! Our featured guest is Jessa Blades, Natural Beauty Expert, Makeup Artist, and Women's Health Advocate, who founded Blades Natural Beauty after a long personal struggle to reconcile her love for bringing out the best and most beautiful in women with her concern about the dangers of the cosmetic industry. Jessa previously worked with MAC Cosmetics and has since freelanced extensively in New York City where she now lives. Joining Jessa will be Vanessa Green with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We are also fortunate to have Tonia Caruso, an Emmy winning correspondent for WQED's OnQ and host of Comcast Local Edition, serve as our Mistress of Ceremonies for the evening. The ticket price is $25. Space is limited, so register today!

This is what I want to be like when I'm 87 years old

This hottie, Tao Porchon-Lynch, is my new hero.

This video gives me the creeps- but hey- so does testing on animals

The lovely Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine agrees- testing on animals is not beautiful.
She teamed up with the UK group  Four Paws  for this awareness video to show the ugly face of animal testing.

Hot pink nail polish is always a good idea (just make sure the polish is non-toxic)

I find this nail polish controversy so interesting, especially as I am someone who is and forever will be obsessed with the color hot pink.

I love John Stewart's take on this "Toemageddon of 2011."  My only wish is that J. Crew's Jenna Lyons would use a non-toxic nail polish instead. Let's keep the toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and formaldehyde (all known carcinogenic ingredients sometimes found in conventional polish) out of nail polish please.

Next time Jenna- use one of these
Priti's polish in Firecandle
Acquarella's polish in Prissy
Scotch Naturals polish in Tartan Swizzle

The Daily Show - Toemageddon 2011 - This Little Piggy Went to Hell
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Best Green Makeup Artist Award

I'm so excited to share the news that  TreeHugger announced their third annual Best of Green Awards in Fashion and Beauty and awarded me “Best Green Makeup Artist.”
I'm in amazing company including Spirit Beauty Lounge, No More Dirty Looks, Weleda, John Masters, Patagonia... and many others.
Thank you TreeHugger! I'm so honored!

Can Livia Firth Green Her Beauty Routine? I say yes!

When I tell people that I work with natural and organic products most people seem very curious but they always have the same questions: are the products hard to find? Do the products work? Do they last? And my answer is yes. I had the chance to sit down with the lovely Livia Firth and talk about what I use and how I came to switching over to healthy beauty products. See the whole article here in UK VOGUE and below is the recap that I wrote for: Mind Body Green: 

"The Oscars are just days away and I'm still trying to figure out where I'll watch the show (three of my friends are hosting parties) and scrambling to see as many of the nominated movies as I can before Sunday. I always love watching the night unfold, all of the glamour and the fabulous outfits, and this year I'm particularly excited to see what the stunning Livia Firth (Best Actor nominee Colin Firth's wife) will be wearing. Livia is an expert in eco-fashion, runs an amazing sustainable shop in London called Eco-Age, and writes a column for Vogue.com UK about what she wears on the red carpet, appropriately called "The Green Carpet Challenge."

A couple of months ago I was able to sit down with Livia and chat about all things related to natural beauty, non-toxic makeup, and why making the switch to naturals is important. For many women, personal care is the last hurdle on their quest to live healthier lives; after they have looked at what they are eating and wearing, women usually look next at what they are putting on their lips and cheeks. During our time together Livia shared many of the same concerns that most women have about making switch to naturals: Will the products look the same as what I'm used to? Will the makeup last? Where can you buy these new products?In her post for Vogue, Livia shares her red carpet beauty rituals and wonders if she is ready for a "Green Beauty Challenge." My vote is YES!"

In the morning:

Skincare

Facewash: Wash your face with organic raw coconut oil which you can buy at any health food store or use Tata Harper Rejuvinating Cleanser.

Eye cream: Naturopathica Vitamin K Brightening Eye Serum.

Face cream: Argan oil by Kahina Giving Beauty.

Make-up

Face: Toned Day Cream by Dr Hauskha or RMS Beauty Concealer and then apply bronzer by Couleur Caramel or Organic Glam Blusher from The Organic Pharmacy.

Eyes: Mascara by Couleur Caramel, eye shadow by Jane Iredale and eye liner by Zosimos Botanicals.

Lips: Lipstick by Primitive or gloss by Revolution Organics.

Evening cleansing and preparation for night

Skincare

Facewash: Wash your face with organic raw coconut oil as in the morning (apparently, it works miracles and it does not irritate eyes either), or organic sweet almond oil.

Eye cream: Kahina Giving Beauty eye cream.

Face: Argan oil, as in the morning.

I love my job

A very busy and overwhelming day was just made a whole lot better when I received this note from a client in regards to our recent natural beauty lesson.
"So, I was late coming to work this morning because I was having so much fun playing with my new makeup. Thank you so much for all your help Jessa!"

Trying on new colors and products (all non-toxic of course) in your bathroom before work- I can't think of a better reason to be late!

I hope you all have a wonderful day, supported by your friends and loved ones.

Interested in having your own Natural Beauty Lesson? 
Always wondered how to wear bronzer or do a smokey eye? 
Curious about what ingredients to avoid and what products are safe?
For more details- email us at info (at) bladesnaturalbeauty (dot) com 

cutie girls pulling their friend along in a wagon via