Affordable make up that is GOOD for your skin. ART BY ALICIA ADAMEROVICH
I’ve developed two new obsessions over the past year. The first, for makeup. Gorgeous, flashy, promise-to-beautify-your-face-forever types of products. Expensive items that warranted me a “very important buyer” card at Sephora. The second, a more organic lifestyle. Gone are the days where I put together questionable meat sandwiches for lunch, now it’s organic avocados with Trader Joe’s whole wheat bread.
It wasn’t until about 6 months into my year of new obsessions that I realized I was quickly going broke. Avoiding toxins, chemicals, and preservatives in the food I’m eating has been wonderful, and will hopefully reap long term benefits for my body, however, it’s also very costly. As is the never ending desire to have longer, and lusher lashes. Not only does expensive makeup + expensive food = most of my money, they are also very contradictory practices. The more I read, the more I learn that the chemicals I’m witholding from my gastrointestinal tract are just being replaced by the one’s I’m slathering all over my integumentary system.
I won’t rant long about the chemicals in your products. Read that here: http://sapnamagazine.com/2009/eco-friendly-beauty-tips/. Suffice it to say that however much it was going to sadden me, I realized I would have to watch my glamorous makeup expire and rot away in an effort to slow down the damage I’d already caused myself and the environment by using it.
I decided I needed to kill two birds with one stone, find makeup that is less pricey and also less toxic to my body. Since this has proven to be an incredibly difficult task, especially given my middle spectrum South Asian skin color, I think it’s appropriate to share what I’ve found in an effort to help our readers out. I tried replacing the token items that are popular with similarly useful, but light on your pocket and skin. My list is still not complete, and will likely never be perfect, so the comment section here is a great place for you ladies to throw in tips and products you’ve found helpful!
Based on the current trend of booming organics and awareness of the danger of chemicals, I have a strong suspicion that within the next few years it will be easier to find affordable organic make up brands as the larger companies start to phase out chemicals like parabens. I look forward to that time, but for now, I’ll look forward to a more wholesome well being and the knowledge that by supporting organic farms, I’m helping the process of removing the hidden dangers in our food and skincare products. —S. ALI
To view more of Alicia’s artwork, please visit aliciaadamerovich.com.
