Now even if you aren’t into the idea of dabbling into clothes making, be it for fun or as a prospectful career move surely you too recognize how important using the right fabric is. I mean have you ever been drawn into shop from the street by what appears to be a magnificent dress on display only to walk out empty handed because the fabric wasn’t right?

As a well informed eco loving consumer, your knowledge about fabric shouldn’t stop at what makes the clothes look or feel right. You should be aware of the green alternatives out there. There are quite a few you know and we’re going to share about some of them here. Mind that this list isn’t exhaustive:

1.    Flax Fiber (Flax Linen)
Made from: Fibers from the stalks of the flax plant – Linum Usitatissimum.
2.    Bamboo Fiber
Made from: The from the pulp of the bamboo grass.
3.    Hemp
Made from : Hemp fibers (primary and secondary bast fibers)
4.    Jute
Made from : The natural fibers obtained from the bark of the jute plant.
5.    Soy Silk
Made from: Soy protein fibre (SPF) which is obtained as a byproduct of the manufacturing of soybean cake/tofu.
6.    Milk Silk
Made from:  Milk casein fiber (milk protein)
7.    Ramie
Made from: The fibers of China Grass
8.    Modal
Made from: The fibers of the beech wood trees.
9.    Organic Cotton
Made from: The cotton plant that is grown without the use of pesticides and insecticides under a more sustainable condition.
10.    Tencel
Made from: Innovative cellulose fibers

All of these fibers spun out into yarn and then weaved into fabrics have different textures and uses but one quality they share in common is how they are all good for the environment and safe for you.

Now I don’t mean to sound like a pampered poodle but it’s just a flaw that I cannot help myself with. I should know better than to have anything painted on when I’ll be away for such an extended period but still I  do anyway which means finding myself in the situation where my nail lacquer is chipped and peeling off without me having any nail polish remover to save my modesty is an always. If you question why I don’t just carry around removers, well it’s because I just refuse to.

Which means I’ve frantically tried practically every “homemade nail polish remover” around and I’m here today to share my experience:

The stubborn dilemma: OPI in Bubble Bath under a layer of top coat

The trial: Citrus/Vinegar concoction

The result: Fail! Lemon does wonders to whiten the nail but nothing to remove the lacquer. Vinegar just smelled.

The trial: Perfume

The result: Fail! I could not even get past trying it on more than one nail. Honestly who can stand so much perfume.

The trial: Hot water

The result: Semi-fail. Immersing your hand in hot water (not boiling of course) sort of makes the nail polish detach from the nail by lifting it but it’s not a clean come –off. So it just makes it even worse looking.

The trial: Surgical Spirit

The result: Pass! The one and only solution that worked.

The trial: Toothpaste

The result: Fail. The minty freshness of toothpaste did nothing to the polish. This stuff may be a great substitute for wall fillers but it’s just useless at removing nail polish.

So that’s the result of my experiment. I do believe that it’s probably the layer of top coat that makes it more impossible for these homemade remedies to work, but at least you know what does.

Now I can’t say I follow fashion trends. One I don’t make enough money to do that and two, frankly I don’t think fashion trends suit everyone. But this one fashion trend I was recently introduced to intrigues me. It takes recycling or repurposing to a whole new level…but still not something for everyone, especially the faint hearted.

Today if you have spare change that’s between $150 to $300 and you don’t mind dropping it off at a nail salon, then you can give a new purpose or should I say new life to snake skin – the shedded variety of course.

For a good $300 you can have your nails custom designed to be the texture and look akin to a snake or maybe better said as one of those fancy Italian leather shoes or bags. The process would begin as with any normal manicure. The cleaning and shaping of your nails to the desired shape. Next comes the gel polish application which you’ll need to cure under UV light and after that, the fun bit. The manual labor of fitting the snake skin to your nail by cutting it, shaping it and trimming it to the perfect fit. The snake skin is then applied to your nails like wallpaper and a top coat is lacquered over it to seal it.
The manicure lasts for up to 3 weeks, if you take good care of it.
I think it’s a pretty ingenious idea to use dead skin – again a bit unconventional but the only concern that springs to my mind is if any animals are harmed in the process because as you and I both know – when a trend kicks off, it can cause all kinds of havoc.
So would you fork out $300 this Christmas for a serpentine look?

So really how could anyone not be fascinated by the art of tapestry? Fine I appreciate that the thought of having a giant loom in your drawing room or big pieces of fabric arts hung on wall might be all too dated for some, but who says that’s all tapestry can be? These days, tapestries are taken as just another form of beautiful fabric that can be sewn into anything from handbags to cushion covers and they make very beautiful products.

If you know someone who loves tapestry and you want to surprise them with a gift, consider the following:
1.    Tapestry Throws from Fleecies.com
Everyone appreciates a throw, especially if the person is a keen lover of deco. These beautiful floral tapestry throws are environmentally friendly products made of 90% natural or recycled cotton fibers and 10% virgin acrylic, made right in the USA!

2.    Recycled Tapestry Bags
Tapestry is beautiful and when you reclaim old ones to turn into bags…the bags become breath-taking. There are many on the market and you can always turn to place like VivaTerra or Etsy.

Well here we have a suggestion of a brand that’s eco foxy and will cater for your fashionable needs yet allow you to remain respectful of the environment.
So what’s different about Urban Fox. Well for starters it’s an eco-friendly lingerie company based in the sweet Midwest and their forte is designing and creating super-cute undies using environmentally sustainable materials and methods. To top it off, all their designs (they do undies, tops and undie sets) are designed, dyed and sewn by hand from machine-processed bamboo and organic cotton blends in right the U.S.A.

When you visit their simple website, you’ll be greeted by a circus-like theme where every product modeled is framed in an interesting vintage like pose.  And it’s really quite exciting to see “real models”, ie those with figures normal people can relate to modeling the undies so you get a real feel of how they’d look on you.

Now for the designs – Urban Fox undies are in a nutshell comfy, sexy and cute in a western kind of way. They are colourful and fun, yet not overly so that you feel them shining through your clothes. The names they have for their undies are also cute (lacey, ruffles, st. Louis, flint, super hero) which just further emphasize the fun aspect of Urban Fox designs.

The only set-back might be the cost of these undies as I think they start at $40 a piece going all the way up to $100 for the sets…but I guess if you value comfort, health and the environment then $40 (or less when it’s clearance sales!) is a good investment.

And if you think this is a small time brand that you’ve never heard off…well where have you been because the “fox” has made an appearance in the movie, The Dilemma.

And personally I think  the only solution for problems  no. 2 and 3, is to donate the shoes away. However if it’s biting because it’s new then it needs to be worn in.

Usually after one round of biting, the shoe is fine – tamed as I would say but that’s not always the case. Some shoes are untamable so try the following:
Apply castor oil or coconut oil to the area of your shoes that are causing the bites.  Do that for 3 nights consecutively and it ought to soften the shoes to avoid anymore friction blisters.

In any case you’ve been shoe bitten then try the following for instant relief:
1.    Apply rice powder paste to the affected area. (half a cup of rice grounded and mixed with enough water to form a paste)
2.    Some neem leaves, a tablespoon of turmeric powder and a bit of water in the mixer will give you an excellent blister cure as it dries up the wound and prevents scaring.

1.   Stella McCartney’s Lingerie Collection
It’s not everyone’s thing to dress sensual on the outside but there’s this little secret every woman knows. When you’re wearing something sensual and naughty by your own standard beneath a perfectly conservative suit, it gives you this air of confidence –an empowerment that comes across as none other than sexy.
2.    OM Aroma Skin Care Products
I think being able to give out that sexy vibe is all about strutting with confidence and while I would say beauty is only skin deep, it’s rare to be able to say I feel great when you have unsightly and painful blemishes scarring your face. OM Aroma Skin Care products are organic, free of parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances/dyes, and chemical fillers.

3.   Saijojo Maintained hair
Because silk well behaved hair makes us feel like a million bucks, we turn to every product on the market no matter what the cost in hope of achieving sexy hair. The Saijojo brand and range of haircare products is the brainchild of celebrity hairstylist Mario Verrilli. He suffered from skin conditions linked to parabens and PEGs, so he knows how important it is to come up with a solution – naturally derived, biodegradable ingredients, and mimimize the use of synthetic chemicals. A notable breakthrough in Saijojo’s products is the discovery that natural polymers derived from corn starch would work as well as traditional polymers (plastics) as a holding agent, so that’s exactly what’s used in their products.

I really feel being sexy is about just having our natural body in tip top condition. It’s not really about what we dress up in or how much makeup we pile on. When you look good, you feel good. It’s as simple as that and when you add a naughty little number like silk lingerie under your clothes, you just feel amazing and in control.

Wicked Hemp
Selling Point: Environmental-friendly, made of hemp
Tag Line: Supreme green footwear for men and women
Sales Offer: Discount of 30%
As the name describes, the shoes are all made from eco-hemp. However it’s probably worth nothing that Wicked Hemp shoes are only your pick if you are looking for outdoor shoes – those for hiking and long walks up mountains.

ECCO Oxford
Selling Point: Eco-friendly, offers selections both for men and women, a pioneer in the eco shoes market (21 years in the business, 40 years in establishment)
Tag Line: None in particular
Sales offer: Discount of 30-50%
I would describe ECCO Oxford as comfort conscious shoes rather than fashion conscious shoes. You know it’s really hard to get the two qualities to mix well together. Well if you walk a lot then you should put the comfort of your feet first and ECCO Oxford would be a safe choice to go with.

Vegetarian Shoes
Selling Point: Good for the environment and they have a fairly good range for both men and women
Tag Line: Serving the vegetarian and vegan community for over 20 years
Sales Offer: Discount of up to 50%
Vegetarian shoes have been around since 1990. Back then the shoes were all handmade but growing into a company that now sells across the globe I guess you can’t expect that anymore. But they did keep to their quality and vision, so worth a visit.

3. Sarong
I’m not quite sure when the fad started but it would seem that no swimsuit outfit is quite complete without the compliment of a beautiful sarong wrap. Personally I think of them as stylish wraps to hide my not at all model like pins, so the bigger the wrap the better it is and I would recommend Eco Lyloh Sarongs if you want a good one. Eco Lyloh sarongs are 100% Organic Cotton Jersey certified by the Netherlands, dyed with colours of the earth from roots, leaves, fruits, veges & flowers using the techniques of a traditional Natural Dye House in Bali. Indeed their make even sounds as beautiful as the sarongs themselves.

Happy vacationing!

And judging from how ‘unique’ some of the watch designs are, I suspect most of them are just ‘collectables’ but hey if you asked the kids what they want and they say that watch…you really can’t go back on your words now can you?
So if you’ve recently got yourself into a spot of fulfilling your kid’s wish of having a funky trendy watch then here the alternative you may suggest to them that they might find ‘an acceptable’ trade-off.

Sprout watches
As their tag lines goes “Sprout, an eco friendly time-piece” – probably says all there is about this brand.

Pros:  1. Eco friendly watch (could you expect anything less when we recommend it?)
•    Materials used are:
o    Corn Resin
o    Certified conflict free diamonds
o    Mother of Pearl (declared through the Dept. of Fish & Wildlife in the U.S. and will never sourced from forbidden or endangered species)
o    Organic cotton
o    Bamboo
o    Mineral crystal (a type of glass made from sand that can technically be recycled)
o    Mercury free battery
o    Recycled fibers
2. Colourful, fun and fresh looking designs.
3. Worn by celebrities otherwise known as Sprout Celebs and yes your kids will recognize them (eg, Taboo from the Black Eyed Pea’s, Jane Lynch from the TV Show: Glee, James Keyson Lee from HEROS)

Set-backs: Not really that water resistant and not water proof, but they are working on it.

So go ahead and try talking your kids into a Sprout Watch.