Tag: Organic

Wearing Sustainable Fashion

SPRING CLEANING SERIES – PART 3 – SUSTAINABLE FASHION

Searching for sustainable and ethical fashion brands can be tough.  But these brands are out there and they are yearning to make a difference!  I found it important to research and educate myself on brands and the materials they use.  Alternative Apparel is a sustainable fashion brand I 100% recommend!

Be sure to check out the full video and learn how to style one dress three ways above and on IGTV!

Erin Leigh of She's Red Haute wearing Alternative Apparel's Midi dress

Thankfully, Alternative Apparel has taken a responsibility to be eco-friendly and has put an importance on fair labor practices.  Their materials are unbelievably soft, and their prices won’t break the bank! Let’s take a closer look:

ECO-PACKAGING: This brand starts the sustainability journey with their packaging.  Surprisingly, their mailers are all oxo-biodegradable!  Think about it, how many online orders do you purchase?  How many mailers do you throw in the trash?  Annually, they conserve 2,100 trees, 400 cubic yards of landfill, 860k gallons of water and 120 tons of CO2.  It really adds up throughout the year!

Erin Leigh of She's Red haute wearing Alternative Apparel sitting in front of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia

GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY: Alternative apparel takes pride that most of their factories are WRAP-certified, which means their manufacturers are independently monitored by the International Labor Organization. They certify compliance with standards to ensure that sewn products are being produced under lawful, humane and ethical conditions.  Also, their manufacturers adhere to Fair Labor Association guidelines & workplace code of conduct.

ECO-MATERIALS: In their fabrics, they use organic cotton instead of conventional cotton.  Even more exciting, they use post consumer recycled polyester.  This means your clothing is made from recycled plastic bottles!  Astonishingly, they use approximately 1.8M recycled bottles in their fabrics for their Alternative Eco line!  Additionally, they use low impact dyes, reclaimed water and biodegradable fabric softeners.

Erin Leigh of She's Red Haute wearing Alternative Apparel

MY LOOK: I chose to style three pieces, all based around their Long Sleeve Eco-Jersey Midi Dress.  It is super comfortable with a modern look by itself.  But, this ensemble is easily transformed into a fun, Spring weekend look by adding a cute belt to raise the hemline. Plus you can add their Dropped Shoulder Vintage Heavy Knit Pullover to create another sporty look!  I also styled this midi into a work outfit using their smoke blue Organic Cotton Stevie Wrap.  Check out all three looks in the video above or on IGTV!

Be sure to check out Spring Cleaning Part 1 (7 Ways to Organize Your Bedroom), Part 2 (Transitioning into Clean Beauty) and stay tuned next week when we delve into Part 4 – Clean Eating!

Why Wear Sunscreen in the Winter?

SURVIVING TILL SPRING – PART 1: SKIN CARE

Erin Leigh of She's Red Haute standing in snow wearing green coat

Most redheads are aware that although the warmth of Spring and Summer are absent, sunscreen is just as important in the winter.  When it comes to your face, the bitter air can have a harsh effect on the fragile skin that is left uncovered.  Finding the proper product for winter is key!  But why wear sunscreen in the winter?  There are a few great reasons:

Snow and Ice Reflect UV Rays  –  Similar to how you can burn easily when swimming in a pool, the sun reflects off the water onto your skin.  In the winter, you can be surrounded by snow and ice, which has the same effect.  Basically, it’s like laying in the yard with a vintage sun reflector from the 60’s.

Blond over tanned woman from the 60's using a tan reflector

Winter is Rough on the Skin  –   Cold wind and dry air results in skin being chapped over the winter.  Without the proper hydration and protection, your face will undoubtably take on a reddish hue and crack due to dryness.  Sunscreen creates a guarded barrier against these effects.   Like an umbrella for your face!

Baby with red face from cold and snow

Unfortunately, when it’s chilly outside, you don’t feel the sun’s cruel rays.  I kid you not, I was a Philadelphia Eagles game toward the end of the season where it was 38 degrees and SUNNY.  The sun was beating on us for a good portion of the game and my face got burnt!

However, I understand if you don’t want to feel greasy or smell like a pina colada all winter.  While Pina Colada’s are delicious, this is a valid complaint.

Coola Sport Classic Sunscreen on scarf She's Red Haute

I recommend using Coola Sun Care’s Classic Sunscreen.  It’s super thin and dries quickly.  I didn’t believe it at first since it is SPF 50, which is usually super thick.  But after I tested it for two weeks, I am a firm believer.  Also, you can try it in a clean White Tea scent... so bye bye coconut smell!  Some of their other sunscreen products also come in a fresh cucumber scent or you can go unscented.  A great winter perk: it’s also a moisturizer!  It protects and keeps your skin from drying out.   I recommend using it under your foundation.

This year, I have been making it a priority to use more natural products on my sensitive face.  What I love most about the Coola sunscreen is that it is certified organic and endorsed by the American Lifeguard Association!  It’s non-GMO, Vegan certified, and gluten and cruelty free!  Plus, it’s TSA size approved… so when you take that mid-winter island getaway, it can travel with you!

Coola Sunscreen in snow

No one wants a leathery face in 20 years due to lack of care year round.  Be good to yourself and keep those rays protected from your face!

Stay Healthy: Coola Sunscreen

CHECK OUT “SURVIVING TILL SPRING – PART 2: WHAT YOU WEAR“

Silver & Gold Metals Go To Sheer Miracle

Sheer Miracle Mineral Makeup She's Red Haute

USE CODE: SHESREDHAUTE TO GET $5 OFF $18 OR MORE!

Between New York Fashion Week, traveling to visit home, and starting rehearsals for a show in Jersey, I have been running around like crazy.  While at Fashion Week, I started applying Sheer Miracle products.  Their products are natural and hypoallergenic, which is good cause I have been trying to take extra care of my sensitive face. Runner up favorite: WIDE AWAKE Dark Circle Eliminator.  Gold metal winner: Sheer Miracle’s REDNESS REDUCERS!!!

Sheer Miracle Mineral Makeup She's Red Haute Wide Awake Dark circle Eliminator

Usually, I have extremely dark circles under my eyes (which my mother calls my Pop-Pop eyes, since my grandfather has dark under eyes), but when I get tired, they are 10X worse! Reasons I like the WIDE AWAKE Dark Circle Eliminator:

  1. It’s a light peach, which is perfect for my super pale skin tone as a redhead. Most of the under eye concealers I have tried have been a darker orange, which looks ridiculous when you have the whitest redhead skin known to man.  Trust me, even if you have a great foundation, it’s not covering bright orange!
  2. It’s light and doesn’t feel cakey!  My biggest annoyance with most under-eye makeup products is that they get caught in the little lines of my inner eye.  Sheer Miracle is light & silky, which blends nicely on my skin with either a brush or a blender.
  3. A little goes a LONG way.  You only need a slight amount to get the job done.  It makes the product last so much longer!
  4. GREAT COVERAGE!   I noticed a significant difference with vs without this under eye helper.  It made me look refreshed! I used my foundation first, then applied WIDE AWAKE, and lastly covered it with my lighter concealer as I was contouring.  Try it out!

Sheer Miracle Mineral Makeup She's Red Haute Hide the Red

LEGIT though…. if you have not tried Sheer Miracles Redness Reducers, you NEED to get in on this!! HIDE THE RED and GREEN LOOSE Redness color correctors are HANDS DOWN my favorite product I have tried all year!  Unfortunately, I have always had a hard time covering my blemishes.  Sadly, no green colored product has ever done the trick.  So, I was not enthused about trying the samples I received.  Boy, was I wrong!  Actually, I like both when used together.  I find that the best coverage comes from this process:

  1. Apply foundation
  2. Apply HIDE THE RED cream based color corrector.  This acts as an initial coverage for those pesky blemishes.  Use a concealer brush, not your finger!
  3. Apply GREEN LOOSE mineral color corrector.  I found that if you dab just a little of the mineral powder corrector over the cream base, it locks both redness concealers into place!
  4. Apply your normal concealer.  To cover both green layers, pat your normal concealer over the green layers with a brush or blender.

Trust me! Try it!

Sheer Miracle Mineral Makeup She's Red Haute

Sheer Miracle also has amazing mineral foundations with SPF, which is perfect for our redhead skin!  One of the best things about Sheer Miracle is that you can purchase samples of their products.  Personally, I think this shows a sign of integrity on the company’s end.  Plus, you can make sure the product works well with your skin on your end.

USE CODE: SHESREDHAUTE for $5 off $18 or More!  Check out videos about the products on my Instagram Highlights!

Mineral Foundation Sheer Miracle Mineral Makeup She's Red Haute

TRY IT TODAY: Sheer Miracle Products