Young Designers – Frieda Sophie

-Guest Post by Frieda Sophie

I have been artistically influenced greatly by my two grandmothers who were fashion designers and jewelry collectors. I am a self-taught artist. I started out as a painter, then switched to sewing and now work on fashion design and my jewelry collection.

So here are some of the items I have created:

This sterling silver double ring is elegant and timeless. A delicate pair of rings was connected by sterling silver chain to create a perfect modern pair. Each band measures approximately 1 mm and was slightly hammered for added fine texture.

Featuring a single beautiful Midnight Blue Sunstone which was handcrafted into a 14k gold filled bezel set pendant piece. This piece has a pretty natural golden shimmer sparkle. The pendant measures approx.1″ long.

This unusual peach-orange Aragonite mineral stone is absolutely stunning in quality and color. This pendant makes a great statement piece to update any tired outfit. The Aragonite is held in 14k gold filled wire wrap setting and hangs from 14k gold filled 18″ chain. Gemstone approx. 1-1.5″ diameter large. I only have very few of these stunning Natural Mineral Stones in stock and will not get this quality again so get it while it lasts. Each piece varies slightly in shape.

I hope you liked these items displayed. If you would like any of these, just leave a comment here or check out my shop here.

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Organic Versus Natural Skin Care

-Guest Post by Amber Evans, Charleston Naturally

We often get asked what the difference is between organic and natural skin care products. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they are fundamentally different. Brands are regulated on which label they can use according to their ingredients, processes and even packaging. The FDA regulates this because it’s important to inform consumers about which products they choose; essentially, your health and the world’s future can be in your hands.

           

Natural products just mean that their ingredients use products that are found in nature. This does not account for the way these companies process their ingredients. Your general rule of thumb can be to look at the ingredient list; if there are long words that you can’t pronounce, don’t buy it.

           

Organic skin care products are regulated by three tiers. There is 100% organic, which means everything from the plant to the extraction to the process is chemical-free. There is “organic,” which means that up to 95% of the product is organic. The last is “made with organic ingredients,” which means that about 70% of the product is organic. This will help you better navigate the tricky beauty labels trying to catch your attention.

Many beauty companies use harsh dyes and chemicals with dioxins and parabens to achieve what they perceive the consumer wants. However, Charleston Naturally knows that the consumer really wants clear, youthful skin without killing all of the earth’s natural resources. That’s why they carry lines like Pevonia, ilike, Dr. Hauschka and Suki. These brands are all environmentally conscious and have the consumer’s health at heart, so they utilize botanical extracts to cleanse and moisturize. They are gentler on your skin, but just as effective for clearing blemishes or diminishing the look of fine lines.

>Sonya Make-up for the Face

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As you can see from my previous posts, I am more like a skin care person, than a make-up person. That is also because the more you take care of your skin, the less make-up you need to use. I of course enjoy make up a lot, but I am really careful at choosing what I apply to my face. Especially when it comes to facial make-up that can clog up your pores and cause break-outs. Not long ago, I bought some Sonya make up for the face and eyes. In this post I am presenting the ones for the face. In my next post I will present some eye shadows and I am also planning to make a YouTube video with a look using the products, so stay tuned!

 

To start, I got this Cream to Powder Foundation. What I like about this brand, is the natural components it is made of, see the ingredients:

 I like using natural products that do less damage to my skin. Especially when it comes to make up that covers your whole face all day long. The consistency of this product is best described by the name. On the face, it turns from a cream into a powder.

It offers a light coverage, that can be further built upon with another layer and/or a bronzer if you feel like it is to light colored. This is what it looks like on the skin:

For a fresh and cute look, you can add some blush also.

 Be careful when using blushes. Blend it out well enough because otherwise you might risk to look clownish. If you feel you used too much blush, you can reduce the harshness by using some powder or mineral foundation. This blush contains again a series of natural ingredients and it is nicely pigmented.

A swatch of how it looks on the skin.

All you need is a nice brush to blend it in nicely. I use the ELF Studio Brushes because they are so smooth and very good quality on a low price. 

In summer I don’t really use cream or liquid foundations because I don’t really feel comfortable. The solution I found instead is using mineral powder foundations. This is the foundation I used the whole summer, not every day, so there is quite some product left. I also use it in other seasons when I want a really natural look.

The good thing about Sonya products is that they are not only make up but also treatment for your face as they contain ingredients like Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract and Algae Extract.

This mineral make up is a fine powder that provides a mat finish. I usually apply it with a powder brush and it gives me a natural glow I really enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed my swatches and remember if you do use make up, try picking some items that contain natural ingredients and through this do less damage to your skin. I especially recommend this for women who use make up on a daily basis.

>Nails

>Short, bright colored nails or natural French manicure? Whichever the choice, most girls have a considerable number of nail polishes. This sometimes ends up being a veritable collection. Come on…I know you also have some dried out nail polishes in one of your drawers. But it is OK…I myself hardly remember finishing any other nail polish then clear coats. At the moment I really like Miss Sporty (what else should be expected from an aikidoka???) nail polishes because of the bright happy colors and the quick drying. Take a look at my little set of nail polishes I keep in a nice wooden bowl:

Haha, just now while editing I observe I forgot an Aloe Lips there. The truth is I just use this bowl to keep random lipsticks and hairbands also >.<

So now let me present the present status of my nails:

yaaaaaaaaaaaakkkk
But the nail polish itself it a really pretty color. The design of the bottle is also really edgy. And I have quite some clothes with dark blue patterns that harmonize with this nail polish:

I totally hate it when the nail polish is kind of chopped, so the moment I finish this post I will do my nails again. I might get back with the update status of my nails on the bottom of the post later.

At school or college you can allow yourself to have funny looking nails, but once you start working it is a no go. It would look really unprofessional if I would hand some papers to the Auditor that is a present in our house with such nails. But somehow, even if I top coat them, my nails do not resist the constant tipping from the office. There are of course a number of more long lasting manicure styles but I somehow prefer the natural nails with nail polish. It is more time consuming, but also more fun.

These days I discovered a nail cure can help you drop bad habits. I also admit that I sometimes find myself biting my nails. Baaaaaaad habit! This is a biter tasting and completely efficient rescue coat. Once you tasted how bitter it is, you will keep your nails away from your mouth the whole day. It can be used both as top and as base coat, or as both. If you want to take advantage of the curing effects, you need to use it as a top coat:

Color your nails into fun colors and let me know your favorite brands! ^.^y

Update with my present nails: