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Bella Brand: Saffron James
Former fashion magazine editor Katherine Growney grew up on the picturesque island of Hawaii, eventually landing writing jobs in New York City, roughly 5,000 miles east of her hometown. It wasn't until she began working as a beauty editor at Elle that a chat with a fellow staffer began the sparks that eventually would lead to the start of her own business. "I started talking about Tiare Gardenia, Plumeria, Pakalana, and she just gave me a blank stare.
Bella Brand: Arrojo Product
Nick Arrojo made his name as a celebrity hairstylist, then graduated to TV fame of his own on What Not to Wear, so the fact that he has his own line of hair and bath products is unremarkable. When I checked his stuff out, though, I was surprised and pleased by its total lack of gimmicky product push and general high quality. The whole collection comes in basic white bottles color-coded to indicate which set they're part of — the moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, for example, both have periwinkle font running down their sides. It's utilitarian but attractive, and your BF won't be ashamed to use it.
Bella Brand: Vickery and Clarke
More and more these days, brands are going eco-friendly. But that's not all, as a greater number of these green beauty products are now more affordable than ever.
Enter Vickery and Clarke Natural Apothecary products, which are more than 94 percent natural and free from parabens, petrolatum, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, and sodium laureth sulfate.
Bella Brand: Oribe Hair Care
Y'all know Oribe, right? World-famous hairstylist who's worked with everyone from Kate Moss to Jennifer Lopez? Right, that Oribe.
Bella Brand: Chaé Organics
Organic is a tricky word. From food to clothing, adding this simple claim may warrant higher prices on beauty items, but it offers no proof of what that really means. Since the US does not maintain standards for organic cosmetics and soaps, it's up to us as consumers to examine any beauty product ingredient list carefully.
Bella Brand: Zelens Skin Science
If the thought of animal-friendly cosmetics conjures up patchouli-scented granola creams, you may want to rethink things. Zelens Skin Science takes them to a level of luxury that's more along the lines of Barneys Co-Op than a bulk food co-op. Designed by plastic surgeon Dr.
Bella Brand: Satellite 3
I've gotta admit. When it comes to Sci-Fi, I deserve a "nerd alert" shout out. I've even gone as far as almost naming my cat Dr.
Bella Brand: Rouge Bunny Rouge
From Russia with love comes this covetable cosmetics brand, Rouge Bunny Rouge. The two-year-old label is inspired by fairy tales (much like Paris Hilton, it seems), but it's not cutesy, thanks to the gorgeously dark packaging. Featuring a Victorian bent, it's heavy on floral outlines and black-and-white contrast — kind of like a Disneyfied take on Kara Walker's silhouettes.
Bella Brand: Sexy Hair Organics
Want to have sexy hair? Who doesn't? Sexy Hair hopes to let you do just that — in an ecologically friendly way.
Bella Brand: Sappho Cosmetics
Talk about lipstick lesbians. Emmy-nominated makeup artist JoAnn Fowler, who works on The L Word, created Sappho Cosmetics after researching the possible health effects of parabens in beauty products. Her mineral-based range is entirely free of "chemical" ingredients, incorporating essential plant oils and juices instead of artificial preservatives.
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