Posts Tagged ‘Green’

Green hands and feet: Recess Nail Spa

Recess Nail Spa. From Green L.A. Girl.

I recently checked out Recess Nail Spa, an environmentally friendly nail salon not far from the Beverly Center, and came away impressed. For one thing, the space is huge — it looked about three times the size of a typical nail salon — and it was much more luxurious, with plush chairs and flat screen TVs. Aside from actual spas, I have never seen a dedicated nail salon look so nice.

I got a manicure and pedicure, courtesy of a gift card I won at The Fashion Frontline launch party. I got the the Basic Manicure, which includes a mani, hot towels and massage, and the Basic Pedicure, which includes a pedi, scrub, hot towels and massage. I had two people working on me at the same time, and both did a great job. I chose a pink-coral color from SpaRitual, which according to its website, is a vegan nail polish line free of synthetic dyes. I’ve noticed that the color doesn’t chip as much as it wears away from the tips. Recess also carries Zoya, which is free of toluene, formaldehyde, phthalates and camphor. You also get your choice of lotion for your massage, with scents that are sweet, spicy or citrusy.

I was also happy with the service. Even though I came in without an appointment less than an hour before closing time, the salon accommodated me and didn’t make me feel rushed at all.

Through the end of August, the salon is offering a special on the Basic Manicure for $20 and the Basic Pedicure for $30. If you want to save $5, just forgo the hot towels. I’ve had similar manis at actual spas (and even ones that weren’t as good) for much more. This is a great deal. I just may have to make this a regular part of my beauty regimen!

03

08 2010

Really interesting eco-friendly products: Further and VerTerra

Once in a while, you get some great products in an event gift bag, and you just have to write about it. Such was the case with the Star Chefs gift bag, which included a couple of really cool eco-friendly products that I’ve been obsessing over ever since.

Further: This company makes soap, lotion and candles out of the glycerin derived from distilled biofuel. According to the company’s website, Further co-owner and founder Marshall Dostal found himself with gallons of glycerin left over from making biofuel out of used vegetable oil he picked up from L.A. restaurants. His wife and business partner, Megan, saw all this glycerin and said, “You need to get this sh*t out of our house!” (OK, I have no idea if that part is true, but that’s my interpretation of the website’s “walked into the garage and became alarmed at what her husband had accumulated.”) And so Further was born.

I got a bottle of the hand soap and was immediately excited. Ever since my fiance, Rory, started working on his documentary Toxic Soup, which describes the ill effects of chemicals in almost everything we use, own, eat, etc., we have been more conscious about the stuff we put on and in our bodies. Since Further is made in an eco-friendly manner from something that would have been thrown away, is biodegradable, was not tested on animals and doesn’t contain chemicals (the scent comes from essential oils), I realize I had hit the green jackpot! The scent is great, too — made from bergamot, olive and exotic grasses, it’s unisex and not overwhelming. The only thing I wish were different about it is the price: soap and lotion retail for $12.50 each, and the candle goes for $24. Being green isn’t cheap, but this stuff would make great gifts.

VerTerra: This company makes disposable dishware out of fallen leaves from trees in south Asia. According to the company, these leaves would be burned usually, so this is another waste-turned-useful product. The leaves then have steam, heat and pressure applied to them to make them into plates and bowls without any glue. Considering how well these products hold liquids, I was shocked to learn that there was no glue holding them together. VerTerra naturally composts in two months, so you can toss them guilt-free. And they’re pretty cool-looking, too!

07

06 2010

Be nice to your mother…

…Mother Earth, that is.

It’s Earth Day, and dear ol’ mom has graciously taken the temperature down for those of us in Los Angeles who have been melting in the heat over the past few days. So thank her by doing something environmentally friendly.

    Veev-a-la Green cocktail

    Veev-a-la-Green cocktail

  • The Whiskey Blue bar at the W Hotel in Westwood is offering a special drink today through May 31. The $12 Veev-a-la-Green, AKA Amazon Cooler, is made with Veev brand liquour derived from acai berries. Veev donates $1 from the sale of every bottle to save the Brazilian rainforest and is a certified carbon-neurtal company. Whiskey Blue will donate 50 cents from the sale of every drink to Global Green USA, which works to stem climate change by creating green buildings.
  • Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is participating in an adopt-a-farmer program, part of a Loews-wide initiative. The Santa Monica location’s Ocean and Vine restaurant has partnered with Rancho Sisquoc in Santa Maria, Calif., for its certified Angus beef. Chef Gregory Foos shops at local farmers markets, too.
  • L.A. company Revenge Is recently released new styles of its T-shirts made from organic cotton and recycled plastic bottles. The men’s and women’s shirts, with more color and graphics, are more stylish than version 1.0 of the message-focused tops. There’s also new shirts for kids, too.  Prices range from $21 for the little ones’ tees to $32 for the new adult-size shirts.
  • The Sofitel hotel is taking some extra steps in the quest for going green. The hotel uses wind-generated power, making it an Environmental Protection Agency green power partner. Sofitel is also turning its lobby, restaurant and bar lights out every night, as well as offering free valet parking for electric, hydrogen and hybrid cars.
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