Top Ten Summer Must-Haves

As a newbie and quick enthusiast for eco-friendly/organic products I have quickly fallen in love with numerous products, brands, and designers during my journey thus far into this wonderful new world. Every product Terri brings into Eco-Tique I eagerly apply it, adore it, and wipe the drool off my lower lip (I hope she doesn't notice the latter). So, being so inspired by her latest entry entitled Lighten Up For Summer: Top Picks for Warm Weather Beauty, I thought I would share my top ten favorite items you can find on The Nature Of Beauty.

Simple shoes are not only extremely comfortable but also love using recycled/organic materials in their shoe production. Some of the materials they use are recycled car and bike tires, recycled plastic products, hemp, organic cotton, bamboo and this season they have used natural silk. My current favorite shoe by Simple is the Entire in red. Pair these adorable peep toes with leggings, skirts, shorts, or a romper, no matter how you wear them they are sure to pull any outfit together and give it a great summer funky flare!

Possibly my favorite brand that Eco-Tique carries is the Alternative Apparel Earth Collection. Alternative Apparel excels in making eco-friendly tee's that feel like that favorite fifteen year old tee shirt you have in your drawer that's used exclusively as a pajama top...you know the one, it's stained, has some sort of sports logo or child's cartoon character on it and your boyfriend is so sick of seeing you in the ratty thing that you're wondering if you've lost all your female allure. Or maybe that's just me...moving on. So, Alternative has made 100% organic cotton inexpensive basic tees and recycled polyester heathered unisex crews, hoodies and cardigans while capturing that cravable vintage soft feel. My two favorite products from Alternative Apparel is the Organic Tunic and Eco-Heather Deep V-Neck Tunic. Not only are they incredibly soft but they are tunics, which I love.

If Alternative Apparel is my favorite brand than She-Bible is a close second. Seriously, have you seen She-Bible? She-Bible excels, in my opinion, at the perfect summer dress. When we first submitted our spring/summer order from them I, not so patiently, waited for the months to pass simply so I could buy my Pop Doyle Dress the moment the shipment was received. Handmade from 100% organic cotton in San Francisco with an incredible design, it's hands down my favorite dress to quickly throw on, drink coffee while sitting in the sun, and the most important part, get complimented every five minutes on how adorable my dress is.

This summer (and all year round) it's time to ditch plastic and paper bags and bring your own chic and reusable bag to the grocery store! The Inconvenient Bag, with it's super trendy graphics, is perfect to grab as you walk out the door and head to the farmer's market or organic grocery store. I love taking mine to my local Whole Foods, putting my fruits and veggies right in it, and strutting my stuff while I stroll home. It feels good, natural and wholesome.

A very important necessity for the summer is a versatile skirt. The Poppy Skirt from Synergy Organic is perfect. Not only is it black, which is one of my favorite colors, but it also has a beautiful lavender poppy print on it. Perfect to wear high-waisted over the Alternative Apparel Organic Tunic and a pair of boots or sit it on the natural waist with a camisole and gladiator sandals. Made from 100% organic cotton, low impact dyes, and screen printed with water based inks, you'll not only look good but feel good.

Okay, unlike Terri and her natural beauty, I don't change too much during my summer makeup routine. I do however, thanks to The Nature of Beauty's immense array of choices, experiment with splashes of color. I love liquid eyeliner and Zuzu has stolen my heart. Zuzu's Luxe Liquid Eyeliner in Azure has to be the most beautiful product I have ever put on my lid. It's blue. That's right, blue. I was afraid I would look like some girl fresh out of the 80's, mind you I was only a child in the 80's and didn't experiment with makeup then, but there was definitely the concern in my mind that people would mock me. The color Azure however is a luxurious jewel tone and looks so glamorous and fresh. After all, bright and fun colors for the eyes are in this season and thanks to my friends at The Nature of Beauty I totally understand why.

Zuzu has stolen my heart not only with eyeliner but blush. The Zuzu Luxe Blush in Nymph is the perfect shade of pink for the summer. It gives me the softest tint on my cheeks and compliments my new blue eyeliner quite well. The other reason I love Zuzu is because it's super affordable. My blush is $20 and the liner $13.50, at those prices I feel like I'm stealing it.

I'm at an age where I still deal with pimples. Although, rumor has it, that age never goes away like I hoped it would. Not sure if you noticed but Sante makeup is 50% off, meaning my favorite concealer is now $10.19. The Sante Concealer Pencil is honestly the best concealer I have ever used. Not only does it have great coverage but it's super easy to apply being in the form of a pencil. It's like drawing on my face and correcting it, organically!

Minnesota summers are hot which in my world means sweating. What better way to cover up a possibly unacceptable scent than with the smell of Lavanda? A few sprays of Florascent Aqua Aromatica Lavanda and I'm ready to step out to the world with confidence, whether I'm hot and sticky or not! That sounded like a deodorant commercial. But really, Lavanda has this amazing scent that instantly calms me and has everyone questioning what smells so great. To me, Lavanda smells like summer. Soothing, sweet and relaxing.

Hopefully you can try all or some of the above and understand why I have fallen head over heels in love. Happy shopping and here's to a beautiful summer!