This is really cool!

Celebrity makeup artist and Natural Beauty Expert Lina Hanson, also Author of “Eco-Beautiful–The Ultimate Guide To Natural Beauty And Wellness,” will teach you her tips and tricks to create beautiful makeup looks with natural and cruelty-free makeup.

Her two day beauty workshop focuses on everything from her distinct makeup techniques to the business of beauty. The first part of the class is theory and demonstration. The second part of the class is all hands-on practice.

These classes are held in Los Angeles, but you can also get your own private Skype session for a discounted price!

Hanson is one of the only eco-makeup artists in Hollywood. A portion of this class is designed to educate the students on future trends and why they should consider using green cosmetics and skin care.

All natural makeup and skin care will be provided.

Check it out!

Jen

Celebrate Earth Day and Birthdays with Korres and My Beauty Bunny

April happens to be a special month for us! First of all, we have Earth Day on the 22nd; though this event deserves to be recognized by itself, we can’t forget to mention that it’s also happens to be our fearless editor-in-chief’s birthday.  The third reason we’re excited?  Last, but certainly not least – MyBeautyBunny.com celebrates its first anniversary: we launched right around this time last year.

So, how do we plan on raising a toast to everyone? Thanks to our cruelty-free, eco-friendly friends at Korres, we’re giving away a gift basket filled with some of our favorite goodies from this amazing brand – all of which are beneficial not only to our complexions but also our planet! As further proof of Korres’ wonderful generosity: the prize will feature full-sized products (one each).

• Quercetin & Oak Age-Reversing Face Primer
• Yogurt Moisturizer
• Quercetin & Oak Age-Reversing Oil Control Treatment
• Thyme & Sage Facial Cleansing Gel
• Milk Proteins Cleanser
• Materia Herba Cleansing Foam
• Magnolia Cleanser
• Japanese Rose Shower Gel

Want to win?  Of course you do!  To enter, you’ll need to do the following:

• Leave a comment below, telling us why you think you deserve to win (one entry per contestant, please. Winners will be chosen using random.org).

For additional chances to enter:

• Sign up for the Korres newsletter to receive updates and special offers
• Sign up for My Beauty Bunny’s newsletter and leave me the e-mail address you used to sign up (if you’re already a subscriber, just leave your e-mail address).
• Become a fan of Korres and My Beauty Bunny on Facebook.
• Follow @MyBeautyBunny and @KorresUSA on Twitter and tweet the following: Win it! Celebrate Earth Day with @KorresUSA and @MyBeautyBunny!  http://ow.ly/1Azft

Please note: You must comment (below) for EACH action in order for it to count (i.e. leave us a comment after each tweet and/or above-referenced entry action completed). Contest is open to U.S. citizens ages 18 and over–ends on May 8, 2010 at midnight PST.

Good luck!

Congratulations to our lucky winner, Tina B. (selected by random.org).

(Editor’s note: Korres products have been tested and approved by both Jens.)

I’m sure most readers know by now that I rarely pass up the chance to test a new primer. I’m also certain you remember how my complexion tends to become congested–maybe the oil on my face is akin to those slick spots on the 101–so I try to look for formulas which are non-comedogenic.

In a perfect world, I could be 100% honest and report how how everything non-comedogenic I’d ever sampled had  lived up to its promise of not exacerbating  sensitive, acne-prone skin; however, in reality, a few leftover spots on my chin certainly undermine my point-of-view there!  I have to admit, thanks to my Asian ancestry I haven’t had to be too concerned about the development of fine lines or any other visible signs of aging just yet. Still, when it comes to taking care of your skin, it never hurts to be proactive–and when I heard about this new Korres Quercetin & Oak primer, I was more than happy to give it a try.

I was a little concerned when I first read the description, because products targeted toward mitigating the effects of aging (i.e. fighting wrinkles or restoring lost moisture) tend to cause my already-efficient sebaceous glands to become top producers. However, I need not have worried; Korres, as a company, avoids using mineral oil and silicone–two of the more common pore-clogging ingredients. My skin reacted favorably and did not break out: Korres’ eco-friendly and cruelty-free choices result in products from which everyone else can also benefit.  As an additional bonus, this primer is even suitable for vegans!

So, how does it work? What makes this ideal as both a powerful anti-aging treatment and face/make-up primer? Infused with antioxidant Quercetin and Oak extracts, these natural weapons help

• improve skin cell functioning
• repair fine lines and wrinkles
• improve skin texture and elasticity

Hyaluronic acid forms a protective shield on the skin, providing immediate moisture and increasing skin elasticity, while barley extract instantly fills wrinkles and refines pores. Since skin tone and texture are improved with regular use, a healthy glow can be achieved–even without make-up. What part of that doesn’t sound terrific?!

Korres products can be purchased online at Korres.com and Sephora.com exclusively. Special offer for our readers: enter the code BUNNY during checkout on Korres.com to receive a free Quercetin & Oak primer with any purchase of $25 or greater; valid now through April 30th.  Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Earth Day giveaway featuring Korres products, as well.

Note: Press sample was provided for the purpose of testing and reviewing.

Quercetin & Oak Age-Reversing Primer

Lanolips

I tend to be a lip gloss rather than lipstick kind of girl, so I was excited to try Lanolips’ Lip Ointment with Coulour (“Rose”) and SPF 15. I tend to be pretty good about using lotion with sunscreen on my face and body—and I am frequently reminded to protect myself from the sun due to the copious amounts I experience in Southern California—but I tend to forget about protecting my lips. This product is helpful without being medicinal despite containing “medical grade lanolin.” Plus it doesn’t have any sort of noxious smell…or any smell at all, really. The lanolin comes from wool, which is sheared from sheep in a cruelty-free manner. However, if you are vegan and/or avoiding all animal-derived products (honey, milk, beeswax, etc.), this is not for you.

The ointment is much thicker than a normal gloss, so the description of “ointment” seems somewhat appropriate. It hasn’t been especially cold here, but nonetheless, it still requires a little effort to squeeze the product out of the tube.  It’s soft, though, and not tacky at all upon the lips. After application, I generally forgot I had it on.  It claims it is “nature’s wonder moisturiser,” and moisturize it did.

The color is a nice, subtle pink, and is one probably more appropriate for daytime use—I see it as more of a daytime outing, cute, pick-up-a-man-at-the-farmers-market color rather than a going-out-at-night-to-pick-up-a-man-at-the-local-watering-hole color.  It’s a flat color without any sort of sparkle or flash. The only thing of which I’d recommend being careful is with regard to application. Initially I put it on in front of a mirror just to see the color of the product and how much the color showed up on my lips, but I noticed that due to its thickness the product did want to lump a bit upon my lips and leave small blobs of color, which wouldn’t have been so cute in a public setting—so consider asking a friend if the color’s even post-application if you’re lacking a mirror. Overall, though, I would definitely recommend Lanolips to a friend due to its smoothness, its offered protection, and its hint of my favorite color: girly pink.

Guest review by Morgan McCann, a lifelong girly-girl who was introduced to beauty products at an early age by her mother. Her hair was always done up right, whether it was crimped all over or just her bangs froofed with a curling iron and gobs of hair spray.  Over the years Morgan has grown more concerned with and interested in knowing from where her consumer products come, whether these things are food or beauty-related, and she loves discovering new cruelty-free products (particularly those with fun packaging). She also loves bright colors, music, and dogs, and is currently working in post-production while working toward an MBA.

I tried several shades of Josie’s cruelty-free eyeshadow. Beach and Mist are light, neutral shades – great for highlighting and blending. Eternity is a light copper shade and Iron is a cool, dark brown. My favorite is Cappuccino – a warm, dark brown that really makes my green eyes pop.

I am currently wearing Cappuccino, Mist and a bit of black eyeliner for a nice smoky eye. I have also been wearing Cappuccino by itself – as a monotone from lash line to crease for a nice, every-day look.

The shades are highly pigmented, like M.A.C. eyeshadows and you can use them with a wet or dry brush, depending on how much intensity you want, and how much blending you want to do. I am very impressed with how well these shadows blend. You can tell they are made with quality ingredients (natural, no parabens, no fragrances, and non-toxic too!).

They also come in biodegradable compacts. They are pretty enough that you could give one or two as a gift. At $20 each, they are not super-cheap, but I would say definitely worth every penny.