Victoria's Secret Goes Vegan with New Beauty Line

Victoria's Secret has recently introduced their latest beauty product line: Victoria's Secret Pink Body.

“INTRODUCING PINK BODY, a unique line of skin-loving and earth-friendly products created specifically for the pink girl. She spoke. We listened. The result? A more personalized approach to everyday body care using organic and vegan ingredients, powerful natural formulas and eco-friendly packaging.

With three dermatologist-tested, solution-specific collections, each designed to pamper pink girls from tip to toe: nourishing for dry skin, energizing for dull, sluggish skin and soothing for extra-sensitive skin. Plus, four additional essentials that everyone can use and love. It’s all about finding ways to look good, feel good and do a little good, too.”

Get to Know: Summer Rayne Oakes

Summer Rayne Oakes is a woman on a mission. She has embarked on a journey of "cause-related modeling and innovative sustainable design/development projects to push sustainability issues through fashion and media."

Oakes has made herself known as The Eco-Model. "In addition to this, Summer Rayne is now a spokesperson, resident expert, and youngest Board of Advisors for Planet Green, Discovery Network’s new eco-lifestyle network that launched June 4, 2008 to 50 million households."

Oakes can now add officially published author to her resume. She has launched her new book: Style, Naturally. The book provides insane amounts of information on ethical fashion and natural beauty. From the NY Post:

Summer describes the tome as an “irreverent, witty” guide for green virgins. And yet, for all her self-serious references to being a “sustainability strategist,” Summer is wry and savvy, admitting a desire to “obliterate” competing books because hers “looks so much better.” She also acknowledges, “Not everyone’s going to spend $20 to save a polar bear.”

Treehugger gave Ecorazzi these juicy details:

Style, Naturally is aimed at women “who love style, but may not have “environment” or “green” in their lexicon” says Summer Rayne. The approach is one of openly stylish seduction with 350 pages and 500+ images full of rich colours and beautiful images, showing how much fun we can all have with contemporary ethical fashion and beauty products.

It also goes in depth featuring interviews with industry insiders including many TreeHugger favorites such as Galahad Clark of ethical shoe brand Terra Plana, Blake Mycoskie of Toms Shoes, Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin and in the beauty section Horst Rechelbacher the founder of Aveda.

Pick up your very own copy at Barnes and Noble.

New Ingredient in Products and On the Shelves

Lately several products have been popping on the shelves with a new ingredient: Tiger Grass.

Tiger Grass is an antiseptic herb, also known as gotu kola and centella asiatica. It is supposed to soothe wounds and lessen skin irritation.

If you want to read more about the herb, check it out on Organic India.

EPA Studies Cosmetics Waste in Our Waterways

So, we know that chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products are bad for people, but we can't forget that they're bad for the environment, too!

The Environmental Protection Agency is digging in on research into fish tissue to determine how cosmetics waste is affecting American waters. Along the way, they're developing important methodology that is going to allow them to detect steroids and hormones related to personal care products and pharmaceuticals, which are also included in the study.

Hormones, you say? In the Bay Area? Not in our town... Well, think again. Apparently, 95% of San Francisco's waterways are contaminated with "hormone-disrupting substances" traced to personal care products. Eighteen of the 19 samples collected contained trace levels of at least one of the following: phthalates, bisphenol A, and triclosan, according to a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group.

No Love For Cosmetics "Superbrands"

The UK's top 500 Superbrands* list is out - and there's not a single cosmetics or toiletries brand in the top 100, reports Cosmetics Design.

Luxury brands performed the best: Estée Lauder was the closest at 120, followed by Chanel (No. 142) and Clinique (No. 195). Next came toiletries: Gillette, Wilkinson Sword and Colgate, followed by big personal care players, including Dove at 294th and Nivea at 300th. Still, a poor showing from the industry! --What's up with that?

According to a Stephen Cheliotis, the chief executive at the Centre for Brand Analysis, it is because there is a "lack of heritage and emotional attachment" that consumers hold for brands in the category. Most consumers do not associate big cosmetics brands with their childhood (like Kellogg's) or believe that they represent any kind of value system.

*A superbrand is defined as brand that has established the finest reputation in its field, offering customers significant emotional and tangible advantages over other brands, which (consciously or sub-consciously) they want and recognize.

David Babaii & Kate Hudson Aid the Wild

David Babaii is the man behind many of the natural, unique, free-flowing, and full of un-tamed spirits hairstyles that the celebrities are sporting today. Vogue has named him "the King of Curl" and he has become a celebrity in his own right with a few of his celebrity clients being Angelina Jolie, Scarlett Johansson, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

He has joined forces with Wild Aid to use his expertise in the fields of hair care and beauty, to help conserve wildlife. With this project he's partnered up with none other than Kate Hudson. She has been nominated for an Academy Award and has also won a Golden Globe Award. She is proud to bring the first line of hair care products that support animal rights activism to the world's attention.

In their latest Ad campaign, Kate Hudson is posing with wild lion cubs and a fierce cheetah. The tagline is "Tested on Kate. Not on Animals."

Free Beauty Samples, Right to your Door

Can't enough of trying out new beauty products? Does it seem like there are just too many new products out there and you can't afford to buy them all? Well, this may be the answer for you.

NewBeauty magazine offers a unique experience for those who want to try out new beauty products before they purchase them. "Try before you buy," the website reads. For about $35 a tube, you will be shipped a new TestTube™ every 3 months full of goodies. Brands vary every delivery, but previous tubes have included Lancome, Aveda and dr. brandt. They guarantee that the value of the products inside will always exceed the subscription price.

After sampling the goods, you can write your own reviews to let others know which products are the new "it thing" and which ones should be left alone.

This could be an interesting idea for those that want to purchase new products, but don't know where to begin.