You probably could have predicted this one, yeah? It’s almost V-day, and whether or not you think that holiday is a Hallmark sham, we can all get behind 1) love, 2) the delicious organic chocolates from Wei of Chocolate, and 3) the bewitching blends (including new perfumes!) from Lotus Wei. So this week we have a double deal from these two very special companies.

Here’s how it works: Get a 15% site-wide discount on any of the delicious, flower-essence infused, meditative chocolates from Wei of Chocolate. Nom nom nom.

And get a 20% site-wide discount from Lotus Wei—be sure to check out the infinite love products (one of our favorites, and truly a love potion). Two deals, two sites, lots of love.

Promo code, as always: NMDL. Deal lasts till next Thursday, February 9, at midnight.

Now, in keeping with our new tradition: If you have tried the chocolates and/or scents from either of these lines, please include your own little review in the comments!

If you have no idea what we’re talking about, as in “what the heck are flower essences, and why would they be in chocolate or anything else?” please go back to previous posts like this one and this one or this one, just to name a few. We’re obviously huge fans.

Have a love-filled weekend.

xo

In case you are too young to recognize what’s going on in the picture up top, that’s a still from Gilligan’s Island, a TV show about a sort of annoying guy with the best luck in the world: He got stranded on a desert island with these two foxes, who were really nice and improbably touchy with him for reasons never made clear. Consider Ginger and Mary-Ann (and, fine, Gilligan) your muses for the next two weeks, because we want you to pretend you’re a castaway…

…and you’re stuck there with just five products to your name, trying to feel and look your best while you do it.

We gave you a little tip off in advance and your comments are inspiring! Many of you are optimistic it will be easy, which we love because we were kind of panicking about having to do it too.

So why do it at all? Many products create the need for more products, and this is especially true when you’re talking about conventionals. You get stuck with skin so dried out from your soap that it feels like it could snap if you don’t moisturize, and if your moisturizer isn’t right for your skin it gives you spots, and then you need acne potions. This is so dumb!

But even devotes of clean probably use and buy more than we need.

People like to say women use 12 products a day on average, and men use 7. We know from counting on our fingers and canvassing our friends that most of us use way more—even people who think of themselves as unfussy.

Variety is nice, but as with anything in life—your work, your personal life, your diet, your sense of your own beauty—something kind of amazing can happen when you limit your options and figure out what works best for you. We were talking last week about what it takes for you to feel your best, and I was the first to admit I don’t always stick with it. Life gets in the way, sh*t gets hectic, we get it. I do this with my skin and hair, too. But consider this an exercise in picking—and sticking with—what you know works.

So let’s do this thing. Choose carefully. Have fun. And remember you have two weeks to pull it off, so if you mess up, you do have time to try, try again.

Some rules: Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal.

Instructions: For three consecutive days, use only five of the same products. That includes all personal care products—hair stuff, leave-ins, shaving cream, face potions, makeup, perfume, cologne, mists, body lotions and scrubs, you get the picture—except toothpaste and deodorant. Then write us an email at nomoredirtylooks (at) gmail (dot) com with DESERT in the subject line, and include your first name and location, written thusly “Sally, Boise, Idaho” and a brief description of how it went. Send this to us by the end of the day Wednesday, February 15th. Pro tip: Don’t wait until the end if you actually care about Valentine’s Day and want to get gussied up for it.

Prize: We will pick three winners at random and winners will get a sweet gift certificate from one of our favorite brands or retailers. We’ll tell you who in a couple of days, but regulars will know: Our prizes are always good!

Special favor: Help us make sure this awesome. Tell your friends on Twitter, Facebook, at the gym or at the bar. Friend us, follow us, and then RT us, or whatever. Spread the word!

The reason for the challenge: Well, there are a few. One, see above: We buy more than we need! And two, naturals often cost more than conventionals, which is why we always advocate quality over quantity. Finally, challenges are FUN.

Who’s in?

Was Gilligan the worst or what? Via

We have a tough question to ask you, one that we’ve been asking ourselves.

If you could only use 5 products—total—what would they be? Yep, it’s that childhood game, and we’re gearing up to make it a challenge, so think carefully: What would you take with you on a desert island?

Alexandra would probably take Rare Elements Conditioner, Tammy Fender Repair Balm, RMS lip-to-cheek in Rapture (though she’d shed a big tear for Ilia’s Bang Bang), Afterglow Concealer in Praline, and a good bar of soap. Or no soap—the ocean will clean her!—and her Laura Mercier waterproof mascara instead? Ugh, tough decisions.

Siobhan would take her Acure Shampoo (hydrating enough for her to forgo conditioner), Tata Harper’s Refreshing Cleanser, Laura Mercier Minerals (they’re clean!), 100% Pure Mascara and, like her pal, the Tammy Fender Repair Balm.

Now, tell us in the comments what you would take, and begin to mentally gear up for one of our most exciting (and challenging) challenges yet!

Smells like love: Back by popular demand, today we have a wonderful deep-discount deal from Essence of the Vali. This offer is our favorite kind: a site-wide reduction for our readers that lets you buy whatever your little heart desires. But with all the beating hearts just around the corner for Valentines Day you may want to check out the Passion gift set: a spicy-sweet combination of some of our favorites oils (notably Ylang Ylang, citrus, ginger… yum!). Gift it, ask for it, or treat yourself!

Onto the deal! Get any of your favorite scents, mists, and oils from Essence of the Vali for a whole 20% off when you use the promo code NMDL. Wham bam. Going through until next Thursday at midnight.

And if you ordered from E of V last time, be sure to drop a comment telling us and fellow readers what you liked (or didn’t). As most of you know, we are not the only reviewers with opinions on this site!

We hope you had a wonderful week. We did. Alexandra made a speed trip to New York for work, so us girls got to have a night of fun with some of our favorite friends. Let’s put it this way… we didn’t exactly wake up the next day looking like this, but it was well worth it. Here’s to a restful weekend.

Talk about inspiring. Many of you participated in our Fruit and Veggie Challenge, and your stories read like a resounding WOW.

You guys felt amazing! Many of you were more energized, less bloated, experienced fewer food comas, had better digestion, and even saw a perceptible difference in the quality of your skin tone (that famous veggie glow!).

Some of you were already on the fruit-and-veggie tip but still seemed to appreciate the extra kick. Excitingly though, not all of you started out as big plant-based food fans, so it was especially cool to hear about the changes you noticed and how much you enjoyed the challenge.

As promised, there is a prize for one lucky winner. We reached out to Sarah Britton over at My New Roots, one of our favorite food blogs, to see if she had any plant-based cookbooks to recommend.

She told us that one of her favorites is Enlightened Eating by Caroline Dupont, so our intern Sylvie got ahold of Caroline who was kind enough to donate the book along with her DVD to our lucky winner.

And the winner is…

Sydney Skillen, of Middlebury, Indiana.

We didn’t pick out of a hat this time, but actually chose Sydney because she told us this was a tough challenge for her, but she noticed positive changes and wants to keep it up. So as a new convert to a heavily plant-based diet, we thought this would be good encouragement. Sydney, we will email you with more details!

As for the rest of you, thank you so much for participating. We currently have a big challenge in the works and we’re hoping that this one will actually have a prize for everyone… Because we’re all going to Australia!! Just kidding. But it’s going to be really awesome.

Happy Meatless Monday!

Thank you all for being so patient with our first Quarterly mailing. We are thrilled to see that you have started receiving your packages and if Twitter is any indication (and let’s be honest, it usually is) you all seem happy so far!

Maybe, then, you would like to tweet about it with the hashtag #NDL01? I mean, if you feel like it. Bonus points if you also include a link to our site.

Kisses and hugs

S & A

Image used without permission (oh hey!) but with thanks, via

What a wonderful way to kick off the year: Kahina is offering a very generous site-wide discount to all their NMDL fans. For those of you who know the line, well, you know. And for those of you who still haven’t tried it, if price was at all discouraging you, now’s your chance.

It’s very simple: Just enter the promo code CHEERS (cheers!) and you’ll receive 15% off your order. Bam. Deal  lasts until midnight next Thursday.

As you know we don’t have enough good things to say about this line, its founder, and the people who work with her (a little shout out to Mairin, who also wrote one of our most entertaining Morning Routines Exposed to date).

What’s more is that Kahina is using its growing success to help improve the lives of the Berber women (pictured above) who, as part of the argan cooperative, make the Kahina line possible.

We encourage you to check out this blog post describing how Kahina is working to impact their lives, as well as this video because it will make you smile.

We’re very proud to work with this company! It doesn’t hurt that they make a mean, clean, beauty product too.

Happy Friday!

Sorry for the radio silence everyone, but we’ve both been in serious nesting mode this sort-of holiday week. We hope you’ve been enjoying your time too, with friends and family or whoever else has tickled your fancy.

Are we getting excited for 2012 yet, or what?! No matter what one believes about this upcoming year—and there’s no shortage of theories—we think that 2012 will be full of movement. Elections, revolutions, new kinds of awareness… There does seem to be a shift underway, one that this natural beauty thing is all about.

While progress is slow, trust in big structures of all kinds has been on the wane, and we’re seeing people moving their money back to the little guys: whether they went to a credit union, started frequenting farmers’ markets, or are now supporting some of the small beauty and wellness companies (and the women who run them) we’ve talked about here.

As so much of our lives have moved online, it’s as though there’s also a pull back to our physical communities and knowing the people behind what we consume. We like that trend.

And then there are our personal goals! The decisions we all make for ourselves that also ripple out to the world.

We all have ways in which we want to improve, and new year or not, there’s nothing wrong with setting some intentions. We want to hear where you plan to effectuate change in your life this year. Here’s where we’d like to grow…

Alexandra:

—I’m going to listen more and react less.

—I’m going to keep working on having healthier energetic boundaries, so that I don’t feel drained unknowingly.

—I’m going to make a bigger effort to connect with people. I was a bit of a recluse in 2011 but now I’m ready to come out and play!

—I’m going to develop a gratitude practice.

—I’m going to balance my hormones! (OK, not entirely within my control but intention helps, right?)

—I’m going to take more timeouts.

—I’m going to take concrete steps to creating the present I want to live.

Siobhan:

—I’m going to pencil in at least two proper vacations and then actually take them.

—I’m going to drag myself from my warm bed and meditate whether I feel like it or not.

—I’m going to take a ballet class.

—I’m going to trust myself.

—I’m going to invite stressy feelings over for tea and let them hang out until they’re ready to leave on their own, instead of chasing them out the door with a broom.

—I’m also going to take concrete steps to create the life I want.

—But I’m still going to have a ball.

Alexandra:

—Just read Siobhan’s! Amen to having a ball, S. I’m in.

OK you guys, you’re up.

Thanks to Esty for the image

It’s just about go time at the Santa workshop, and we’re starting to feel pretty festive ourselves. In celebration of the holidays we all really, really deserve (can we get an amen?), NuboNau has a great deal perfect for any last minute gifting, or simply some holiday self-pampering. There are a few layers to this one, so pay close attention!

Here’s how it works: Spend a $30 minimum on anything in the store, including final sale items (that are currently 50% off), and then add the PAI Tranquility Set to your basket (valued at $21.99, not included toward your minimum). At checkout use the NMDL password and get a the set FOR ONLY $10 (which will be automatically discounted from your total).

Note: This deal actually can be combined with other offers, because NuboNau is allowing you to stock up on their sale items too.

Added bonus: Free beautiful gift wrapping.

Some other things NuboNau has shaking for the holidays: A free John Masters Organics body wash and body lotion with all orders over $100, as well as $20 loyalty credit for first orders over $25.

Everybody get that?

Last year, Alexandra ordered several gifts from NuboNau for the ladies in her family, and it all felt terribly chic. As many of you know, the packaging and sample tester sets alone make these packages so extra special. If you’ve been stumped on someone, this is an easy choice.

And of course everything PAI makes is deliciously clean and super gentle, perfect for even the most sensitive skin.

If you’re shopping for Christmas, and you’re in the US, these are your ordering deadlines:

-       Until Dec 19^th = UPS Ground Shipping

-       Dec 20^th = UPS 3 Day

-       Dec 21^st = UPS 2 Day

-       Dec 22^nd = UPS Next Day Air

Ok, enjoy this multilayered Friday Deal bonanza, and have a wonderful weekend.

Books for better-being:

If you didn’t give it last year to every woman you know, by golly it’s not too late! Yes, we’re talking about our own book, No More Dirty Looks, for which this site was named (in case you didn’t know). But it’s not the only book we’re going to gift this holiday. Andrew Weil continues to be a huge source of inspiration to us, and we both read and loved his latest oeuvre: Spontaneous Happiness. On the slightly out-there tip, Alexandra’s been exploring the world of energy with Cindy Dale’s Energetic Boundaries, a good choice for the more we’re-all-connected-molecules-minded set. For the serious, science-minded health crowd (or someone in need of a loving dietary wakeup call), The China Study is a must-read.

Gift sets anyone would love:

Some of our fave natural beauty sites like NuboNau and Spirit Beauty Lounge have a great selection of gift sets. We would especially love to get (we mean give!) this RMS one chosen by Tata Harper (another great gift, if you’re feeling a little fancy). Also, broken record over here, but this Tammy Fender travel kit is incredible and it comes in such lovely packaging that it barely needs wrapping, and the same is true of Kahina’s travel kit. The sampler set from Wei of Lotus, along with a bag of Wei of Chocolate, is like supplying a straight dose of love. Or if you know someone could use a little renewal, we’re super into this healing gift set from Hope Gillerman (we love that it comes with instructions!). Finally, when we were trolling NuboNau’s gifts we noticed this very attractive shaving kit—but really all the skincare we love

For new or expecting moms (and their babes):

One more book! Paige Wolf wrote the excellent Spit That Out, a great eco guide for parents. We also got turned onto Zoe Organics through a friend, and even though neither of us is expecting we’ve tried some of their yummy products (notably their lip and belly balms, the latter which we use as a rich all-over Shea body moisturizer). We also love that you can customize one of their beautiful gift boxes for mom and or baby, making the process easy-peasy.

Finally… stocking stuffers

Do your loved ones (or your teenage daughters) all a favor and stuff their stocking with Soapwalla deodorant and some Waxelene (natch Vaseline, forgetting name!). Oh, and some Tatcha blotters, of course.

ABBA image via