I’ll tell you what. I am not ready for warmer weather.

I haven’t figured out what my less-fabric-is-more spring looks are going to be, I hate everything in my closet, I lost my sunglasses at LaGuardia last week, I am pale as pale can be, my flats all need to be resoled, and I have bruises on my legs. Like, five of them. Champagne problems, I know. I have real ones, too, but they don’t make for very good blog posts.

The only springy thing I’ve done lately is upped the yoga, but that has less (read: nothing) to do with showing more skin and everything to do with stress control and beefing up my spiritual practice because I’ve been tested lately, and I’ve needed it.

So I decided to focus on the two things I think make the biggest difference: My skin and my hair. I went ahead and made a hair appointment. This was easy. And then I took the sunless tanner out of the fridge, where it’s been hanging out with the dijon for the better part of a year.

I’ve proclaimed my love for Chocolate Sun in the past (click back if for no other reason that to see the picture we ran with our review), as has Alexandra. We love this stuff because it’s impossible to mess up (this is key, duh), it smells nice, and the “light” shade is actually subtle enough that someone like me can pull it off without looking like I’m, well, pulling anything off. It’s got that evening-out effect that’s great when you’re bruisy, but doesn’t look like a self-tanner. I swept some on my legs last night to see if I still loved it as much as I remembered and lo, I do.

Beyond that, I noticed I’ve unconsciously switched up some other things. I have finally gotten my paws on more 100% Pure Argan Oil SPF 30, and I’ve been wearing (and sharing) that daily. I also tried 100% Pure’s Pomegranate Lotion with SPF and am happy to say I like it too! Lower SPF, though. I’ve also stopped using the Acure shampoo, because I’m finding my hair doesn’t need as much moisture (the shampoo is very rich!). I’ve switched to Rahua volumizing shampoo for now, and am still using Acure conditioner. For face, my nighttime routine is a touch of Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm and La Bella Figura Decouverte Eye Serum, because it’s a good depuffer, and I’ve been a little puffy lately.

What about you? How are you switching up your routine, if at all, for warmer months? And if you have any outfit ideas…

Guys, meet Lili from Lima. She’s the latest in our reader series of Morning Routines…Exposed! We’ll keep these going forever, basically (and if you still want to send us yours, be our guest). What we love about her routine are the products we’ve never heard of and the amazing advice she shares at the very end. Also, she blots her hair! Read on and share your thoughts in the comments.

Name: Lili
Age: 29
Current weather: Transitioning into spring but still enjoying the last few days of summer in Lima, Peru: cloudy and fresh mornings, hot noons with clear skies and a strong sun, and cool evenings with a soft ocean breeze.
Hair: A little over shoulder-length. Dark brown, fine, normal, and straight.
Skin: Moderately fair, sensitive, oily T-zone, and with light post-acne marks mainly on my lower cheeks and under the chin. My face still breaks out mildly, especially before going through those painful monthly phases, in-between seasons, or when I’m feeling really stressed. In short, a very reactive skin! In spite of this, my face has cleared up considerably ever since I began using only natural, organic skincare and make-up products about 4 years ago.

In the shower…

I shower in the morning so that I can air-dry my hair. I never blow-dry or rub a towel over my wet hair; I just blot—I truly believe this habit has helped maintain my hair in such good conditions. I use Urtekram’s Organic Lavender Shampoo and once every week use Pukka Herbs’ Bhringaraj Oil as a pre-shampoo hair treatment. The oil doesn’t smell great but it is very nourishing and a great alternative for those who don’t like to use conditioners. Moreover, the weekly treatment saves you tons of money on conditioners alone! As for my body, I use Pangea Organics’ Canadian Pine & Sage bar soap with Hydrea’s Wool Sponge for mild exfoliation. If I’m traveling, which is often, I always bring along Dr. Bronner’s Lavender Liquid Soap as an all-over body and hair wash.

Outside the shower…

I don’t wash my face with gel/cream cleansers—had no special reason for this until I read somewhere that tap water actually dries out your skin because of the chlorine! Instead, I first cleanse my face with Spiezia’s Facial Cleanser and then wipe out the excess with Sprout Wellness Facial Toner using organic cotton rounds. Next, I spritz my face with Pukka Herb’s Organic Rosewater and follow it immediately with Vive Sana’s Solar to Polar Ultra SPF 40. The sun in Lima is very strong and so far, Vive Sana has been the best natural sunscreen I’ve ever used. I still get a little tanned but do not burn anymore and that says a lot about this sunscreen’s performance! I burn quite easily and in extreme cases, I sometimes even get itchy & painful rashes.

At night, I follow the same facial cleansing routine and then spread on some Dr. Alkaitis Night Cream. I then finish up with a little dab of Grateful Body’s Essential Eye Creme under both eyes. To keep my skin clear, I use Dr. Alkaitis’ Enzyme Mask once every 2 weeks. In between, I resort to DIY masks made of 1 tbsp greek yogurt + 1 tbsp raw honey mixed together in a small bowl, or just a thin layer of egg white to tighten my pores every now and then.

And last but not least, I moisturize my body either with Acure Organics’ Lavender & Lotus Flower Body Lotion or just plain organic coconut oil from Nutiva to give it a nice sheen at the beach.

Finishing touches…

I feel pretty lucky to have been blessed with nice hair hence I never use any styling products :)  As for make-up, I’m quite low maintenance as well. My daily make-up routine consists of a little blush with RMS Lip2Cheek in Modern, just a swipe of Jane Iredale’s Brow Gel in Brunette, and Alima Pure’s Lip Conditioner in Natural. I don’t even use concealer for my acne marks since I always feel like the more you try to conceal them, the more visible you make them to others.

For nights out, I take some extra time to line the upper part of my eyes with Nvey Eco’s Cake Eyeliner in Black. My only natural make-up faux pas would be the mascara (surprise, surprise!!). I have oily eyelids and to avoid the endless impulsiveness to look at myself in the mirror literally every 1 or 2 minutes to see if I’ve got raccoon eyes, I just decided to be a little nicer to my vain self rather than the environment and use Blinc Mascara in Black. I’ve tried many natural mascaras (100% Pure, Couleur Caramel, Physician’s Formula, etc) without much success and quite honestly, I’ve given up betting on them. I guess the upside to this (no, it’s actually another excuse to not feel guilty) is that I only use mascara for special events.

And finally, I never go out without putting some Soapwalla deodorant and a dab of Intelligent Nutrients’ Jasminas perfume on the lower back side of my ears.

On a very separate note, I just wanted to share with all of you a piece of wisdom my mother once told me in my most difficult times.

She said that life is like a mirror, a reflection of how you feel inside: If you laugh, life will smile back but if you frown, life will be hard and miserable (ever wonder why a string of bad moments always follow a first because your mood just keeps getting worse?). It’s nothing extraordinary and of course, it is much easier said than done, but I’ve noticed that it does help me stay positive in challenging times, albeit with much effort.

So begin every morning with a big smile and lots of positive attitude!

Lili, we love you.

The last time I went to see my acupuncturist, he took a look at my tongue, pressed his pointer finger into my jumpy pulse, then said, “You’re burning the candle at both ends.” Busted! And totally true.

One thing I’ve learned with a little age is that my body reacts very quickly to stress and poor self-care. All it takes is a couple of bad nights’ sleep, one too many nights out, or a few weeks of not really paying attention and woooooomp. I get a bug.

Pain in the butt as it is, I sort of like it this way because it keeps me in check. I have friends who can do just about anything to their body and bounce back like it’s nothing (jalouse!), but some people (moi!) need a certain amount of routine and rest to feel their best. Easy to say, hard to do, and when I don’t, I pay for it. Like I am now.

Problem is, I’m scared of pretty much all OTC drugs except Advil (and sunscreen), so when the boy kindly asked me if he could get me any medicine this weekend, my first thought was: “But I don’t take medicine!” Which, on its face, is ridiculous. If you feel bad and something can make you feel better…

Right. So for me, that’s where propolis comes in.

Propolis is a resin that bees collect from trees and other plants to seal up holes and gaps in their hive. That’s not all it does, though. Propolis is also used by bees to fight bacterial growth, disease and parasites—and human, cleverly taking cues from the bees, use the stuff for all kinds of infections, bugs, fungi, viruses etc. And we’ve been doing that for approximately 2,500 years.

The research on it says that in certain formulations it can be powerfully antibacterial and antifungal, can be used for canker sores and herpes, as well as other kinds of infection and inflammation. A recent study also showed it to be as effective as prescription drugs on toenail fungus, which, if you have toenail fungus, could be good news. It may also be an immunostimulant.

As is often the case with plant medicine, the studies about the stuff are mostly small and inconclusive. Very promising, though, if you ask me.

And no, I can’t be sure that propolis shortens the length of my colds or prevents them from spreading and worsening… But considering my colds typically last about 3 days and never get that bad, it certainly seems to work for me.

So what about you guys? Do you look forward to getting a cold so you can take Nyquil? Do you use homeopathic stuff? What’s worked for you?

This is another in our ongoing series—which will be around forever now, because you guys keep sending us your awesome routines. This one’s from a reader named Anna who lives in Brooklyn just like me (hi, Anna!). I love her mix of luxurious NMDL-approved clean products and DIY.

Anna seems to be one part no-fuss and one part kind of glam, which is basically our MO, too. Plus, she loves Joanne Woodward. What’s not to love?  Let us know in the comments what you think of her routine!

Name: Anna
Age: 27
Current weather: Flirting with Spring in Brooklyn. Cold, crisp and sunny today.
Hair: Shoulder-length, growing-out-phase, brown, thick, and wavy.
Skin: My forehead, chin, and nose are pretty awesome. My cheeks are where it gets dry, and also breaks out. I’m pretty fair-skinned, and get freckles in the summer, but tan  pretty easily. Basically, if I could get this pesky cheek nonsense figured out, I’d be golden (adult onset acne, awesome).

In the shower…

I shower at night, always. If I go running in the morning, I’ll do an extra rinse-off afterward. Either way, I only use soap (Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint) on my feet, if at all. I only get my hair wet once a week, and either wash with John Masters Organics Bare shampoo and condition with Alaffia Coconut and Shea conditioner, or just do a manual scalp scrubbing with my fingers & follow up with a little ACV. I generally rinse my face with warm water instead of washing, though some days I’ll put some rosehip seed oil on my face and rub that in, then wipe it off with a hot washcloth. A few times a week I exfoliate my cheeks with Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub.

Outside the shower…

After spraying with Evan Healy’s Immortelle hydrosol and/or a quick wipe down with witch hazel, I immediately put on some argan oil (either Kahina or Acure), then follow up with Pai Chamomile & Rosehip moisturizer. I asked the folks over at Spirit Beauty Lounge what facial lotion they recommended for dry skin that is also acneic, and they recommended that. I’ve used it for a few months now and find that it hasn’t upset my skin at all, but moisturizes well. For extra dry days, I smear on some shea butter where it’s dry.

On my body, I use a homemade body oil (after I ran out of Evan Healy’s Sweet Blossom body oil, which I love so much. When I get in bed after putting it on, my boyfriend says, “you smell like pepper”—in a good way) with olive oil and vetiver & rose essential oils.  The body oil is literally just olive oil (sometimes I’ll add in a little avocado oil) and several drops of rose essential oil and vetiver essential oil. The ratio of rose:vetiver is around 6:1 (vetiver is really strong). At night, several times a week I’ll buff some oil into my nails, wash ‘em off, and apply some Scotch Naturals nail polish.

Finishing touches…

I never use hair products. I find I don’t need them, plus I’m pretty easy-does-it about my hair. Most days, since I’m growing it out and that’s sorta painful, I’ll throw it up in a low side bun, or lately I’ve been doing a simple twisty updo thing with my hair that looks so elegant but is really, really easy.

I use RMS Lip-to-Cheek in Smile on my cheeks, and RMS “Un” Cover Up under my eyes and on any spots or pimples I have. I’ll either do a subtle winged eyeliner with Jane Iredale’s liquid eyeliner, or smear together some RMS blush and RMS Living Luminizer and put that on my eyelids—I love how this looks, and sometimes I don’t even put on mascara because I feel like it gives me that cool redheaded Scottish-gal-chic thing. Otherwise, I use Couleur Caramel mascara (the brush! The brush! It’s all about the brush. I used to be a Diorshow gal, obviously) on my top lashes.

No perfume, though sometimes I’ll dab some vetiver and rose oil on. I use homemade deodorant that has rose and vetiver in it, so sometimes that’s enough—I’m very sensitive to smells (especially post-nasty chemicals). The deodorant is equal parts arrowroot powder or corn starch and baking soda and  enough shea butter to make the whole thing the texture of frosting. I add in vetiver and rose essential oils for my deodorant, and orange, lavender, and rosemary essential oils for my boyfriend’s mixture. I made the mistake this morning of putting it on after shaving; itchy all day.

Et voilà! On to coffee.

Image of Anna’s favorite star (“mainly because she married Paul Newman”) via

I’m on a big seed kick lately. It all started when I (successfully!) recreated my favorite salad in the whole entire world. It’s this carrot and avocado one* from ABC Kitchen here in New York, and despite how unspecial it sounds—carrots are carrots, avocados are avocados—it’s shockingly delicious. One reason: The sesame and sunflower seeds it calls for on top.

Since I like to take liberties with recipes, I decided to stock up on pumpkin and hemp seeds** and include those as well. Of course, whenever you make something at home that calls for a teaspoon of something you wouldn’t otherwise buy, you’re stuck with the “What do I do with the rest?” conundrum. Well, I’ll tell you:

I’ve been putting nuts and seeds on everything. Who knew simple seeds could make such a big difference on your old standbys? Not this guy.

Some basics…

Here’s why hemp seeds are good for you: They’re high in easily digestible protein, which means they don’t make you bloat like some other vegetable protein sources like whey and soy. They also have the 3:1 omega 3 to 6 ratio (that’s food-nerd speak for “good”), a nice amount of fiber, and more essential fatty acids than anything else in nature—including flax seeds, which I could never get into, frankly.

Here’s how to store them: In an airtight container or airtight resealable bag, in the fridge. Airtight is important; otherwise the natural oils can go rancid.

Here’s where to buy them: At any health food store, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, etc. Go with organic.

And finally, here’s how I like to eat them…

1. Raw in Greek yogurt or a warm breakfast cereal. Do this with some nuts, coconut flakes, dried fruit and any other seed you have handy for a tasty breakfast high in plant-based protein and healthy fats.

2. As part of a nut-and-seed crust for fish or tofu. Dry toast your seeds together in a cast-iron skillet—no oil, medium heat, until they start to pop and crack. Turn off the heat, let them cool and them combine with a little dijon and honey for the most delicious crust ever.

3. In a smoothie. Just toss ‘em in there.

4. Dry-toasted with spices then sprinkled on a salad or some kale. Same dry-toasting method as above, but this time with spices you like. This brings out the nuttiness of the seeds and with a little cumin (or whatever), it can completely transform something as simple as steamed kale or salad.

5. Baked into homemade granola bars. I’ll admit that I have not done this yet, but I’m going to try this recipe from My New Roots, the best food blog in the world, for Totally Baked Hemp Protein Granola Bars this week.

Are you into hemp seeds? Some other seeds? How do you eat them?

* The recipe is in the new Jean-Georges cookbook, Jean-Georges Cooks At Home (a few more of his vegetarian recipes here), which I have been tearing through at an incredible clip. I swear I’ve made almost all the salads already—and there are many.

** Can’t get high off of them but yes, they are from the same plant.

Image via my favorite food blog, My New Roots

Have you ever noticed phone-related breakouts? Or, wait, let me rephrase the question: Do you breakout on your cheek or jawline, but mysteriously only on one side?

I can say that this isn’t currently a problem for me, but it’s certainly something I’d heard could happen. But Well+GoodNYC, smart cookies that they are, wanted to find out if, in fact, this happens all that commonly. Here’s what they found…

Texting may be less personal, but it could save you from a 21st-century skin-care problem: cell-phone breakouts.

While lots of people are concerned about bacteria on their phone (especially after Sanjay Gupta discovered fecal strep on Anderson Cooper’s last fall), jawline acne may have more to do with phone-face contact than grime, say dermatologists.

“Some people hold cell phones to their faces and talk for a long period of time, perspiring onto the phone and blocking the pores,” explains Mitchell Kline, MD, a dermatologist and professor at New York-Presbyterian Medical Center’s Weill Cornell Medical College.

Holding your phone against your cheek traps oil in the pores, which can lead to those deep-forming acne cysts, agrees Neil Sadick, MD, a renowned dermatologist and researcher. (Ever notice it also melts your makeup to your phone and down your face?)

But don’t flush your iPhone just yet.

“Your skin has its own immune system, and it can handle a lot. Most of the stuff on a cell phone won’t cause break outs,” says Doris Day, MD.

Dr. Day cautions that if you’re prone to eczema or have a nickel allergy (some phones, but not iPhones, contain nickel), you may have more of a problem. (That problem is called contact dermatitis, which looks like tiny little clusters of pimples, but isn’t acne.)

She also says to watch out for the office phone. Since it ends up pressed against the faces of all of your coworkers, too, it may be dirtier. (Ew.)

Uh yeah, that’s gross. But help is here! They’ve sourced some tips from experts on how to deal with this very modern problem. Read their tips here.

How do you deal with this? Have you ever noticed a connection?

My first love Zack Morris via

The other day we announced an open call to help beef up our Morning Routines…Exposed! series and, well… Ask and you shall receive, I guess! We got so many responses that we created a special folder for all of them, and we invite you to keep them coming (especially if you are a guy, since we know naturals has a bit of a boy problem,* and we’ve only gotten one of those so far). Now, without further ado, meet M.

Name: M (I’m male)
Age: 32
Current weather: Cold and rainy Toronto
Hair: Short
Skin: Acne-prone, but oily and dehydrated

Before the shower….

In the shower…

Outside the shower…

I use alcohol-free witch hazel (Garden of Wisdom brand, which is online only, or the more ubiquitous Thayers Fragrance-Free Alcohol-free Witch Hazel). The key elements for me are a) no alcohol and b) no fragrance. I also use organic grapeseed oil mixed together in palm of my hand and applied with both hands.  For sunscreen, I like BurnOut Clean & Clear SPF 32 (zinc oxide only). I try to use this most days.

Finishing touches…

Now weigh in, people. Have you used any of the products M uses? Any other recommendations for him? I’ll say I was intrigued by the powder before shaving thing. I didn’t know people did that!

Image of Richard Burton getting his hair combed by Elizabeth Taylor via

* We promise that at some point soon the boysturizer reviews will come.

Bit of a break from form but hey, it’s our girl’s big day and I know I’m not the only one who appreciates her truly, madly and deeply!

So join me in wishing this kind little Pisces with the gigantic hair a very merry birthday.

And if you want the recipe for the above vegan and gluten-free chocolate coconut cake (Gah! Whut! I wish I knew how to bake…), click here.

Image via

Remember those? If you’re new here, they were awesome.  We basically asked some of our favorite people to share their morning routines, and they did.

Now, since comments and community are a huge part of what we do here, we’d like to encourage the rest of you clean boys and girls (boys! come out of hiding!) to participate. If you’re interested, please email us your routine at nomoredirtylooks at gmail dot com with the subject line GOOD MORNING! and following this format:

Name: [First name only. If you're called Pat or you have some other non-gender-specific name, please clarify.]
Age: [Fine, fine, you can leave this out if you're shy.]
Current weather: [This is helpful because we don't all live in the same place.]
Hair: [Self evident.]
Skin: [Describe it, problems, concerns, things you love.]
Favorite star or icon from the past: [This is to give us ideas for pictures.]

In the shower…

[Here's where you tell us what you do in the shower.]

Outside the shower…

[Here's where you tell us what you do after you shower to your body and face and hair.]

Finishing touches…

[Leave-ins, styling products, makeup, cologne, perfume, etc.]

The fine print: We reserve the right to edit for length and content. We will email you before it goes up. If you send us your morning routine, we are going to assume you are comfortable sharing it publicly with our readers, so if there’s something in there you don’t want to share with the internet, please do not include it. GOOD. MORNING!

Let’s dive right in. Are you guys not using water? Do you make Alexandra’s DIY honey face wash? Have you also spent a small fortune on your Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser addiction because you keep going places and leaving your bottle in other people’s showers?

About that. I have written many, many times that I adore this cleanser. Maybe it’s the finicky skin I had as a teenager or the promises of beauty companies about the miracles of “pore-cleansing” face wash, but I’ve always been really particular about cleansers. When we were writing the book, I tried many and liked only a few. But when I discovered Tata’s, it was like the clouds parted and God slid down on a rainbow to deliver the most perfect-for-me product imaginable.*

I was hooked. And I still am. But, lo! There’s another contender in town…

When Kahina Giving Beauty mentioned it has reformulated its cleanser—which many of you were talking about in the comments because it’s part of this week’s Friday Deal—I was intrigued. I love her line, and I love argan oil, but when I’d tried the cleanser in the past I found it too harsh for my skin. I know many people who love it, and I was jealous of them. I wanted to love it too, but my skin would get angry at me if I tried.

Then, I left the Tata at my friend’s country house. Then, the Kahina ladies offered to let me try their new cleanser. Then, I fell in love. But since this isn’t boyfriends we’re talking about, I can have two: I adore Tata Harper’s and Kahina’s for different reasons, and my new plan is to alternate between the pair of them.

Now before I turn over the floor to y’all, there’s something else in the mix now, too. Pai has a new product—a kukui and jojoba bead skin brightening exfoliator—and I love that one as a weekly treatment. Stay tuned for more on that though, because it’s part of our Friday Deal on March 9!

K, your turn. What do you use to wash your face? We mean: products, tools, potions, you name it.

*Did I really just write that?