Organic Beauty

It’s summer, and we can’t trot around with tattered toes and dirty digits, but traditional nail salons give us a headache and leave our pure bodies feeling toxic! In early May, I discovered WINK Beauty Bar, the only eco-friendly beauty bar in North Brooklyn, and have been a convert ever since. From their  sustainable storefront to their green products, W!NK offers “eco chic beauty treatments” such as nail care, body treatments, massages, eye brow maintenance, make up application, detox treatments and more.

I’m a convert. Walking into W!NK is a complete different experience than any New York City beauty bar. A beauty experience at W!NK is relaxing, calming and void of gross fumes, dust particles and scary tools of most NYC salons more concerned with cutting costs than the health of their customers. Products at W!NK do not contain parabens, formaldehyde, phalates or toluene. All are organic, vegan, and authentically natural. Ahhhh…. Polishes you can surely find at W!NK are Zoya, O.P.I. and Spa Ritual.

Better yet? Their sanitary services meet New York State health code requirements. (i.e. Their tools are disinfected place in a medical-grade autoclave; far superior to UV light boxes some salons use and better for your health than bleach and harsh chemicals.) Still better? A mani/pedi combo runs $40 and if you opt for their ECO Mani/Pedi, W!NK will trip, buff and shape your nails sans polish for just $28.
W!NK’s signature green facial includes deep cleansing, detox mask, exfoliation, an  herbal steam and a massage. Oo la la.

W!NK’s waxing services use a vegetable based wax, and they offer an extensive menu of body and detox services for both men and women at a price less than or comparable to For a complete list of W!NK’s services click here.

W!NK
602 Vanderbilt Street
(between St. Mark’s Ave & Prospect Place)
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238
718.230.3443

Is staying smooth a sticky situation for your budget?

One of the best memories I have from last summer’s vacation on Martha’s Vineyard wasn’t the backyard barbeque my friends and I threw at our rental house, nor was it the leisurely bike ride I took through historic Edgartown on a sunny Wednesday afternoon.  Instead, it was the glorious feeling that filled my ego each morning as I pulled on my swimsuit en route to the beach, bypassing the line for the bathroom (we fit six girls into a two-person cottage – you do the math) and enjoying the extra half hour or so I had each day as everyone else scrambled for a fuzz free existence.  I had bit the bullet the week before, exchanging $100 and a few awkward moments with my aesthetician for a perfectly waxed bikini line and underarms.

In my efforts to stay smooth, I’ve also forked over $80 for the occasional Brazilian wax if I’m dating a guy I really like, only to curse the $80 less I have for retail therapy when we break up the next week.  I’ve spent an unfortunate $6.99 on a bottle of Nair that left my apartment smelling like a rodent pancake from Hell’s Kitchen and left my legs raspberry tinged and tingly; and have gone so far as to consult with a laser hair removal specialist at a medispa, only to scurry back to disposable razorland in fear of a four-figure price tag for hairless gams.

The equation of staying hair free is this:  Time – hair – money = your happiness threshold.  A razor might be the cheapest method to remove hair initially, but cartridges, shaving creams and treatment lotions add up – nevermind the need to repeat the process every day.  Waxing at the salon is great, but regrowth is inevitable after several weeks.  Laser hair removal can be a sure-fire way to defeat your stubble for good – if you’re willing factor in the length of time you’ll stay that way and not focus on its initial costly investment.

With a bevy of summer weddings to attend and a trip to San Francisco in my future, it makes sense to visit the salon for a date with a treatment room and a tub of hard wax.  But, with my wallet wearing thin after abiding by Crate & Barrel bridal registries and a roundtrip ticket to the Left Coast, I’m sticking with the men’s Gillette Fusion razor ($13 for a package of 4 replacement cartridges at Duane Reade), Suave apple conditioner ($1.69 at Target – and yes, hair conditioner does a better job than conventional shaving cream) and Juice Beauty’s Soothing Serum ($36 at Whole Foods) for the inevitable razor burn that flashes through my sensitive skin.

Daring to bare:  a challenge for the mind – or for the wallet?

Mineral makeup has swept the beauty scene, with department stores and drugstores alike vying for a customer’s every last pore.  Put down your stick concealer and walk slowly away – The Vogue City will make a believer out of even the most diehard liquid (foundation) lady.

Bare Escentuals bareMinerals powder foundation, $25, takes the cake on quality, price and coverage. 

Originally a QVC late-night special, specialty stores took note when sales skyrocketed.  Available at almost every Sephora and some full service salons, this venerable fairy dust comes in over ten shades and is miraculously free of all of those bad things – parabens, synthetic dyes and other harsh chemicals – that can irritate skin.  While Sephora offers great online shopping specials, this is one you’ll want to test for yourself in store, in person, as the color tends to deposit darker on the skin than in the jar.

Mineral Fusion’s loose base, $33 at Whole Foods, is a hearty contender in this battle of the beautiful.  

Also free of nasty additives, this powder sweeps on easily and gently.  However, at nearly $10 more per container, we expected more of a color selection and better packaging.  Nonetheless, a little goes a long way.

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers, $8, wins in the price department, and also comes in a convenient, travel-friendly shape with added brush. 

With only four colors to choose from and availability in drugstores only (most of which don’t let you test product before you buy), it may seem like a bit of a drawback; one option is to buy two shades closest to you and mix to the perfect tone.  At $8 a pop, you can certainly afford to.

Janet Jackson is the only Nasty Girl we respect.  Keep your brushes clean by washing them once a week with gentle cleanser (baby shampoo works wonders) and air drying between use.  Your newfound glowing skin will thank you!

-Karyn Polewaczyk

The skincare junkie in me emerged early.  While friends would swap secrets before bedtime at middle school sleepovers, I was busy in the bathroom completing Clinique’s 3-step skincare system.  I concocted homemade masks of oatmeal and egg whites in high school; and in college, became obsessed with everything anti aging, sampling alpha hydroxyl acids the way Marie Antoinette tasted cakes.  My path to poreless enlightenment came to a screeching halt when my previously peaches-and-cream complexion became engulfed with cystic acne after using a high-end department store skincare line.  The only thing that brought relief was abstinence from overpriced jars of wonder cream, which, in my opinion, are packed with empty promises and far too many chemicals.  However, I still needed to cleanse, tone and moisturize, and with my cheeks, chin and nose on the defense, I had to tread carefully.  A friend recommended I try natural skincare products, a suggestion at which I initially scoffed.  I associated price with performance, a beauty blunder no matter what your budget.  I eventually came around, and five years later, haven’t looked back to the glowing plastic beauty counters where I could normally be counted on every Saturday afternoon.

If you’re a natural newbie or are just looking to test the rosewater, look no further:  The Vogue City’s beauty department has you covered like SPF 45.

The Burt’s Bees brand takes the cake for its combination of economics and capability.  Their carrot seed oil complexion mist, $10, is a must for on-the-go moisture touchups, and also works well over makeup to matte down loose powders and blushes. 

Juice Beauty’s line, in addition to being paraben, pesticide and petroleum free, packs a punch against free radicals with a potent combination of antioxidants and vitamins.  Try their cleansing milk, $22, for a gentle-yet-effective (and delicious smelling) way to remove city grit and grime. 

Say goodbye to crow’s feet with Suki Pure’s eye repair balm, $33.  Concocted with beta carotene and rose hips, this balm is gentle enough for everyday use, yet powerful enough to battle signs of aging overnight.

Last but certainly not least is Lush’s Skin Nanny moisture cream, whose namesake does just that.  This rich moisturizer literally pampers and soothes even the most sensitive skin.  Priced around $46, it’s a bit of a splurge, but Lush’s staff swear a jar can last up to eight months.

Check your local Whole Foods for these and other natural skincare lines that are good for your skin, good for the environment and good for your wallet.  And what’s not to love about that?

–Karyn Polewaczyk