This is It!  makes you want to get up and move your body. It’s such a bittersweet and inspirational behind-the-scenes glimpse into Michael’s on-stage persona. Michael may be 20 pounds skinnier and don Ray Bans while he dances but he  is just as talented as the last time you saw him perform. I was expecting a slower, fragile Michael but he is just as quick as his 20-something back-up dancers. His agility is amazing, he hardly seems fifty. The footage is mostly dress rehearsals but it’s so heartwarming watching his dancers (who were the only other people there) watching him in awe. It’s so obvious how Michael thrives off of their energy and joy from watching him perform.  I would absolutely see this movie in IMAX too. Seeing it on the big-screen made it that much better. Plus they showed the videos that had been filmed for interludes for the concert, which included new footage for Thriller, short films and more. It’s a must see in my opinion if you love Michael Jackson!

Girls, I say this with the utmost sincerity, if you do not read this book you will probably spend the rest of your life poisoning yourselves. I don’t mean to use scare tactics on you (damn you tobacco industry, how we despise your commercials) but every woman should read this book about the UGLY side of the cosmetics industry. Many beauty bloggers may not want to tell you the truth since they’re fine and dandy getting free samples but I feel an obligation to share with you what I learned after hearing from Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda (which he has since sold to Estee Lauder), speak at the HBA Beauty Expo this year. He suggested every member of the audience read Not Just a Pretty Face and when I took him up on his offer I had no idea what I would find…

Since I was a little girl I’ve loved makeup. I was the little girl in her mom’s high heels with lipstick smeared around my lips. Come middle school, a trip to the department store or Sephora was a quick fix for whatever was plaguing me that day. A fun new eyeshadow to match my outfit for a party, the perfect shade of pink lipstick to attract Mr. Right. Not Just a Pretty Face reveals the secrets that are being kept from us. Trust me, you want to know them. I’m no conspiracy theorist, in fact I’ve spent most of my life avoiding the news in ignorant bliss in my land of Elle Woods LaLa Land. I always thought, whatever, who cares, it’s shampoo it’s not like I’m eating it, right? Little did I know the damaging effects repeated use of deadly chemicals could be…

This book though gets down and dirty about the truth behind your lipstick, your shampoo, and your health. Did you know that the cosmetics industry is self-regulated? Did you know who sits on the board and who “regulates” the entire industry? The very people who are financially driven to keep dangerous chemicals on the market. And I quote the Vice President of Legal counsel of Cosmetic, Toiletry & Fragrance Association (now called Personal Care Council) when asked by an audience member at a beauty conference how the FDA determines if a cosmetic product is “safe”: “This is left up to the company. If a company says their product is safe, it can go on the market. So think again before you believe that saying FDA approved means anything when it comes to cosmetics. In essence the beauty big wigs are choosing themselves what ingredients are safe for us. I mean I’m no Erin Brockovich it’s easy to find all this information once I learned where to look. You owe it to yourself and your sisters, friends and mothers to learn.

Find out about how the European Union has banned chemicals that US companies fought to keep in their products even though evidence has shown how dangerous it is. Find out how companies like Estee Lauder and Revlon sell products flaunting the pink ribbon but refuse to take out chemicals in their makeup that may be causing the very disease they fight “so hard” against. It’s sickening actually.

Girls, we need to stop outsourcing our trust and find out what we’re putting in our bodies.

Visit CosmeticsDatabase.com, ResponsiblePurchasing.org, BigGreenPurse.com to find out how many toxic chemicals are in the products you use everyday. Did you know that I use nearly 15 products before I leave my house in the morning? How many do you use? Find out safer alternatives. I mean really is that fake fragranced chemical shampoo really worth it?

Now, I’m certainly not advocating that you “green up” your cosmetics bag overnight but there are little ways you can start. Like, get organic lipstick. Horst spoke about his research from the Mayo Clinic, which basically showed how toxic many lipglosses are and how putting something on your lips is the quickest way to get it into your bloodstream. Nice, right? He has since started a glorious brand called “Intelligent Nutrients,” which I just received samples from and have just begun testing the products…stay tuned on that! His speech though was truly inspirational and I am truly enamored by him.

Some quick tips that will help reduce toxic exposure:

Avoid products with the words fragrance on the label-You’ll see once you stop for a little, the scent of artificial fragrance will grow to make you nauseaus.

Avoid parabens

Don’t reuse plastic bottles even once!

La La La! We are so excited to get our hands on this stuff. Such nostalgia for this brand! I’m off to relive the glory days of Hard Candy pastel polishes, Clueless, and Contempo!

Not with me? WHATEVER!

The glorious brand is now available at Walmart!

Our disdain for the food system in our country is no secret.  After seeing the critically acclaimed film, Food, Inc. our eyes were opened about what is going on in our country’s food industry.

Read this CNN article to learn more about the dangers associated with improperly farmed meat! Did you know that the meat you eat could be the reason you get the flu? How sick is that? No pun intended!

This just solidifies our intense belief that you should only be eating organic meats! But don’t forget that means meat products as well! That this means you should drink organic milk as well as eat organic cheese. And remember, grass fed is your best bet! It’s worth the investment in your health.

Olsenboye, the Olsen’s oddly named Norwegian budget friendly collaboration, is slated to roll out in 600 JCPenney stores in February, but a limited-edition capsule collection will be in NYC stores yesterday! The line will be for Juniors but you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be squeezing my butt into some of the larger sizes.

The line is inspired by the twins hobo-style and NYC homeless look. We kid. We love their style and the collection should be great–and affordable (unlike Elizabeth and James).

Click here to read the NY Post article.

Label: Yves Saint Laurent
Deal: Up to 80% off original retail prices
When/Where: Wednesday, October 28 through Friday, October 30. Weds—Thurs 8am—8pm, Fri 8am—2pm. 123 West 18th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, fourth floor (212-463-0071)

Thanks for the tip, Racked.com!

Need a break from work? Watch this glorious video about the Financial Times we’re living in. It even has un peu Francais if you like that kind of thing. It’s seriously awesome. I can’t stop listening to the rap. Even though half is in French I keep hitting replay. The economy sucks. C’est La Vie. May as well laugh about it.