I am very excited to see that FEED Totes from Big City Beauty’s favorite eco-charity, FEED Projects, are being featured on Gilt.com.  Along with TOMS Shoes and the limited-edition T-shirts by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, all net proceeds from the sale of FEED Totes and these other items will benefit charities directly assisting victims of the earthquake.  The sale ends on February 26th at 9:00pm EST, so please head on over to Gilt.com and check the sale out.  It’s free to sign up and your contribution will go a very long way!

Until next time…  xoxo

Hey girls!  As many of you know, M.A.C. VIVA GLAM and M.A.C. AIDS Fund are two very noteworthy programs that M.A.C. Cosmetics established in 1994 where every cent of the selling price from the Viva Glam line is donated to support men, women, and children living with HIV and AIDS.  With spokespeople like Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Pamela Anderson, and Dita Von Teese (among many fabulous others) heading their past campaigns, the VIVA GLAM campaign ads have become something M.A.C. makeup fans look forward to.  Well M.A.C. has now chosen two new incredible artists to represent the generations of women affected by this epidemic.  Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga are now gracing the VIVA GLAM ads you will be seeing and are helping to promote the sale of VIVA GLAM’s two new lip colors called Cyndi and Gaga.

Cyndi is a light coral-red

Gaga is a cool blue-pink

Now I am absolutely loving Gaga and definitely plan to stop by my local M.A.C. counter to try it out since these two colors will only be available for a limited time.  I hope you all will too as this is such a great cause and you can rest assured that every single penny you spend on the VIVA GLAM line will go directly towards the M.A.C. AIDS Fund.  And don’t forget that all of their past launches for VIVA GLAM can still be purchased as well so definitely check them out too!

Until next time girls…  xoxo

FEED Projects, along with their parent charity the FEED Foundation, has established the FEED Haiti Fund to maintain WFP school feeding.  In times of emergency, many funds to provide immediate support to victims are drawn from long standing development programs such as WFP (World Food Programme).  With every contribution made through the FEED Haiti Fund, we will be ensuring that the children of Haiti along with their families are receiving aid.  In addition to any monetary contributions, FEED Projects will also donate any profit made from the sale of FEED 1 and FEED 2 bags from January until June directly to the FEED Haiti Fund to ensure that the children of Haiti will continue to receive help.  Please click the Help Haiti Now button below to make a direct donation or visit FEEDProjects.com to purchase one of their contributing bags.  Thank you all for your consideration in this effort and please help me spread the word on the many other ways you can help Haiti.

My heart and prayers are with you, Haiti…  xoxo

Now without further ado, here are your three winners:

First Place

Debbie C

FEED Projects

Why BCB chose this winner: Not only does FEED Projects make eco-friendly and fair products that raise funds for their organization, it has fed over 100 million starving children in almost 90 countries. With their charity, they have provided food in schools all over the world to stop hunger as well as end the poverty cycle. By providing food to children in these schools that don’t have the necessary funds, they have greatly improved the attendance and performance rates of these young children. It is such an amazing charity that has definitely touched my heart just by doing research on it. And how awesome is it that it was co-founded by a beautiful fashion model!?! I cannot wait to find ways for BCB to contribute to FEED Projects. Thank you, Debbie!

Second Place

Katie C

Keep America Beautiful

Why BCB chose this winner: Just read the following quote from their website and you will understand why a blog like Big City Beauty would love to be affiliated with Keep America Beautiful… “Our organization’s mission revolves around a core belief that beauty is a silent but powerful force that makes communities safer, healthier and more livable. “Beauty” is in our name, it’s the result of everything we do and it’s what our organization is all about – citizens, government and businesses uniting to create better communities and contributing to a more beautiful world. We know that when a community and its residents unite with beautification as a common purpose, transformations occur not only in the physical surroundings, but in the hearts and minds of everyone involved.”

Third Place

Courtney

Environmental Working Group

Why BCB chose this winner: EWG is an organization that uses the power of public information to protect public health and the environment. Through their research they have developed Skin Deep, a useful tool that consumers like myself use often, to provide a safety guide for cosmetics and personal care products. In addition to Skin Deep, they have created the Shopper’s Guide to Safe Cosmetics all while continually campaigning for national policy changes that will end the damage done to our environment and natural resources. It’s an organization with lots of information that any beauty buyer should take advantage of.

And there they are! Thank you again to everyone that participated and stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon on BCB!!!

Until next time everybody… xoxo

During my recent trainings with Caudalie, I fell even more in love with the company and their philosophy.  In 1993, a young, beautiful couple was giving a tour of their vineyard to Professor Vercauteren, a professor of the Pharmacy Faculty of Bordeaux.  On this tour, the professor had asked the couple what they did with the unused grape seeds from their harvest and proceeded to explain to them how these seeds contained polyphenols, the most powerful antioxidant in the plant world.  With the professor’s anti-aging research, and Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas’ passion for skin care and their vineyard, Caudalie was born.

What most people don’t know about Caudalie is that they were the first company to discover and use stabilized polyphenols in cosmetics.  In addition to this groundbreaking patent, Caudalie also has patents on Resveratrol (which stimulates cellular renewal) and Viniferine (which promotes radiance and treats dark spots).  Another fascinating fact about the company is that they were at the forefront of eco-beauty before it became what it is today.  Their products are free of parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oil, artificial colorings or sodium laureth sulfate.  In addition, no ingredients of animal origin are used, products are not tested on animals and a maximum of natural active ingredients can be found in all of their products.

With their devotion to skin care research and the environment, Caudalie has not only grown to be my favorite eco-beauty line, but a part of my life now as well. 

So without further ado, I would love to present to you the THREE prizes I have to offer for Big City Beauty’s End of the Year Giveaway:

First Place

Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa in a Box

Second Place

Caudalie Fleur de Vigne Fresh Energizing Fragrance

Third Place

Caudalie Beauty from the Vine Sample Pack

For a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes, pay close attention to the following:

Big City Beauty is in search of a green charity to partner with.  So I am leaving it up to you guys to help me find the perfect match.  Submit your ideas by clicking here by December 25^th at 11:59pm EST and the top three charities I think will be just right for BCB will be considered for these three prizes.  After I do my own research on these submissions, the winners will be announced on January 1^st, 2010.  And like all contest held here, you must be either a Fan on Facebook or a Follower on Twitter to qualify.  So don’t forget to give me your Facebook or Twitter name with your entry.

The best of luck to you all!  And thank you again for being such wonderful and supportive readers.

Until next time my pretties…  xoxo

P.S. – To book a facial with yours truly in the new year and experience the magic of a Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa Treatment, call 212.265.3182 and request a facial with Lia!