GREEN THUMB

green and gorgeous

Now that you know what to wear to save the environment, how about doing the same with your beauty routine? Just like fashion, the beauty industry has made vast improvements to its eco-friendly products.

"For a long time women felt they had to compromise quality if they went green," said Genevieve Monsma, Shape magazine's beauty director. "Now, you can find makeup that, if you didn't read the ingredients list, you would have no idea was eco-friendly."

The only products you might notice a difference with, Monsma says, are shampoo and fragrance. Most earth-friendly shampoos don't contain sulfate, the ingredient that lathers your hair, but that doesn't make them inferior. "We're used to thinking of lather as clean but lather has nothing to do with it. (Sulfate-free) products absolutely can get your hair clean," she said.

As for fragrance, the scent doesn't last as long, which is why most earth-friendly fragrances come in rollerballs and purse sizes. Reapplication is key.

If you don't know where to start the green process, first examine your current regimen and determine where you're willing to make substitutions. Monsma recommends sticking to can't-live-without items and instead replacing products you aren't loyal to. If you can, kickstart things with your skin-care routine. "Because a greater geography on the body is involved and skin care is where the greatest strides have been taken." Jurlique, Stella McCartney and Burt's Bees, to name a few, all demonstrate an equal commitment to quality and the environment.

Although most eco-friendly cosmetic lines still pose a challenge to color-craving consumers, lines such as Jane Iredale have embraced vibrant shades that extend far past the earthtones on the color wheel. The barely there look still reigns, though. "Across the board it still isn't as dynamic in color as MAC but give it time," Monsma said. "The demand is getting greater and when there's a demand the companies listen."

Whether your vanity boasts a plethora of green beauty products or none, here are a few ways you can still do your part.

1. Make smart choices: If you have a 10-step skin-care regime you'll have 10 bottles to throw in the trash when you're done. Pare it down.

2. Pay attention to packaging: And we don't mean how pretty it is. Look for the green arrows forming a triangle so you can recycle your beauty.

3. Avoid waste: Do you really need five cotton balls to remove your eye makeup? One should do it.

4. Save energy: When you're done using your curling iron, blow dryer and flat iron -- unplug them.

Stylist: Susan Stapleton for the Review-Journal

Stylist's Assistant: Ashley Bowman

Shot on location at Springs Preserve

Contact Xazmin Garza at xgarza@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0477. Contact Image Editor Susan Stapleton at sstapleton@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2909.