Robin is pregnant, and maybe partly because of that, or maybe because we haven’t had much sun here in Portland up until the last couple of weeks, she loves the brightness of Garnet, and the way it wakes up her complexion.  She said, “I like Garnet because it’s a bright, refreshing pop of color for paler skin, perfect for when you want a rosy cheek versus a bronzed look.”  Because she is expecting, Robin especially appreciates that she doesn’t need to worry about applying Garnet to her skin.  ”It seems like pregnant women have to be careful about everything, but I know this doesn’t have any dyes or harmful chemicals in it.”

We have to admit, we were a little surprised that Robin chose Garnet. After all, it is a bright, vivid shade (one of our top recommendations for deep skin tones), and Robin has relatively fair skin.  But once she showed us how great it looks on her, we were sold!  Her application tip is to use a fluffy brush, like our #23 Kitten Brush. Several of us immediately added Garnet to our personal wish-lists.  To her credit, Robin was surprised at our surprise.  She told us, “You shouldn’t be afraid of color–try something new!”  She’s right of course, and embracing a bright shade that we might otherwise overlook is a great way to break free from a color rut!

Sisters Jen Cortez and Becca Bighley opened The Hive in 2011 on NE Lowry Avenue in Minneapolis.  They had a vision of “the open-air vibe of old-school beauty parlors; a cheery interior, a variety of magazines for inspiration, hot coffee and teas, outgoing individuals, and amazing hair care products.”  In February of this year, they brought in Alima Pure to complete their product line-up.

AP:  Can you tell us a little about your background and past experience?

Hive:  I’ve (Jen) been a hairdresser for over ten years, and my sister Becca has been a hairdresser for over 5; we opened The Hive Salon last March where we focus on providing local, natural, and organic approaches to haircare and grooming. We’re one of the only dedicated Ammonia-Free salons in the area, and we eschew potentially toxic products and services, like ‘Brazilian Blowout’.

AP:  What inspired you to open your shop?

Hive:  I hit a point about 5 years ago in my career where I felt drained, sick, and tired. I would get headaches, nausea, burning eyes and more after only a few hours at work, and I would go home feeling like crap. Years of exposure were finally taking their toll on me. I was already buying organic food whenever possible, using non-toxic cleaning products at home, and had already begun switching to natural health and body care products on myself, so it seemed only right to break away and establish a salon where I could find, and provide the safest alternatives to conventional hair treatments.

AP:  What other brands do you carry?

Hive:  We carry haircare from Maxgreen Alchemy, Hairfix, John Masters Organics, Intelligent Nutrients, and Simply Organic- Intelligent Nutrients and Simply Organic are both Minnesota companies as well. We also carry non-toxic bug spray and environment aromas from Intelligent Nutrients, body care from John Masters Organics, and ammonia-free permanent hair color from Simply Organic.

AP:  Why did you decide to carry Alima Pure?

Hive:  Our goal is to become a ‘one stop eco-beauty shop’, so it was only natural to seek out a mineral makeup line. We chose Alima Pure because of their pure mineral bases; they’re so versatile! We love being able to wet the shadows and liners, or mix the pigments with beauty balms and serums, and the clients love that they don’t aggravate skin sensitivities.

AP:  What do people love about your shop?

Hive:  I think clients really love the open-air atmosphere in the salon- there aren’t any walls or partitions in the salon so it feels really bright and airy . Clients also love our forthcoming attitude about the ingredients we do and don’t use, and that we aren’t trying to sell hype .

AP:  How do you define beauty?

Hive:  Beauty is the ability to love yourself inside and out- no matter what!

AP:  What are other little ‘don’t miss’ gems in your neighborhood?

Hive:  I adore going to Sen Yai Sen Lek for Thai food and The Matchbox for coffee!

If you are in the area, definitely stop by The Hive and see what all the buzz is about! To find an Alima Pure store near you, please view our list of spas and boutiques that carry our products.

Here are some little known facts about our Amethyst: it’s the birthstone of Alima Pure founder, Kate O’Brien; it’s Kate’s favorite Pearluster Eyeshadow color; and it was the third eyeshadow ever created here at Alima Pure.

01. “Amethyst” 8×10 print 02. Trellis pillow cover 03. Lavender Converse 04. Pearluster Eyeshadow in Amethyst  05. Venini Bollie Vase 06. Quartz 07. On the Street…After Chloe, Paris

As a green makeup artist living and working in New York City, she is one of Alima Pure’s biggest champions, spreading the word about our products here and abroad.  And on a more personal level, as a former resident of our fair city, she “gets” our humor and appreciates how our surroundings have shaped Alima Pure.  To say we are thrilled to have Kristen in our corner would be a vast understatement, and we’re sure you will love her as much as we do.

AP:  What do you do for a living?

KA:  I’m a makeup artist! I am also a beauty writer for various sites, a speaker and teacher for workshops whenever possible on the art of makeup. I’m the founding editor in chief of GreenBeautyTeam.com which began as personal project but is now its own whole job.  So, the question is what don’t I do?

AP:  Is there an interesting story about how you came to be a makeup artist?

KA:  Yes, but then his article would be 10 pages long, at least. Let’s just say that at 13 years old I was making over everyone from my mom to my friends.  I was transfixed by transformation. I think at least 70% of what I know about makeup came out of the zillion times I watched the instructional VHS tape that came with my mom’s order of Victoria Jackson Cosmetics.  I sold makeup at a Merle Norman boutique while going to college and then worked for their headquarters after I graduated.  Finally giving up a full-time job to become a freelancer involved a lot of risk taking. It hasn’t been an easy road but it has been totally mine.

The natural/green angle that developed is completely the fault of (fellow makeup artist) May Lindstrom who’s skin looked completely fabulous with just natural products.  She’s the first person I had ever heard use the words “toxic” and “cosmetics” in the same sentence.  I started listening, researching and became a convert.  Of course she’s now an expert writer on Green Beauty Team too.

AP:  What do you do for fun?

KA:  Apparently I work on my website for fun because that’s what I do with my free time these days.  I also love to dance, walk in nature (what I can find in NYC) and eat amazing food.

AP:  Kids? Pets?

KA:  I love to borrow other people’s for the day but don’t have any of either.  I travel about 3-4 months of the year, so plants are the only living thing I feel I can be responsible for, and those still require a sitter!  I considered getting a gold fish the other day…but that’s a lot of cleaning.

AP:  What would you really like to tell people about yourself?

KA:  I think by now we are getting the sense that I’m a bit obsessed with makeup.  I’m snarky and yet compassionate.  I work hard to spread a message of self-love and health through beauty because I care so much about the world and I hope others will join with me and keep spreading a sense of generosity and caring.

AP:  Anything you want to mention that you really care about?

KA:  Again, we’d need 10 pages. I care about helping the world eliminate injustice and apathy. More than ever I think we are living during a time where tolerance isn’t enough.  We are one human family, on one planet with limited resources. If we truly loved ourselves and each other, we couldn’t do such destructive things to one another or to our earth any longer.  Is all this Pollyanna-esqe?  Maybe, but I’m doing my best to live in an respectful way.  Maybe one day someone will find a magic wand that infuses love and awakening into the hearts of humankind.

AP:  How do you define beauty?

KA:  There is so much that is beautiful, I can’t imagine that a concrete definition exists.  It is an un-definable essence that moves the heart and soul when we are still enough to appreciate whatever miracle stands before us.

AP:  What inspires you?

KA:  People and their creativity, their kindness, their growth, their diversity.  I was in Paris this February for fashion week and during my off-hours from work, I was snapping photos of everything and everyone that struck my fancy on the streets, in the subways, cafés.  Gestures, outfits, flowers, buildings, birds, and human interactions of love.  It was so inspiring to wrap myself in the cloak of an observer and hone in on life happening.

AP:  What scares you?

KA:  Besides the cockroaches and rats of New York?  When it comes to my career and life I take big risks and if it scares me then I know I’m really moving towards something out of the box, which for me is a great direction!  ”If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.” – Lowell Lundstrum

I don’t know if scared is the right word here but I am often worried about the lack of awareness in society about health, mentally and physically; including people who are intolerant of others, have anger inside of them and act it out onto others.

AP:  What is the worst mistake you have ever made?

KA:  Along with risk-taking comes a lot of mistakes, so a “worst” is kind of hard to define especially because I try to learn something and come away stronger and better from the choices I make.  I’ve done so much dumb stuff, though; every day I do something that mystifies me.  I think the worst choices I’ve made have come about because I didn’t listen to my intuition. That includes the time I fell down an entire story of cement stairs on ice.  Something told me not to walk down and yet, I did and it changed the rest of my life.

But something I did that I really wish I could take back…worshiping the sun during my entire youth.  I spent whole afternoons just baking away to get my pale skin to be golden brown…and I SO regret that now.

AP:  What’s always in your handbag?

KA:  Living in NYC my purse is what other people use the trunks of their cars for.  So everything is in there but the kitchen sink.  My wallet, cell phone, tissue, Clean Well natural hand sanitizer (in Orange Vanilla scent – yum!), business cards (never missing an opportunity to promote), bobby pins, a notebook, pen, iPod, headphones, Sigg water bottle, hand lotion and an assortment of about 4 lip balms/colors floating around (way too many!).  Generally I have one or two Alima Lip Balms in that mix, usually Fig and Cranberry.

AP:  What makes you feel beautiful?

KA:  It depends on the day; sometimes it’s something superficial like wearing beautiful clothes, lovely jewelry, a great lipstick or having a killer hair day.  Other times, it’s dancing, singing laughing and having an incredible connection with someone.

AP:  What surprises people about you?

KA:  Oh, probably a lot!  Number one is that I rarely look in the mirror and rather frequently I’ll forget to put makeup on before going out.  Not what one would expect from a makeup artist!

Depending on what sort of environment people first meet me in, some people will form an opinion and be rather startled if they see me in a another context.  I will change up my outfits, hair and makeup just enough to take on a different look/energy to match the person I choose to be seen as in different situations.  I think we all do this to some degree. I can really play around with it since I know the art of transformation after being in this business for so long.

AP:  Who would you invite to your fantasy dinner party?  (Living or deceased, from different eras, no rules!)

KA:  This is a really tough question.  I think I’d have about 400 people there.  So let’s see…Buddha, Jesus, Eckart Tolle, Sylvia Brown, Marianne Williamson, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, someone from ancient Pompeii in Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, Queen Elizabeth (mostly for the dress)…yeah, I could keep going, so you get the picture.

AP:  If you were given an all-expense-paid, week-long vacation that you had to take next week, where in the world would you go and what would you do?

KA:  Why, are you going to surprise me at the end of this interview with a trip?! 

AP:  We both wish THAT was the case!

KA:  OK, just a week and my to-visit list is so long!  Since it’s an all expense paid trip I have to pick somewhere expensive because it would be a waste to go to Cancun on someone else’s dime.  I would do quick tour of Japan; Kyoto and Osaka.  I’m open to suggestions though. I would do what I do everywhere else I visit. Eat the best food I could find that the locals enjoy, see beautiful nature and/or sacred places and get a lot of spa treatments!

To get Kristen’s look:

Kristen did her own makeup for the shoot, and used Satin Matte Foundation in Neutral 2 with some Satin Matte Blush in Pink on her cheeks.  Satin Matte Eyeshadow in Camellia was her base shade, with Satin Matte Eyeliner in Onyx used on the lid as a shadow.  Then (because after all, she’s a makeup artist) she used Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow in Navy as her liner.  Luminous Shimmer Powder in Lumina highlighted her brow and cheek bones, and she finished the look with Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Rhubarb.

What we’re packing:

01. More Sun From Maracaibo Duo 02. Beach Blanket 03.Tortoise Sunglasses 04. LemLem Helina Dress 05. Nourishing Organic Lip Balm in Natural 06. Wide Brim Hat 07. Portable Medium Radio 08. Large Basket Bag

More Sun from Maracaibo

For the fairest of the fair-skinned, try More Sun from Maracaibo. If you have avoided bronzers because they look dark and orange, or even dirty on your fair skin, Maracaibo is the bronzer  you always thought didn’t exist.   Alima Pure believes everyone, no matter how fair-skinned, deserves to be able to fake a sun-kissed glow, and Maracaibo goes beautifully with Luminous Shimmer Blush in Freja.

Aloha from Mauna Loa

If you have light skin, you might appreciate Aloha from Mauna Loa.  Mauna Loa gives you a hint of matte warmth that never looks orange, and Leigh Luminous Shimmer Blush adds a pop of pure pink and a whisper of subtle shimmer to the apples of the cheeks. Who’s ready for drinks on the lanai? You are.

Tropical Glow from Trinidad

For deeper skin tones, Tropical Glow from Trinidad is your perfect summer pairing.  Bronzer isn’t just for fair skin!  The deep, matte bronze of Trinidad gives you the hue you can normally only accomplish with a week in the tropics.  Then, Sospiro Luminous Shimmer Blush brings a lively flush to the cheek, so you look like you just came in from the surf!

Beachside in Belize

If you prefer a shimmer bronzer, we’ve still got you covered.  Light- to medium-toned skins will do best with Beachside in Belize, a combination of our subtly shimmery Belize Bronzer and our cool, pink Satin Matte Blush in Raspberry.  This duo is perfect for dancing barefoot on the beach after sunset…or for just looking like you could.

Seaside in Seychelles

Medium- to deep-toned skins will appreciate the depth of Seaside in Seychelles, an unbeatable combination of shimmer Bronzer Seychelles and Satin Matte Blush in Geranium.  Subtle shimmer makes Seychelles resemble a fresh tan by candle light; while Geranium provides the pop of pink that normally occurs when someone remarks on your gorgeous tan.

To wear these duos, start with your bronzer and brush.  We recommend our #23 Kitten Brush if you want the most subtle and natural glow, but you can also use the #21 Buff Brush or #17 Blush Brush.  Apply your bronzer where the sun would hit your face; the cheekbones, forehead and along the jaw.  Finish with a touch down the bridge of your nose.  Then apply your blush just to the apples of the cheeks.  (Can’t find your cheek apples?  Smile!  There they are!)  Now you look like you have been outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine, even if you really have been sitting at your desk all day.

We applied these shades to Noelle’s beautiful blue eyes to show you how effective they can be.  We started with Vanilla Satin Matte Eyeshadow from her lashes to brow, using the #37 Eye Blending Brush.  Then, with the #36 Pointed Crease Brush, Palomino Luminous Shimmer Eyeshadow went on the lid and extended slightly into the crease.  The #36 brush works great for packing more color onto the lid because of the compact shape of the bristles.  The finishing touch was Luminous Shimmer Eyeliner in Illusion, applied with a damp #31 Fine Lining Brush.  When Noelle looks into the camera, although not a lot of eyelid shows, but as you can see, it still emphasizes her beautiful blue eyes!

Noelle is also wearing her Satin Matte Foundation in Beige 2, Luminous Shimmer Blush in Freja and Organic Nourishing Lip Balm in Mango.

But until it does turn into a tan, consider toning down your sunburn with Pistachio!  Alima Pure’s Color Balancing Powder in Pistachio is perfect for toning down unwanted red, and although that usually refers to redness from rosacea or allergies, Pistachio is an equal-opportunity red-fighter; sunburn and windburn also fade away under this soft green powder.

Of course, having Pistachio in your collection doesn’t mean that you should skip the sunscreen…far from it!  But sometimes, no matter how hard you try to reapply, you end up with too much sun.  When you do, just buff on Pistachio with your #15 Flat Top Foundation Brush, #21 Buff Brush or #25 Foundation Brush, and follow with your regular foundation.  Or, if your sunburn is on your body, skip the foundation and just let Pistachio do all the work.  You’ll be amazed at how efficient it can be!

One of the easiest changes for some of us has been switching to reusable shopping bags.  For the “big” grocery trip, this is usually a no-brainer; you just have to remember to take your bags into the store from the car.  Once you are in the habit, having reusable bags on hand is pretty easy. The impromptu trips, however, were finding us in need of a bag!  You know the situations: you need a head of lettuce and a dozen eggs on the way home from work, or you slip into the drugstore to stock up on a few essentials.  We usually don’t even think about needing a bag until the store associate begins bagging our products into a wasteful plastic bag.  (Or a paper bag if you are inside the city limits of Portland or a growing number of other cities!)

Our solution to this little issue is having a handy tote that fits inside a small pouch right inside our handbags.  This way, as soon as the clerk begins to put our items into plastic, we can say, “Oh wait!  I have my own bag!”  Having a bag as bright and adorable as the one pictured here is an added bonus, and it just so happens to be our Earth Day gift with purchase, offered this week only.

Baggu makes some of our favorite bags; we love them because they are roomy and strong, and come in a wide variety of fun colors and prints.  We enjoy them so much, we had some made just for our customers!  With any order totaling $75 or more (placed now until Monday, April 23 at 2 pm PST) you will receive a bright green Alima Pure Baggu bag, while supplies last.  And, if you’re curious about just how much a Baggu bag can hold, follow us on Facebook and/or Twitter this week!