Forget pretty in pink; go gorgeous in green

Jennifer Helen Shenouda

Not to suggest that you should set aside all of your pink accessories this summer (pink, after all, is the official colour of breast cancer awareness) but certainly adding a few eco-friendly items to your shopping cart can’t hurt. Especially, since the variety of earth conscious products out there can work wonders on your makeup and wardrobe routine, pamper your precious baby, step up your home decor, and add some extra craftiness to your art creations. In celebration of The Chronicle’s third annual green issue, here are a few local hits that will have you seeing -- and being -- a whole lot greener.

Green is for beauty and baby

Got an itch for non-itchy, synthetic-free beauty products? The West Island offers a number of lines for earth-embracing beauty bliss. Your best bet is Zia and Tia, a company that offers a wide range of organic, fair-trade and vegan products. The web-based, Beaconsfield business carries the much desired mother-child skincare line Earth Mama Angel Baby, as well as vegan makeup products by Sevi. Zia and Tia make sure to list the ingredients in their products on their site, and also encourage you to check out Skin Deep, a cosmetic safety database that actually rates the purity of the products you are using. While you’re browsing their site, Zia and Tia also offer anything from organic linens to baby wear and slings, vegan treats to animal care products. For more info: www.ziaandtia.com.

Also, to get to the root of your skin care problems: Laboratoires Druide has been around since the late 1970s, and is an eco-conscious skincare company that started in rural Quebec and is now located in Pointe Claire. For more info: www.druide.ca

Green is for fashion and home decor

For women’s eco-fashion, the Montreal-based organic wear company Grace and Cello evoke dreams of cherry blossoms. Their clothes are classic and comfy (think modern Audrey Hepburn) and use materials that have as minimal a harmful effect on the environment as possible. Check out www.graceandcello.com or go visit the downtown stores that distribute their merchandise and other eco-savvy brands: Harmony Code (123 Mount Royal O.) or Rien à Cacher (4141 St.Denis) or Belle et Rebelle (6321 St. Hubert.)

Another clothing idea that can impact the environment in a positive way is simply to organize clothing-swap parties. It’s as easy as getting a few friends (and drinks) together to exchange clothes, rather then dispose of them. It’s a great way to update one’s look, without over-spending or travelling too far from your vintage couch.

For colourful home décor and jewellery accessories check out Pointe Claire’s Dix Milles Villages: this nifty, fair trade store features the work of world artisans’ who carefully craft anything from bamboo coffee tables, bird houses, and Zulu beadwork to recycled newspaper necklaces. And for those who put in late hours at the office, they offer an eclectic variety of desk accessories. For more information, check www.tenthousandvillages.ca.



Green is for arts and crafts

Who knew that cheap beads and other crafting accessories could be a class act for the environment? Visit www.etsy.com, type in organic art supplies, and you’ll get a list of local and continental suppliers for anything from alpaca yarn to sandstone pendants. For scrapbook fanatics, many of their featured stores tags are fabricated from recycled papers.

If you are more of a do-it-yourself craftster, the cheapest way to be resourceful is to conserve the bows, ribbons and wrapping from previous gifts, so they can be re-used. Ribbons are also perfect for fancying up cloth napkins and embellishing wine glasses.

It’s nice to know that this summer, green is a look that suits everyone, even the not-so-slinky silhouette of our lovely mother, earth.