For a couple years, my friend Heather has been inviting me to attend a meeting of the Citizens' Climate Lobby, a local chapter of a national organization that she's a part of it. It sounded like a great group, I just never was available or managed to get to one of their monthly meetings.
Finally, in November, I did! And it's a really nice welcoming group, as well as a cause that I think is important, so I wanted share a bit about how the meeting works, and what they're working towards.
Also: Today, for Giving Tuesday (December 1), there's a $80,000 matching grant, for all donations. (While CCL is a political organization, donations are made via a related organization that is a 501(c)(3) for tax-deductible contributions.)
While obviously taking steps in your own life to reduce your own impact on the environment is important, CCL is working towards making big changes by lobbying politicians to follow the will of the people, and gathering support to show that the will of the people is to reduce carbon emissions. The big project is supporting a carbon fee proposal, which makes the environmental cost of using resources into an economic cost, thus providing incentive to reduce it. Actions are taken to contact politicians, as well as write in letters to get published in newspapers.
The meeting
It's a really welcoming group, it skews a bit on the older side (50s - 60s), but there were some younger people there, including the two main leaders. T opened with a little reading, and we went around the circle introducing ourselves and giving our reaction to the reading (which was... a little hippy dippy for my taste, perhaps, but was nonetheless a decent way of leading introductions).
At 10:00, we called into the national conference call - this is set up so that all chapters are meeting at that time (10 am on the west coast, 1 pm on the east coast, and in between). There was discussion of some ongoing actions, and the main speaker (for about 20 - 30 minutes, I think) was Rob Williams, an economist. He talked about some studies done on the impact of the proposed carbon tax, relating it back to the consumers to whom businesses would pass on the cost, and ways to return the money to them to make it a less regressive approach. (It was the perfect intro the topic for a tax preparer like me!)
After the conference call and a short break, we paired off for "laser talk" practice. There was a set topic sheet for the month, this one about how rural voters would benefit from a carbon fee and dividend model. It addresses concerns that people who live rurally (and thus have more transportation needs) would be hit harder by a tax on fuel. This handout gives data that in fact, we use more fossil fuel through the consumption of goods, rather than transportation and utilities. Thus, higher-income people who buy more things will be more impacted by a carbon tax, and can adjust their consumption accordingly.
In our pairs, we each read the hand out (a brief, maybe 2-minute spiel) out loud to each other, then discussed. The point is to get you familiar with the talking points and the facts, and comfortable talking about them, so it's easier to pull them up in conversation.
Mention was also made of the Climate Change Conference happening in Paris (which began this week). I believe there are some delegates from CCL there to encourage the specific proposals that they believe would be beneficial.
Finally, we reported on actions taken and opportunities to take in the next month. Members are encouraged to write to legislators to promote eco-friendly bills, as well as write letters to the editor in response to articles related to the environment, such as about the Paris conference. There are bigger actions that some are working on, like finding big name people who can "endorse" CCL's proposals, giving it more leverage to others who can have influence. The group also tries to build community and socializing into their actions, such as a social night (that I unfortunately couldn't attend) during this month to view "This Changes Everything", and monthly dinner meetings to write letters together to the editor or legislators.
Social Action Night
I went to the regularly scheduled night for letter writing this month; I hadn't gotten around to signing up for the online forum yet, so I didn't see the announcement that the SW location one had been canceled for that day. But another couple from the group had also missed the memo and shown up, so I got to know them and we had a lovely conversation and dinner together.
My understanding is that normally, the group leader will bring some hot topics and letter templates to discuss and use a base for writing letters. It sounds like it's normally a really great social and educational night.
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Wedding Crap: Preserving the Dress
(See introduction and disclaimer to this series here, and other posts in the series here.)
What is the tradition?
After spending a great deal of money and emotional energy purchasing a fancy white dress, women have it cleaned, and then "preserved" (according to google, the verb can also be "heirloomed") by storing it in an acid-free storage option or otherwise protecting from the elements, probably padding the bodice and sleeves to prevent permanent creasing. The dress is then kept, in one's guest room closet or attic (or, if you're my mother, somewhere in the house with not a clue any more of where, exactly), to be kept for the ages.
What is the origin of the tradition?
It seems to be connected with extravagant, royal weddings of the past few centuries, where the dress in question might actually be worthy of being an heirloom. In many cases, the historical importance of a wedding might actually make this true.
Why do people still follow it?
In part, I'm sure, because the high cost of the dress makes it seem inherently worthy, somehow, of being preserved or otherwise treated as an investment or quality heirloom.
It's one of those things that you're "supposed" to do, not only because of the "investment" of the dress, but because you're supposed to hold the dress in great sentimental value, which according to our culture means you must hold on to the actual object, not merely reflect fondly on it through pictures.
I assume some also continue to hold delusions that they will one day have daughters, and those daughters will want to wear their dress (even though, these people saving the dress for their daughters... are probably saving a dress they bought, not their own mother's dress because they didn't want to use a heirloom themselves).
I also have a feeling that, even if the wedding dress industry hasn't had quite the same direct hand in this as the diamond industry has had in their "traditions", they certainly don't mind the lack of a solid second-hand market.
Why is that crap?
Um, I hate to break it to you, but your $99 polyester dress from David's Bridal is not, and never will be, a family heirloom. (And no shade to David's Bridal! I bought a dress there for a prior engagement (sold at a consignment shop after the engagement was broken off). If you're going to take part in consumerism, at least don't spend your life savings in the process. But, the quality really does make it the Walmart of wedding dresses.)
If you're spending enough for the dress to actually be a quality product worth saving, then odds are high that's it's also of a more trendy style. You really think that 30 years down the road, a Pnina gown studded with rhinestones and feathers is going to be even remotely in style? It will look just as silly in 2045 as the puffy sleeves of the 1980s look to us now.
Sometimes, perhaps, enough time has passed that a dress becomes retro enough to be back in style, or at least a cute nod to the past. I thought my mom's dress, even though not quite my style, was cute enough that I didn't completely hate the idea of it (especially as a reaction to the cookie cutter strapless dresses that everyone was wearing 5 - 10 years ago). But still, give your hypothetical daughter the choice of picking her own dress, rather than guilting her into using yours.
Hoarding your dress for the rest of eternity means that every other bride then goes to buy a brand new one, using up that much more of our resources, and taking up that much more space on the planet, spending that much more money. Wasting something so large and so expensive for mere sentimentality is ridiculous. Save a scrap of lace from your veil, if you must, don't save a box that will take up half the closet in your guest room.
What am I doing with this tradition?
My dress was in the first batch of stuff donated to Goodwill post-wedding. Even though I deliberately bought a style that could conceivably be used again, I really didn't plan to - I liked the style, just still a bit much for any occasion I ever need a dress for (I've also now lost enough weight I couldn't wear it anyway). No sense in keeping it in my closet while I dithered, I'd much rather know it's being used by someone else in the world.
And my dress wasn't the one my mom saved! If she'd been able to find it, I would have considered somehow working her veil or fabric from her dress into the wedding somehow, but there was no way I would even fit into her dress at the time, much less want to wear the style. (I kind of thought the idea of reworking into my style would be a fun challenge, but realistically it was not a stress that would be have beneficial to add to the already hecticness of wedding planning.)
I found this post that gives some nice ideas of alternative to keeping the dress.
How did/will you handle this tradition?
I would love to have a lively debate and conversation in the comments! Please join in!
Dissenting opinions (from the post itself or other commenters) are welcome, but I reserve the right to delete any comments that personally attack me or any other commenter.
What is the tradition?
After spending a great deal of money and emotional energy purchasing a fancy white dress, women have it cleaned, and then "preserved" (according to google, the verb can also be "heirloomed") by storing it in an acid-free storage option or otherwise protecting from the elements, probably padding the bodice and sleeves to prevent permanent creasing. The dress is then kept, in one's guest room closet or attic (or, if you're my mother, somewhere in the house with not a clue any more of where, exactly), to be kept for the ages.
What is the origin of the tradition?
It seems to be connected with extravagant, royal weddings of the past few centuries, where the dress in question might actually be worthy of being an heirloom. In many cases, the historical importance of a wedding might actually make this true.
Why do people still follow it?
In part, I'm sure, because the high cost of the dress makes it seem inherently worthy, somehow, of being preserved or otherwise treated as an investment or quality heirloom.
It's one of those things that you're "supposed" to do, not only because of the "investment" of the dress, but because you're supposed to hold the dress in great sentimental value, which according to our culture means you must hold on to the actual object, not merely reflect fondly on it through pictures.
I assume some also continue to hold delusions that they will one day have daughters, and those daughters will want to wear their dress (even though, these people saving the dress for their daughters... are probably saving a dress they bought, not their own mother's dress because they didn't want to use a heirloom themselves).
I also have a feeling that, even if the wedding dress industry hasn't had quite the same direct hand in this as the diamond industry has had in their "traditions", they certainly don't mind the lack of a solid second-hand market.
Why is that crap?
Um, I hate to break it to you, but your $99 polyester dress from David's Bridal is not, and never will be, a family heirloom. (And no shade to David's Bridal! I bought a dress there for a prior engagement (sold at a consignment shop after the engagement was broken off). If you're going to take part in consumerism, at least don't spend your life savings in the process. But, the quality really does make it the Walmart of wedding dresses.)
If you're spending enough for the dress to actually be a quality product worth saving, then odds are high that's it's also of a more trendy style. You really think that 30 years down the road, a Pnina gown studded with rhinestones and feathers is going to be even remotely in style? It will look just as silly in 2045 as the puffy sleeves of the 1980s look to us now.
Sometimes, perhaps, enough time has passed that a dress becomes retro enough to be back in style, or at least a cute nod to the past. I thought my mom's dress, even though not quite my style, was cute enough that I didn't completely hate the idea of it (especially as a reaction to the cookie cutter strapless dresses that everyone was wearing 5 - 10 years ago). But still, give your hypothetical daughter the choice of picking her own dress, rather than guilting her into using yours.
Hoarding your dress for the rest of eternity means that every other bride then goes to buy a brand new one, using up that much more of our resources, and taking up that much more space on the planet, spending that much more money. Wasting something so large and so expensive for mere sentimentality is ridiculous. Save a scrap of lace from your veil, if you must, don't save a box that will take up half the closet in your guest room.
What am I doing with this tradition?
My dress was in the first batch of stuff donated to Goodwill post-wedding. Even though I deliberately bought a style that could conceivably be used again, I really didn't plan to - I liked the style, just still a bit much for any occasion I ever need a dress for (I've also now lost enough weight I couldn't wear it anyway). No sense in keeping it in my closet while I dithered, I'd much rather know it's being used by someone else in the world.
And my dress wasn't the one my mom saved! If she'd been able to find it, I would have considered somehow working her veil or fabric from her dress into the wedding somehow, but there was no way I would even fit into her dress at the time, much less want to wear the style. (I kind of thought the idea of reworking into my style would be a fun challenge, but realistically it was not a stress that would be have beneficial to add to the already hecticness of wedding planning.)
I found this post that gives some nice ideas of alternative to keeping the dress.
How did/will you handle this tradition?
I would love to have a lively debate and conversation in the comments! Please join in!
Dissenting opinions (from the post itself or other commenters) are welcome, but I reserve the right to delete any comments that personally attack me or any other commenter.
Friday, December 19, 2014
Rod & Ring: A DIY Alternative Christmas Tree
Growing up my family had a fake Christmas tree, but it was all I knew so I've never missed the experience of picking out or cutting down a real one. Plus, though I don't have any true moral issues with real trees, I just don't really like the idea of cutting one down just to have it in my house for a month (I'm similarly not a fan of cut flowers). Yet having a fake tree, which (1) requires storage somewhere for 11 months of the year and (2) is made of plastic and is part of the big commercialism of the holiday, isn't ideal to me either.
Once I was living on my own, I decided to have a real real tree - that is, an actual living tree in a pot (to be set outside during the majority of the year). However, I ended up killing at least two such trees, so it turned out to not be such an environmentally-friendly option for me. Abe would be able to keep it alive now, but he just wasn't excited about the idea.
But I still wanted something! I found a few ideas - this book tree is intriguing, but we don't have enough books to make it work. I also like this spiral tree, but wasn't sure what materials would be readily available and easy to work with (tagboard?) yet also sturdy enough (metal of some sort?). Then I came across this pole tree - it's actually a product for sale, but I was pretty sure I could make a smaller version of it myself.
Once I figured out the best assembly method, this was quite easy to put together, and will be just as easy to collapse and store in minimal space until next year. It's also quite cheap: the core items are 6 dowels at $0.99 each and an embroidery ring for $1.99 - under $8 for the main supplies. I also bought two bottles of paint at $1.39 each (but this could also be done with a natural wood look instead of painting) and two 22' light strands ($2.99 each at Target), and used a paintbrush and low-temp glue gun already owned.
Supplies needed:
Once I was living on my own, I decided to have a real real tree - that is, an actual living tree in a pot (to be set outside during the majority of the year). However, I ended up killing at least two such trees, so it turned out to not be such an environmentally-friendly option for me. Abe would be able to keep it alive now, but he just wasn't excited about the idea.
But I still wanted something! I found a few ideas - this book tree is intriguing, but we don't have enough books to make it work. I also like this spiral tree, but wasn't sure what materials would be readily available and easy to work with (tagboard?) yet also sturdy enough (metal of some sort?). Then I came across this pole tree - it's actually a product for sale, but I was pretty sure I could make a smaller version of it myself.
Once I figured out the best assembly method, this was quite easy to put together, and will be just as easy to collapse and store in minimal space until next year. It's also quite cheap: the core items are 6 dowels at $0.99 each and an embroidery ring for $1.99 - under $8 for the main supplies. I also bought two bottles of paint at $1.39 each (but this could also be done with a natural wood look instead of painting) and two 22' light strands ($2.99 each at Target), and used a paintbrush and low-temp glue gun already owned.
Supplies needed:- 6 wooden dowels, 36" long and 7/16" in diameter
- 1 embroidery ring, 12" wide (just the inner portion)
- Paint and paintbrush for the dowels and ring, if desired - I used a white base plus silver glitter paint
- 7 twist-ties (I used ones that came on the Christmas lights bought for this project)
- Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
- Christmas lights
- Measuring tape and pencil
1. Unless leaving the dowels and ring with natural wood finishes, paint all pieces before assembling. My tip for painting these awkwardly shaped items: do half at a time; while the painted portions are drying, stick the dowels in a vase or pitcher, and hold up the ring with a clip on a chair rung. I did two coats of white paint to fully cover, followed by one coat of the semi-transparent silver glitter paint.
2. Measure the circumference of the ring (if 12" diameter, that'll be 38") and divide by 6 (6 1/3"); then make 6 equally spaced (every 6 1/3") marks on the top of the ring. On the dowels, make marks 12" up from the bottom (the ones I bought had black marks on one end - each size of dowels was coded in a different color - so I used that end as the bottom, and painted the other end to be the top).
3. Matching up the measured-out marks on the ring and dowels, use a twist-tie to connect the dowels to the ring. These should be tight enough so the dowels won't just slip out, but loose enough to be able to slightly maneuver and angle the dowel.
4. Stand it upright (with the end with the ring closer to the ground), and pull in the dowels at the top, creating a sort of "teepee" overlapping. Use the final twist-tie to hold these in place.
5. Your tree is now put together! To provide some additional stability, I put a small drop of hot glue on each dowel where it's connected to the ring, and where each dowel is pulled together with the twist-tie at the top.
6. Cover with lights! It would also be lovely with tinsel or garland (per the original inspiration). If you're using the same dimensions as mine, two strands with 22' of lights (24' total length) will do the trick; if you adjust the size of the tree or want more or less density of lights, here's the formula for figuring out how to properly space the wrapped lights to have enough, courtesy of my engineering-student-husband:
Take the average diameter (diameter at top = 0, diameter at bottom = 19, rounded to 20; average = 10"). Take the total lights available in inches (2 x 22' x 12" = 528"), divided by the diameter times pi (10 x pi = 31.4), which equals the number of rows you have enough lights for. 36" length of the dowels divided by 17 rows means they should spaced just over 2" apart.
7. Admire your handiwork, and add ornaments! (And prevent your cats from eating the lights or knocking over the tree.) I'm (1) lazy and (2) busy at work with year-end tax planning stuff so I haven't gotten around to it, but I'm planning to add some ornaments by hanging them from the light strands, and probably come up with something as a topper that will nestle in the little nook where the dowels all come together.
2. Measure the circumference of the ring (if 12" diameter, that'll be 38") and divide by 6 (6 1/3"); then make 6 equally spaced (every 6 1/3") marks on the top of the ring. On the dowels, make marks 12" up from the bottom (the ones I bought had black marks on one end - each size of dowels was coded in a different color - so I used that end as the bottom, and painted the other end to be the top).
3. Matching up the measured-out marks on the ring and dowels, use a twist-tie to connect the dowels to the ring. These should be tight enough so the dowels won't just slip out, but loose enough to be able to slightly maneuver and angle the dowel.
4. Stand it upright (with the end with the ring closer to the ground), and pull in the dowels at the top, creating a sort of "teepee" overlapping. Use the final twist-tie to hold these in place.
5. Your tree is now put together! To provide some additional stability, I put a small drop of hot glue on each dowel where it's connected to the ring, and where each dowel is pulled together with the twist-tie at the top.
6. Cover with lights! It would also be lovely with tinsel or garland (per the original inspiration). If you're using the same dimensions as mine, two strands with 22' of lights (24' total length) will do the trick; if you adjust the size of the tree or want more or less density of lights, here's the formula for figuring out how to properly space the wrapped lights to have enough, courtesy of my engineering-student-husband:
Take the average diameter (diameter at top = 0, diameter at bottom = 19, rounded to 20; average = 10"). Take the total lights available in inches (2 x 22' x 12" = 528"), divided by the diameter times pi (10 x pi = 31.4), which equals the number of rows you have enough lights for. 36" length of the dowels divided by 17 rows means they should spaced just over 2" apart.
7. Admire your handiwork, and add ornaments! (And prevent your cats from eating the lights or knocking over the tree.) I'm (1) lazy and (2) busy at work with year-end tax planning stuff so I haven't gotten around to it, but I'm planning to add some ornaments by hanging them from the light strands, and probably come up with something as a topper that will nestle in the little nook where the dowels all come together.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Conscious Consumerism: Rimmel Mascara [Sponsored by Influenster]
I was given the Rimmel items in this post for free from Influenster for review purposes, but did not receive any additional monetary compensation. Blog posting and other sharing on social media with brand hashtags was encouraged, but not required in exchange for receiving the products. All opinions are my own. See Influenster detailed disclose post here.
I recently received my first box of goodies from Influenster - the #ModaVoxBox. A couple of the items are disposable and/or plastic products that I try not to have in my life - tissues (I do have a box around for guests or occasional extra-gross situations, but generally use handkerchiefs), single-serve hot cocoa, and the bottled water. The hair mask and lotion are things that you can rarely avoid buying in a plastic bottle, so I'm still checking them out to see if they're products I'm really interested.
The remaining items were make-up items by Rimmel: Rockin' Curves mascara, Moisture Renew lipstick, and Moisture Renew lipliner. (See me wearing all three products on Instagram here.)
I generally stay pretty loyal to my products - once I find something I work, I stick with it. I am, however, currently in the market for a new perfect mascara, so I was intrigued to have the opportunity to try this one.
Of course there are some specific factors I look for in a particular item (e.g., not clumpy for a mascara, non-sticky for a lip gloss), but summing those up in "product effectiveness", the three things I consider when buying something are:
1. Product effectiveness
2. Readily available in nearby stores (to avoid shipping costs and materials)
3. Packaging (environmental impact)
4. Company responsibility (including animal rights)
Obviously the first three are or become fairly self-evident; the last one I try to confirm on PETA's animal testing list (though the three companies discussed in this post aren't on the list either way; I'm guessing because they're UK based?), and/or on the companies' websites.
For a few years, I had the absolute best mascara: The waterproof version of the Boots maximum volume I'm now trying again - but a couple years ago they completely revamped the line and it's no longer available in waterproof. The current version is good in most other respects, but I really would love to find something equivalent that's waterproof.
I've tried at least a half dozen other mascaras in the past year. Most recently I bought this Pixi mascara, as the display indicated it was an animal-friendly, eco-friendly brand; it's water resistant, but merely ok in other respects. With this long search in mind, you can imagine I was intrigued to get a chance to try this Rimmel mascara in the Influenster box.
How do these current three options rate? Below are evaluations on the four factors mentioned above, on a scale from 1 to 10. (All are comparable in price - in the $6 - 8 range.)
Rimmel ScandelEyes Rockin' Curves:
1. Effectiveness: 7. I found the "heart shaped" brush annoying - either I have oddly shaped or sized eyelids, or I just don't know how to use these brushes, but I can't manage to apply it to my entire eyelashes in one swipe, so the marketed ability to target certain parts of the brushes for certain spots just doesn't work. Provides good volume and length. Doesn't appear to be available in a waterproof version.
2. Availability: 10. Found at both Fred Meyer and Target, both regular shopping spots for me, and most other retailers that sell make-up.
3. Packaging: 5. Comes in rigid plastic on cardboard backing. Tube is on the larger side, but it also does contain more product (0.41 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 7. No animal testing (source), but doesn't make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 7.25
Boots No. 7 Maximum Volume:
1. Effectiveness: 8. Normal brush. Moist formula. Provides reasonable amount of volume and length. Only real drawback is that it's not available in a waterproof version.
2. Availability: 6. Found only at Target, as far as I can tell (for retail stores; also available online).
3. Packaging: 8. Comes in a single plastic wrapping, no rigid plastic or box. Tube is a bit on the larger side for how much product (0.23 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 7. No animal testing (source), but doesn't make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 7.25
Pixi Lash Booster:
1. Effectiveness: 7. Normal brush. A bit dry. Provides reasonable amount of volume and length - just a smidge less than the Boots option. "Water resistant" is a good balance - stays on through watering eyes, but can be rubbed off in the shower without the hassle of actually using makeup remover.
2. Availability: 6. Found only at Target, as far as I can tell (for retail stores; also available online).
3. Packaging: 9. Comes in a cardboard box, no plastic. Smaller tube relative to others with similar amount of product (0.25 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 10 No animal testing (source), and advertise to imply this and make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 8
Overall, I think I'll be sticking with Pixi for the time being, although I definitely am not calling off the search yet for the perfect mascara.
Influenster required disclosure: I received the Rimmel products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.
I recently received my first box of goodies from Influenster - the #ModaVoxBox. A couple of the items are disposable and/or plastic products that I try not to have in my life - tissues (I do have a box around for guests or occasional extra-gross situations, but generally use handkerchiefs), single-serve hot cocoa, and the bottled water. The hair mask and lotion are things that you can rarely avoid buying in a plastic bottle, so I'm still checking them out to see if they're products I'm really interested.
The remaining items were make-up items by Rimmel: Rockin' Curves mascara, Moisture Renew lipstick, and Moisture Renew lipliner. (See me wearing all three products on Instagram here.)
I generally stay pretty loyal to my products - once I find something I work, I stick with it. I am, however, currently in the market for a new perfect mascara, so I was intrigued to have the opportunity to try this one.
Of course there are some specific factors I look for in a particular item (e.g., not clumpy for a mascara, non-sticky for a lip gloss), but summing those up in "product effectiveness", the three things I consider when buying something are:
1. Product effectiveness
2. Readily available in nearby stores (to avoid shipping costs and materials)
3. Packaging (environmental impact)
4. Company responsibility (including animal rights)
Obviously the first three are or become fairly self-evident; the last one I try to confirm on PETA's animal testing list (though the three companies discussed in this post aren't on the list either way; I'm guessing because they're UK based?), and/or on the companies' websites.
For a few years, I had the absolute best mascara: The waterproof version of the Boots maximum volume I'm now trying again - but a couple years ago they completely revamped the line and it's no longer available in waterproof. The current version is good in most other respects, but I really would love to find something equivalent that's waterproof.
I've tried at least a half dozen other mascaras in the past year. Most recently I bought this Pixi mascara, as the display indicated it was an animal-friendly, eco-friendly brand; it's water resistant, but merely ok in other respects. With this long search in mind, you can imagine I was intrigued to get a chance to try this Rimmel mascara in the Influenster box.
How do these current three options rate? Below are evaluations on the four factors mentioned above, on a scale from 1 to 10. (All are comparable in price - in the $6 - 8 range.)
Rimmel ScandelEyes Rockin' Curves:
1. Effectiveness: 7. I found the "heart shaped" brush annoying - either I have oddly shaped or sized eyelids, or I just don't know how to use these brushes, but I can't manage to apply it to my entire eyelashes in one swipe, so the marketed ability to target certain parts of the brushes for certain spots just doesn't work. Provides good volume and length. Doesn't appear to be available in a waterproof version.
2. Availability: 10. Found at both Fred Meyer and Target, both regular shopping spots for me, and most other retailers that sell make-up.
3. Packaging: 5. Comes in rigid plastic on cardboard backing. Tube is on the larger side, but it also does contain more product (0.41 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 7. No animal testing (source), but doesn't make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 7.25
Boots No. 7 Maximum Volume:
1. Effectiveness: 8. Normal brush. Moist formula. Provides reasonable amount of volume and length. Only real drawback is that it's not available in a waterproof version.
2. Availability: 6. Found only at Target, as far as I can tell (for retail stores; also available online).
3. Packaging: 8. Comes in a single plastic wrapping, no rigid plastic or box. Tube is a bit on the larger side for how much product (0.23 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 7. No animal testing (source), but doesn't make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 7.25
Pixi Lash Booster:
1. Effectiveness: 7. Normal brush. A bit dry. Provides reasonable amount of volume and length - just a smidge less than the Boots option. "Water resistant" is a good balance - stays on through watering eyes, but can be rubbed off in the shower without the hassle of actually using makeup remover.
2. Availability: 6. Found only at Target, as far as I can tell (for retail stores; also available online).
3. Packaging: 9. Comes in a cardboard box, no plastic. Smaller tube relative to others with similar amount of product (0.25 oz).
4. Social responsibility: 10 No animal testing (source), and advertise to imply this and make it easy to confirm.
Overall: 8
Overall, I think I'll be sticking with Pixi for the time being, although I definitely am not calling off the search yet for the perfect mascara.
Influenster required disclosure: I received the Rimmel products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Three Things Thursday
1. Sayward wrote a wonderfully thoughtful post (and got some great comments with discussion on both sides of the issue) about the conflict between veganism and zoos.
2. Even as phone companies start promoting the ability to upgrade your phone every six months, there are still ideas out there to avoid having to frequently replace your phone. This article has shown up multiple times on my facebook feed: a design for a modular phone so users can replace or upgrade parts as needed or wanted, instead of completing replacing a phone just to fix one outdated component.
3. Exactly!
2. Even as phone companies start promoting the ability to upgrade your phone every six months, there are still ideas out there to avoid having to frequently replace your phone. This article has shown up multiple times on my facebook feed: a design for a modular phone so users can replace or upgrade parts as needed or wanted, instead of completing replacing a phone just to fix one outdated component.
3. Exactly!
 |
| Source |
Monday, December 10, 2012
Eco-Friendly Gift Guide
It's that time of year: when every day there's at least one blog post in my reader featuring a gift guide.
Donate to their favorite charity.
Rather than just buy a sweet-smelling boutique soap or lip balm from a mainstream store, look at natural food stores or specialty stores for unpackaged natural soaps and lip balms in paper tubes or metal tins.
Also pay attention to comments on your own lifestyle throughout the year - did someone mention how handy your reusable produce/bulk bin bags seem to be, or how cute your reusable sandwich bag is? Perhaps they'd enjoy getting some of their own.
I try to be environmentally conscious in my daily life, so when giving to others I try to maintain the same approach, but without forcing my beliefs on anyone. How do you balance eco-friendly choices with your loved ones' interests and personalities?
Give experiential gifts.
Who doesn't like movies and TV? By giving gift subscriptions to Netflix or Hulu Plus, you can not only deliver your gift via email or printing on regular paper (no plastic gift cards needed!), but you'll encourage your giftees to watch their favorite shows online versus buying DVDs.
You could also buy memberships to museums, or tickets to a concert to attend together.
You could also buy memberships to museums, or tickets to a concert to attend together.
Donate to their favorite charity.
I realize this might be a controversial "gift" (there's an interesting conversation about this topic currently on a forum I read). This is certainly an area where it could be easy to impose your own preferences by giving to your own favorite organization. Alternatively, though, this can be a great way to show you've paid attention and know what a person is involved with and cares about. For example, give a gift to the animal shelter or food kitchen where your sibling volunteers, or to literacy organizations for your parent who is a teacher.
Introduce eco alternatives.
Rather than just buy a sweet-smelling boutique soap or lip balm from a mainstream store, look at natural food stores or specialty stores for unpackaged natural soaps and lip balms in paper tubes or metal tins.
Also pay attention to comments on your own lifestyle throughout the year - did someone mention how handy your reusable produce/bulk bin bags seem to be, or how cute your reusable sandwich bag is? Perhaps they'd enjoy getting some of their own.
Buy handmade and local.
You might have a local Saturday market or holiday craft shows to attend, or you can check out etsy for handmade jewelry, clothing, and more. Many sellers use recycled or otherwise eco-friendly materials, and you know you're supporting an independent seller, rather than underpaid foreign labor. The recipient will also stand out when wearing their unique gift.
Note: I have no affiliation with any of the products, sellers, or organizations linked above. Just items that I've purchased in the past for myself or others and enjoyed.
Note: I have no affiliation with any of the products, sellers, or organizations linked above. Just items that I've purchased in the past for myself or others and enjoyed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
