Gloss•a•ry is “going green” this month! In honor of Mother Nature, we’re slicking our lips with all-natural glosses only derived from and infused with elements of the good earth, that means no harmful ingredients like lead, petroleum, mineral oil, parabens, and absolutely NO animal testing. And we’ll be waving our wands high on April 22, Earth Day 2008.

Bring your environmentally friendly pout to countless Earth Day events (www.earthday.net) or participate in the nation’s call to action, “Call for Climate” a weekend full of celebrations with A-list musicians and environmental awareness events in cities across the country. Need a little guidance when it comes to glosses that’ll leave others green with envy? Leave it to us.
We’ve weeded through a healthy crop of natural and organic glosses and unearthed these environmentally friendly lip smackers.

 

Carol's Daughter Candy Paint, $13.50.
Lisa Price began her homemade, wholesome line in a kitchen in Brooklyn more than 13 years ago, but she only recently added a color category to the brand. Satiny, shiny color glides on without any tacky texture while castor oil, shea butter, grape seed oil and aloe vera moisturize, protect and regenerate lips. Plus, a portion of the sales from every Candy Paint purchase is donated to the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). Our favorite hues are Grown and Sexy (a bright pink with a flicker of gold) and Bubbling Brown Sugar (a rosy brown with shimmer) Available online at www.carolsdaughter.com. To view a list of retail locations, click here.

 

Alima Pure Nourishing Lipbalm, $5.25 full size; $1 sample size.
Alima Pure is the largest cosmetic line in the country to earn the prestigious European BDIH "Certified Natural Cosmetics" seal for natural products. But founder Kate O’Brien has gone a step further in the fight to protect our skin, body and environment; she’s educating consumers on the hundreds of toxins that should be avoided across the beauty board. “These toxins and potential carcinogens are as common in beauty products as high fructose corn syrup is in food,” she says, “which is why they’re banned under European certification standards.”  Back to the loving lipbalms, in eight yummy colors these balms pack nourishing safflower oil, beeswax, palm christi oil, shea butter, organic coconut oil, cocoa butter and Vitamin E in their small twist-top tubes. And the $1 sample jar makes it totally tempting to try them all. We’re partial to Pomegranate (sheer, neutral red) and Fig (deep red with hints of bronze and plum). Available online at www.alimapure.com. To find retail locations in Illinois, New Hampshire and Oregon, click here.

 

Treat Sugar Paint Mineral Lip Glaze, $13.
“Like buttah,” Treat Beauty’s Sugar Paint Mineral Lip Glaze feels smooth, creamy and decadent while delivering a sheer gloss with a hint of color. The innovative botanical formula uses pure mineral pigments and shea and cocoa butters. But the light cocoa scent is an unexpected treat thanks to a dose of vitamin-rich cacao oil, which has a higher antioxidant concentration than the Vitamin C of an orange. These Lip Glazes come in four juicy shades packaged in pocket-sized paint jars – Brown Sugar, Papaya, Fruit Punch and our favorite rosy pink, Pink Grapefruit. Available at upscale boutiques and spas across the US, and online at www.treatbeauty.com.

 

Korres' Cherry Oil Full Color Lip Gloss, $16.
Like the heavenly fruits of the Greek gods, Korres’ Cherry Oil Lip Gloss is full of pure ingredients that lovingly hug the lips. But the Athens-based brand’s history tells like a love story from Greek mythology that’s worth a read. Almost 20 years ago, George Korres developed a homeopathic brand of medicine and healing remedies when he acquired an ancient Greek pharmacy. Once Lena, a chemical engineer, came aboard to help create beauty products using the region’s favored essential oils, herbs and plant extracts, the best of nature met the best of science, and the rest, as they say, is history. In ten silky, sheer shades – our faves are Coral, Light Purple and Red – Korres Cherry Oil gloss is an organic blend of cherry, passion fruit and jojoba oils, shea butter, green tea and Vitamins C and E that both feels and looks natural and earthy.
Available at Sephora stores and online at www.sephora.com.

 

jane iredale, the skin care makeup PureGloss for Lips, $19.
Using a base of vegetable oils as healthy as a spinach salad chock full of organic veggies, jane iredale’s PureGloss for Lips gives the pucker its recommended daily allowance and then some. Adding gorgeous color and shimmering shine, antioxidant-rich grape seed and pomegranate extracts, as well as natural plumping action from a dash of tingly mint and a pinch of ginger. A garden full of color choices make PureGloss a ripe pick all year round. Our favorites of the moment are Soft Peach, Apricot Fizz and Mimosa. Available online at www.janeiredaledirect.com.

 

The gloss•a•ry is PrettyCity’s monthly roundup of all that glitters from our own wand-toting shimmer expert, Michelle Carney. Tune in each month for the latest and greatest in pout perfecting products utterly devoted to your sparkly, sexy and oh-so-shiny lips.  Please contact Michelle Carney with story ideas or product suggestions

 

gloss·a·ry: n: an alphabetical list of technical terms in the specialized field of lip gloss; i.e. PrettyCity.com's guide to lip gloss from A to Z

 

A = Application, a wand is better than a pot, keeps the fingers clean.

 

B = Burt's Bees Balm, always use a balm at bedtime to lips hydrate overnight.

 

C = Clinique, this department store brand is one you can always count on.

 

D = Delux Beauty, this darling brand is from Hollywood makeup artist Jillian Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy hottie Patrick Dempsey's wife).

 

E = Everyone who comments on our perfect pouts.

 

F = Fresh Lip Sheers, our perennial favorite with flawless texture.

 

G = Glitter, a kiss of glittered gloss puts a sparkly touch on a night out.

 

H = Hard Candy, a kitschy brand for flirty girls, and those who dare to go bold with color.

 

I = "I", as in "it's all about me and my gloss."

 

J = Jane Iredale's PureGlossT for Lips. Organic ingredients impart pucker perfection without preservatives and chemicals we can't pronounce.

 

K = Kiehl's, the brand's Lip Therapy is cold-weather catch.

 

L = Lips and all the things we do to make them luscious.

 

M = Maven, the line's Lip Exotics are a healthy alternative.

 

N = Nars, the Barney's of lip gloss, with such a delicious color range, you can't buy just one.

 

O = Orgasm, the must-have shade from Nars based on the line's famed blush, available exclusively at Sephora.

 

P = Pout, it's not how you do it, but what you do with it.

 

Q = the Queen you are.

 

R = Revlon - a rock-solid drug store brand that's got serious celeb power.

 

S = Smashbox, never tacky, always shiny.

 

T = TheBalm, an excellent brand that packs a lot of punch with its plumper.

 

U = Undeniably Addicted.

 

V = Vincent. Vincent Longo. The make-up artist to models and celebs has a gloss that's super silky.

 

W = Wet. Wet shine, wet slicks, anything wet, that's the look.

 

X = XXX Shine Lip Gloss from Urban Decay, ultra-glassy and minty-fresh.

 

Y = the Yummy flavors infused in Jessica Simpson's Dessert Beauty line, like chocolate, caramel and vanilla.

 

Z = Zipper pocket, where gloss should always be stored.