The time has come: An eagerness for natural alternatives to OTC beauty products is on the rise. Consumers are by and large demanding to know what each of the ingredients are on an often long list of chemicals they can't identify or pronounce. For me, this is very exciting since some of those "chemicals" are actually just compounds that may be foreign to us in name, but are safe and healthy to use. On the contrary, some chemicals are incredibly toxic even in small levels of exposure. Beauty fanatics have spoken and we want to know everrrrrything about what we're putting on our face, our hair, and why it's supposed to be "better" than anything else. Unfortunately, for those of us who can't make DIY Beauty a full-time job, we are craving answers from our fave celebs to tell us what they are using and why they look so damn good. Enter: Sleigh Bells front woman Alexis Krauss and her new site, Beauty Lies Truth.
Krauss and I have been swapping beauty tips for a few years, and now she's teamed up with her natural beauty idol, Jessica Assaf, to launch a site that will create an accurate depiction of the products and surrounding "evils" lurking around certain brands.
Though it focuses on companies with misleading "natural" labeling, this site isn't a typical OTC-bashing free for all, either. It has personal essays, testimonials, and product reviews that are integral for those of us seeking natural alternatives to brands we once trusted.
Heavy eyeliners, bright lipsticks, and hair straightening are a daily routine when Krauss is touring. If you've seen Krauss head-bang before, you know it's a glorious cascade of thick, luscious black hair that somehow still looks gorge when she pauses to sing softly into the mic. Alexis has always maintained a healthy life-style, treating her body like a temple, and not indulging in unhealthy treats that have no nutritional value. She couldn't have been more shocked when she began narrowing her eyes at some of the products she had been putting on her skin.
"I was devastated when I learned how damaging the plastic micro beads in my body scrub were to the environment," Krauss told me. "It dawned on me how hypocritical it was to care so much about what I was putting in my body while knowing nothing about what I was putting on my body. Once I realized how ignorant I was about the ingredients in my cosmetics and personal care products I was determined to educate myself and try out alternative products."
Gurrrrr(l), you ain't the only one staring at a list of ingredients with your eyes getting bigger and bigger in a state of betrayal and confusion. Makeup is the last thing to go in my natural routine, and thanks to sites like Beauty Lies Truth, you no longer have to purchase expensive "natural" makeups blindly. These gals are testing and reviewing some of the awesome and not-so-awesome products that can definitely ease the pain in your wallet and replace with crucial product knowledge. One of the challenges that these truth-seekers have on their plate is finding natural concealers that provide the same amount of coverage and of course, come in a variety of shades for all skin colors.
Sleigh Bells is currently recording their fourth album, so you know what that means? New tunes and of course, a tour with our fave natural celeb. In the meantime, check out what products you'll be testing out to wear to your next Bells Affair on Beauty Lies Truth — and definitely practice your head-banging skills.
