Be Chic Literate: The Green Beauty Rules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour, and Glowing Skin

When most of us think "green” we tend to think of food, household products, even our vehicles – we don't always associate "green” with cosmetics. Make-up artist to the stars and, most regularly, Jillian Michaels, Paige Padgett emphasizes that what we use in our beauty regime is just as important as what we put into our bodies since 60% of what goes on our skin is absorbed into our body. Her latest book, The Green Beauty Rules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour and Glowing Skin, is a powerhouse of great advice this make-up expert applies to her clients and herself that readers can now access and learn how to become 'green' with beauty products. {Book provided for review/feature consideration}

Paige Padgett, makeup artist to the stars and most specifically, Jillian Michaels, is revolutionary in the beauty industry and is finally revealing her brand of beauty magic in her first book The Green BeautyRules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour and Glowing Skin (HCI Books -- $21.95). Filled with tips and tricks to get glamorous toxic-free make-up looks this green beauty expert has the 411 on killer toxins and chemicals found in most beauty products. The Green Beauty Rules is a simple, step-by-step beauty detox plan which guides readers on what to try, buy and toss for a healthier and gorgeous lifestyle.

Chapter by chapter Paige Padgett explains why she got started on this green beauty journey, what to look out for, and why to care about the ingredients of your favorite cosmetics. Paige explains "After attending Ken Cook's 'Ten Americans' lecture I was blown away to find that an average of 287 chemicals are found in our bodies. Some of these chemicals were banned 30 years ago. Shockingly enough, some of these chemicals compound in our bodies and are passed down through our parents. Since then I decided I would eliminate toxic chemicals from my cosmetics and teach others how to do it as well.”

Since making the greening shift can be overwhelming, Paige holds the reader's hand throughout the transition. She stresses to take things one step at a time, figure out what products work best for you and how to get the most out of certain products that can be used for more than one need.

One of the best takeaways from Padgett's book is that "green,” "natural” and "organic” do not need to be expensive. Green beauty products have come a long way since she first started and now products are vibrant, smell great, and are as effective (if not more) as popular brands.

While I'm not ready to go totally green with my beauty routine, I do realize the importance of examining the ingredients we put in and on our bodies, so this book was a great find! The Green BeautyRules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour and Glowing Skin is  available wherever books are sold or to order directly from the publisher at www.hcibooks.com. Until next time...