Earth Day Giveaway - There's Lead in Your Lipstick - Gillian Deacon

April 22 is Earth Day. To celebrate, A Bookworm's World is thrilled to be hosting a giveaway with author Gillian Deacon. Her book There's Lead in Your Lipstick is a real eye opener. (Watch for my review on Monday)

A special Earth Day message from Gillian Deacon:

"Earth day shouldn't just be an annual tip of the hat to greener living. This year, make it the day you recalibrate your everyday patterns to be more earth-friendly all year long.

You don't have to be a treehugger to care about avoiding toxins in your everyday bodycare. Synthetic chemicals in personal care products contaminating groundwater and wildlife is alarming enough—but they’re also contaminating us. Those hard-to-read ingredients you squint at on the back of a product label? They’re building up inside your body and in your children’s bodies—on Earth Day and everyday.

Make today the day you start paying attention to that fine print. Turn a product over and read the ingredients label before you are seduced by the “green” imaging on the package. The good news is, there are lots of safer products on the market.

Good luck and I hope you’ll check out There’s Lead in Your Lipstick for more ideas on how to clean up your act!" 

Deacon's book is full of startling information. Here's one quick excerpt to give you an idea...

"The Real Cost of Cosmetics

There’s a reason why these more healthful options are usually more expensive. Most conventional cosmetic manufacturers use parabens to preserve the ingredients, claiming it is a necessary evil. Parabens are estrogenic, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, which means they mimic natural estrogen and can wreak havoc on your hormones. When your hormones are out of whack you can experience mood swings, irregular menstruation, skin irritations, and other troubling symptoms. Parabens are also potentially carcinogenic."

(From There’s Lead in Your Lipstick by Gillian Deacon (Penguin Canada). Copyright © Backbone Inc. FSO Gillian Deacon, 2011)

One lucky reader is going to win a fantastic prize! A copy of There's Lead in Your Lipstick AND an Eco Kiss kit from Saffron Rouge!

Open to Canada only. To be entered, leave me a green tip of any kind. Ends Saturday May 7th at 6 pm EST. Good luck!

Babushka's Beauty Secrets- Raisa Ruder & Susan Campos

Raisa Ruder has a Beverly Hills salon, but uses many of the recipes and tips she learned from her grandmother in the Ukraine. Her celebrity clients absolutely love them. She's joined forces with Susan Campos to write Babushka's Beauty Secrets.

"Why spend hundreds at a department store makeup counter when you can create it yourself for a fraction of the price?" The big plus for me when I heard about this book was the 'natural' element. Many of the 'beauty remedies' can be made from common ingredients you already have at home such as olive oil, green tea, honey, milk (and well...vodka!)

There are lots and lots of ideas from setting up your own home spa, to specific remedies for eyes, lips, hair, hands and feet and more. Here's a couple of ideas I thought were worth trying...

On the rare occasions I wear mascara, I use an eye makeup remover, but it is chemical based. Raisa suggests using a mixture of olive and canola oil. I'm going to give it a try. Dry hair? Lavender oil and coconut milk. Dark circles under your eyes? Mayo, lemon and hydrogen peroxide. Rough hands? Honey, lemon juice, almond oil and oatmeal.

Many of the recipes are for skin cream, face and body, using such food ingredients as yogurt, milk, sour cream and cottage cheese! It was easy to try some of the recipes as I already had most of the ingredients. And cheap! (And they worked!!)

There are many more tips, recipes and anecdotes and words of wisdom in this little volume - definitely lots more I'll try!

Read an excerpt of Babushka's Beauty Secrets.

Giveaway - Babushka's Beauty Secrets - Raya Ruder and Susan Campos

Old World Tips for a Glamorous New You

Thanks to the good folks at The Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies of Babushka's Beauty Secrets by Raya Ruder and Susan Campos to giveaway.

It's the 'all natural' that appeals to me!

From the publisher:

"Don't spend a fortune to look flawless. Esthetician to the stars Raisa Ruder learned her time-tested beauty techniques from her Ukrainian grandmother (or babushka, as they say in the old country). Now everyone can discover the all-natural, better-than-botox secrets the Hollywood stars use to shine on the red carpet! Ruder reveals her sought-after beauty recipes that can fight wrinkles, plump lips, and eliminate crow's feet and acne, using inexpensive, everyday grocery items like eggs, honey, vegetable oil and strawberries (and a splash of vodka for freshness!).

...Skin-saving Soufflés - whipped up wonders that shrink pores, brighten skin, and diminish lines
...Chocolate weight-loss wrap- a moment on the hips, tightens, tucks, and nips!
...Hot hair- a cayenne pepper blend that leaves locks silky, soft, and full
...PediPure- a soothing, smoothing foot scrub made with milk and mint
...Lustrous Lashes - a simple castor oil serum that thickens and lengthens
...Perfect Pucker- a mix of salt, green tea, and fruit that plumps up lips naturally
...And much more...

Simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to both US and Canada, no po boxes please. Ends Saturday July 10 at 6 pm EST. Check the sidebar for ongoing giveaways.

Giveaway - Becoming Beauty - Dimitri James

Thanks to Dimitri James of Skinn Cosmetics, I have three copies of his latest book, Becoming Beauty, to giveaway!

Any of the following interest you? From the publisher:

"Internationally recognized beauty, hair and skin care expert, Dimitri James, shares his 25 years of experience in creating total head to toe “make-over magic!”

Get the most out of your look by learning the simple building blocks of skin care, make-up, hair, clothing and accessories to build the best you possible!

• Become your own brand by discovering your personal unique style.

• Make a powerful impression by discovering the secret language of color.

• Look like you stepped out of a magazine cover on your wedding day.• 50 ways to beat acne for good.

• Disguise figure faults by choosing the right clothing for your body type

.• Strengthen your internal beauty and project a stronger more powerful image.

• Never have to ask “how do I look” ever again.

• Look 10 years younger with skin care recipes you can make in your own kitchen.

• Learn the right hair style and hair color for your personal face structure and never have a bad hair day again."


Dimitri is a TV personality on ShopNBC, The Shopping Channel Canada & TVSN Australia. He is a cosmetologist, hair stylist, wardrobe stylist, educator & founder of SKINN Cosmetics.

Giveaway is open to both US and Canada. Simply leave a comment to be entered. Please ensure I have a way to contact you - either by email or on your web page. Ends Sat. June 6 at 6 pm EST. Good luck and check the sidebar for ongoing giveaways!