Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images of SpaRitual product range from www.spaRitual.com
Image of Gold Fiction from www.chanel.com
OKAY, SO we’re going to be guilty of gushing on this one. We absolutely LOVE this nail polish line because #1. It WORKS and #2 it’s eco friendly
We’ll probably never lose our taste for pricey limited edition nail polishes from Chanel. Most recently we plunked down $30 for a bottle of “Gold Fiction” at Nordstrom last week.
We have however been on the lookout for a great eco friendly line that retails for less than Chanel. SPARITUALS now offers the AWAKENED SPARITUAL Spring 2008 line, which features great eco colors at a reasonable $9 a bottle.
The PR Account Reps at Laforce & Stevens who introduced us to SpaRituals promised that the colors “have phenomenal staying power”. No matter how pro-eco we are, a product has to WORK for us to get behind it, period.
We went home and treated ourselves to a mini spa evening and tried out the products in the nail care range.
on Friday, 6/20
-Fluent Conditioning Lacquer Remover
- Cuti-Clean
-“Mindful” [deep berry] nail lacquer on hands
- “Paradigm Shift” [creamy nude] on feet.
- Tout de Suite Top Coat
Then, we waited a week to see how it would hold up.
THE RESULTS
RATING SCALE 1-5 [5/5 being the best]
[Friday, 6/27]
Product #1: FLUENT CONDITIONING LACQUER
*SPECIAL AWARD for “GENIUS FIND!”
RATING: 5/5
It is the ONLY ALL-NATURAL nail polish remover around, better still, it WORKS better than the regular stinky stuff AND it smells good.
Product #2: -CUTI-CLEAN, Cuticle and stain remover
RATING 5/5
It whitened our fingers and toes which previously were slightly stained from regular applications of “Pop” by Chanel and “Elefantastic” [hot pink] by OPI.
We actually liked how pristine our finger and nails looked that we gave them a polish break – the first in over a year.
Product #3: “Mindful” nail lacquer
RATING 5/5 – thanks to the brush made with extra bristles, we didn’t spend the usual 10 minutes fixing the usual mess with Q-tips and wishing we’d just gone with an easier pale shade.
Product #4: Tout de Suite®
Quick-Dry Topcoat
RATING: 5/5
Gave our manicure a high gloss UV finish and was responsible for keeping our berry colored fingertips looking good for a week straight, despite the gardening and dish washing.
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MORE THAN JUST GREAT POLISH - THE ECO ASPECT
SpaRitual is constantly monitoring sustainability issues and strives to be on the cutting edge of environmental awareness.
THE ECO PLUS POINTS:
1. The line is VEGAN
2. Products are: Formaldehyde, Toluene & DBP Free.
In case you don’t remember, Formaldehyde was the clear liquid that we used back in middle school during the Frog Dissection portion of Biology Lab that had us gagging every time we worked on our “subject”.
3. The packaging has soy-based inks.
BROWNIE BONUS POINTS for:
1. The rubber gripped top so we’ll never drop a bottle of polish on our beautiful tile floor again!
2. The brush has more bristles, which made it easier for us to paint tricky reds like “Aroused” and “Mindful” on [almost] like a salon pro.
ABOUT FOUNDER SHEL PINK
Shel wanted to create an eco-minded company that would offer a luxe selection of holistic spa products and treatment protocols for the hands, body, feet, and nails. She grew up in an environment conducive to her dream of creating SpaRituals years later.
Her Mother stressed the importance of taking care of oneself holistically through massage, proper nutrition, exercise, and the healing arts. After marrying in 2001, she joining her husband's family business—Orly International, and immersed herself in her family's company learning about its history and exploring new business possibilities.
Shel founded SpaRitual in 2004 and called her concept "eco-luxury."
A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GO GREEN INITIATIVE
A portion of the proceeds of sales of “Aware” a pretty nude/peach polish go to the GO GREEN INITIATIVE.
The Go Green Initiatiave is a program designed to create a culture of environmental responsibility on school campuses across the USA which unites parents, students, teachers and school administrators in an effort to make real and lasting changes in their campus communities that will protect children and the environment for years to come.
For more information on the Go Green Initiative visit
www.gogreeninitiative.org
SHOPPING/WHERE TO FIND IT: AT fine salons @ spas: Spa Halekulani, Canyon Ranch, Mandarin Oriental.
Also available online
www.sparitual.com
www.shopfredsegalbeauty.com