MEET THE EXPERTS
Kristen Arnett - Founder & Editor-in-Chief
A native of Southern California, Kristen’s love affair with makeup blossomed at the age of 13 when she spent hours perusing the drugstore cosmetics aisle, watching makeover shows, and cutting out inspirational images from magazines.
By age 15, makeup became a necessity to hide acne, a skincare battle that would last a decade. Unsuccessful medical treatments led Kristen to seek other solutions, and to the ultimate discovery that natural skin care and healthy nutrition were her answers.
Shortly after receiving her business degree at University of Southern California, Kristen worked for a large cosmetics brand, collaborating on color collections and product development. Years later, she quit corporate life to become a freelance makeup artist…and never looked back. View her work at KristenArnett.com
Not long after, Kristen threw caution to the wind and moved to Milan for two years, immersing herself in their fashion world, learning Italian and establishing herself as an international makeup artist.
While in Italy, a model friend divulged that she kept her skin soft by using olive oil as a moisturizer along with a host of other natural products. After trying out these methods and seeing that her skin looked better than ever, Kristen embarked on a journey of discovery for all things natural and less toxic.
Now based in New York City, she has built a makeup kit and a beauty cabinet filled with cosmetics that work as hard as they play; that are nourishing for the body and better for the environment; and that help women and men feel and look their best.
Kristen created Green Beauty Team to share her knowledge with women, men, children and aspiring Green makeup artists to make safer, healthier choices about choosing the best in Green Beauty.
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Rebecca Casciano
For the last decade, Rebecca has worked as a makeup artist and educator in the fashion, advertising and entertainment industries. An artist since childhood, Rebecca has a deep appreciation for diverse art forms and cultures. She enjoys working with makeup as a form of self-expression and celebration of our unique beauty.
While beginning her makeup career, Rebecca was struggling with persistent cystic acne. She was determined not to use harsh drugs she felt would only suppress the symptoms and not remedy the underlying cause. This led to an exploration of holistic healing that truly transformed her life. As Rebecca experienced the powerful effects of proper nutrition, herbs, detoxification and Eastern Medicine firsthand, she became a wholehearted advocate.
Realizing a genuine desire to share her journey and inspire healing in others, Rebecca is now a Certified Wellness Consultant through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She believes that sustainable beauty and health can be achieved through a balance of mind, body and spirit. Rebecca is enthusiastic about combining her passions to help women discover their inner and outer radiance.
Visit Rebecca's Website
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Juxta
As a freelance hairstylist, Juxta dashes between photo shoots, events and personal consultations. No matter the circumstance, she takes great pleasure in reminding people that they possess the same characteristics as the heroes they embodied as young children, uncovering forgotten sparks that ignite the beauty and power of each individual. She believes a key part of beauty (and heroism!) is health, from the inside out and the outside in.
After reading Stacy Malkan’s Not Just A Pretty Face, Juxta realized just how unattractive parts of the beauty industry are. She emptied every cabinet, researched every ingredient and started from scratch, paving her way as a sustainable hair stylist. Today, every product in her kit is so clean that you can eat it.
Loaded with information and passion, she strives to empower women, men, and teens in making healthier hair and lifestyle choices. According to Juxta, we ARE heroes who can make a difference in our own health and the health of generations to follow.
Visit Juxta's Website
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May Lindstrom
Raised into a loving family of body care practitioners, energy workers and environmentalists in the thoroughly green countryside of northern Minnesota, May's roots are deep in the world of healing beauty. Having spent most of the last decade in front of the camera as a model, she eagerly jumped full force behind the scenes, officially starting her practice as holistic beauty consultant and green makeup artist in 2009.
Venturing into largely uncharted territory using a kit bursting with only all natural cosmetics, safe for both our skin and our planet, May is changing the face and challenging the standards for a healthier beauty. She has a strong commitment to fusing environmental consciousness with an embrace of indulgence and play. Offering more than simply beautiful makeup, May's philosophy gives her clients an opportunity to discover their own radiance and inner glow.
May divides her time between her home base of Los Angeles and wherever the inspirational winds take her.
Visit May's Website
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Caterina Marra
A licensed esthetician, as well as a certified medical esthetician who has worked on famous New York City faces for over 10 years.
Her specialty lies in the way she blends holistic practices with advanced clinical approaches in order to attain the best results possible for her clients. She holds her reikii certification as well as education in both ayurvedic medicine and aromatherapy. Caterina teaches her clients and business partners the importance of achieving and maintaining healthy skin.
Stef McDonald
Stef is a writer and editor who has loved beauty products since she was a kid playing with makeup samples from the Avon lady across the street. Her passion for green living developed from her sensitivity to personal care products and cosmetics. She worked for several years as an editor at Lucky magazine in New York - where she made regular visits to the beauty closet--but grew tired of developing hives from lotions and perfumes, getting blemished skin and red eyes from makeup, and having allergy attacks following visits to hair and nail salons. Stef later moved to Los Angeles and became editor of Greenopia.com.
She credits the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics with helping her discover that most beauty products irritated her because they contained toxic chemicals. Then she replaced every last item in her makeup bag and bathroom with non-toxic alternatives using the rating system from the Skin Deep website as her guide. Stef lives in Venice Beach, California and continues to write passionately about all things green while working as the managing editor of content for Global Green USA.
Donna Sonkin
Donna grew up a chubby girl on Long Island. With a passion for cooking at age 9, she looked forward each weekend’s cooking lesson with her grandmother. Eventually Donna lost weight when she discovered boys, leading to 7 years at fat camp and a tumultuous relationship with food.
Now Donna is a holistic health counselor accredited with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She studied leading wellness educators including Drs. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, and Joseph Mercola. Her “Get Thin for the Camera” program helps performers of all types get thin and healthy in an enjoyable way. Over the past 5 years her business has expanded to work with everyone from busy moms to high-powered executives.
Sonkin teaches her clients how to cook, shop and eat healthfully and make great exercise choices. She is a strong believer in the concept of listening to your own body’s needs in order to live a happy, healthy life.
Visit Donna's Website
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Anna Webber
Growing up as the daughter of a surgeon, Anna spent her childhood weekends following her father on his rounds through the hospital. Even then, she was fascinated by the ability to affect such a positive change in someone's life. Upon receiving a degree in Philosophy and Sociology, Anna was certain she needed a career path which would utilize her inherent creativity and satisfy her desire to cultivate positive relationships between herself and clients.
This led Anna to the Euro Institute of Skin Care in Portland, Oregon where she studied holistic skin care and total body wellness. Anna then traveled to Paris to study makeup at the Ecole de Maquillage Fleurimon. Her understanding of the skin as a part of one's whole being, gives her an exceptional perspective and approach to her art; seeing beyond the surface and using makeup as a tool for enhancing and unifying one's self.
Visit Anna's Website
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MEET THE CONTRIBUTORS
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Laurisa Truemper As a certified holistic health & lifestyle counselor, Laurisa specializes in detoxification of diet, lifestyle and personal care. After spending eight years as a brand manager in the fashion industry, Laurisa Truemper took the big leap towards her passion for health and nutrition and founded The Wellness Market. Laurisa received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
Her work with busy professionals helps them to double their energy, decrease stress and make it through a long day effortlessly cutting out unhealthy cravings, coffee abuse and avoiding the “afternoon crash”. Her clients are amazed to find they can have a demanding day and still be energized for after work fun with friends and family.
When it comes to beauty Laurisa, is just as passionate about educating clients about the importance of using natural products for complete wellness.
Visit Laurisa's Website
Tasha Gerken A Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, Tasha is a freelance writer and nutrition consultant in New York City. Her own challenges with food allergies and quest to heal her body led her to a place of appreciation for the profound powers of food and culture. Now, well-versed in the nutritional aspects of food allergies, celiac disease, sports, pregnancy and childhood health, she helps people build healthier relationships with food through cooking, creativity, and self-empowerment.
With a degree in art history, Tasha offers a fresh approach to wellness, which is a unique blend of science and creativity. Passionate about beauty and the zest for living, you just might find her artfully engaged in cooking at home, a community musical, or a game of volleyball.
Visit Tasha's Website
Elizabeth Yates - Copy Editor
Elizabeth is life-long beauty product devotee, and a former writer/editor for a major cosmetics company. Currently working in financial journalism.
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Marielena Santana - Copy Editor
Marielena is a strategic brand evangelist with experience in developing corporate communication initiatives, marketing campaigns and publicity initiatives that garner significant media coverage.
Kristen Arnett - Founder & Editor-in-Chief
A native of Southern California, Kristen’s love affair with makeup blossomed at the age of 13 when she spent hours perusing the drugstore cosmetics aisle, watching makeover shows, and cutting out inspirational images from magazines.
By age 15, makeup became a necessity to hide acne, a skincare battle that would last a decade. Unsuccessful medical treatments led Kristen to seek other solutions, and to the ultimate discovery that natural skin care and healthy nutrition were her answers.
Shortly after receiving her business degree at University of Southern California, Kristen worked for a large cosmetics brand, collaborating on color collections and product development. Years later, she quit corporate life to become a freelance makeup artist…and never looked back. View her work at KristenArnett.com
Not long after, Kristen threw caution to the wind and moved to Milan for two years, immersing herself in their fashion world, learning Italian and establishing herself as an international makeup artist.
While in Italy, a model friend divulged that she kept her skin soft by using olive oil as a moisturizer along with a host of other natural products. After trying out these methods and seeing that her skin looked better than ever, Kristen embarked on a journey of discovery for all things natural and less toxic.
Now based in New York City, she has built a makeup kit and a beauty cabinet filled with cosmetics that work as hard as they play; that are nourishing for the body and better for the environment; and that help women and men feel and look their best.
Kristen created Green Beauty Team to share her knowledge with women, men, children and aspiring Green makeup artists to make safer, healthier choices about choosing the best in Green Beauty.
Rebecca Casciano
For the last decade, Rebecca has worked as a makeup artist and educator in the fashion, advertising and entertainment industries. An artist since childhood, Rebecca has a deep appreciation for diverse art forms and cultures. She enjoys working with makeup as a form of self-expression and celebration of our unique beauty.
While beginning her makeup career, Rebecca was struggling with persistent cystic acne. She was determined not to use harsh drugs she felt would only suppress the symptoms and not remedy the underlying cause. This led to an exploration of holistic healing that truly transformed her life. As Rebecca experienced the powerful effects of proper nutrition, herbs, detoxification and Eastern Medicine firsthand, she became a wholehearted advocate.
Realizing a genuine desire to share her journey and inspire healing in others, Rebecca is now a Certified Wellness Consultant through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She believes that sustainable beauty and health can be achieved through a balance of mind, body and spirit. Rebecca is enthusiastic about combining her passions to help women discover their inner and outer radiance.
Visit Rebecca's Website
Juxta
As a freelance hairstylist, Juxta dashes between photo shoots, events and personal consultations. No matter the circumstance, she takes great pleasure in reminding people that they possess the same characteristics as the heroes they embodied as young children, uncovering forgotten sparks that ignite the beauty and power of each individual. She believes a key part of beauty (and heroism!) is health, from the inside out and the outside in.
After reading Stacy Malkan’s Not Just A Pretty Face, Juxta realized just how unattractive parts of the beauty industry are. She emptied every cabinet, researched every ingredient and started from scratch, paving her way as a sustainable hair stylist. Today, every product in her kit is so clean that you can eat it.
Loaded with information and passion, she strives to empower women, men, and teens in making healthier hair and lifestyle choices. According to Juxta, we ARE heroes who can make a difference in our own health and the health of generations to follow.
Visit Juxta's Website
May Lindstrom
Raised into a loving family of body care practitioners, energy workers and environmentalists in the thoroughly green countryside of northern Minnesota, May's roots are deep in the world of healing beauty. Having spent most of the last decade in front of the camera as a model, she eagerly jumped full force behind the scenes, officially starting her practice as holistic beauty consultant and green makeup artist in 2009.
Venturing into largely uncharted territory using a kit bursting with only all natural cosmetics, safe for both our skin and our planet, May is changing the face and challenging the standards for a healthier beauty. She has a strong commitment to fusing environmental consciousness with an embrace of indulgence and play. Offering more than simply beautiful makeup, May's philosophy gives her clients an opportunity to discover their own radiance and inner glow.
May divides her time between her home base of Los Angeles and wherever the inspirational winds take her.
Visit May's Website
Caterina Marra
A licensed esthetician, as well as a certified medical esthetician who has worked on famous New York City faces for over 10 years.
Her specialty lies in the way she blends holistic practices with advanced clinical approaches in order to attain the best results possible for her clients. She holds her reikii certification as well as education in both ayurvedic medicine and aromatherapy. Caterina teaches her clients and business partners the importance of achieving and maintaining healthy skin.
Stef McDonald
Stef is a writer and editor who has loved beauty products since she was a kid playing with makeup samples from the Avon lady across the street. Her passion for green living developed from her sensitivity to personal care products and cosmetics. She worked for several years as an editor at Lucky magazine in New York - where she made regular visits to the beauty closet--but grew tired of developing hives from lotions and perfumes, getting blemished skin and red eyes from makeup, and having allergy attacks following visits to hair and nail salons. Stef later moved to Los Angeles and became editor of Greenopia.com.
She credits the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics with helping her discover that most beauty products irritated her because they contained toxic chemicals. Then she replaced every last item in her makeup bag and bathroom with non-toxic alternatives using the rating system from the Skin Deep website as her guide. Stef lives in Venice Beach, California and continues to write passionately about all things green while working as the managing editor of content for Global Green USA.
Donna Sonkin
Donna grew up a chubby girl on Long Island. With a passion for cooking at age 9, she looked forward each weekend’s cooking lesson with her grandmother. Eventually Donna lost weight when she discovered boys, leading to 7 years at fat camp and a tumultuous relationship with food.
Now Donna is a holistic health counselor accredited with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. She studied leading wellness educators including Drs. Andrew Weil, Deepak Chopra, and Joseph Mercola. Her “Get Thin for the Camera” program helps performers of all types get thin and healthy in an enjoyable way. Over the past 5 years her business has expanded to work with everyone from busy moms to high-powered executives.
Visit Donna's Website
Anna Webber
Growing up as the daughter of a surgeon, Anna spent her childhood weekends following her father on his rounds through the hospital. Even then, she was fascinated by the ability to affect such a positive change in someone's life. Upon receiving a degree in Philosophy and Sociology, Anna was certain she needed a career path which would utilize her inherent creativity and satisfy her desire to cultivate positive relationships between herself and clients.
This led Anna to the Euro Institute of Skin Care in Portland, Oregon where she studied holistic skin care and total body wellness. Anna then traveled to Paris to study makeup at the Ecole de Maquillage Fleurimon. Her understanding of the skin as a part of one's whole being, gives her an exceptional perspective and approach to her art; seeing beyond the surface and using makeup as a tool for enhancing and unifying one's self.
Visit Anna's Website
.
.
Laurisa Truemper As a certified holistic health & lifestyle counselor, Laurisa specializes in detoxification of diet, lifestyle and personal care. After spending eight years as a brand manager in the fashion industry, Laurisa Truemper took the big leap towards her passion for health and nutrition and founded The Wellness Market. Laurisa received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and is certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.
Her work with busy professionals helps them to double their energy, decrease stress and make it through a long day effortlessly cutting out unhealthy cravings, coffee abuse and avoiding the “afternoon crash”. Her clients are amazed to find they can have a demanding day and still be energized for after work fun with friends and family.
When it comes to beauty Laurisa, is just as passionate about educating clients about the importance of using natural products for complete wellness.
Visit Laurisa's Website
Tasha Gerken A Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, Tasha is a freelance writer and nutrition consultant in New York City. Her own challenges with food allergies and quest to heal her body led her to a place of appreciation for the profound powers of food and culture. Now, well-versed in the nutritional aspects of food allergies, celiac disease, sports, pregnancy and childhood health, she helps people build healthier relationships with food through cooking, creativity, and self-empowerment.
With a degree in art history, Tasha offers a fresh approach to wellness, which is a unique blend of science and creativity. Passionate about beauty and the zest for living, you just might find her artfully engaged in cooking at home, a community musical, or a game of volleyball.
Visit Tasha's Website
Elizabeth Yates - Copy Editor
Elizabeth is life-long beauty product devotee, and a former writer/editor for a major cosmetics company. Currently working in financial journalism.
Marielena Santana - Copy Editor
Marielena is a strategic brand evangelist with experience in developing corporate communication initiatives, marketing campaigns and publicity initiatives that garner significant media coverage.
