On International Women's Day 2017, we launched the teaser for our #RealBeauty Series. The series celebrates authentic beauty by using our very own customers as our Green Kiss models, coupling their physical beauty with what resonates with us all even more... their inner beauty. The series celebrates and showcases the strong wonderful women that make up our community here at The Green Kiss. The campaign was lead by our creative director and lead MUA, Carly Flint and features her work on all of the models (using what many of them use in their daily routines).
Small Biz Disclaimer: The launch of our real beauty series has been a long time coming (and much awaited by our team and community) but sometimes in life, it's important to make sure something is "just right." To be transparent, the reason for the delay was due to the fact that our blog wasn't looking quite as we envisioned it should. We therefore decided to take the proper time to ensure this platform was as beautiful as the women and future content we were gearing up to feature (oh small business life, how you never cease to go differently as planned!). We are so grateful we took this time, as our newly designed blog is something we are very proud of!
It seems fitting that we would start our series with a woman who truly embodies what it means to glow from the inside out. So, without further ado, we would like to introduce you to our very first Green Kiss #RealBeauty - the lovely Ellie Shortt!
Ellie is the owner of Whole Happy. You may recognize her from her deliciously beautiful and informative instagram feed, or from her work as a whole foods cooking instructor. We met Ellie soon after she had her 'green beauty aha moment'; when she made the connection that what goes ON to the body is just as important as what goes IN to your body. This belief and whole body approach to wellness is what fuels Ellie's own life and business practices. Being a successful wellness advocate and owner of Whole Happy nutrition, Ellie quickly decided to take the next step and #maketheswitch with The Green Kiss.
Hi, Ellie! Tell us a little bit about yourself:
I’m a nutritional therapy practitioner, recipe developer, wellness blogger, cooking instructor, and general holistic health advocate. While I wear many hats, they’re all under my brand and company Whole Happy, which aims to help the world and the people in it shine from the inside out and find out what feeling great is all about. At the end of the day, I simply strive to honour the healing power of food, and have a passion for making healthy taste good!
How would you describe your lifestyle?
“Whole happy” of course! I wake up nearly every morning with energy and excitement for the day ahead, which is often filled with yoga, a run or hike with my pup, sometimes some cross-training at the gym I go to…I just love moving my body! I breathe deeply, love abundantly, eat joyfully, and treasure my relationships with friends, family, and colleagues. More specifically, though, I enjoy lots of healthy delicious food and beverages, moderate amounts of physical activity, always leave plenty of time for rest and relaxation, sandwiched between all the purposeful hard work I have to do (and LOVE to do) to keep my business thriving. I really do strive to live the Whole Happy paradigm and don’t just preach it to others.
How does the beauty industry play a role in your daily life?
I love beauty and beautiful things and have always had fun playing around with different hair and makeup looks. But now I’m creating a more purposeful relationship with my beauty routines and educating people on how to enjoy beauty and body products without burdening their system with toxins and chemicals. In fact, we can actually help our bodies with these tools, and I love teaching people how to heal from the inside out AND the outside in. Experimenting with new beauty products is a big part of my own self-care routine and wellness journey, and something I am constantly sharing and discussing with clients and my community.
Do you remember what age you started wearing makeup? How was makeup/ skincare introduced to you?
Middle school is when I started experimenting with makeup on a regular basis (so like 12/13 years old). My mom took me to Aveda and had a woman do a full makeup consultation and tutorial with me, and then sent me home with a whole set of products for my birthday. I feel like this was a really healthy introduction to makeup – someone introducing me to relatively high-quality products, with my mom’s support and love. I think my mom figured if I was going to wear makeup, I may as well do it right and not become a pharmacy-crap junky.
What makes you feel beautiful?
Travel. This is when I feel most connected to my true self, most awakened and inspired by my surroundings, and most receptive to the diverse beauty of the landscape, people, and flavours around me. I also always have a special glow after a yoga class and really feel my power and femininity.
How do you view the beauty industry today?
With hope! The success of The Green Kiss is inspiring, the products carried are amazing, and I keep seeing new companies pop up that are creating gorgeous non-toxic, environmentally-friendly, health-conscious, products. These are all signs of increasing demand! And my clients are so receptive to trying cleaner more natural products. I really feel like there’s a change in the air, and am excited about the developments that are on the rise!
When it comes to the positive, healthy changes in your life today have you ever thought about how your beauty products could be affecting you in a harmful way?
Only once I started being more involved in health and wellness. Obviously learning about the many harms of toxins – dietary, topical, environmental, emotional – through my training and from my colleagues/community was huge, and then creating relationships with companies like The Green Kiss has been a wonderful extension of that.
What do you think holds you back the most from making the switch to cleaner cosmetics?
Not much anymore. I used to think you couldn’t get the same quality, texture, or looks from natural products, but that’s rapidly changing. There are still a couple items out there in the “traditional” cosmetic world that I haven’t been able to find a comparable natural alternative, but it’s only a matter of time before someone comes out with a product that has the same effect and doesn’t harm the body. But in the meantime, I’ve just learned to live without certain things. And in all honesty, as I get healthier and happier I don’t find myself relying on various items as much as I used to. Less is more right? The Capricorn in me certainly thinks so. ;)
What are your absolute favourite top 3 products?
Because this is seriously impossible (there are just too many to choose from!!) I'll share one of my favourite combinations...lighting a 1. Woodlot candle (or two), slathering on some 2. Wild Hill Botanicals honey mask, and then slipping into a hot bath with 3. 100% Pure seaweed detox mineral salts. In my mind this is a winning trio, and also makes a really great present! I mean, is there any greater gift than all the ingredients for a relaxing Sunday night self-care ritual?
Ellie's Picks:
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