When your favorite cream blush or powder foundation is empty, do you just toss it in the trash? By recycling your used beauty products, you can help save the planet and get brand new products for free!

Mac’s Back To Mac Program
Return six Mac primary packaging containers to the Mac counter at your local department store or via mail, and you’ll get a free lipstick of your choice! For more information, click here.

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We live in a world of disposable everything.  Cups, plastic bags, razors, boyfriends; you name it, you can find it in a disposable form.  And although this makes our lives terribly easy, it also makes our landfills terribly full.

By just being a tad more conscious of your recycling options, you can make a huge difference with relatively minimal effort.  Here are some common products that you can recycle right in your home town!

Batteries – These babies are full of heavy metals and toxins that are of special concern to soil and water contamination, so be sure to recycle them!  Keep a box in your room so once those batteries from your remote control (or any other battery powered “appliances”…) burn out you can send them in to be recycled.  Batteryrecycling.com has a good program where you can send in pretty much any commercial battery for recycling, or you can check out any local recycling centers in your area to see if they offer this service.

Laptops – I don’t know about you, but I have definitely made my way through computers.  My most recent, Doris, has a cracked screen and a dead battery.  Who in their right mind would want to take her off my hands?  Gazelle.com, that’s who.  They offer laptop recycling services and even offer payment for some laptop models!  If poor little Doris can have a $30 value, just imagine what your old laptop can fetch!

Clothes – As college girls, I’m sure we’ve all become familiar with the beauty that is Goodwill.  There is no better excuse for buying new clothes than donating the old ones to a good cause.  But what about those that are just too threadbare to donate?  Surprisingly, you can donate them anyways!   Goodwill and the Salvation Army send out these clothes to “rag sorters” which recycle the fabrics themselves.  Another good option for running shoes in particular is Recycled Runners, a company specializing in recycling and donation of running shoes.  Hit up their website for donation info and sights in your area. Read More »

As you may have gathered from my previous articles, I am a shopaholic.  Even if I have no money, I can’t help but scour the internet for deals at the online sample sales (seriously, check out Ideeli, it’s amazing).  And even though I can’t always buy sustainable products, I still try to buy in sustainable ways.

Here are my favorite shopping tips to don’t just save the environment, but they can also save you money.

Read on, my fellow “Frugalista” (thank you, Target.)

Shop in stores.  Preferably ones you can walk or carpool to.  Retailers get their shipments in bulk, which decreases the amount of packaging material used to deliver the products.  When you shop online, shipping costs (and all that wasted paper and cardboard) can add up quickly, so spare yourself and hit the local mall (with your reusable tote!). Be sure to try on before you buy so you can avoid the extra gas needed to return something to the store.

Look for local labels.  Try to buy from companies that are based in the your state to cut down on energy needed for transportation.  If that’s not possible, look for brands that produce their products within the United States.  American Apparel, C&C Cailfornia, Splendid, J.Crew, Lucky Jeans, Joe’s Jeans, True Religion, Juicy Couture, 7 For All Mankind, Citizens of Humanity, and Rock and Republic (just to name a few) all manufacture their clothing in the U.S. Read More »

You know that really annoying friend of yours who feels the incessant need to point out that they were the first to know about a now really popular band every. single. time. it comes on the radio?

As annoying as they are, there is something exciting about the knowing of a new band, new clothing brand, great sale, awesome book or recipe, and sharing it with the ones you love. And by ones you love, I mean the ones you go back and forth with right here on the CollegeCandy message boards.

So here’s the deal: every week, we will feature things that YOU think other CollegeCandy readers just have to know about. Anything at all. Nothing is off limits.

Guffly.com
We all are trying to be green: wear more green, eat more green, recycle more green, earn more green. But sometimes it’s hard because we don’t know where to look for the best products. And let’s face it – some of those eco-friendly fashions have been hit with the ugly stick one too many times. Not to mention the sometimes way-out-there price tags – I mean I could buy some Jimmy Choo’s for the price of some of these reusable forks, frocks and eco-friendly gym bags! But thankfully, Guffly has come to our rescue. Guffly is a one-product-per-day online store (perfect for those of us who get overwhelmed by too many fabu products at once!). They feature eco-friendly products and fair trade lifestyle goods like home, pet, clothing, office and personal accessories. They have made it their jobs (literally!) to find only the most stylish eco-friendly and fair trade products out there.  Now you can actually do something good for the environment, feel good about yourself AND still look cute. Sign me up.  Read More »

I love shopping, but I just can’t help but feel a tad guilty every time I invest in another mother-earth-will-cry-when-I-wear-this kinda number.

I know that the clothing industry contributes to global warming, air and water pollution, and tons of waste, but I really can’t bring myself to be Goodwill’s number one customer.  Don’t get me wrong, thrift and consignment shopping is awesome, especially in economic times such as these, but once in a while I want something new of my own.

So what’s a girl to do?  Find cute, eco-conscious clothes that don’t make you look like you’re wearing a sack of potatoes.  And that’s exactly what I have done.  All of these have been cuteness certified by yours truly, so feel free to go ahead and splurge!

Plato’s Closet:  This is one of my personal faves.  It’s a consignment shop, but this place is anything but shabby.  They have tons of designer jeans for super cheap – plus they’re pre-broken in.  I also sell a lot of my clothes here because you get money up front instead of having to wait the 10 years for your senior prom dress to finally sell.  Cute clothes, money in your pocket, and green shopping – what more could you ask for?  Check out the Plato’s Closet website for locations in your area!

Good Society Denim: Now to move on to the new stuff.  The best thing about Good Society denim is that their clothes look like high quality designer jeans with all the benefits of an organic label.  They only use 100% fair trade organic denim, making all of their products entirely sustainable.  The top of my wish list is their Straight Cut Denim in Raw, which, at the semi-meager price of $93 (hey, it’s cheap compared to the $210 True Religions everyone is wearing), is soon to become a reality.

Stewart and Brown: Established in 2002, Stewart and Brown is one of the top non-granola-y green brands out there.  They have a cute, Urban Outfitters-esque style featuring clothes only made from 100% organic cotton grown from non-genetically modified seeds and other sustainable fabrics.  Plus, they donate 1% of their profit to various charities to keep giving back.  Pick up one of their cute dresses and then bask in your eco-conscious glory.

Beyond Skin:  100% of Beyond Skin’s shoes are vegan and made from entirely earth-friendly materials such as polyurethane leather and polyester satins.  And like Stewart and Brown, Beyond Skin donates a percentage of their profits to environmental and social projects.  I personally recommend the Cherub pumps in black hemp (you can’t even tell it’s not leather).  All products are shipped from England, so it’s not the most eco-conscious thing for us Americans, but it’s definitely better than the fugly pleather alternatives.

We college students are pretty accurately stereotyped.  We party hard, sleep late, and cram for finals until the wee hours of the morning.  Luckily for us and the environment, a lot of these common habits can be easily “tweaked” in order to save energy and resources.  And as a college student myself, I give you my solemn oath that these steps will not affect your party or study life in any way.

Here are some of the most well-known college kid characteristics and how you can change them to better our earth:

We are constantly glued to our laptops. And no matter whether you’re Facebooking or researching the native crops of Haiti, you’re still using lots of energy.  Now I’m not stupid – I wouldn’t dare suggest that you cut down your Skype time just to save the Earth.  Really all you have to do is cut down your energy usage when you’re not actually on the computer (i.e. sleeping or boozing).  How do you do this?  Unplug your electronics!  Computers practically use as much energy when they’re in standby mode as they do when they’re actually in use.  So if you’re leaving the room for a good amount of time, turn off your computer and unplug all of the plugs in your outlet if possible.

We are messy and we have our clothes to prove it. I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to eat or drink anything without staining whatever I’m wearing.  This is especially tragic when you happen to be wearing one of those “dry clean only” numbers, which of course, are always the cutest.  But don’t run off and spend last night’s tips on pricey dry cleaning before you try some other easier, cheaper, and more eco-friendly tactics.  Believe it or not, some “dry clean only” garments (such as silk and wool) can actually be hand washed with cold water.   Of course, give it a test run before you wash and potentially ruin your favorite silk dress.  If that doesn’t work, seek out “wet cleaning” or “green dry cleaning” locations by searching at GreenEarth Cleaning’s website. Read More »

Like most of you, I am a (recently graduated but not willing to accept it) college student who would rather dish out money for fashion than food. But sometimes, like in a recession…or when I’m really hungry, that doesn’t work out so well. A girl’s gotta eat (and look fabulous), right?

Which is why I was having some serious issues lately. You see, I am in love with the whole high-waisted skirt look that I see on celebs like Lauren Conrad and Amanda Bynes. It’s slimming and hot and I loooove it. But I can’t justify spending a good chunk of change on a skirt that will be out of style in 6 months when I have 10 perfectly fine skirts lining my closet.

So I decided to figure out a way to turn what I got into what I want. Turns out, it’s not that hard to make your own high-waisted skirt. Even for crafty rejects like myself. Read More »

I have a love/hate relationship with Sephora. I love walking through there and playing with all the makeup, but I hate how there is just so much. How am I supposed to know which brand is best? Which one looks best on my skin? Which mascara is worth $45 and why is that better than my $6 mascara at home?

It’s all quite overwhelming.

And that’s why I choose my friends based on how good their makeup looks. Ok, so that’s not (totally) true, but I do depend on my friends to guide me in the direction of quality products for my face. When they tell me they love a product or brand I trust them, and I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Most recently, a friend of mine started going on and on (and on) about Tarte cosmetics. I knew nothing about them, but after spending an hour with this girl (of which, only 5 minutes were not spent talking about Tarte), I decided to take the brand for a test run myself. I ordered some of their most popular products online (it seems that various beauty editors are quite enamored as well) and tried them out.

And let me just say – I am addicted. Like seriously addicted. Not only are the products super high quality, but they are completely natural, healthy and earth friendly as well! I’m a major recycling dork (I even reuse Ziploc bags….) so that is something that is really important to me.

Anyways, I tried out a bunch of things, but here are my all-time favorite Tarte products: Read More »

Although I am a firm believer in leading an environmentally-friendly life,  I am first and foremost a college-aged woman.  And what does that mean?  It means I am absolutely unwilling to look ugly just for the sake of the environment.

After doing a little research, however, I discovered that being green does not mean being heinous.  In fact, it means quite the opposite.

Here are my favorite green tips that also make you hotter.  Read on, pretty lady…

Ditch the dryer: Using a hair dryer for only 5 minutes a day for an entire year uses enough energy to power a basic light bulb for 3,259 hours.  And guess what?  You don’t really need it!  Drying your hair frequently can crack the hair’s cuticle and withdraw moisture, leaving you with dry and brittle strands.  Naturally drying your hair even just a few days a week can save your strands and save the environment.  If you just can’t live without your daily drying, opt for an eco-friendly one.  The Go Green dryer is made from recycled materials, is printed with soy ink, and uses 26% less energy than a normal dryer.

Turn down the scalding shower: Not only do long, hot showers waste water, they are also a huge energy expense.  Cut down your shower time and the temperature, and you can save tons of money on your monthly bill.  Plus, cold water is good for your bod!   Hot water can have very drying properties, both to your skin and your hair.  Taking a colder shower leaves your hair silkier and your skin softer, all while increasing circulation and bumping up your immune system.  Now how’s that for a morning routine? Read More »

[Ever see something you want but don’t have the money to buy? Ever get sick of studying/watching TV and have the urge to get crafty and make things on your own? We know! Us too! We just don’t know where to start, which is why we got some of CollegeCandy’s craftiest writers to share their favorite DIY projects with everyone. These things are easy, fun and a great way to save some serious cashola.]

Everyone has an old t-shirt (or 40) lying around in the back of their closet that has no chance of being worn again. Not that any of us will ever get rid of them; they have sentimental value! But they are also taking up some much-needed space that would be better utilized for all the new maxi dresses we’ve been eying.

Instead of stacking them in drawers, why not turn them into something useful (and cute) and help protect the environment in the process? Turn that retro t-shirt into a recycled tote bag that can be used for the gym, school, or just walking on the streets! Stop wasting plastic shopping bags (which are typically used less than 30 minutes and only 1 % are recycled) and do your shopping in nostalgic style. Read More »