For July’s Etsy Spotlight, I asked Norwegian-born Mati H. Fuller, certified esthetic clinician, homeopathic healer, author of two books and founder of the Green Beauty Cosmetics {GBC} natural skin care line. Her all-natural cosmetics are chemical-free {No GMOs {genetically modified substances}, Parabens, Petro Chemicals, Phthalates, Sulfates, or synthetic dyes & fragrances}, never tested on animals {GBC is a member of PETA}, and her GBC products are rated 0-2 on the environmental working group’s cosmetic safety database, meaning that they pose no health hazard.

Poor & Pretty: Instead of buying products that are labeled “natural” and “organic,” you decided to make your own line of organic products. Why?

Mati Fuller: Many things led to my decision to make my own skin care line. The first thing was when I almost froze to death in the mountains. I barely survived, but my skin was completely ruined; it froze in certain areas, so I ended up with red patches that burnt and felt like sand paper. This started my quest for the perfect skin cream, and I tried pretty much every product I could get a hold of. The second thing was my experience of working in 3 major hospital labs after I finished my chemistry studies in college. While I enjoyed the work, I also experienced the effect of chemicals on the body, and many of my friends there ended up dying from cancer. The thing that really sprang me into action were the effects of menopause on my skin, which increased the dryness and dullness, and I could see lots of lines coming in. So, I started another quest for the perfect skin care products, and this is when I noticed how many carcinogenic and DNA altering chemicals these skin care products actually contained. I switched to natural and organic products until I discovered that even those can still contain as much as 30% pure poison!!! Evidently, it is very difficult to make stable products without using synthetic and petroleum based emulsifiers, and containers that you stick your fingers into, such as jars, must be preserved with parabens, or they can pose a health risk from the continuous contamination! But, that didn’t change the fact that I basically couldn’t trust the products I was using to be beneficial to my skin or to my health. I felt deceived and discouraged, and therefore, decided to make my own skin care line instead. My goal is to make products with ingredients that don’t compromise your health, and so far, all my products are rated green at the environmental working group’s cosmeticsdatabase, which means that they have low or no health hazard.

P&P: What was the most difficult part of starting your own cosmetics line?

MF: The most difficult part of starting my own cosmetics line was to figure out how to make stable solutions without using synthetic emulsifiers. When making creams, you are basically trying to mix water, oils and butters, which is not an easy thing to do. The creams should be stable over time, as well as in extreme temperatures, and it took me a long time and a lot of trial and error to figure this out. I discovered that the recipe books that are available on Amazon don’t even address this issue. They probably figure that if you make a cream for yourself that only sits in the fridge for a week before you throw it away, it doesn’t really matter if it separates. But if you want to sell your creams to the public, this just isn’t good enough. So, it took a lot of time, money, trial and error to figure it out.

P&P: What is the single most important skin care product every girl/woman should use, and why?

MF: The main reason for wrinkles is lack of moisture, so my very favorite product is my hyaluronic acid moisturizer. The main ingredient in the moisturizer is hyaluronic acid, which is basically the best moisturizing agent on the market. Because it can hold its own weight in water 1000 times, it bathes the skin cells in water, and this also allows other ingredients to penetrate deep into the skin. In addition, I also picked the oils that went into this product carefully. I used jojoba and squalane oils because they are so similar to human sebum that the skin can easily recognize this and use it to replenish the skin cells, and I used oils known for their anti aging and restorative qualities, such as rosehip seed oil, carrot seed oil and tamanu oil, which can restore elasticity to sagging, wrinkled, sun damaged skin and are especially good for the eye area. The moisturizer also contains skin softening cocoa butter and shea, as well as antioxidants, such as green tea and acai berry extract, which can repair and prevent sun damage. So, if I had to pick only one product, this would definitely be the one! 

P&P: What are a few quick and easy skin care tips you would give to teenagers and young adults?

MF: The most important skin care tip for young people is to cleanse the skin daily, and to always use moisturizer. However, you should never use soap on your face. Soap strips the natural oils away and changes the skin pH from slightly acidic to alkaline, which basically means that it puts the skin in a state of imbalance which causes it to be less resistant to bacterial growth (and pimples). Therefore, I recommend using a soap free cleanser. I have made a soap free facial cleanser with cocoa butter and shea, so it’s like a cream. You just apply it to the face with wet hands, massage it around and rinse off with warm water, and it leaves the skin soft and moisturized even before you apply the moisturizer. Forget about squeaky clean skin – skin isn’t supposed to be squeaky, it is supposed to be soft. So, if I were to recommend two products, the soap free cleanser is another must.

P&P: Is makeup on the horizon for Green Beauty Cosmetics?

MF: I’m slowly starting to bring in makeup. Right now, I have a tinted moisturizer in 3 shades. This moisturizer is translucent enough that it will look great on any kind of skin, regardless of age. It just evens out the skin tone and makes your skin look radiant. I have also made 10 different shades of tinted lip balm, which is a fun addition to anyone’s makeup bag, and more is coming. Hopefully, blush will be next.

P&P: What are some of your favorite sellers on Etsy?

MF: I love Etsy! There are so many unbelievably creative people there, and you can find unusual things that are made with so much love and care. Here are some of my favorite sellers: Art2Art Colorado, Natural Selection Studio/makye77, Paper Planet, Designs in Stained Glass, and Gypsy Moon Designs.

I didn’t get to go to as many bakeries as I wanted to {namely, all of them}, but I did stop by the two most popular cupcake haunts in Michigan — Just Baked and The Cupcake Station.

I wish I had saved Just Baked for after dinner because their cupcakes were pretty good-sized and it ruined my dinner a little bit {but, hey, that’s why they have leftover boxes, right?}. Because of the beastly size of these bad boys, I only tried one — the Chocolate Malt Cupcake, pictured {half-eaten} above. The cherry buttercream frosting was creamy and light with bits of cherries mixed in, and sitting on top of {and inside} a chocolate cupcake, topped off with a malted milk ball. I also loved their cute cartoonish wall art {pictured above, with Marcus gazing wistfully at the cupcake display case}. I wish I could have tried more, but dinner was calling!

We stopped at The Cupcake Station in Ann Arbor after eating dinner at Noodles & Company, a small chain restaurant that hasn’t made its way to the Northeast yet, but is “the Five Guys of noodles,” as Stan called it {insanely good, inexpensive, and healthier than your average fast food chain}. I’d have to say I liked Cupcake Station better for a few reasons. First, they offer smaller portions so that cupcake nerds such as myself can try a whole bunch without getting full. I sampled 7 flavors — Simply Red, Vanilla Latte, Cookies & Cream, Pineapple Delight, Party Time, Red Velvet, and a vanilla cupcake with pink frosting called Cupcake for the Cure {not pictured}, which raises money for breast cancer research. Second, all of their cupcakes were moist and not too sweet, and third, their Red Velvet is by far the best I’ve ever tasted. Plus, the Vanilla Latte tasted like Albus Dumbledore himself transformed a vanilla latte into a cupcake {he’d totally do it}.

So, if you’re in Michigan, make sure to check out these fab cupcake bakeries! You can find Just Baked in Ann Arbor, Livonia, Royal Oak, and at the Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi. The Cupcake Station is located in Ann Arbor and Birmingham.

Helloooo. My name is Marcus and I live in Michigan. I’m a good friend of Sami’s and I’m poppin’ out a guest post just for her. I’m going to teach y’all how to make SWEET AND SOUR STIR-FRY. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s so delicious and it’s pretty cheap to make.

ANYWAY, you need a grocery list! Every good chef knows what to get and where. The ‘where’ is half the battle. Local, family-owned businesses usually try their best to have the freshest products and it’s always good to support your community. I bought everything I used from Westborn Market. There are only three of them and they’re all in Michigan, however, you can order super cool things from them and they will mail it to you!

• Chicken: 1 1/2 lbs will feed 4-5 people. {You can switch chicken out for tofu, fish, turkey or even nothing, to make it vegan or vegetarian. Add more veggies and fruit if you’re ditchin’ the chicken}.
• Vegetables: Choose two: Red, green, or orange bell peppers {I like orange bell peppers because they tend to be sweeter}.
• Tomato paste
• Rice vinegar
• Soy sauce
• Cornstarch
• Honey
• Fruits: Two of whatever fruit of your choice. {I like pineapples. You may like apples or oranges. Realize, you’ll be applying heat to these fruits so don’t choose anything that tends to get mushy. No watermelons, peaches, etc.}
• Rice: I used 3 cups of jasmine rice. It clumps well, smells amazing and has a gorgeous texture and taste.

After you’ve gotten your ingredients ready, it’s time to cook! Rice comes first. I use a rice-cooker for ease but you can do it old-school. This will be the base of your dish, so make sure you’ve got enough. Some people like salt. Some people like butter. Some people like paprika. Make your rice how you desire it, however keep in mind that it will be going with the rest of the dish so clashing flavors and herbs will make sadness.

Now that you’ve got rice going in the background, SAUCE TIME. This is where the sweet and sour comes in! In a sauce pan, combine:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4  cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup soy
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon honey

Bring this lovely mixture to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens. After this has occurred, take the mixture off the fire. Then cut up one of each veggie/fruit into moderately-sized pieces. Add them to the sauce, mix then set it all aside. You’re done making sauce. The fight is half over and you’re probably really hungry. Eat some fruit, I always munch on an apple while cooking.

NOW, take your protein. If it’s meat, slice into thin strips, marinate in the sauce for a bit. Ten minutes at least. If you’re planning on using tofu, drain and dry, marinate in sauce for a few hours then move on. Tofu needs time to correctly absorb flavor. If you’re just going to use more veggies, then you’re ahead of the pack. Take this time to eat more fruit or give yourself a manicure. Do not do that in the kitchen though, nail polish in food is gross.

NOW! Chop up remaining vegetables. Julienned is good and what I prefer. Some people like big chunks. Some people like cubed or diced. Do what makes you happy.

GET A SAUTE PAN. MEDIUM HEAT. SLIGHT BIT OF OLIVE OIL. SHAZAAM!

Once the pan is heated well {you’ll know because the oil will begin to move more like water than … well, oil}, toss in the veggies. PLEASE DO NOT REALLY TOSS IN VEGGIES. THE OIL WILL SPLASH AND BURN THINGS AND SKIN. Once the veggies have GENTLY been placed in the pan, stir! Keep them moving for about three minutes. Now, add in your protein and any remaining sauce. If you’ve only been using veggies here, then in your saute pan, you should have all your veggies and all the sauce. Bring it all to a boil, then lower heat to about medium-low. Put a top on the sucker and do a crossword!

Check your dish every few minutes. Stir it, adjust heat if needed {no burning please} and sample as you go. Your tongue knows best! Completing this portion of the cooking can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. At the end, you’re looking for fully cooked meat, slightly soft veggies and a delicious scent.

If you haven’t been using a rice cooker, make sure to keep an eye on your rice. Two cups water to every one cup rice, low heat, add in herbs/butter/etc from the beginning.

THE END IS HERE. Fully cooked rice on plate, BOOM. Fully cooked veggies, protein and sauce on rice, BA-BOOM. Use remaining fruit as a garnish, WAH BAM BOOM. Now, get a fork and get to it.

-Love, Marcus!

Sorry about the tacky headline; I couldn’t resist! I also must apologize about the lack of posts this month. July has been crazy for me — Stan & I moved, I started an online class, then we went to Michigan to visit two really good friends, Ben & Marcus. Here are some highlights from the trip {in no particular order}:

1. Kensington Metropark — Ben & Marcus to us to this great park that surrounds Lake Kent, where we visited their farm center, treated ourselves to delicious ice cream treats, and rented a paddleboat {and Ben took about 30 photos of swans}. We got lectured for not wearing life jackets {after we came back perfectly safe…}, but it was lots of fun! Except that Stan fed my sunglasses to Lake Kent  :(

2. Marcus made me this gorgeous necklace! He is a truly crafty, talented guy, who can also cook {see image 6} and make amazing hand/body lotion. At first, the charm on the necklace reminded me of an acorn, but I also see it as a green cupcake or a mushroom.

3. Belle is the best cat EVER. She’s not bulimic {like one of my cats} or a sociopath {like my other cat}, and she loves cuddling. She doesn’t try to attack you all the time, and is generally very low key and loving. She also likes to lay in boxes and feel like she’s included in things, which is why she set herself down in the Apples to Apples box as we played it. She does NOT like the flash though — she ran off very quickly after this shot.

4. Risk in silly hats. Even though Risk takes forever, we had lots of fun playing. Or, at least I did because I won both times we played! {Okay, to be fair, I won by default — the first time, Belle messed up the board after we decided to give up at 3am and in the second game, we didn’t read the directions properly so I had an advantage that I didn’t technically deserve}. I played in Ben’s safari hat, Marcus played in an elephant hat, Ben wore his Ash Ketchum hat that he made when he went as the Pokemon master for Halloween a few years ago, and Stan wore a sailor hat. These hats definitely improved gameplay.

5. Sava’s State Street Cafe in Ann Arbor had delicious food, but a wonky waiter. He messed up our food order twice, and we think he may have been on something, but I loved the restaurant nonetheless. The restaurant is named after its owner/chef, Sava Lelcaj, and the food is just amazing. Dishes range from rosemary chicken, pierogis, and butternut squash ravioli to pancakes, crepes, and delicious salads, all very reasonably priced. If you’re visiting Michigan any time soon, please stop by Sava’s, you’ll be glad you did!

6. Marcus made amazing sweet and sour chicken stir fry, with a homemade sauce that had pineapples in it. I won’t say much about it because I’ll be posting the recipe next week {written by Marcus himself!}.

7. We found the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile! We couldn’t figure out why it would be randomly parked in a parking lot, but I found out later that they were promoting the “Good Mood Mission,” where the company asked customers, “what puts you in a good mood?” and turned their answers into good deeds, as well as donating 3 million pounds of food to Feeding America. Because I was without my sunglasses {see #1}, I had a hard time keeping my eyes open for the camera as the sun was shining right into my retinas.

8. And, of course, cupcakes! More on these next week, but if you’re hunting for cupcakes in Michigan, make sure you stop by The Cupcake Station and Just Baked.

Hi Readers!

On Wednesday, Stan and I are heading out to Michigan to hang out with my friends Ben & Marcus for just about a week. I’m also starting an online class today, so posts may be a bit slow for the rest of the summer. BUT, expect more DIY craft posts and definitely some Michigan cupcake reviews ;)