Cincinnati is gearing up for its 2012 season with some of the biggest names in show business.  Smart Talk Connected Conversations is bringing the above noted speakers to the Aronoff from January through May 2012.  What could be better than hearing fabulous celebs sharing their stories with you and then a personal meet and greet photo opportunity?  How about discounted tickets?!  Simply use the code SB2012 when purchasing tickets to receive your tickets at VIP pricing.  Join us January through May for the hottest ticket in Cincinnati.

Mabel Williams, Maybelline namesake

Maybelline is the gold standard in mascara; in fact, they were the original creators of mascara.  Here’s the skinny on how mascara was developed.  Tom Lyle Wiliams would watch his sister, Mabel, with fascination as she performed what she called the “secret of the harem”, mixing petroleum jelly with coal dust and ash from burnt cork and applying it to her lashes and brows.  Mabel’s simple beauty trick ignited Tom Lyle’s imagination and he started what would one day become a billion dollar business.  He named it Maybelline, which is a combination of Mabel + Vaseline.  Brilliant invention!

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are the epitome of hippie-chic, and are known as the modern day pioneers of the throw-back style.  Long beachy hair, flowy tops, lots of bracelets, and cut off short-shorts are the makings of hippie-chic style.  It’s one of my favorite looks!  Here’s how to achieve it:

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To achieve beachy hair, wash, then only partially dry your hair with a high watt blow dryer.   Spray your hair with a texturizer (try Beach by Supernatural Botanicals), and scrunch with hands, then air dry.  It creates long, loose waves.  A center part (if you can do it) is ultra-hippie style.

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Loose fitting and flowy tops create an earthy, cool style.  Try Forever21.

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Everyone has tons of jeans.  Turn some of them into jean shorts.  While cutting them, cut longer than you think you need at first.  You can keep cutting them off until you acquire the right cut on you.  After cutting, pull the strings and fray them out a bit.  After several washes, they’ll be perfect.

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Accessories…and lots of them!  Wear lots and lots of bracelets.  Mix colors and textures together.  Scarves are a hippie staple as well.

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 Supernatural Botanicals is a proud sponsor of SmartTalk Connected Conversation.  SmartTalk will bring their sensational lineup of interesting, successful and dynamic women to Cincinnati again in January.  Stay tuned for the release of their 2012 lineup on their website at SmartTalk.

A big thank you to EcoBold for not only supporting eco-minded people and businesses, but for also featuring Supernatural Botanicals today.  The following article is courtsey of EcoBold.  Visit their site to learn more about the great work they are doing…then let it inspire you!

The founder of Supernatural Botanicals, Robin Feltner has a chemistry background and she just knows what ingredients should or shouldn’t be inside skincare products. This line is completely paraben-free and phthalate-free. Learn more with the interview below:

Tell us a little bit about the background and story of Supernatural Botanicals.
Supernatural Botanicals is an eco-chic bath & body company specializing in skincare that follows Green practices and principals, and formulates its products with intent and purpose.

At the inception of Supernatural Botanicals, we knew we wanted to create a company that knows its demographic. Growing increasingly disappointed with mainstream bath & body stores catering to teenagers, Supernatural Botanicals wanted to target the grown sexy woman demographic. We also wanted to focus on being Green and creating products that not only feel and smell amazing, but products that are highly beneficial for the skin.

We created products formulated without Parabens or Phthalates. Green products come from natural and organic ingredients, and that’s exactly how we formulate our products…with intent and purpose, and as natural as we can. After literally hundreds and hundreds of prototypes, we formulated perfection, bringing to you natural products that smell as incredible as they perform.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? 
I’ve always had “entrepreneur” in my genetic makeup. I was selling homemade cards to neighborhood ladies at the age of 4. I wanted to grow up and have a double major as a fashion designer and interior designer. That dream never materialized. In hindsight, I wish I would have had a mentor to help me prepare, telling me which art and business classes I should have taken.

What’s wrong with standard skincare products and why do you think such ingredients are allowed? 
I believe lack of quality ingredients poses a huge threat. Not only has quality fallen by the wayside, but we also should be concerned with the toxins in the products we are using every day. Many common ingredients have been proven by scientists to be harmful, yet manufacturers continue to use them because they are inexpensive, thus allowing for more profit.

How did you choose your ingredients and what to put in each product? 
Extensive research! Having a chemistry/pharmacy background, I’m always extremely cognizant about using quality, natural ingredients.

What’s the biggest lesson you learned while starting Supernatural Botanicals? 
I’ve literally learned a wealth of knowledge in forming my company. I’ve learned that customers sincerely do appreciate companies that are going the extra effort to keep them healthy. I, too, have learned how many mainstream companies use cheap fillers in order to make profits. 

If you could choose just one of your products, which one would it be? 
Extremely hard to narrow that down as I love all of the products. I do favor our Beach Body Spray. Not only does it smell absolutely amazing and I get numerous compliments on it every time I wear it, but it’s a multitasker. It works great in your hair, giving your hair extra volume and beautiful scent. I even use it as a linen spray on my bed sheets. It’s also our best seller.

Describe a typical day in your life.
I’m an early riser. I tend to get a tremendous amount accomplished in the early hours. I work on the business end of the business from 5-8…networking, emails, following up on orders, PR, social media, etc. From 8-6 I’m in our workshop, formulating skincare products and filling orders. The day flies by, and I’m always hungry for more hours at the end of the day. In the past, it would be very common to find me in my workshop until as late as 11 p.m. I’ve luckily learned time management, and the importance of accomplishing that task.

What’s one thing we could do to have an awesome skin, naturally? 
Check your labels. Use products that do not contain parabens. Don’t be fooled by companies that splash the name of an all natural ingredient, only to flip the label over and realize that they natural product they are promoting only has trace elements within it, and is filled with other harmful fillers. 

If there is one thing/thought/idea that you could pass on to the next generation, what would it be? 
One huge concern I have for our next generation is the condition of our planet. Global warming and eco concerns will certainly be a problem in which they inherit. My hope is that we can educate the masses enough to get everyone on board with being green and eco-responsible. 

What’s your # 1 green tip? 
Recycling is an easy way to start being green. Every human being on the planet creates waste. There’s absolutely no reason we shouldn’t be more responsible for the garbage we create. This is also something that even children can learn and be a part of. If we start them early, it will become second-nature to them.

If you are serious not only about working out, but about being stylish while doing so, look no furhter…Spirit for Living  has got you covered. 

My friends over at Spirit for Living  was generous enough to send me one of their gorgeous classic boat neck shirts.  Being a huge Green fan, I was ultra-impressed that the shirt was made of natural soy and cotton blend.  The shirt is super-soft.  I love the way that the shirt just barely slips off one shoulder once in a while…a little dose of sexy without trying too hard.   

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 It’s a perfect shirt for working out, as it’s comfortable and not confining whatsoever, but it’s also a great shirt to wear with jeans or even a skirt.  We all love multi-functional pieces in our closet and need more of them. 

One look at Spirit for Living’s website and you’ll want every single item they offer.  My next piece will be the slim fit skirt.  It’s so pretty and flattering to the body….and it’s going to look great with my boat neck shirt.  Kudos to Spirit for Living’s founder, Jennifer Smith, for being a female entrepreneur with a consciousness about being Green and ultra-stylish.  Love that! 

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Fantastic news!  We are featured on StartUp Princess today!  StartUp Princess is a website dedicated to women entrepreneurs.   They are all about connections, resources, and coaching women to succeed.   The site is fascinating, depicting stories of the highs and lows of female business owners….super motivational.  Great advice for women who have businesses, or women who someday want to own a business.  …after all, no one is stopping you.  If you have an idea, a way to do something better, a way to bring happiness into the lives of others, take it all the way and start your own business.  And you can do it on a shoestring budget like millions of others have done before you.  You CAN do this.  Check out StartUp Princess and get inspired!

Check out StartUp Princess feature here.

Join us today on Blog Talk Radio with Girlfriendology at 2:00 EST to listen in to our girlfriend chat.  Debba Haupert, founder of Girlfriendology.com, will be hosting.  You can call in and chat with us.  Follow the link below.  Talk to you soon!

Girlfriendology BlogTalkRadio show – http://blogtalkradio.com/girlfriendology

or call in (347) 426-3761.

Soapbox Cincinnati is an online magazine that I read regularly, so I was pleased as punch when they decided to feature Supernatural Botanicals as a Featured Growth Company.  A huge THANK YOU to the folks over at Soapbox Cincinnati and especially to Alyce Vilines for writing such a great article. 

The following is from the SoapboxMedia website. 

A self-proclaimed “girly-girl,” Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner makes no apologies. If anything, she considers her feminine nature at the very center of her company’s success. In early 2008, after a lifetime of creating her own personal skincare products at home, and gifting family and friends with the same, Feltner launched Supernatural Botanicals, an eco-chic bath and body company, located in Delhi.

A combination of her passion for beauty products and her disillusionment with what was available on the market (“I didn’t want to smell like bubblegum,” she said) prompted Feltner to begin mixing her own formulas. A former pharmacy major at the University of Cincinnati, Feltner has a healthy knowledge of what is beneficial, as well as what is potentially harmful, to the skin.

“Ninety-five percent of what we put on our skin is absorbed by the body,” said Feltner, who sees no reason to use unnecessary chemicals and preservatives “with the array of organic ingredients available to us in nature.”

Feltner relies on centuries-old recipes to create her products, using pure essential oils, vitamins, high-quality beeswaxes, botanical extracts, and pure cocoa butters to produce her extensive skincare line and prides herself on adhering to green practices and principles in their manufacture.

Feltner also speaks passionately about her target market. Though the Supernatural Botanicals line has shown universal appeal, Feltner defines her targeted customer as the 25-and-older “grown, sexy woman.”

Offering a wide selection of organic body lotions, spa soaps, linen sprays, a botanical skincare system and more, the Supernatural Botanicals company has garnered popular national attention in its two short years in business. The company was recently contacted by “Everyday with Rachael Ray” magazine for a feature in an upcoming issue because of the many favorable web posts they’ve received about Supernatural Botanicals.  Consumer demand in their east-coast-to-west coast distribution has spawned the development of a soon-to-be-released hair-care line, as well as a line of men’s skincare formulas.

With business booming, the company is also quickly outgrowing its home base and they are already anticipating the need for additional employees to deal with the busy holiday season ahead.

Those are impressive problems to have for a company born in the midst of a recession. Feltner sees the economic climate as a blessing. “I wasn’t looking for instant success. In this economy, I have had to work for it and I feel a great deal of pride in that.”  It seems beauty, after all, is more than skin deep.

Writer: Alyce Vilines
Source: Supernatural Botanicals CEO Robin Feltner

There’s still time to get last minute tickets for Smart Talk Connected Conversations featuring Ann Compton in Cincinnati tonight. 

The Smart Talk series is for women who are serious about growing, learning, and becoming better leaders by learning from others who have blazed the trail…and Ms. Ann Compton is surely one of those women. 

It’s truly an experience to be part of and is highly recommended.  For more information on the Smart Talk show in Cincinnati, click here.