Exclusive: Ashley and Mary-Kate Tell Us Exactly How to Copy Their Hair

You already know the secret to Ashley and Mary-Kate’s lived-in makeup is matte lip and eye pencils applied next to dewy skin, and the inspiration behind their Elizabeth and James fragrances is a play on gender, so now it’s time to talk about their hair routine. How, exactly, do the twins get their beach-meets-city waves? We had to ask.

Forget any notion you have of the Olsens using curling irons or fancy texture spray. We sat down with Mary-Kate and Ashley and their mane man, Mark Townsend, and found out it’s actually a cocktail of a drugstore dry shampoo and a unique waving iron.

The Olsens have had their locks every which way—Ashley says she won’t ever go back to brunette, Mary-Kate is more adventurous—but it’s their tight waves that have become their signature.

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The secret to Ashley’s healthy locks? “I wash my hair every other day and never blow-dry it,” she told us. “I go out with wet hair and just let it dry naturally.” Townsend approves. “I love that Ashley has embraced her natural texture,” he says.

As it turns out, air-dried hair is the foundation of the twins’ signature waves. “I rarely ever pick up a blow-dryer,” Townsend confirms. Instead, he reaches for Rsession Tools Nalu Waver ($179, currently unavailable—but this Hot Tools variation is similar). “All I do is grab random chunks of hair here and there and wrap them in a figure-eight shape around the barrel,” he says. Don’t hold for too long, he notes; gently shake the curl out before it sets, for a loose feeling.

Once Ashley and Mary-Kate have waves in their hair, it’s time to add texture. Townsend’s secret weapon? Dove Dry Shampoo ($4), used like a texture spray, not a traditional dry cleanser. “It gives their hair the best texture,” he says. “It has starch instead of powder, which literally builds layers, creating a piecey look, and locks in the volume. Plus, it delivers a matte finish.” Townsend suggests spraying the formula in small sections from root to tip until you reach your desired texture.

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The Olsens are well aware of the obsession over their locks. Their thoughts on the subject? “At the end of the day, I think that [our fans] appreciate how natural we are,” Mary-Kate told us. “For us, it’s all about what makes us feel good. We don’t really overdo it, and maybe that’s where it stems from.”

The finishing touch to the Olsens’ signature waves? To balance the texture created by the dry shampoo, Townsend reaches for Serge Normant Meta Sheer Dry Oil Finishing Spray($24) next. “I only apply it on their ends, to make the hair a little more piecey and close the cuticle of the hair,” he says.

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“Ashley’s been growing her hair out for a few years now,” Townsend says.

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“I recently chopped off all my hair because it was so dead,” Mary-Kate told us. “I’m still trying to get used to it.”

Getting accustomed to her shorter ’do means trying new styles. Her new go-to is slicked back and sleek. “They’re always the first to try things,” Townsend told us. “We’re seeing the slicked-back look all over the runway.”

To get Mary-Kate’s new sleek look, Townsend reaches for gel. “I’ll do the opposite of what I normally do,” he says. “It’s meant to look wet, meant to look greasy. I just put a ton of Oribe Rock Hard Gel ($36) on her roots, then I pin it back and let it dry in place.” Once it’s dry, he blasts the ends with Dove’s dry shampoo.

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On a day off, Mary-Kate keeps the sleek look going. “For the most part, I’ve just been wearing a good old ponytail,” she says.

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The best beauty advice the twins ever received? “Our dad always told us to wear our hair off of our faces,” Ashley says. “I always thought that was pretty good advice.”

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Exclusive: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Spill Their Makeup Secrets

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen need no introduction. They’ve proven themselves as legitimate fashion designers in every circle imaginable, their risk-taking fashion sense has been well-documented by relentless paparazzi photos, and we all know they landed roles on Full House long before they could walk. But it’s their beauty routine that’s been kept relatively quiet.

We had the opportunity to sit down with Mary-Kate and Ashley to talk about all things beauty, from their fragrances to their best beauty moments. How does one prepare for an interview with the Olsens? After geeking out for longer than we’d like to admit, a few of our editors gathered and came up with our most burning beauty questions for the pair. These queries were, of course, mostly about their perfectly textured hair, beauty inspirations, and favorite cosmetics.

GETTY/GARY GERSHENOFF

“We know exactly what we like,” Ashley told us about their signature dewy skin, beige lips, and smudged eyeliner. “We’re very specific, detailed people. Hair and makeup just sort of bring everything together. The right hair and makeup can make the outfit go any which way.”

When asked about that beige matte lip, the twins smile at each other. “It’s not a lipstick—it’s a waterproof lip liner!” Ashley says about Make Up For Ever’s Aqua Lip Waterproof Lipliner Pencil ($19) in 3C. “Our makeup artist [Erik Soto] sends them to us.”

“On a day off, we don’t really wear much makeup,” Ashley says. The one product they don’t leave home without? Brave Soldier Lip Defender ($9). “It’s more like skincare for your lips than a lip balm,” Mary-Kate says.

Before the return of the bold brow, Mary-Kate and Ashley were already brushing their full arches up and out to make them look even more dramatic. What keeps them in place? “First, you need a flat toothbrush,” explains Ashley. “It’s bigger than a brow brush, so it works better, then we just use Anastasia Clear Brow Gel ($22).”

The trick to Mary-Kate and Ashley’s signature smoky eye? It’s done with matte brown shadow instead of shimmery black.

Mary-Kate and Ashley are no strangers to the world of perfume—they put their name on scents as tweens—but it’s the launch of their two scents for Elizabeth and James that's cause for celebration this month.
“It all started with our desire to bring together sandalwood and vanilla, to create a very sensual, and almost masculine scent,” explains Mary-Kate referring to Nirvana Black ($60). “The two scents are a play on duality,” Ashley adds, describing it as lived-in and androgynous.

After the year-and-half venture to create Black, the twins moved on to create what would be Nirvana White ($80), a lighter, more feminine floral.

Which scent do they prefer? “It just depends on just how you’re feeling,” Ashley says. “They also smell really nice together. I’ll put one on during the day, and then add the other one later.” Mary-Kate adds, “They’re both sensual in different ways—we want to give women options.”

The trick to the Olsen’s complexion? They keep their skin dewy and their eyes and lips matte. “That’s what they like,” Soto told us. That dewy skin often comes courtesy of Benefit’s Erase Paste ($26) in Medium and Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body Liquid Makeup ($43).

Then, for contour, Mary-Kate and Ashley keep the dewy texture going with Bobbi Brown’s Skin Foundation Stick ($46) and Stila’s Convertible Color ($25) in Lillium. “Just a touch,” Soto tells us.

Of course, we had to ask Mary-Kate and Ashley about their signature smudged eyeliner. “The trick is to use brown,” Ashley says. That brown liner, it turns out, is also matte, providing a contrast to their always radiant skin. Soto uses Sephora Collection Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner ($12) in Matte Brown Black along both of their lash lines and smudges it with a small brush. “The oil in your skin will break down a matte shade and make it look more lived-in,” he tells us.

When asked about their favorite mascara, Mary-Kate was quick to reply “YSL!” referring to Volume Effet Faux Cils Mascara ($32). Then, on the red carpet, they amp it up with Guerlain’s Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara ($32). “It gives that full lash that they love,” Soto explains.

This post was originally published on April 30, 2013.

For Many Transgender Women, The Beauty Boutique Is A Refuge

"Even in the M.A.C. world, while you are embraced for who you are, I found that I had more wiggle room as a gay man," M.A.C. makeup artist Gizelle Messina explains. "The more masculine I was, the more opportunity presented itself — and I skyrocketed."

Messina is sitting at a conference room table in a shared workspace in Los Angeles. Wearing all black, her long, wavy hair is loose and her pristine makeup is an undeniable giveaway of her industry experience. "I had just gotten my own counter, a staff of eight, a promotion, a condo, and a brand new car, but when I got home and looked in the mirror I would just cry because I didn’t recognize myself." 

Her hands become tense and her eyes dim retelling the moment when she couldn't take it anymore — it was finally time to tell her boss.

Coming out as transgender is the task of a lifetime; and coming out to your boss, even in 2017, can still feel like a career-killer. "I know the stories about people like me who out themselves in the workplace," Messina continues, "This is when companies utilize policy and procedure to manage you out without saying that it’s because you’re different. I was hiding so brilliantly, that I felt like this person I had created, if I abandoned it, I would lose everything."

To celebrate Pride Month, Messina is joining six other trans individuals from around the country to share their stories in a documentary film by Transparent director Silas Howard. More Than T premieres tonight on ShowTime, but we sat down with Messina to learn more about her specific journey, ahead.

Working Her Way Up

As you're likely gathering, Messina did not get fired after she told her boss at M.A.C. she was transgender. She didn't get fired when she transitioned either. Quite the contrary: She'll be celebrating her 17th year at M.A.C. soon. Instead, her supervisor asked what she should call Messina, made a Ru Paul quip to lighten the mood (he's one of the company's original spokespeople), and that was about it. "It was then that I truly understood who I worked for," Messina says.

This isn't an experience that every trans or genderqueer individual receives — far from it. According to the National Center For Transgender Equality, 75% of transgender individuals have suffered from discrimination at work, while more than 25% have lost a job due to bias. A 2015 survey found 30% having reported a job loss or loss of a promotion due to their gender expression. What's more, this study found that 77% took steps to hide their gender expression in the workplace for fear of being terminated or harassed. Messina calls herself "very privileged" for both her professional coming out story and how supported she's been in her adult years since.

Of course, this was when things took a turn for the better. But everything up until this moment sadly followed a more-common trans experience growing up in Central California. "Everyone is pointing out that you’re different, and you’re just trying to play on the jungle gym," she remembers. Hers is a story that many trans kids can unfortunately relate to: By 13-years-old she was kicked out of her dad's house and she was parenting herself on the streets by 15-years old. She'd been raped and physically assaulted numerous times by 18, and the regular verbal harassment was incessant in the years following.

I was hiding so brilliantly, that I felt like this person I had created, if I abandoned it, I would lose everything.

- GIZELLE MESSINA

“By 18 it was just so hard to exist — to go to the grocery store, to go get something to eat with my mom, it was just was too much,” she says. "At that age, you almost feel like you want to give up, but there was something telling me to push through."

For Messina, finding a safe haven at work changed everything. She landed a job at the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento at 18-years-old doing makeup at Glamour Shots; she then worked her way up to the Benefit counter, then eventually landed at M.A.C.

Her new job coincided with a romantic relationship that would temporarily cut off her feminine expression completely. "He said 'I love you and I think you're beautiful, but I want to be with a man'," she recalls. "I embraced a new voice, a new stance, and a new definition of who I was." This was when Messina observed her privilege starting to change. "I noticed that the more masculine I was, the more society accepted me, which was a huge mindfuck, because I had existed completely feminine my entire life," she says. Things were going so well that she kept up the facade long after the two had split. But she knew it wasn't who she truly was.

Finding Her Safe Haven

When Messina came out as transgender in the workplace, she credits her employer for making it a positive experience. "I do think that the beauty industry is a place that’s going to be a more welcoming workforce for someone who is non-gender conforming or transgender to exist," she says, "And I feel that M.A.C. is leading it."

Messina's been with M.A.C. for over 16 years now, and works in one of the most liberal cities in the country: Los Angeles. But even here, work is a sanctuary.

"Within the four walls of M.A.C. — that’s where life is so unique for me," she says. "I’m not Gizelle the trans person; I’m an artist, a leader, someone with tenure. I'm someone who is very well respected. People make a B-line for me to do their makeup, but as soon as I leave those walls I get the trans experience. I could be three feet out of my work and I'm knocked back to reality with, 'That's a man!' or, 'Fag!'"

Within the four walls of M.A.C. — that’s where life is so unique for me. I’m not Gizelle the trans person, I’m an artist, a leader, someone with tenure. I'm someone who is very well respected.

-GIZELLE MESSINA

Makeup Family

But M.A.C.'s contributions don't stop at Gizelle's individual experience. "We celebrate diversity and inclusion," an official company statement reads. "M.A.C. has made it its mission to be a safe place for LGBT and gender-non conforming people and have put funds towards that very mission, giving over $450 million to initiatives that are working to end HIV/AIDS and end the stigma for those living with it."

What's more, More Than T was made possible thanks to the M.A.C. AIDS Fund — and it seeks to rewrite the trans narrative with Howard at the helm, who is also transgender. The goal: Move past the headlines, the coming out stories, the isolation, and the struggles, and highlight the actual, multidimensional lives of the individuals.

The marked change in how trans individuals are portrayed in the media isn’t lost on Messina. She remembers seeing trans women on TV growing up — always with a cartoonish deep voice or maybe caught standing to pee for comic relief. "And the ones on CSI were always the prostitute," she says, "But we’re slowly getting there. Laverne Cox has a prime time television show! What a reward to see a trans person portrayed as an attorney."

Opening her life up to the public eye wasn't easy for Messina, but she's glad she did it — and she's feeling optimistic about the future for more trans and gender nonconforming individuals to find steady employment, representation, and a safe haven inside and outside the beauty world.

"I know not every cosmetics company is like M.A.C., but I know that eventually they will be, because it’s the right thing to do," she says. "I look forward to a time where what exists within the four walls of M.A.C. is everywhere.”

Fair Trade Beauty Is More Complicated Than You Think

When I was a child, my favorite movie was FernGully: The Last Rainforest, a magical animated tale that brought the devastation of deforestation into our living rooms and, in turn, made faraway forests a sacred place like no other. 

And I’m not alone: If Generation Z came of age with the unfolding reality of global warming, the millennials’ issue is most certainly our disappearing rainforests. To me, it still feels like ourissue. While many of us have adjusted our international news focus — the heartbreaking state of so many parts of the world give us no shortage of things to worry about — it’s still a crucial issue in countless ways.

Fast-forward to this spring, when my childhood dream came to fruition: I’m standing in the middle of the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon rainforest in Peru, just west of the Bolivian border, in one of the most pristine jungles in the world. Read on for what a visit to the Amazon is really like — and how brands (and you!) are protecting and supporting the rainforest.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

We’re Not In FernGully Anymore…

It took four flights, many nauseating bus rides down dirt roads, and numerous half-day boat rides up the Amazon. At this point, I’ll admit the conditions are hard. My anti-malaria pills are making me ill; my arms are still sore from pre-travel vaccinations; and even with near-toxic levels of DEET-laced bug repellant and clothing spray that my doctor prescribed me (yes, this is a thing), I've racked up over 50 mosquitos bites by the first night. Fun fact: I'm one of those people who didn't think mosquitoes "liked me" until I met the relentless swarms of the Amazon jungle. 

I also didn’t realize how sick I was until I quit the OTC drug ring that was our travel group: “I’ll trade you an anti-cramping pill for a anti-diarrhea tablet,” was common conversation in the bus. I had to go on a round of antibiotics upon my return. (Stateside, this common stomach ailment is all-to-affectionately referred to as "traveler’s sickness.") 

A slight misstep in the forest can also leave you debilitated. An unlucky journalist I traveled with was bitten by an ant that was hanging out in her rain boot and received waves of excruciating pain through her body for hours. To add literal insult to injury, she missed the sun setting from an observation deck that was, easily, the most amazing sight during my journey. 

The forest is a particularly inhospitable place for those not accustomed to it — but I’m no wimp. 90-degree temps mixed with 90% humidity was child's play compared to the emotional toll the visit took. The lowlights: A heartbreaking interview with a woman my age who's had such limited opportunity that when we talk about her life, she can’t help but break down crying. To put it in perspective, she has one of the better jobs in Puerto Maldonado, the small town that marks the entry point to the forest. Then, there were the guides at Posada Amazonas, a truly magical eco-lodge where I stayed one night, who expressed their concern to stay open, as they’re on a limited grant from the Peruvian government. Or, the men we see (openly!) illegally mining in the Amazon, a rapidly growing problem spurred by a gold rush, that leaves the river polluted.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

The Reality

But even with these struggles, this forest is thriving in contrast to others. The Indonesian rainforest has fallen on devastating times thanks to farmers burning the forests to make way for fields of palm trees. This feeds an insatiable international demand for palm oil, which is in nearly every consumer product you can think of, from packaged cookies to beauty products. I don’t have to tell you why this is an issue: Rainforests covered around 14% of Earth once, now we're at 6 or 7% — or even lower, depending who you ask. Yet, they house around half the world's living creatures, act at the "lungs of earth," and are vital hunting grounds for new drugs, which are desperately needed right now. (The issues are complex, but this isn't a doomsday article — hold on just one more minute!)

Back to my childhood dream of saving the rainforest — or at least helping a little: trying to figure out how to help is daunting. After all, I’m just like you. I work hard to make rent, pay back my student loans, visit my family, and have money left over to have a little fun with my friends when Friday arrives. How can I, soon to be a world away in the States, help this area or the people that live here in a real, sustainable way?

Fair trade gives the governments an economic incentive to maintain the forests...

-CHRISTINA ARCHER

Then, I learned this: One of the many reasons why this forest I'm standing in — and many other valuable ecosystems — is still intact is because the governments have realized that the natural forests could, just maybe, be more valuable untouched than if they were cleared to make way for livestock or en vogue cash crops, like palm oil. It's a brick-by-brick approach — ecotourism helps, and so do conservation groups, but there's also something the average person can do.

Fair-Trade Beauty

Chances are, you've seen the term fair trade thrown around a lot. "Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency, and respect, that seeks greater equity in international trade," explains Michele Loeper, former marketing manager of Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit organization that sells exclusively fair trade merchandise. "[Fair trade] contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers." 

That sounds warm and fuzzy, but for me, it took traveling to somewhere deeply impacted by the practice to realize how how important it truly is. Honestly, before this trip I wasn't excited to pay a few dollars more for a pound of fair-trade coffee or tube of hand cream, because I didn't really know what it meant — until now.

The explosion of natural and organic products hitting the market means that brands are constantly looking for the next big ingredient to meet that uptick in demand. That's where fair trade comes in. To wit: Brands like Lush, L'Occitane, and Caudalie all feature fair-trade ingredients in some of their most-popular products.

Leading the pack in innovation and reach is a brand you may not expect: The Body Shop. Over the past 30 years, the U.K.-based company has helped create a model of what fair trade in the beauty industry actually looks like. 

Today, The Body Shop fairly and ethically trades with 26 supplier groups in 22 countries. A whopping 94% of the brand’s products feature fair-trade ingredients and the brand's movements are monitored by a third party Swiss organization, IMO, to ensure transparency in its ethical operations. 

The Body Shop has also made a commitment to do even better. This year, the company turns 40 and marked the anniversary with a goal dubbed Enrich, Not Exploit: By 2020, it aims to make massive strides towards being "the world's most ethical and truly sustainable global business." Not just a beauty business, but a business in general. That includes more than doubling the range of ingredients it sources, increasing the groups it trades with, helping 40,000 economically vulnerable people across the developing world — the list goes on.

ELDA LUZ VERA GONZALES. / PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

Meet Canada

My trip to the Amazon jungle was framed around a visit to one of these 26 supplier groups, Candela. It happens to be one of the oldest relationships The Body Shop has. The partnership began when one of Candela's founders hopped a flight to the U.K. in the '90s and showed up at The Body Shop’s HQ with a sample of oil. 

“I brought a glass Coca-Cola bottle of Brazil-nut oil with a cork in the top and asked for a meeting with The Body Shop,” Gaston Vizcarra, one of the founders of Candela, told me. “They recommended I change my bottle for the next time [laughs], but they were interested in trying to work with us.” The ethos aligned: “I was interested in selling it, yes, but the goal was to create a sustainable model, a business supply chain."

Translation: Then and now, fair trade isn't a charity — it doesn't contribute X amount of money per sale to developing communities. Instead, it's about creating a supply chain that allows locals to do what they've done for generations (trade) without being exploited (fair). Back then, The Body Shop called the movement "Trade Not Aid," which basically sums it up.

“I’m not going to call a supply chain a community supply chain if I am going to buy 15 kilos one year then nothing the next,” said Christina Archer, senior manager of sustainable sourcing at The Body Shop. “Because what have you done? Nothing. You don’t have a relationship, you haven’t made an impact.” 

Of course, The Body Shop has clout — it was purchased by L’Oreal in 2006 and has over 3,000 stores in 65 countries. But delivering large orders every year still takes thought. For example: “We use Brazil-nut oil in over 60 different formulas,” Archer says. "So, as customers stop buying one product, we can start using it in another one. We have a rolling demand, because we have been working with Candela for over 20 years.” 

The need for big, recurring orders isn't just valuable at The Body Shop. Heather Deeth, manager of ethical buying at Lush, echoes the sentiment: “When our volumes increase, we can become really powerful in how we buy," she explains. "That’s what we’re always looking for in our supply chain: How do we hit a critical volume? As we get bigger that’s where the opportunity is."

Fitting Brazil nuts into this model, however, isn't easy. 

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

A Nut In A Nut

Before I stepped off the plane in Puerto Maldonado, I had no idea what a Brazil nut was. My itinerary included a journey deep into the jungle — where tourists aren’t allowed to go — to see how Candela’s fleet of castañeros (the people who camp out to collect the nuts from January to March) bring in the nuts, how the concession owners function (the men and women who manage the collection points), and how the nuts are cracked, sorted, and processed back in town.

In the trading community of Lago Valencia, I met Elda Luz Vera Gonzales, a woman who practically has Brazil-nut oil running through her veins: Her father owned a concession before her and she’s made it her life’s work. Unlike women of previous generations, there’s “no machismo” needed to secure the job. Slowly changing ideals in the region means that this year, 34% of the concessions managed by Candela are legally held by a woman.

The way these nuts are collected, however, hasn’t changed much over the decades. Brazil-nut trees are some of the tallest in the rainforest, which means they couldn’t be farmed, even if you wanted to. The trees take over a decade to come to maturity and cannot be within around a half mile or so of another, or the roots won’t be able to stretch out. It's worth the wait; the nuts are delicious and the oil that is made from them is used in body, skin, and hair products to protect, hydrate, and add smoothness and shine, respectively. Anyone obsessed with The Body Shop's rich body butters will immediately understand how amazing this oil is in products. [Ed. note: I'm currently addicted to the Hawaiian Kukui Cream, which is packed with the Brazil nut oil created by Candela.]

The nuts aren’t what you expect, either. In fact, they’re more of a nut in a nut. They’re about the size of a coconut. Once you break open the shell, you'll find it’s packed with more nuts, each in another shell. They also make biting insects look harmless — if a falling nut hits you on the head, it can kill you.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

Collecting the nuts is a summer job. The castañeros are normally men and usually bring their families with them to camp out; the women cook and the children are on break from school, so they're likely helping, too. The camps have no running water or electricity, but sometimes a generator for evening light. The castañeros normally have other jobs in the rest of the year. 

For Gonzales, however, this is her main gig and it works a bit like this: At the beginning of each season, Candela furnishes pre-payments for concession holders, like Gonzales, to pay her employees to make the trek (the ones I met were from the Andes) and get their supplies sorted, like a loan with no interest or an advance on your check. 

A committee within Candela also set the prices for the nuts based on fair market value for that year. Prior to this system Gonzales would be at the mercy of traveling traders — and their pricing — who would, quite literally, wash up on shore unexpectedly. “They’d show up and say ‘I’ll buy your nuts’ offering whatever price they wanted,” Mr. Vizcarra says. Or, what’s worse, they wouldn’t show up at all and the perishable Brazil nuts would become a convenient feast for cute-and-colorful macaws with the munchies.

“They would be held captive of what the traders would give you,” Archer explains. “Where as here they have a contract with Candela and whatever they produce they are guaranteed to sell at X price.” 

Although the trading is becoming more sophisticated, Vizcarra notes that “people here have little information about how the market works; we have to be the link for the people of the rainforest.”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MAX MILLIGAN.

From Soup To Nuts

The concession owners weren't the only ones held captive in the old system. Do a little poking around and you'll hear stories of indentured workers and massive exploitation of castañeros, something Deeth found when Lush began its entry into sourcing Brazil-nut oil from this part of Peru. 

"We got a tip from our Amazonian butter supplier that there are issues around indentured labor," she explains, again pointing to the need to make big buys to ensure you know the whole story, from soup to nuts. "The source of this is people who are buying the nuts from brokers. How do you get traceability back [when you’re buying like that]? You can't.”

Mr. Vizcarra agrees: "It would be easy to work with a middleman, but then I don’t know where the nuts come from or how much have you paid to the producers," he says. "Have you cheated them in the weight? What have you done to get the nuts?" Mr. Vizcarra is the first to admit that this isn't the easiest way — but it's vital. 

Navigating the sustainable sourcing of the nuts from the forest is a logistical puzzle: Candela had to win the grant to legally remove the nuts from the forest, organize a way to get the nuts out of regions without roads (tractors and boats must travel on the weather's schedule, not Candela's), and get a lot of workers "on the books."

On a five-hour boat ride up the Amazon river to a collection point, Lupe Vizcarra, another Candela cofounder, explained that getting workers to become “formal” (i.e., have their incomes recorded and taxed by the government) is like a game of chess. It’s cultural, she tells me.

However, thanks to clever maneuvering by the Candela team, the company currently employs more than 500 people and, in turn, has become the guardians of sorts to 10,000 hectares of land home to roughly 10,000 Brazil-nut trees — which are a bit like the anchors of the rainforest. That’s roughly 38 square miles that form a playground for howler monkeys, exotic birds, alligators, and giant river otters. I can tell you firsthand that when you watch an endangered river otter playing with her cub on the banks of a lake at dawn, the heat, bug bites, and stomach cramps all fade away. It’s as close to FernGully as I’ll ever get — and every moment was pure childhood bliss.

“Fair trade gives the governments an economic incentive to maintain the forests,” Archer says. “We’re not going to solve the problems of deforestation and we’re not going to compete with the forces that are driving that, but we are giving another economic reason to help the communities living in and around those areas to try to combat it.” 

If that isn't a reason to pick fair trade when given the option when selecting a body cream or shower gel, I don't know what is. 

The late Anita Roddick, the visionary that started The Body Shop back in 1976, once said: “If you think you’re too small to make an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito.” Today, I can officially say I’ve gone to bed with many, but I no longer think I’m too small to make a difference.

Why Tom Ford's L.A. Show Means Fashion Is Changing

It was the Friday night before the Academy Awards and the hottest party in Hollywood was... a fashion show. Yes, you read that correctly. Tom Ford made history last night by hosting his fall 2015 show in Los Angeles instead of his usual London, an unprecedented move. Of course, his designs did not disappoint in the want-it-all department: There were fitted sequin dresses, ample fringe, patchwork denim, and lots of inky black leather, all very reminiscent of a ‘70s Stevie Nicks. 

But, it was a melding of worlds off the runway that really made this show a stand-out among all the others happening during Fashion Week on the other side of the world, made possible only by the new location. Which begs the question: How symbiotic are the fashion and entertainment industries these days? (It could be argued the fashion show at NYFW with the biggest buzz was Kanye West's – and, it wasn’t because of the clothes.) And, if celebrity attendees are what it takes to make a show relevant these days, is L.A. poised to be the next big center for fashion?

"Fashion is a global industry and not something that’s in only one city anymore,” Julianne Moore told us at the cocktail hour before the show. “[Fashion] is all over the world and everyone cares about it. I think L.A. is a very fashion town."

Moore wasn’t the only actress in  attendance up for an Oscar tomorrow, Reese Witherspoon was there, as were other Hollywood heavy-hitters like Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, and Amy Adams. Said Adams, ""We have a really strong fashion scene in L.A., and I think it’s really fun that Tom brought his show here during fashion week. "And," she added, "It’s a lot warmer,"

PHOTO: COURTESY OF TOM FORD.

The music industry turned up, too. Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Ora, Elton John, and John Legend were all sitting front row. Beyoncé and Jay-Z rolled in just after the show wrapped, apologizing to Ford with a story about Blue Ivy, a source tells us. (We’d blame the baby, too!) 

In fact, it doesn’t appear that Ford really missed out on much by rebelling against fashion month’s set schedule. Editors like Anna Wintour, Joanna Coles, and Joe Zee showed up, and he convinced models like Karlie Kloss, Joan Smalls, and newbie standout Gigi Hadid to skip a significant part of London fashion week to walk in his show. (Side note: Kloss closed the show in an amazing high neck, sequin and sheer mesh gown well we’re sure to see on a red carpet soon enough.) Plus, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valetta, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley sat front row. 

"I'm excited that I don’t have to fly anywhere to watch my favorite fashion show," Huntington-Whiteley told us. (She and boyfriend Jason Statham live in L.A.) "Tom is really smart bringing it here and being the big fish in the small pond."  

In an era when celebrities generate press better than anyone, perhaps it was a smart move on Ford's part. But, did the stars in attendance overshadow the clothing? Perhaps — but in this day and age, celebrity helps sell designer brands just as much as the other way around. Regardless, it was a major moment for Los Angeles, and one that suggests there could be potential for our city to join the Fashion Week big leagues in the not-so-distant future. "This opens up a whole new world for fashion in L.A.,"  industry veteran Amber Valletta told us. "This is big time!" We couldn’t agree more.