Etsy Makes Shopping an Organic Experience

There’s a bit of a “rebel with a cause” in me that theoretically shuns fast fashion and chain stores. Practically speaking, I do shop there but not without some compunction.

I have an affinity for fine craftsmanship, homemade wares, and artisanal lines. It would be a shame for smaller niche brands to be lost to sweatshops, heavy machinery, and assembly lines.

That’s why I love the Etsy community. It’s an online marketplace where artisans set up shop to sell their unique, often handmade goods.

I’m partial to supporting indie brands.  Some of the greatest collections showcase their talents on Etsy.

The About page inspires me. It’s right up there with what Novica does for international crafts—giving opportunities to people who would not be able to reach a wider audience.

Aside from incorporating several hand-painted pictures on my blog here and here, over the years I have also discovered several beauty and clothing shops that I LOVE! Here you will find products that are freshly made for you, garments sewn to your measurements, and packages sent with a personal card. These shop owners value their customers and take great pride in their work.

Even though many of the products are made to order, they still carry affordable price tags that you will never see in a brick and mortar store.

Allow me to introduce some of my favorite shops.

NATURAL SKINCARE

• Sugared Beauty’s Sarah Zahn mixes made to order scrubs and face and body washes for optimum freshness. The Happy Face granulated cleanser and scrub, containing sugar, oils, and love, takes me to my happy place! Oils, like grapeseed, are organic, cold-pressed, and so pure!
• Zria’s Skin Apotheke has a bit of a cult following. I stumbled on it after reading glowing reviews about the Organic Ubtan Face Scrub , the Organic Ayurvedic Amla Hair Oil, and the Rejuvenating Eye Creme. I’ve tried and enjoyed the Ubtan Face Scrub and the lovely Organic Deep Pore Hot Oil Cleanser with geranium, ecchinacea, and sea buckthorn berry. What a great, gentle formula for removing all traces of makeup! Also, the eye creme is light and soothing to the eye area. In the summer when I wanted something light, this is what I grabbed. Each costs at least half of what it would elsewhere.
• Bohemian Beetnik is a new find for me that I’m really excited about. I bought the vegan organic lip stain with hibiscus, vegetable glycerin, organic beet extract, and beet juice. Like the name, this roll-on color stains lips a natural beet red—perfect for the current red lip trend without being too strong and definitely not lip gloss sticky. I just noticed there’s a cheek stain too which means that I’ll be visiting this shop again soon!
• Cosmo Verde, The Hippy Homemaker (Pumpkin Pie Cleansing Grains, anyone?), and Ethica Skincare recently caught my eye, so they will be my next Etsy discoveries. (Aren’t all these shop names great?)

NATURAL DEODORANTS

• Bohemian Beetnik and Wonder Weeds both sell deodorants that have been working well for me. Since most of my effective natural formulas come in a jar and require fingers, I like that Wonder Weeds is one of the few that comes in a stick form. It gets a bit mushy, but I won’t hold that against them—especially since it works. The Hippy Homemaker sells a Peace Pits deodorant that begs for review on my blog! After all, it is called Peace on the Skin.

HANDMADE FASHION

HunkyDoriBoutique Charcoal Jane hat, $24-$26.99

• Hunky Dori Boutique created the Elena Crocheted Brimmed hat for the set of The Vampire Diaries. My claim to fame is that I own several in luscious fall/winter colors. I really think it’s one of those hats that looks great on anyone.
• Savannah Parker takes us to a whole other genre of style. Think Downton Abbey, Great Gatsby-era pieces. Add vintage jewelry to the mix and this specialty store has got my number!

KatarinaHats offers handmade hats of different genres made by Katarina using both modern and traditional millinery techniques. (Pictured here: Mad Men’s Felt Fedora Hat, $200)

I’m also enamored of the many gifted artists, potters, jewelers, vintage shops, and invitation makers on Etsy. I’ll have to cover those items in a later post! Then again, why would I deprive you of discovering some unique finds for yourself. The marketplace awaits you. Don’t miss the curated lists like this timely one: Shades of Autumn. No reusable bag required.

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