If you thought of the words natural, organic, eco as a colour you'd probably think of whites and creams, browns and soft greens or pinks, right? It's a natural (pardon the pun) association the mind is drawn to - stereotypes build their reputation through repetition after all. But in this eco savvy, climate change campaigning world things are changing. Designers are creating to appeal to wider tastes - bright pink eco kettles, funky organic tea boxes, and... bright bold eyeshadows.

For those who haven't discovered the world of organic make up may be a little surprised at the variety of colour available. Natural eyeshadows (as in the chemical-free variety) don't have to be only natural in colour. You just have to take a look at Inika's 16? Range of mineral-based shadows to realize just how possible it is to make so many brilliant colours using ingredients virtually direct from the source.

Why bother with a natural eyeshadows if your already happy with the colours you use now from a conventional product? Though most conventional products contain mineral pigments in them, it is usually a very little amount and is mixed with fillers, preservatives and other synthetic ingredients. Petroleum, tar, nylon, aluminium and mineral oil are just some of the nasties you can find in your high street eyeshadows. Some of these ingredients are carcinogenic and many can trigger allergic reactions.

Mineral-based and organic eyeshadows, like Inika, NVEY and Lavera, contain few ingredients that are much safer for the delicate, thin skin on your eyelid. In fact the zinc oxides in mineral eyeshadows are believed to actually nourish the skin which strongly supports the statement that mineral make up is so pure you can sleep in it!

A good question for anyone with combination or oily skin who has been afraid to touch oil based skin care products. For a start, natural plant-based oils are packed with vitamins and nutrients that our skin can use to protect, rebuild and nourish itself. For example Almond oil is high in Vitamin E and D, magnesium and calcium as well as oleic and linoleic essential fatty acids which vital for cell renewal.

Oils also promote the skin's own rhythms and stimulate it's natural activity. Something like Dr. Hauschka's Normalising Day Oil, which has been specifically created for oily and acne skin conditions, is, as its name suggests, an oil for oily skin. Its formulation is non-greasy and light so those with oily skin will not feel as if they're just clogging their pores. In fact it helps to regulate and normalise the skin's own oil production and purify open pores.

If it's a little scary to jump straight into a face oil you could start out using an oil on other, less oily parts of your body. Somewhat of an addiction lately, is my use of a rose hip based Aromatic Body Oil by Trilogy. Each time I pass the tester bottle in the So Organic shop I have to take a squirt and rub it into my hands, forearms and elbows (or as high up as I can reach!). I'm a converted body oil devotee and actually find it odd applying a cream based lotion to my skin. A good body oil absorbs well without leaving your skin feeling greasy or oily, oddly enough.

I'm glad now I dared to try the oil way. My skin looks smoother, more even and healthier for it, and it feels divine to rub in - no more sticky skin!

The John Masters range of products has long been a leader in the organic hair care market. Though a little biased (only because I adore using his products) I think the New York hairdresser has hit the nail on the eco organic head when it comes to his hair care range; they work like no other organic or non organic products this beauty blogger's tried.

But, with the launch of the John Masters Skin Care Range, the question is: can he do it, naturally, for skin also?

The team at John Masters have sourced some interesting organic ingredients (like linen, radish root and rye extract), used innovative ideas (a toner for face and hair) and drawn inspirations from all over the world to create this new line.

The range is characterised by subtle natural fragrances and organic formulations with active ingredients to make these product a luxury for the skin but also truly work effectively. The line is one of the first to use two innovative natural preservatives: radish root extract and aspen bark extract. These act as all-natural anti-microbials to help these products stay effective for longer (an issue for many chemical-free brands).

Many products in the line possess the USDA logo (the US organic certification body like the Soil Association), and all the ingredients are either organic or approved by EcoCert (the EU body that examines the environmental-friendly attributes of raw materials).

So does John Masters expertise in organics transfer from hair care to skin care? You betcha - superior quality matched only by some of the other premium organic brands in the industry and his own hair care range.

The new range includes:

• Rose Foaming Face Wash
• Rose & Aloe Hydrating Toning Mist
• Rose & Apricot Antioxidant Day Creme
• Firming Eye Gel
• Jojoba and Ginseng Exfoliating Clean
• Lavender Hydrating Mist for Skin and Hair
• Green Tree and Rose Hydrating Skin Serum
• Pomegranate Facial Nourishing Oil
• Linden Blossom Face Crème Cleanser
• SPF 30 Natural Mineral Sunscreen
• Vitamin C Anti-Aging Face Serum
• Moroccan Clay Purifying Mask
• Mandarin Maxim Moisture
• Calendula Hydrating & Toning Mask

We weren't given opposable thumbs for nothing! We use our hands for almost every daily task - from applying our make up to writing an email and scrubbing the bath tub - how fortunate we are to have them! But how many of us truly show them the loving tender care they deserve after a busy day of doing everything?

Given the hands are so useful they deserve a little looking after we think. Here are a few care tips for looking after your hard working handy hands:

1. Clip and shape regularly to keep your nails strong and prevent them from snagging or ripping. When filing make sure you do so in one direction rather than a back and forth motion. This will keep the ends even smoother and stronger.

2. Gently push back cuticles using the rounded end of a nail file and a good cuticle hand cream like Badger Balm's Cuticle Care. Take care however as the skin around the fingernails is very delicate and does well to protect the nail from infection. Gentle is the way with this one.

3. Exfoliate with a gentle scrub like the Sensuous Sugar Scrub by Green People for extra silky hands in preparation of a deeply nourishing moisturise.

4. Massage with a specially formulated hand moisturiser as often as you can - every chance you get if you want to keep the skin on your hands from ageing prematurely. Because organic beauty product manufacturers know how weary our hands get they've done well by them to create some truly restorative hand creams. Intensive Hand Cream by Lavera, Safety Gloves Barrier Hand Cream by Barefoot Botanicals and Satin Gloves Anti-Aging Hand & Nail Cream by Rosa Fina are some of the best that provide delicate care for elegant hands.

My mum always said you can tell a woman's age by the condition of her hands and in this day of botox and make up tricks it's harder than ever to guess a woman's age by her face wrinkles alone. Make it even harder for the guesses and look after those hands ladies - they deserve it!

Those new to the biodynamic skin care brand Dr Hauschka often ask us why they don't have a night cream. It's a good question and one Dr Hauschka have a very good answer for.

According to the skin care experts at Dr Hauschka (which by the way is one of the oldest and trusted companies in the world when it comes to looking after our skin!) say that night creams ‘stifle the skin's processes making it sluggish, lethargic and dependent'. Basically they believe that a thick, heavy cream used in the evening can have more of a negative effect than positive. Our skin needs time to regenerate itself, to do what it was evolved to do naturally and freely. Fatty night creams clog the pores and do not allow the skin to breathe during sleep when the body's natural metabolic functions are at their regenerating best.

For those who can't imagine not putting a night cream on in the evening or need some time to get used to the idea, Dr Hauschka has an alternative. The Facial Toner, Rythmic Night Conditioner, Rythmic Conditioner Sensitive, Clarifying Toner, Regenerating Serum and Intensive Treatments 04 and 05 are their night care. These toners, as all good toners should, strengthen and support the skin's natural restorative processes.

So why then use a moisturiser at all? Day creams protect the skin acting as an extra layer to outside pollutants and increase moisture levels to rehydrate the skin in the morning.