The beauty spy: be a green goddess with organic cosmetics

You won't see her, but she's there, in the salons, spas and shops, and she's happy to share her secrets on organic beauty

"Granola Girl" is what my friends call me now. Like the rest of the world I've jumped on the eco-friendly bandwagon. Organic is "it" - and beauty appears to be along for the ride.

Celebrities such as Stella McCartney and Gwyneth Paltrow are embracing natural beauty, with Paltrow's website, Goop.com, advocating a number of products made with natural and organic ingredients. And if it's not Aveda or Dr Hauschka, then it's not luxury skin care. Even the catwalk features the natural look; technicolour smoky eyes and dark lips are out, and clean faces sparingly painted in muted shades of nude on nude are in.

It was Bridget Jones who really got me thinking when I read about her pre-date beauty regime:

"Being a woman is so much worse than being a farmer - there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to be waxed, eyebrows plucked, feet pumiced, skin exfoliated and moisturised, spots cleansed, roots dyed, eyelashes tinted, nails filed, cellulite massaged, stomach muscles exercised. The whole performance is so highly tuned you only need neglect it for a few days for the whole thing to go to seed."

Too true, Bridget, too true.

If our regime is like a day's work in the fields, then surely it makes sense that what we put on our skin is as wholesome as what we eat - it all gets absorbed into our body.

One sweep of the beauty counters and you can see that many well-known brands are widening the appeal of organic cosmetics. UNE by Bourjois is one of the latest. Boasting certified green credentials and an extensive colour range, its Breezy Cheeks Blush gives you that outdoorsy look. Philosophy's The Supernatural Airbrushed Canvas SPF 15, a mineral make-up, is a talc-free formulation, so it gives your skin a silk-to-satin finish.

The arrival of Neal's Yard's new make-up line last month is sure to cause a stir among the "green goddesses", as all products are bursting with antioxidants and organic oils. Try the Mulberry Lip Gloss for light coverage but rich conditioning.

Still, for me that's as far as it goes. I'm not quite ready to overdo it in the gym or switch to a macrobiotic diet - but at least my make-up is on a health kick.

3 of the best

Get glamorous results with these accessories made from natural materials

THE BODY SHOP BAMBOO LARGE PADDLE BRUSH, DH55 Whether you want to gently detangle or add volume, this bamboo brush - made from a renewable resource - will make you beautiful both inside and out.

ECOTOOLS BY ALICIA SILVERSTONE COSMETIC BAG, DH33 Made of natural hemp and cotton with a recycled lining, this bag is small enough for on-the-go but deep enough to hold all of your beauty essentials.

UNE MULTIPURPOSE BRUSH, DH100 A brush with an eco conscience. Made of soft natural fibres that are ideal for illuminating and shading specific areas of the face.

M loves

ECO-CHIC NAIL GLORY

It's worth paying that bit more when it comes to nail polish - a quality colour not only will last much longer than a cheaper brand, but also will be easier and neater to apply. But there's another reason we're so excited about Scotch Naturals: the collection is non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, eco-friendly and 100 per cent biodegradable. After painting our fingernails and toenails in the various delightful shades, we found that the colour is long lasting and the conditioning formulas made our nails shine spectacularly.

Scotch Naturals, Dh80, Symphony, Dubai Mall, 04 330 8050, www.symphony.ae