A sustainable watch that will leave you speechless!

Here is a brand I am incredibly excited to share with you: Lian & Mez.

It’s the first time in 3 years I wear a watch. I kind of gave up on the designer ones I had and the leather-strap one I used to wear 24/7, the minute I entered this conscious journey. Since then, I haven’t been able to find a watch that embodies the new person I’ve become. A watch that represents the way I now view life. A watch I can wear every single day and smile every time I put it on. My sister and I even joke about this. Every time we talk about watches, she says something like “So…you’ll never wear a Rolex?” and I reply with a “Not until they come up with a fair-trade and eco-friendly one!”. And then, out of the blue, Lian & Mez watches came to life. The perfect combination of sustainability, elegance, and style! When I first heard of them, I simply couldn’t believe what I was reading on their website. They represent everything any human being that cares about our planet, seeks in a brand or product. Let’s start with their most impressive feature: Piñatex. Piñatex is the new sustainable alternative to leather. It is vegan leather made from pineapple leaf fibers. The best part? No extra land, water, fertilizers or pesticides are required to produce these fibers since they are the by-product of the pineapple harvest. This practice also provides new additional income for farmers in Philippines while creating a new industry for pineapple growing countries. Do I have your full attention already? Well, there’s more! Lian & Mez, a brand designed by two German millennials, uses this pineapple leather for all of its watches’ straps with over 5 colors to choose from (the gold one is my favorite). The watches are also waterproof resistant (50m), fair-trade and handmade in Germany, and have been delicately designed with sapphire crystal glass and stainless steel for durability. I don’t know about you guys, but this is like a dream come true for me and also proof that the conscious movement is pushing brands to come up with beautiful products that are good for our planet and our people. Julian and Feramez (Founders of Lian & Mez) are a visionary example of how we can reshape the fashion and lifestyle industry for the better.

Lian & Mez is currently hosting their kickstarter and they need our help to make their sustainable watches an ongoing reality. Are you guys ready to support the change you want to see in the world? If so, head to Lian & Mez’s website for more info.

 Happy planet-loving Sunday, babes!

Podcast about Sustainable Fashion with AWEAR &...

A few weeks ago I was invited by AWEAR to be part of a podcast about conscious fashion alongside two amazing fashion bloggers: Jennifer of Sustainable Siren and Natalie of Sustainably Chic. During our discussion we covered several questions about sustainable fashion, blogging as a career, issues we face as conscious bloggers, our stories and so much more! I feel incredibly honored to have been asked to participate in this podcast and can't wait for you guys to listen to it and hopefully find answers to any doubts you may have. xx

PS: I hope you guys enjoy my "Spanglish" as much as I did!! First time I do something like this and my nerves sort of got the best of me! :D

The link to the podcast on iTunes: bit.ly/ConsciousChatter

The link to the episode: http://awearworld.com/podcast/2016/7/16/s01-episode-21-conscious-blogging

The link to Conscious Chatter podcast: http://awearworld.com/consciouschatter/

Valentine's Gift Ideas Full of Kindness!

Good morning, sunshines! With Valentine's Day around the corner, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite products that are not only fashionable, beautiful and cool but also really good to our planet! Feel free to go crazy guys. Buy it for your loved one or for yourself! This is the type of shopping you never regret! <3 Details below. Happy almost V-day, babes!!! Let's spread some conscious love around, ok? xx

Harveys Wallet: I love this brand so much not only because they were one of my first sponsors when I started the blog 1.5 years ago, but also because ALL of their products (bags, totes, wallets...) are made with car seatbelts and recycled plastic bottle interior lining. How incredible is that? Not to mention the unique, comfy and jaw-dropping designs they have. 

Wood watches: Who doesn't like these? Specially if they are made from recycled wood (Jord Watches) and also plant a tree for each one purchased (WeWood Watches). No-brainer here guys. I use big watches like the ones in this photo. Both designs are unisex but they also carry a line of smaller and more delicate ones. 

Yogi Jewelry by Bu Design: for all my yogi soulmates, this is THE line! Their products are made with eco-friendly materials and aimed at adding more spiritual sprinkles to your days. Malas, necklaces and Buddha keychains. Happy to announce you can now shop these on the blog with 10% of your purchase going to this quarter's WTS charities. 

Rudraksha Hand-mala: This bracelet is a WTS limited edition babes. Designed with fair-trade Rudraksha seed beads to represent compassion and strength. If worn close to the skin, they are believed to increase clarity, calm the mind and balance the chakras due to the amounts of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen they contain. Each bracelet also carries a Silver elephant to represent the WTS logo and 10% of the sale of each goes to this quarter's WTS charities. 

Handmade Beauty: THIS LINE!!!! All natural, organic, cruelty-free, handmade, yummy smelling, healing and eco-friendly products! I don't think I've ever seen beauty products more beautiful or kind to our health and planet as these. The ones you see on the picture are: Nail polishes (clear and red), cuticle oil, All In One balm (healing) & a Balancing Oil for those well-deserved bubble baths.  

Planet-loving GIVEAWAY!!!!

***The Winner of this Giveaway is: Jessica Tejera (The Walking Mermaid Blog)

It's that time of the year again guys... Giveaway time!! Over $200 of planet-loving gifts that will brighten up your days while helping heal our world. One product at a time! :)

For this giveaway, I don't want you to repost this picture but to upload a picture of yourself promoting a conscious lifestyle. Be it cooking vegan food, cleaning the beach, wearing a vegan outfit, recycling, volunteering at shelters, or even doing yoga. I  want you to post that activity that plays a big role in your life and is also mindful to our planet as whole, and describe why it is important to you and what a "conscious lifestyle" means to you. Who knows?...Maybe in this way, the movement will finally catch on. Nothing to lose and so much to gain!! Why not give it a try? <3

Ok, so...basics. These are the steps you will need to follow:

1) Make sure your Instagram account is public

2)Follow @waterthruskin @shopbubblebags @simplygum @consciouscoconut @rawelementsusa @agentnateur

3) Post a photo of yourself doing your favorite conscious activity & describe why it plays a big role in your life & what "Conscience" means to you.

4) Tag your friends and share the love!!! Use #wtsgiveaway #lifestylewithaconscience 

Winner will be announced on February 14th (happy v-day!). My international soulmates can participate too! Worldwide love and shipping, babes!!!

PRODUCT INFO: 

-BBB Bubble Clutch: This clutch is made from recycled bubble wrap! Very fashionable, cool, big enough to carry all your daily essentials and EXTREMELY kind to our planet!! ($181)

-Conscious Coconut Oil: Ever wanted coconut oil that is travel-friendly? Well, this is it! Organic, cold pressed, travel sized,  AND provides a meal to a child in need in the US.($15)

-Simply Gum: Natural, vegan, and organic gum that has eco-friendly post chew papers in that cute and chic box. Winner will get 2 different flavors. ($6)

-Raw Elements: My favorite sunblock ever! Natural, organic and ocean-safe (does not harm our ocean or its animals). It comes as a stick which makes it so much easier to apply to your face and neck. ($15)

-Agent Nateur: The only deodorant I use. Vegetarian (has honey as ingredient), organic and natural. Made from avocado, coconut oil, raw honey, lavender & eucalyptus. ($19)

Closing 2015 with a lovely feature on Cosmo Latinas!!!

No words to describe my excitement right now guys! Not only do I feel incredibly honored to have been contacted for this piece and to represent the country that saw me grow, Bolivia, but I also find it truly inspiring that Cosmo agreed to feature the conscious brands I promote on a daily basis. From head to toe, once again, dress in planet-friendly LOVE! What an amazing way to close 2015, babes! This Cosmo issue was published in November 2015 but it wasn't until yesterday that a friend of mine called me to share the exciting news. The issue will be on newsstands until 2/16/16. Can't wait to keep spreading consciousness in 2016! Anything is possible. Never forget that! And stay kind. Always! xx

-Kimono by BohoHunter. Made by artisans in Colombia. You can find it at one of my favorite stores in Miami. This store promotes handmade, fair trade and charity-oriented fashion garments. Shop it online too!

-Flower carved boots by Melissa. Recycled plastic. The Brazilian brand “Melissa” focuses on designing shoes that have the environment in mind by reducing water and waste pollution, using recycled plastic, and reusing unsold shoes from previous collections. 

-Boho necklace by Yvera. Handmade in Bolivia. 

-Jeans by Gap. In case you haven't heard, Gap is taking new initiatives to reduce water use and pollution and is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition where companies are evaluated on material types, products, facilities and processes based on a range of environmental and product design choices. Retailers also plan to add measures for labor and social standards. Read more here.

Photography by Bea Pernia for Cosmo Latina. 

A bag with nature in mind.

If you are an animal-lover or vegan or both, you've probably already surfed the web from A to Z looking for brands that don't use any part of the animals in their products. I have to admit, this is not an easy task! We live in a world where the leather industry has marked its territory (pretty much EVERYWHERE). You might find a cute tote made out of fabric but then you zoom in and realize its handles are made out of leather! Way to ruin a perfect bag, people! You scream, you curse and even begin random conversations with your laptop about the values and morals of this messy world we live in. Yes. Been there, done that! But sometimes, out of the blue, an entirely green handbag line comes out in the market. Bags made out of vegan leather (faux leather), perfectly stitched together and inspired in today's fashion icons. So stunning and so well done you would never guess it's faux leather until you read the label! Matt & Nat is one of those brands. They offer a wide variety of simple yet elegant and chic designs for every type of lifestyle. From hobos to clutches to wallets and ipad covers. Matt & Nat takes light colors and timeless designs to another level (with prices that will not break the bank) and focuses on showing its shoppers how to “live beautifully” with bags that are the product of the balanced combination of recycled materials (MATT) and nature (Nat) responsibility. From their start, Matt & Nat has never used animal-based materials and over the years has begun experimenting with different recycled materials such as recycled nylons, cardboard, rubber and cork. To top this with a an organic cherry, in 2007 they committed to using linings only made out of 100% recycled plastic bottles and have recently introduced recycled bicycle tires to their collections. How incredible is that? Take a peek. Maybe add it to your “Vegan Must Have” Christmas list. To be honest, I do that for my birthday (coming soon yay!) and Christmas every year and my friends and family accept it. They’ll take anything to avoid the “cruelty-free” speech if they give me gifts that are not kind to this planet. Gotta love the ones who understand your lifestyle choices!

With that being said, here are my two favorite Matt & Nat designs so far:

• Lucy - Dusk: A medium size handbag (size depends on eye of beholder. I’m used to wearing big hobos so this is the perfect medium for me) that can be transformed into two shapes (zippers on side) and can be worn as a handbag or cross-body. It’s dusky light blue color is divine and matches any outfit.

• Blinkin - Blush: This is the first Matt & Nat bag I’ve had in my hands and it was love at first sight! It’s small and light enough to be worn as a cross-body but wide enough to hold your everyday musts. (Literally! I was able to fit my gigantic wallet, cosmetic bag, credit card holder and iphone in it!) Click here to see brand details of the outfit I wore this beauty with on November 2nd.