It’s weird to realize that women like Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow really were on the “forefront” of certain trends. Gwyneth really did start the whole “vanity newsletter/blog” for celebrities and then she found a way to monetize it, mostly through pseudoscience and body-shaming. Jessica Alba’s Honest Company is almost eight years old now, and it’s an established brand at this point, with products known for their organic, “clean,” and non-toxic materials. Jessica recently chatted with Refinery29 about The Honest Company and I can’t really find a reason for this interview – like, she’s not promoting one specific product – but it’s still sort of interesting. She also talks about tattoos. Some highlights:
Founding The Honest Company: “When I founded Honest 7-and-a-half years ago, nobody was talking about clean, nobody was talking about safe ingredients, no one was even questioning the impact of ingredients or products on your overall health. I’ve always had a passion for clean beauty because I have terrible allergies. I have very sensitive skin, so I was always looking out for cleaner products. I didn’t want to sneeze or have a rash.”
Developing clean makeup: “I found there was a huge gap in clean color cosmetics in terms of performance and payoff, and especially the pigment options. It’s sad, what was available to people.”Passing down good skincare to her children, Honor, 11, Haven, 8, and Hayes: “I put sunscreen on them when they’re exposed to the sun all day. I talk to my daughters about skin care, and they use the Honest Beauty Organic Facial Oil in the morning before they go to school.”
Her tattoos: She recently got three tattoos in their honor: each of their zodiac signs’ constellations, inked across her left arm. They’re her favorite of her tattoos thus far, but almost by default. “I do have a few tattoos, and I regret one of them… maybe two,” Alba says. One of them is what she calls “kind of a tramp stamp,” a bow on the middle of her lower back; then there are the flowers she got right in the middle of her neck, which she regrets to this day. “I got it when I was, like, 17 and I’m so irritated that I got it,” she says. “I got it lasered many times and it’s not coming out.”
Her latest tattoo carries a lot more sentiment than the rest. “I really wanted to think about what would be meaningful over time, because when you get something when you’re 17 and now you’re 38, you’re like, Hmm, don’t know if that’s too meaningful. But for that one, the kids are forever.”
I think those old tattoos on people are so interesting, even if they’re cheeseball “tramp stamps” or whatever. I also think it’s funny when someone tries to laser that sh-t off and it doesn’t work. Angelina Jolie spent years trying to laser off the “Billy Bob” on her bicep only for it to still appear in shadow-form for the better part of a decade. Interesting fact: that’s the same bicep that now has all of the tattoo of latitude-and-longitude numbers of her kids’ birth locations. Angelina waited until she lasered the “Billy Bob” enough and then just got the new tattoo over the shadow tat. I never really thought of Alba as much of a tattoo person, so it’s cool that she got some tattoos that are meaningful to her now.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I don’t really have much to say about this post except that she looks fantastic in orange.
I agree. And I do as well so I’m drooling over that orange dress. I want it!
That sucks. I remember tramp stamps were all the rage in college in 2004. lol.
Hmm.. im not really sure how clean and non toxic Honest actually is. I think its had a few lawsuits!
Also her zodiac sign tattoo’s look like track marks on her arm..awkward!
Oh my God–Just looked up a photo, and you’re right! They look EXACTLY like track marks. This is definitely among the most unfortunate-looking tattoos i’ve ever seen in my life, and that’s really saying something.
Thanks, Chunkyla. I remember reading how (some of) her Honest products weren’t so honest, after all. Even “natural” things can be dangerous or cause irritation. For example, my daughter loves chillies, but even a tiny bit in any food makes her tongue swell and gums bleed, and any more can bring on anaphylaxis. I remember reading about lawsuits, because some of the Honest products caused blistering and burning – the SPF sun protection was pretty much useless, if I recall. Hope the products have improved, although I don’t know if they’re even available here.
My friend has a dolphin “tramp stamp” (aka “slut sticker” here [not nice!]) in the middle of her lower back. She had it doe at around 18 – she’s now 40, and still looks 25 – but now says it looks as if she’s got a dolphin jumping out of her arse… 😆
I’ve never heard “slut sticker” (EW). I have heard people say “California license plate” for lower back tattoos.
I’m ok with tramp stamp but that other phrase needs to disappear.
Angelina’s latitude/longitude tattoos remains one of the coolest ideas, IMO.
I hate when they say oh yes the tattoo will go away entirely. honestly I haven’t had that experience only that it fades a lot but unless you cover it or its in a spot on your body most wont see ever, your tattoo will still be visible. I honestly wonder if I kept doing it every 6-8 weeks for years at a time spending thousands, then maybe it’d go away entirely? uh, jesus. I just covered mine up with something more fitting to me
You’re right; it never entirely goes away. The best you can hope for is for it to fade enough to make a cover up work in the location. It can be impossible if there is a lot of black ink.
An aside: there’s at least one tattooist who will do free coverup work for people who want racist tattoos covered.
https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2018/08/30/springfield-tattoo-artist-free-cover-racist-queen-city-justin-fleetwood/1064057002/
She was not the first person to think about the kinds of chemicals we use and look for alternatives. Lol. This is not a new thing at all.
I agree, it’s something that many people have looked for and made for a long time.
She was on the edge of it becoming really popular and mainstream though.
No, she wasn’t. Alba has always rubbed me the wrong way – I remember some interview she gave in which (and forgive me, it’s been years) she sounded like she was fat shaming her entire family of origin.
I listen to the podcast, ‘Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone’. She had a dermatologist on who specializes in tattoo ‘removal’. He said it’s a long process, takes several appointments, is painful, and most people stop after a few sessions & then get a new tattoo to cover up what was underneath & is now faded.