Christmas is on it’s way guys and if you’re anything like me I have been lost and confused with everything to do with present shopping this year. From expensive wrapping paper and five different types of sellotape to 3 for 2 deals and blogger gift guides suggesting everything under the sun including £280 toothbrushes and Primark’s affordable makeup range. There has been all sorts under your radar this year but in the mist of it all, it can be hard to distinguish what is cruelty free and what is tested on animals. With the intention of making things a little bit easier for you, I’ve rounded up some of my favourite cruelty free picks for you to give to loved ones or perhaps add to your Christmas list this year.
Starting with the skincare maniac, there are so many affordable offers when it comes to skincare. The Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser set is brilliant for someone who is just starting to get into skincare. It’s definitely on my wish list and has been for sometime now. Many bloggers have wrote in-depth reviews about how much it does for your skin too so it is definitely something worth considering. For those shopping on a budget I know that Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanseris a much more budget friendly option and would be great for a stocking filler too.
Superdrug usually have many deals on when it comes to cruelty free skincare. I picked up their Fruity Trio Cube for my cousin’s girlfriend because it was super affordable and packaged beautifully. They have the options of three scents: Raspberry & Strawberry, Satsuma and Coconut & White Peach, however, if you have a lot of friends to buy for Superdrug have you covered. They have an amazing Fruity 18 Piece Shower & Bath Set with six different scents all with a body scrub, shower gel and body butter. You could open it up and pair them with a shower lily and create little pamper night packages.
The Body Shop have some great deals on at the moment and if you are an O2 customer like me it is worth keeping an eye out on the Priorities app as there is usually deals where you can get a certain amount off when you spend money in store or online. One of my favourites is their Handfuls of Happiness Collection because you can easily add them into gifts divided between friends and family. Another option from The Body Shop is their Body Butters, especially their Christmas scents – Spiced Apple, Frosted Berries and Vanilla Chai. In selected stores, they have the option to personalise the body butter with their favourite zoo animal and 11 characters of your choice which is such a unique idea.
One more idea which would be perfect for a bath enthusiast and skincare lover is one of Lush’s Bubble Wands. They are such a lovely gift idea for a stocking. The Bubble Wands can be used for multiple baths and can create so many bubbles just from a small amount of product. The one pictured is the classic snow fairy scented Magic Wand, however, there are another three to choose from. On the topic of Lush, they have some amazing gift sets for bath lovers as well such as the Christmas Bathtime Favourites that I unboxed on my YouTube channel.
If you have a makeup lover to buy for then their are some amazing palettes on the shelves at the moment. My personal favourites are Urban Decay’s Limited Edition Full Spectrum and the Ultimate Basics Palette that everyone is raving about at the moment. I think what I like about them is that they are two completely different palettes. The Full Spectrum includes a lot of colourful shadows that are surprisingly really wearable whereas the Ultimate Basics include some amazing matte shades that they could create many neutral eye looks with.
If you are looking for something a bit more affordable then I would recommend Sleek’s A New Day Palette as it includes a range of shimmers and matte shades that are ideal for creating subtle smokey eye looks. Another option from Sleek which is super affordable is their Mini Matte Me Collection which includes four mini Matte Me Liquid Lipstick shades including the oh-so-famous Birthday Suit which I can say is gorgeous for every day wear.
Perfume is another lovely idea for women in your life whether that’s your Mum, Aunt or Sister. The Library of Fragrance is a lovely brand and have really affordable and unusual scents. My current faves at the moment are Blue Spruce and Myrrh because they are both scents that I think anyone can wear easily. I also know that Eden Perfumes are a good choice for those who love a certain perfume but are wanting to shop more cruelty free.
Moving on to the men in your life, the ones who I really struggle to buy for – why are guys so hard to buy for? I feel as though they would get offended if we brought them something to smell nice but I do have a couple of ideas which can help you. The Bulldog Skincare Trio Set is the perfect cruelty free option for your man – whether he is your partner, Brother or Dad. It is an affordable option for anyone on a budget so even if he doesn’t use all of the products in the set, it doesn’t much matter.
The Body Shop is another great option for men as they have four different scents for you to choose from. At first, I did feel a bit overwhelmed but I worked my way round the problem buy choosing a scent that I liked. I went for White Musk Sport but you also have the option of five other scents that include: White Musk For Men, Activist, Kistna, Arber and For Men Maca Root. The Body Shop are usually really good with sets and sell the deodorant spray, hair & body wash and eau de toilette in a set for £20 which I think is really affordable.
Lush are really good for men as well with the option of buying Kalamazoo Beard And Facial Wash for your bearded friend. I bought one for my Dad earlier this year and he loves it! I have used it too when I have forgotten my cleanser and it is great for removing makeup but it also leaves your skin feeling so nourished. The almond, jojoba oils and cupuaçu butter will leave his beard so soft whilst the fresh pineapple juice is brilliant for cleansing the skin. Another stocking filler idea is one of Lush’s Shaving Creams – I recommend Dirty Shaving Cream and Five O’Clock Whistle Shaving Cream because they are both really caring on sensitive skins.
I hope this was helpful to any of you who still are looking for ideas. Let me know in the comments what you get for the men in your life.
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I remember trying Crazy Rumors Lip Balms when they were always stashed in my local Holland & Barrett but they haven’t been around in the UK for quite sometime as far as I am aware. Then I found The Beauty Vault, a small, family run company that stock cruelty free independent brands including Crazy Rumors.
The brand was created in 2003 by Edie and Brian Himmel after trialling and experimenting many different creations to provide customers with something new, different and exciting. Crazy Rumors’s award winning 100% natural and vegan formula was born and has been a long term favourite for many of their customers.
The lip balms are made with super moisturising shea butter that is then infused with natural flavours and slightly sweetened with natural stevia. I thought it is about time I replaced my beloved Peppermint Twist lip balm with some new favourites. I’ve treated myself to Black Cherry and Cancer. If you have dry and cracked lips, I cannot recommend one of these enough! They are so moisturising and leave you lips nourished and soft. They are perfect for prepping your lips before applying lipstick but are also brilliant for the added extra moisture during the evening.
The packaging is very colourful and fun. I love how they have clearly displayed the leaping bunny logos and states that they are suitable for vegans so you don’t need to spend half an hour trying to double check on the internet whether they are cruelty free or not.
Next on my list is most definitely: Mint Chocolate as I have heard that one is really nice and Cola.
Have you ever tried the Crazy Rumors Lip Balms before? Let me know which scent is your favourite.
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When was the last time that you bought makeup and checked that the brand was cruelty-free? When buying groceries most of the time it is easy to determine what is suitable for vegetarians and what isn’t, however, it is much harder to get this information about beauty products. Certain brands widely advertise that they are cruelty-free and do not test on animals, but others do not.
Brands that are widely known for their cruelty free products include LUSH and The Body Shop. These brands market themselves as being ethical in their approach to beauty products so people know what they are buying. The problem is that other than these brands how do you know if your make up was tested on animals?
Big name beauty brands are not required to advise if they test on animals or not which makes it much harder for people like us to determine if they are ethical or not. In the UK, animal testing by cosmetics companies has been illegal since 1998 but with global corporations creating their products outside the UK it is difficult to know for sure about any product – just look at the situation with SLG who creates the Zoella Beauty products. They are usually sold in Superdrug stores but when you look on their website there is an office in China where they are required to test on animals. I have put together four brands that you should definitely take a look at buying from this Christmas so that you can avoid those who test on animals.
Barry M is my go-to budget friendly cosmetics brand that has never tested on animals and a lot of their products are vegan. They are well known for their humongous nail varnish collection, however, it’s worth having a look at their other makeup too because it’s just as good. My favourites have to be That’s How I Roll Mascara, Afterglow Light Bronzer and their Matte Me Up Lip Crayons.
GOSHis another cruelty free cosmetics brand that doesn’t test on animals. Similar to Barry M most of their products are vegan too and you can easily pick them up in Superdrug stores across the UK. I don’t hear them being talked about as much as other brands from the drugstore but their X-Ceptional Foundation is a god send if you’re wanting something that is full coverage. I have recently tried their lipstick too and the lasting power is amazing. They are so creamy and moisturising. My favourite at the moment is this lovely dark red toned lipstick called Raisin.
The Body Shop is one of the biggest well-known brands that does not test on animals although owned by L’oreal. They have a lovely range of makeup, skincare, and products that men would love too. If you’re an O2 customer than you are able to pick up many deals with money off coupons. Other favourite products of mine include their Camomile Cleansing Butter, Seaweed Oil Balancing Toner and Vitamin E Night Cream.
What are your go-to cruelty free brands? Let me know if any of these are your favourites in the comments.
♥
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I have been a pet friendly blog for a year now but the one thing I have never touched upon was parent companies and animal testing. For anyone new, I started researching into buying cruelty free skincare, makeup, haircare etc. a random Summer’s night when I was in bed watching a film and Sunney was right next to me. I discovered the pain and torture that animals go through just to check whether our foundation will okay on our skin and I started crying. From that moment I knew I didn’t want to support those brands. I wanted to find more cruelty free friendly brands to support, however, little did I know how tricky and confusing it can be and I still struggle to this day.
With this week’s announcement that Too Faced has now been brought by Estée Lauder, I think it is important that I talk about parent companies. Gemima wrote a very helpful post last year, Animal Testing & Parent Companies, which I think is important to mention as this really helped me to get a better understanding myself.
There are also so many helpful content creators that have helpful posts on blogs and Instagram that I regularly turn to when I am looking for a specific product. They all work so hard in staying up to date with the latest information that I take my hats off to them. Some of my faves are: mo’adore, Cruelty Free Kitty, Ellie, Logical Harmony and Vegan Beauty Girl.
A parent company is one that owns another or multiple companies, otherwise known as a subsidiary. The parent company has control over management and operation. In terms of animal testing, a parent company may have identical or completely different views on animal testing policies. For example, Jason is owned by the parent company Hain Celestial. Both the parent company and Jason are cruelty free and Leaping Bunny approved. Whereas, Urban Decay are Leaping Bunny approved which means they never test on animals, however, their parent company is L’Oreal who is one of the greatest offenders of animal testing.
Now the big question, and one which is divided amongst the cruelty free blogging community is: “what if a parent company tests on animals?”
This all depends on you as a person and the values and ethics that you follow. It also raises arguments and concerns amongst the cruelty free community. Some think that if the brand is owned by an animal testing company, that brand will not be cruelty free. This in itself can be confusing for people who are just beginning to look for cruelty free brands and I know that this is something that can put many people off researching into where they buy their makeup and skincare from especially when you are feeling overwhelmed standing in the middle of Boots with all the makeup stands around you and you are just wanting to pick up a mascara to replace the one that ran out this morning.
Another point to mention from Gemima’s post is that when a brand is owned or brought by a parent company, the brand will often remain independent of the parent company in certain ways. This means that their products can be made separately and without being tested on animals. For example, the likes of The Body Shop, Urban Decay and NYX Cosmetics are all owned by L’Oreal however many people within the cruelty free community remain to buy from all of them companies. Liz Earle clearly prints the Leaping Bunny logo on the back of every product however they are owned by Avon and of course, Too Faced is now owned by Estée Lauder.
When asking on social media what other bloggers thought about parent companies, I received a mixed response. I’ve included some below which may help you come to a conclusion too. Many people agreed with Sarah, that is is important to still buy from the brand itself to show there is still a demand for cruelty free products.
as long as the brand itself remains cruelty free I'll still shop from it because I think it's important to show demand for CF!
Personally, I think it is a really hard decision to make especially as a beauty blogger in an ever growing community. You could say that you are supporting a cruelty free brand, whether it is owned by a testing parent company or not, therefore you are sending a message to them that a large number of consumers don’t want products tested on animals. However, others state that we would be funding animal testing because the parent company is still performing certain actions that harm animals whilst reaping the profits from its’ cruelty free brand.
Overall, I believe it is completely down to you. I am not going to be the one to judge anyone for their decisions. Buying from brands with parent companies that test on animals will, of course, give you more options. However, if you decide to only use products from brands with cruelty free parent companies then you may be limiting yourself to the products that are available to you and how easy it is to get them. Whatever your stance is when it comes to animal testing and parent companies remember that it is your opinion and don’t feel upset or bothered if someone else’s opinion is different. It’s a similar discussion as the vegetarian and vegan argument. You should feel proud for contributing to the community, even if it is a simple decision as to which company you are gong to buy your next facial wash or eyeshadow palette from. Personally, I care about the welfare of the animals and this is something I’ve grown passionate about especially since doing my research but I do also want to share the availability of products that we have around us and raise awareness that the smallest difference can make a big change.
What are your thoughts on brands with parent companies? Do you buy from them?
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When NYX came to my local Boots everyone went crazy. No seriously, everyone and their cats had probably picked up one of their Soft Matte Cremes. Last month, I finally managed to reach the stand without having to push through all the 17 year old girls who are all taller than me. I thought I would make the most of having a crowd free stand and pick up a lipstick option from the different types that NYX offer. I feel like I am now ready to give you a mini review of each.
From left to right: Doll, Cranberry Biscotti and Teddy
Round Lipstick in Doll – Firstly, I picked up one of their basic lipsticks in a lovely pink shade. I wasn’t expecting great things from it apart from the shade is lovely if your wanting an inexpensive lipstick that you could wear day-to-day. The texture on the lips is lovely and velvety, however, it smudges really easily. One thing I do quite like about the packaging is that it clearly states that NYX is cruelty free which a lot of brands don’t do. It saves so much time when browsing at the makeup counters too. Would I buy this one again? Probably not because I prefer the other lipsticks from NYX more as they last longer and are a lot more pigmented.
Butter Gloss in Cranberry Biscotti – Now I am no lipgloss fan but as soon as I applied the Butter Gloss I fell in love! Of course, it is quite sticky as it doesn’t properly dry but I love it for when I am wanting to break away from wearing a matte lip. At first, I thought it would be really sheer with it being a lipgloss but the colour pay off is lovely and so autumnal. I find that the Butter Gloss moisturises my lips more than the others which is something that I wasn’t really expecting.
Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Teddy – I really wanted to pick up one of the Liquid Lipsticks because I have a slight obsession with them at the moment. Teddy is extremely pigmented and is a lovely natural, chocolate brown shade. I think this would look lovely if you’re wanting a break from the dark reds that come whizzing into all the makeup looks this time of year. It dries down a lot quick than the other two, however, it definitely didn’t last as long as the Butter Gloss. It’s a nice one to wear during the day when your wanting something quite neutral.
The only thing about NYX that I don’t particularly like is that they don’t live up to Colour Pop’s Lippie Stix standards as far as the lasting power is concerned but they do last longer than other lipstick brands I have tried from the drugstore within the same price range. This certainly won’t stop me from using them because they are more accessible than Colour Pop and the shades I have are unlike anything in my collection at the moment. My current favourite out of the three is Cranberry Biscotti because the colour is such a lovely shade for the winter months and it is unlike anything that I usually wear on the lips.
Have you tried any of the NYX products? What should I pick up next? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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On Thursday, I attended the Urban Decay event which was held in Debenhams, Eldon Square. Now after over two years of blogging on this corner of the internet and about four years of blogging in total, it’s fair to say that I have had my fair share of events, however, this was like no other. There was about 70 bloggers who all signed up in which a good amount out of that 70 actually turned up. Hello to a lot of new northern blogger faces, where have you all come from?!
The event itself was ran by ELLEfluence, a platform that has been designed to connect influencers like myself with brands such as Urban Decay. This platform is not set to officially launch until January 2017 but I think Laura, from Elle Blonde, has done such a great job with this one.
I met up with my lovely blogger friend, Alice from Alice’s Wonder Emporium and Holly from Bisous, Holly Olivia. It’s safe to say we were all out of our comfort zones when we saw all the new faces as we strolled up the escalators to where the event was being held.
We were greeted by Laura Pearman, who was photographing the event. There was also glasses of bubbly and Lindt chocolate balls on offer before sitting down for the masterclass. The masterclass was going to demonstrate how to re-create a day time eye look on the model, Emma who was lovely, and then how to transform it into an evening look. Personally, I think this was a brilliant idea as this is ideal for festive parties after work.
The day time look was created using the Full Spectrum Palette, Ultimate Basic Palette, All Nighter Foundation and some of their new brushes. Michael explained to us that the new brushes have synthetic bristles which are actually made from recycled plastic bottles.
The shades that were used from the Full Spectrum Palette included: Warning, Seize and Jones. As the shades were being applied to the model, the palette was being passed around for us to have a look at it. As soon as I saw the Spectrum palette, I knew that I had to buy it. The shades are so unique and different.
I felt as though I was watching a YouTube tutorial live. Michael shown us the difference when applying eyeshadow with primer and without primer and believe me I was shocked to see the difference of how pigmented it really was. I have never been the one to apply eyeshadow primer but it made all the colours pop and look a lot more vibrant whereas with no primer it made them look faint and a bit muted.
The other product that was passed around was the All Nighter Foundation. I have heard so many mixed reviews about this foundation so I haven’t committed to buying it yet but it is on my wish list. One claim I heard was that the foundation oxidises on the skin, however, Michael explained that it just adapts to your skin once you have put it on. I think I definitely want a sample before I commit to buying the full bottle to see how it sets on my skin and what the final finish looks like but it is a full coverage foundation which I definitely like. The packaging is air tight which means that the product is pushed up, allowing you to see how much of the product is left. No more cutting tops off bottles in order to get the remainder of the foundation onto the back of your hand.
I also managed to test the Naked Skin Colour Correcting Fluids which come in four different shades: yellow to conceal purple hued dark circles and brightening, green to cover any redness such as blemishes, pink disguises dark circles on fair tones, peach to conceal dark circles and deep discolouration on dark tones and lavender to balance out sallowness and neutralise skin with a yellow undertone. I can imagine the peach would be best for my skin and especially disguising my dark circles that never seem to go away.
The evening look was demonstrated by Nisha and Kelly. Firstly, I found it amazing how they turned such a subtle day look into a lovely evening treat to go and party the night away. Although I am not one for partying myself, I love creating makeup looks with plenty of glitter and this is what it consists of. As with Michael and Sophie, the girls talked us through each application step and why they were using the products. One skill I did learn is to use a black eye liner in the waterline and then blend it out with a brown eye liner on your lower lash line to smoke it out. The final look is so beautiful and dramatic.
During the demos, the makeup artists explained why they were applying the product in a certain way, information about the products and how to use them. I thought this was really helpful and I felt as though I came away from the event learning something new (and lusting over so many of their products). They also answered questions throughout the demonstrations which was really helpful too.
The event was originally meant to be held at Gusto on the Quayside but it was changed to Debenhams for us shopaholics to buy products at the end of the event. Food was provided by Rub Smokehouse however I found that they didn’t even include anything vegetarian. I know that it was changed last minute but they could have offered something without meat just to be on the safe side.
After the masterclass, we were all allowed to collect our goodie bags and have a browse around the makeup counters. Of course, after much deliberation, I decided to pick up the Full Spectrum palette with no regrets. I can’t wait to start using it properly and create a couple of looks from it. Let me know if anyone would be interested in featuring some on my blog. The goodie bag included: an original eyeshadow primer potion, naked skin samples (which aren’t actually my shade), a Debenhams beauty reward card which I already have, an information booklet about the brand including their top 10 products and a sample of their revolution lipgloss in the shade Scandal which is a bright, hot pink shade.
Overall, I really enjoyed the masterclass from the event. I learnt a lot of skills which I am going to take forward when applying makeup. I was left lusting over many Urban Decay items and really enjoyed seeing how much the North East blogger community has grown in size. I was slightly disappointed by the food that was on offer as I believe that, even though it was organised last minute, they could have at least had one vegetarian dish available. I have seen many people talk about Urban Decay events before and I have attended many other events in the North East where the goodie bags was a bit more full filling than the one I received but I suppose it wasn’t the highlight of the event. Finally, I think Laura has given ELLEfluence I brilliant start and I can’t wait to see what is in store for next year.
Have you tried any of the new Urban Decay products? What’s your thoughts?
♥
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