How To Go Cruelty-Free

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Let me set the scene:

You’ve recently discovered the horrible truths about animal testing and you are completely outraged. Then, you look through your makeup bag and your bathroom counter and you see all of those brands that you now know test on animals. You’re thinking, what do I do now? Do I throw everything away and start over? But, where do I start? DO VEGANS EVEN WEAR MAKEUP?! 

Let me assure you, I was there a little over 5 years ago. I was in the same place, freaking out about what my next step was going to be. The good news is I made it through and I’m here to share my tips with you for going cruelty-free!

  1. Use up the products you already own: When I went cruelty-free I did not start from scratch. I tried to use up all of the non-cruelty-free products I already had. This gave me time to find cruelty-free versions of my favorite products and do research  without being wasteful.
  2. Check to see if anything you currently own is already cruelty-free:bunny There are so many mainstream brands that are cruelty-free. Do some research and read the labels of the products you already own because some of them might be cruelty-free already.
  3. Do your research: Read sites like Logical Harmony and Ethical Elephant. These sites are great resources for staying updated on the cruelty-free statues of brands. They also have vegan product lists as well.
  4. Don’t rule out the drugstore: Now that you want to go cruelty-free that doesn’t mean you have to avoid drugstore brands. Check out your local Walgreens or Target to find affordable cruelty-free brands. These brands include:
    • Wet N Wild
    • ELF
    • Pacifica
    • Yes To
    • Physician’s Formula
    • Alba Botanica
    • Milani
  5. Be flexible and try new brands: One of my favorite things about being cruelty-free is finding new brands to try that I wouldn’t have otherwise sought out. Some of my most favorite products are not from mainstream brands. I encourage you to have fun with your cruelty-free journey and not be overwhelmed with trying to be perfect.

Just remember, there are so many resources out there to help you along the way. You are doing the right thing and the animals thank you 🙂

What’s In My Z-Palette – Vegan and Cruelty-Free

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From Left To Right:

Row 1:

  • Colourpop Let Me Explain
  • Root Heirloom
  • Mother Bear’s Calico
  • Mother Bear’s Rose Gold
  • Mother Bear’s Third Place

Row 2:

  • Colourpop Ringer
  • Colourpop Ready or Yacht
  • Colourpop Pep Talk
  • Colourpop Salt Water
  • Colourpop Made To Last

Row 3:

  • Root Gatsby
  • Colourpop Wake Up Call
  • Colourpop Bel Air
  • Colourpop Note To Self
  • Colourpop Side Tracked

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Where Have I Been?

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The last half of 2017 was quite the whirlwind. I am proud to say that I have accomplished all of the goals I set for myself last year. I went out of my comfort zone and pushed myself to do new things, even things that scared me. I moved to a different state back in September and started a new job. This was my first real attempt at “adulting”. (I’m not too fond of that term). What I am trying to say is that 2017 was a pivotal year in my life.

In December my grandmother passed away and it hit my like a ton of bricks. In my grief, I realized that my grandma led a pretty amazing life. More specifically, she lived her passion. She did what she loved. She did the things that so many of us wish we could do. My grandma was a music teacher for over 30 years. Everyday she was able to do the work she loved to do and nothing stopped her.

I was so inspired by this realization that it kickstarted my goals for 2018 and the future. I have the power to choose how I want my life to go I just need to do it. I just need to start. It dawned on me that I was living with a lot of uncertainties, which is normal for a 23 year-old but I was just floating. Floating from one thing to the next without any real plan or purpose. I was neglecting to do what I love. I was only focused on what I thought was practical. I wasn’t actually trying to reach my goals.

Now, I’m not going to quit my day job because that’s not how life works but, I want to incorporate the things I love in my everyday life. I’ll spare you all from the specifics of my goals but, I am going to be more active when it comes to blogging. It brings me a lot of joy and opportunities that I wouldn’t otherwise have. I’m feeling very motivated to be more active in my local vegan community as well. I have wanted to that for a long time and now seems like the perfect opportunity.

So, in short, if you’ve been wondering where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to, this is it. I’ve been thinking and planning and now it’s my time to start doing.

Let me know if you have any suggestions on incorporating the things you love into your schedule. Are there any tips and tricks to making time for doing what you are passionate about? Let me know in the comments! Thanks as always 🙂

Jane Iredale Glow Time Mineral BB Cream Review

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Hello Everybody! I am here to share with you my thoughts on the Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage BB Cream (that’s a mouthful). I had been wanting to try Jane Iredale products for awhile because they are a high-end, green beauty brand.

I was very intrigued by this product because I didn’t know a full coverage BB cream existed and unfortunately, I have to say that this product is not it. This is a full on foundation. This product has a very thick, mousse-y consistency not at all similar to a BB cream. I have to say that I did find it difficult to apply this product at first. I have dry skin and I have found that this product does not apply nicely to dry skin. So, if you have dry skin make sure that you moisturize your skin very well before applying.

A little does go a long way with this foundation. If you are not careful it can become cakey. It can be difficult to blend so, I would try using as little product as possible at first until you get your preferred coverage. This foundation dries to a satin finish, not very glow-y or dewy as the name suggests. That being said, it does not have a dull finish. It does look very natural for being full coverage.

Once you find the best way to apply it for your skin type this foundation is really great. I prefer to use a brush to apply this foundation because it works best for blending without losing coverage.

Overall, I really like this foundation however, it can be difficult to use at first. I love the natural ingredients and that it has an SPF of 25. I think this would be a great special occasion foundation but, it is also wearable for everyday.

I hope this review was helpful and as always, everything I talk about on this blog is Vegan and Cruelty-Free.

 

Collective Haul – Video

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Hello again, I have a collective haul for you guys, showing you all of the things I have purchased over the past couple months. I hope you enjoy! As always, if you have any feed back I would love to see it in the comments!

Pacifica Hot Vegan Face Mask

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Hello Everybody! I’m back again to share my thoughts on yet another Pacifica product. This time it’s the Pacifica Hot Vegan Face Mask. This mask is formulated with (vegan) probiotics and spices to help draw out gunk from your pores. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

This mask has a thin, clear consistency  and smells like coconut. I apply a thin layer and leave it on for 15 minutes. The bottle says you can let it sit for 5-15 minutes. Within that time frame the mask does dry down and tighten slightly. It is not as tightening as a clay mask but it is worth mentioning. After the time is up I wash it off with warm water and apply my moisturizer.

I don’t find this mask to be drying on the skin at all so it is good for all skin types. I especially like to use it when my skin feels congested because it does “stimulate” the skin and helps to draw out dirt. If I use this mask at night I usually wake up with some small blemishes on my skin in the morning. Nothing big or painful but, enough that I know it was from the mask pulling it to the surface of my skin.

Overall, I like this mask and would recommend it to anyone who wants a product that will clean out your pores. It is relatively inexpensive, $15 and can be found at Ulta stores.

As a note: Everything I mention on this blog is vegan and cruelty-free! Thanks for reading!

Summer GRWM- Vegan & Cruelty-Free

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Hi everybody! I filmed this get ready with me showcasing the products I’ve been using the most this summer!

 

Let me know what your favorite products this summer have been 🙂 Thanks for watching!

 

 

100% Pure 2nd Skin Foundation Review

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I had been wanting to try this foundation for the longest time and I finally got around to purchasing it. I am in the process of transitioning to mainly green beauty products. I believe it is especially important to use foundations that have clean ingredients because they cover your entire face and sink into the skin throughout the day.

I was very intrigued by this foundation at first because it claimed to perfect the skin without looking you were wearing makeup. That claim is mainly true however, you can still tell you are wearing some sort of foundation. I find that this foundation gives a satin finish to the skin which comes off looking quite natural.

This foundation is formulated with olive squalane which is meant to be moisturizing as well as anti-aging. The olive squalane gives this foundation a serum-like texture similar to the Juice Beauty Serum Foundation. If you have dry skin this foundation can cling to your dry patches because it dries down quickly after you buff it in with a foundation brush.

I find this foundation to give medium coverage. I did experience some breakouts recently that this foundation was not able to cover completely however, it worked well with the concealer I used to cover the breakouts. Overall, I liked the appearance of foundation on my skin. (The breakouts were not caused by this foundation)

100% Pure has been vocal in speaking out against the use of shark liver oil in cosmetics in their promotions for this foundation. Olive squalane is a plant-based alternative to the  shark liver oil that is used in conventional cosmetics. The loss of sharks degrade the ecosystems in which they live and is detrimental to the overall health of the ocean.

Overall, I really like this foundation and it has become one of my go-to products. It has decent coverage and applies very nicely on the skin. I find it even makes my skin feel soft when I am wearing it. It is a great everyday, natural foundation. I believe it could work for all different skin types depending on how you set the foundation.

If you have any green beauty product recommendations please let me know in the comments 🙂

As a note: Everything I mention on this blog is vegan and cruelty-free! Thanks for reading!