Cruelty Free Beauty Review #2

A few month into this whole ‘switching to cruelty free beauty products‘ adventure, things haven’t changed much since my last post on the topic.

Finding information hasn’t become any easier, but every once in a while, you do come across a few things worth trying out – some resulting in immediate adoption into your skincare routine, and other not quite delivering on their promises.

So here it is – my latest instalment of the good, the bad and the extraordinary of cruelty free beauty!

The Good

Fair Squared Argan Facial Cream Light*

I’ve recently run out of my impressive stock of my former face moisturiser of choice, so I’ve been trying a few alternatives lately.

Amongst the lot was Fair Squared’s argan facial cream and while it’s a good face cream and I’m still absolutely smitten with the brand, I’m a bit torn.

The product composition is obviously great (Fair Squared’s products are not only cruelty free, but also vegan, certified Fair Trade and Natrue), the texture is lovely but I’m not sure it was the best match for my skin at the time.

It might have been my fault. I have combination skin and I started using it before it became properly cold so it was a bit rich.

Now that the days have grown colder, it is a much better match though. So if you have dryer skin or you’re looking for something to use this winter, give it a go – it’ll work wonders!

Mooncup

One of the biggest changes I wanted to make this year was to switch to non-disposable menstrual products.

I was terrified so it took me a while to put this into action, but I finally took the plunge and got myself a mooncup.

It wasn’t the easiest switch to make – it take a bit of practice to make it truly comfortable, and the cleaning process definitely rules the menstrual cup out if you’re the squeamish kind.

So yeah, good overload but still a bit of a work in progress.

That said, not running the risk of putting bleach into my private parts and not having to get my hands anywhere near one of those gross menstrual product disposable bin things is absolutely priceless.

The Bad

Tisserand Rose Deodorant

Let me tell you something – finding a good cruelty free deodorant is no easy fate.

So when I found this little number in my local TKMAXX, I was quite excited to say the least – it was affordable, not complitely impossible to find in the UK and it smelt divine.

The only problem is – it’s rather useless as a deodorant. As in, you’ll be good for about 30 min and then it’s back to being a sweaty, smelly mess. So yeah, not exactly ideal…

The Extraordinary

BareMinerals Total Cleansing Oil

I’m a big cleansing oil advocate.

In my book, nothing beats it when it comes to removing hefty waterproof eye make up without having to scrub like crazy.

And BareMinerals’ is the best I’ve ever tried. The texture is perfect (thick and very sensory), it smells divine (quite herbal with a touch of lavender), doesn’t burnt your eye AT ALL and removes all your make up perfectly.

So yeah, that one’s in it for the long run!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

I’m not entirely sure what it is, but my skin has simply been the worst lately.

Is it the crazy weather swings? Stress-related hormone peaks? Too much chocolate? Not enough water? Some other mystery reason I’ll never ever find out about? All of the above? Whatever the cause is, I haven’t quite manage to figure it out just yet.

So in the meantime, I’m treating the symptoms (aka all those lovely spots that simply won’t stop appearing on my chin).

And Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is simply the best for this. Seriously – I’ve tried A LOT of those over the years – nothing comes close.

Definitely one that’s good to have in the bathroom cabinet just in case!

REN Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Cream

I’ve already raved about this eye cream in my last cruelty free beauty edit and I’m still absolutely in love with it.

The texture is a sort of very light gel that dries to feel a bit like aloe vera gel. It really helps keeping the thin, fragile eye contour area moisturised and comfortable.

An all-year-round lifesaver!

Next on the ‘to try’ block

Korres Shampoo

I’ve loved every Korres product I’ve ever tried sofar (this thing is especially A++) so I hope the shampoo I recently picked up from TKMAXX (an excellent source of cruelty free beauty finds!) is just as dreamy as the rest!

Do you have any cruelty free beauty faves? What do I need to get my hands on? Hook a combination skin girl desperately looking for a good moisturiser & deodorant up!

*Press sample.

Cruelty free beauty – Edit #1

Making the decision to switch to more ethical consumer products is one thing. Implementing said decision is another.

Truth be told, it’s not all been quiiiite as easy as I thought this would be.

Part of it is liked to my neighbours insists on filling our food waste caddy with their empty coffee cups ?.

Part of it is because ethical choices are usually less convenient, and information can be difficult to find.

Especially when it comes to cruelty free beauty, since there is no legal definition.

Which means that no matter how many links you click on & how many pages you read on the back of an innocent ‘brand name + cruelty free’ Google search you make, there are times when you will still not get any conclusive answer.

That can be quite discouraging at first, but if you dig deep enough, there are absolute gems to be found!

Fair Squared’s Apricot Shampoo*

Now, I know the idea was to replace products for a cruelty-free alternative as and when I run out. But I simply couldn’t wait to try this one. And how right I was not to!

Free from parabens and Laureth Sulfate, and smelling absolutely delicious, Fair Squared’s Apricot Shampoo is simply the dream! Its light texture is easy to rince and leaves your hair smooth, soft and shiny.

Not to mention the fact that Fair Squared is probably one of the most ethical beauty companies around (their products are not only cruelty free, but also vegan, certified Fair Trade and Natrue) and has one of the most impressive range.

I don’t know about you, but I aprican’t wait to try more!

Urtekram’s Nordic Berry range

Another berry good discovery from award-winning, Danish organic beauty pioneer brand Urtekram!

Founded in 1972, Urtekram is renowned for creating plant-based products which are wholesome and natural.

Packed with vitamins and antioxidants derived from traditional Nordic Berries including Seabuckthorn, blueberries, cranberries and rosehip, the Nordic Berry range includes all the products you need for a full ethic body ‘n’ hair routine.

The body lotion* is my favourite sofar because of its light (it gets absorbed in seconds) yet very moisturising texture and its delicate, subtle scent.

I’m also looking forward to trying out the repairing conditioner* -aloe usually works wonder on me- and I’m looking closely into their toothpaste & deodorant ranges…

Hurraw lip balm

These have been a favourite of mine for several years now and if you haven’t tried them yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for!

They are the best lip balms I’ve ever tried. I’ve tried A LOT and nothing comes even close.

All Hurraw products are cruelty free, vegan, non-GMOs and mainly made of organic ingredients. There’s a huuuuuge range of scents to choose from (my favourite is Earl Grey). And they’re really easy to find too (on Amazon, or at Whole Foods, Planet Organic and other natural food and beauty stores).

To which I say: hip-hip-hurraw!

Ren Instant Brightening Beauty Shot eye cream

With the heat and the increased pollution levels resulting from it, the skin around my eyes has been unusually dry and itchy lately, so I decided to give this little thing a try.

I can’t really give you any information on the brand’s anti-aging promises. But what I can vouch for the moisturizing and calming effect of it. The texture is a sort of very light gel that dries to feel a bit like aloe vera gel and really helps soothe itchy eye lids.

An absolute sore eye Summer dream!

Do you have any cruelty free beauty faves? What do I need to get my hands on? Hook a (newly converted) girl up!

*Press sample.

7 Ways I’m Making My Consumer Choices More Ethical

Now that we’re -finally- settled into our new home, there’s finally space in my brain to move forward with making different aspects of our life more in phase with our personal ethics.

Truth be told, making ethically-proofed consumer choices is no easy task.

There’s so much to consider. So many fronts to fight on. And once you start digging, it seems like the list gets longer and longer. Because the thing is, sustainability is a complicated thing and reconsidering an entire lifestyle isn’t easy in any way.

So this whole ethical consumer journey of mine might well end up being a lifetime project sort of thing.

Which doesn’t mean I (and you) can’t start doing smart, small changes right now to improve our ethical footprint and make a big difference to the environment, animals and other people.

Here’s what I’m starting with:

Reducing household waste

Top of my list of things I want to make a significant change about is reducing the amount of household waste we send to landfill by at least half.

1. Pay attention to what goes into the rubbish bin.

The first step to reduce household waste is to figure out what actually makes its way into my rubbish bin.

So for the past week or so, I’ve been paying extra attention to what I put inthere. And the results are in: half of it is food waste (fruit & veg peelings, bones, tea leaves…), the other half is non-recyclable packaging (with a few other bits such as paper tissues and other personal care bits thrown in as well).

This was an easy step to take and yet a very important one. Finding out what you’re throwing away will allow you to single out what next step makes sense for you on your rubbish-reduction journey.

2. Check how your local council can help with recycling.

From recycling bins, compost boxes and collection services and more, most local councils offer free or low-cost solutions to help you reduce your household waste. So find out what recyclable materials can be collected from your kerbside.

As far as I’m concerned, that means a shiny new recycling box is on my way, as well as a food waste caddy so those items can be upcycled & composted instead of ging to landfill.

3. Buy fruit & vegetables at the market or greengrocers.

One – it’s much cheaper to do so than to buy those items from the supermarket anyways. Two – Fruit & veg have absolutely no need to be kept in those little, non-recyclable plastic wrapper things. Three – You’ll be supporting people instead of corporations.

Win, win, win.

4. Start using non-disposable feminin hygiene products.

Now, this one terrifies me, but here it is: I, tampons no.1 supporter, am thinking of switching to a mooncup. Good luck wishes and advice welcome.

Rethinking transports

5. Walk, cycle, sleep, repeat.

If you know me, you know I’m not the biggest fan of cycling bikes. And yet, for about 2 months now, they’ve been my main means of transport!

It saves me a lot of time (not having to wait for the bus is an absolute game-changer) and money (£90/year to use the Santander bikes whenever you want you guys!), it helps me feel healthier AND I’m having a near-zero carbon footprint.

Fair to say I’m LOVING it sofar!

Making my purchases count

6. Switch to cruelty free beauty

There are now excellent alternative to animal testing (and the cruelty-free certification is a free one), so companies have absolutely no reason not to keep outdated and cruel practices going.

That’s why I’m slowing switching to cruelty free beauty and personal care items, following this simple rule: whenever I finish something, I’ll replace it with a cruelty free alternative.

7. Keep reducing how much of my groceries come from supermarkets.

I’ve talked about it before – reducing my reliance on supermarkets has been an ongoing goal of mine for a while now, and it’s still going strong today.

I do most of my grocery shopping via Farmdrop, with a few visits to local markets and food stores when I’m after something specific. It does take a bit of getting used to (the opening hours aren’t quite as convenient as traditional supermarkets). But in the end, it is quite manageable. And a small price to pay to have access to fresh, local (and not too over-packaged) ingredients and support small producers instead of big corporations.

What ethical considerations affect your consumer choices? What steps are you taking to make things change?