Vegan | 4 Years On

It's me again, checking in on the whole veganism thing, with it now being 2020 I have been vegan for 4 years. I can confidently say the this past year I have not slipped up and drunkly ate some chicken, I now stick to the vegan kind of drunk foods.

I think 2019 and 2020 have been the year for vegan foods there is so much variety on the shelves these days. Even in lockdown people are choosing to bulk buy vegan food that they may not usually eat, yes this may be because their usual food has run out, but it’a good business for the vegan companies. Though a little annoying for the vegans who now have lacking choice of food.

This past year of being vegan I have put of the most muscle mass I have in my life, so everyone saying that vegan lifters cannot build muscle, prove me wrong. I have increased muscle mass and upped my weight to a healthy set point for me on a full vegan diet that is (for the most part) full of good food, if we discount all the burgers and tubs of ice cream I consume. A vegan diet keeps me full and satiated to carry out my workouts based around strong compound movements. No I do not need chicken or eggs to fuel my deadlifts or squats. I sometimes take a vegan protein if I am feeling like it but often enough I get enough protein from the whole foods I eat, and yes ice cream is included as a whole food in my world.

A vegan diet has helped me to truly love my body for how strong it now is and how cruelty free my life is thanks to veganism. Being vegan helped me to fall in love with food again, it helped me to be balanced and love myself. It is the most sustainable thing any one of you can do to help the planet. It drastically reduces water usage around the globe and cuts the need for cruel factory farming methods, saving innocent lives. It can save on thousands of gallons of water and grains that can be used to feed those people in need. It is also much better for your health, with reduced cholesterol levels and blood pressure. I personally believe that veganism is the only way forward for our planet to be sustainable as the way we are currently going about life just isn’t. We can’t continue mass producing cruelty. Factory farming isn’t sustainable and frankly isn’t humane either. Most diseases these days exist as a result of animal consumption by humans, the pandemic we are in the midsts of caused someone eating a raw bat, the only question I ask is why? Swine flu, from pigs. This surely tells you that animal consumption is not the answer for human health, it is the better interest of ourselves and the planet to go vegan or at least make steps towards it.

Cruelty Free Skincare Routine

I have been cruelty free for 4 years now and more recently I have been trying to reduce my plastic usage, especially in my day to day skincare routine. Products I would usually buy that are in plastic packaging I have invested time into looking for alternatives in glass or reusable containers. I keep my routine simple and natural trying to steer clear of harsh chemicals on my skin. I use a lot of Lush and always make sure to return my black pots for the store to reuse for future products to save throwing them away.

Morning 
1. I first splash my face with cold water when I wake up and then use the Aqua Marina cleanser from Lush on my face, an all natural cleanser with extracts of seaweed and calamine which helps to reduce excess oil build up meaning it is perfect for oily skin. I then wash this off with a warm face cloth or reusable cotton round.
2. I then follow this up with a facial oil and the one I am currently using is Boots Botanics Organic Facial Oil that does not leave me feeling greasy but hydrated.

Nightime
1. If I have been wearing makeup that day I tend to remove it using plain old coconut oil that you can buy from regular supermarkets. I grab a bit and rub it on my face, then take a reusable cotton round to rub off the excess makeup.
2. I then go in with a gentle scrub, my favourite for years now has been the Ocean Salt by Lush. This again is great for oily skin, with sea salt, seaweed and avocado extracts helping to buff away the dead skin whilst still leaving your skin feeling nourished.
3. Sometimes (if I remember) I will do a face-mask, this is usually once or twice a week. I tend to go for a Lush one, like Cup O' Coffee mainly because I love the smell. But I also love how it leaves my skin feeling and looking rejuvenated.
4. I will finish up with some form of a night moisturiser to make sure my skin is kept hydrated overnight. I again tend to go for a more natural one that is not to harsh on my skin, and often find myself using the Sukin Moisture Restoring Night Cream that I can find in TKMaxx a lot of the time.

Plastic Swaps

By 2050 there will be more plastic in our oceans than marine life. As more organisms die due to our own plastic pollution in their oceans something needs to be done. Plastic needs to be gone from our oceans, it does not degrade, it stays there, for years on end being carried from continent to continent withheld in the currents and in the forms of micro plastics. Marine organisms end up consuming it or becoming entangled, leading to death. Species of turtles and whales are facing extinction because of us. In the very near future there may be no more sea creatures left, simply due to the effects of plastic and we will lose a beautiful and essential part of our ecosystem.

Reducing your plastic usage is simple.

Simple Swaps 

• Bagged produce - for unpackaged produce with reusable produce bags 
• Toothbrush - for a bamboo toothbrush (completely compostable)
• Floss - for bamboo toothpicks
• Plastic bottle - for stainless steel water bottle
• Single use coffee cup - for stainless steel or bamboo coffee cup
• Stop with the single use straws and stirrers - use a plain old metal spoon to stir your drinks and invest in some metal or bamboo straws
• Sanitary products - invest in a moon cup or washable pads, yes they are still sanitary and hygenic (Bloom&Nora)
• Use flannels and reusable cotton rounds made from fabric (Cheeky Wipes)
• Cleaning products - look for refillable or glass bottled cleaning products (Plastic Freedom), there is often a shop offering this in your local area (Chester one - (Just Footprints)
• Beauty products - try to look for things packaged in glass, wood or even packaging free items, Lush has some amazing minimal packaging makeup items such as concealer (Lush)
• Pasta/rice/flour etc - go to your local bulk buy store and take your own containers (Chester one - Just Footprints)
• Notebooks - avoid leather and plastic covered notebooks and opt for recycled paper ones (Ethical Market)

These are just a few swaps you can make to make a difference. Yes there is a lot of mention of bamboo here, but the reason for that is it is a great resource to replace plastic. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and so large amounts of it can be used in a short space of time as the regrowth is amazing. Also, with increasing funding being put into the plastic issue, more biodegradable alternatives are being tried and tested in the hopes to be used in the manufacturing industry. Here is a link to a post showing just a few (Packaging Alternatives). If this postive approach is to continue we can see our oceans and eradicate plastics for good.You do not have to go and do every single one of these steps to make an impact. Just one of these swaps will help reduce your plastic consumption by a considerable amount, more than you realise. The time is now to save our oceans or otherwise they will be past repair.

Vegan Skincare Routine

I never used to be that into skincare, I was more into my makeup. But as time has progressed I wear less makeup and spend more of my time looking at skincare in shops that I do eyeliners and mascaras. I think it is all about growing up and finding what you truly feel comfortable in and for me that is quite minimal makeup most of the time. Because I got more into skincare I have been doing more and more research on the products that are best suited to me and found the benefits of using more natural products opposed to cleansers filled with parabens and chemicals that are not great for the skin and have been linked to skin cancers. So,  after a lot of product switches I have finally fine-tuned my skincare routine to what works best for me, with all of the products containing mostly natural ingredients and of course being vegan and cruelty free.

Cleanser
The first step is cleansing and in the morning the cleanser I have been using for many months now is the Safa Cleansing Milk. It is a lovely gentle cleanser that I use every morning to wash away any residue that may have gathered over night. It doesn't dry out the skin as there are no harsh chemicals in it, I have found it one of the few cleansers I have tried that does not break me out either!

Scrub
In the night time I like to use a scrub and my scrub of choice is Lush's Ocean Salt, this may be no surprise to you if you read my Lush Vegan Favourites post. I adore this scrub with its natural ingredients packed full of benefits for your skin. The salt crystals exfoliate your skin leaving it feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. This is a definite top recommendation of mine.

Toner
After washing my face I use a toner, again no surprise here that the toner I use is Lush's Tea Tree Toning Water. This again is a lovely natural toner that refreshes the skin and helps to combat any spots you have with its antibacterial properties.

Moisturiser
I tend to switch between two moisturizers, the Yes to Tomatoes Daily Balancing and the Sukin Oil Balancing, Mattyifying one, which is a recent purchase. Both are made up of mostly natural ingredients without SLS, Parabens and other harsh chemicals. I prefer to go for a moisturizer targeted for my oily skin but these brands do offer other alternatives for different skin types.

Tea Tree
This is the only product I ever use to treat my spots. It's natural and simple which is the best approach to take when it comes to your skin. I also find it is very effective in reducing the redness on my skin, which is what tea tree is best suited for as it is a great anti inflammatory and anti bacterial, making it perfect for spot treatment.

Oil
Sometimes before I moisturise I use an oil and my favourite is the Rejuvenating Coconut Body Oil by ArgaNaturals. I do this about once to twice a week when I want my skin to have that extra little boost.

Mask
My favourite face mask to use is an old favourite of mine and one of the first Lush products I purchased. It's Lush's Cupcake, that is targeted towards problematic skin. I use this up to three times a week when I feel that my skin needs it and apply it after I have cleansed my skin.

Makeup Remover
To remove my makeup at the end of the day I use coconut oil or Superdrug's B Micellar Water. They both do a really great job, but if I am feeling lazy I will often just use the Micellar Water, as then I may skip my scrub and just go straight into my toner and moisturiser.

SPF
It is really important to protect your skin every day against harmful UV rays. This is my last step before putting on makeup and at the moment I use the Safa Organic Sun Lotion. This is good for protection and is affordable but it can sometimes be hard to rub into the skin without leaving little white balls but all in all it is a great sunscreen to go for.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my current skincare routine that works for me. I would love to do more vegan routines, such as my haircare bodycare, so keep a look out for those coming soon!

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Living More Ethically and Veganism

I don't think it is any secret that veganism is on the rise. Many people seem to find vegans as intrusive or as 'bully's' and I can often see why. But honestly veganism isn't about that. It is about leading a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle for both you, the animals and the planet. I see a lot of vegan's online being bullied for putting their message across and I do see why, because it can be often seen as 'forcing' it onto people, but all I want to do is open your eyes to ways you can live more ethically. I recently made the change to become vegan after looking into many documentary's and videos on the benefits of veganism and the truths behind the meat and dairy industry's, which shocked me to say the least. Many people believe that veganism has to be all or nothing, but that really isn't the case and there are so many small steps you can take to living more ethically that doesn't have to be a full of pledge to veganism straight away.

Research
Even if you aren't considering becoming vegan I recommend that you at least do some research on the topic because then you know both sides of the argument and can make a decision seeing it from everyone's angle.

I recommend using YouTube as a resource as well as documentary's such as Cowspiracy and Earthlings. Looking deeper into these industry's may spark something in you into wanting to become vegan when you learn about the harsh truths of industrial farming

Did you know? That male baby chicks are often ground up/killed as they are no use to the egg industry.

Switch out certain products
You don't have to cut everything out immediately to make a difference. By simply switching out your normal milk for soy or nut variety's you will already be spreading a message to the producers. In todays world your money really is your voice. Where you choose to spend your money can really make a difference as by purchasing a product you are showing you support the industry behind it. So by changing to cruelty free alternatives you are showing that you no longer support the other industry's and therefore maybe in the long run there will be less cruelty if enough people take the same approach as the producers come to realise their current approach is not working.

Things you can switch out
Milk // Soy or nut milks (alrpo is a good brand)
Yogurt // Soy or other dairy free alternatives (alpro is a good brand)
Meat // Meat free alternatives such as Linda Mccartneys vegan options or Quorn vegan options
Egg // Egg substitutes such as flax egg of flax seed mixed into water or try a tofu scramble
Makeup tested on animals // Switch to cruelty free brands and look up vegan lists. I have a post on cruelty free brands here
Chocolate // There are endless options of dairy free chocolates
Cakes // Get baking and creative!
Bread // Make sure bread is free from egg, milk or whey. (Hovis label which breads are vegan)

Did you know? Female cows are impregnated or 'raped' for them to produce milk and then immediately/shortly after birth the calf is taken off the mother to insure ultimate milk production for the producers

Simple Meal Plan
Veganism is far from living off salads these days and you don't worry about protein because you get plenty from green vegetables and beans. Everyone is different when it comes to a vegan lifestyle and there are so many different ways of eating, but what is important is to do what is right for you. Whether it be raw, normal or HCLF you can eat pretty much anything as a vegan. Just because you see one trend of veganism doesn't mean you have to follow it. I myself stick to a normal vegan diet eating what I want whether that be chips one day and fruit the next. One thing you need to consider hwoever is you do need to eat slightly more if you are vegan as larger portions of rice and vegetables can equate to the same in calories as a small meal of meat. Therefore you need more to fill your stomach and get the nurtients you need.

Breakfast
Porridge (and all the toppings)
Banana Nice Cream
Smoothies
Cereal

Lunch
Sandwiches
Avocado on toast (or anything you like)
Roasted potatoes/chips

Dinner
Stuffed vegetables
Vegan burgers etc
Rice and beans
Pasta/pizza
Stir Fry's

Snacks
Fruit
Dried Fruit
Nuts

It really is as easy as that, you can pretty much veganize anything and it isn't as hard as you think to get a balanced diet being vegan.


Choose the Vegetarian Options When Eating Out
Start off with small steps. When you are eating out rather than choosing the burger, choose the vegetarian option on the menu instead, because again you are voicing an opinion with your wallet. If the restaurant offers vegan options, then great choose that. Even better would be try out that vegan restaurant in your town and you will quickly see that you can still eat delicious food as a vegan.

Small Steps are Ok
Like I said earlier with veganism it does not have to be all or nothing. There are so many small things you can do to make a difference. Maybe at first try out being pescatarian, then move onto vegetarian and lastly you could take the step to be vegan, that was how I did it. Try out No Meat Mondays or Vegan Thursdays, whatever step you can, try it or maybe just switch out products for alternatives that I suggested above.

I hope this has helped you realise you can live more ethically quite easily today and maybe even made you consider trying out a vegan lifestyle. I have heard many people say that veganism is a privilege, when in reality being vegan can be cheap as chips, literally! Beans, nuts, rice and wholefoods are often some of the cheapest items you can purchase in the supermarket. This post isn't to force you to become vegan it is to simply make you consider the benefits and maybe learn a bit more why the vegan community is growing so quickly today.


Other Posts you Might Like

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Lush Vegan Favourites

I love Lush products, I mean what is not to like? A company that protests against animal cruelty very openly. If I am honest, initially I thought that a lot of, if not all Lush's products were vegan but after looking in store at the ingredients I found this wasn't the case. So I thought I would share with you my favourite Lush products that are vegan and that I use on a daily basis. Even though not all Lush products are vegan, a lot actually are and where they can they do substitute the animal products for alternatives. But milk and honey are still in some of their products. You can find the vegan products on Lush's website here

Tea Tree Toning Water
I use this toner religiously twice a day. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and also helps to combat spots by calming down any redness with its antibacterial properties.

Cupcake
I used to love the Mask of Magniminty by Lush but after finding it wasn't vegan I was on the hunt for a new face mask. I remembered when I first started getting spots when I was 12 I used cupcake and loved how it made my skin feel. After trying it again I have fallen back in love with it. It's cooling on the skin due to the mint and also after removing the mask my skin is left feeling moisturized and clean.

The Comforter
This has been my top favourite Lush product for a while now. When I first got into Lush this was the first item that I bought and I have just kept on buying it throughout the years. The smell of this product is amazing, it reminds me of Vimto or Ribena so it makes me feel quite nostalgic!

Dragons Egg
This is another old favourite of mine. The scent of this is very refreshing and citrusy from the lemons, so it is a great one to wake up to in the morning.

Avobath
This is my favourite bath bomb by Lush. Again it is a very invigorating scent with the lemongrass that makes it another bath bomb that is great to use in the morning. I love using avobath when my skin is feeling dry as the avocado and oils leave my skin feeling smooth and hydrated after I get out of the bath.

Floating Island
This is a great Lush product if you are suffering from dry, tight skin. It's a bath oil that will melt in the bath and sink into your skin leaving it feeling nourished. I love the sweet scent of floating island and I find it really relaxes me when I'm in the bath.

Rock Star
I don't often use the Lush soaps but when I do it is often this one. I mainly picked this one because of the gorgeous scent it has, but Lush soaps are lovely and gentle on the skin so don't leave it feeling tight or dry after use.

Mechanic
Another soap, however what is different about this is that it is cold pressed. Mechanic has the scent of godmother if you are familiar with that. The benefits of the cold pressed soap is that none of the nutrients are lost like they usually are when the soaps are heated and also it is a great exfoliant for the skin.

Sophisticated
Lush's cream eyeshadows are some of the best I have tried. Often cream eyeshadows crease on me after a few hours but these ones from Lush stay put all day. Admittedly I have only tried sophisticated but it is a gorgeous, everyday champagne/gold colour. It is super easy to use as you just apply it onto your lids and blend it a little with your finger and you are good to go!

Ocean Salt
You know how I said that the comforter was my favourite Lush product, well this is a VERY close second. Ocean salt is another old favourite of mine that initially my mum used, which got me into using it later on. At first I thought it was too abrasive for my skin but less is more with this product. It is a great exfoiliant for anywhere on your body and leaves your skin feeling rejuvenated and refreshed after using it, not dry at all because of the coconut oils and shea butter that are within the scrub.

Sakura
I can't really explain the scent of this bath bomb but it contains jasmine oil along with mimosa and lemon oil, I guess I am a fan of citrus scents. I love this little bath bomb and when I use it in the bath I feel uplifted and relaxed.

Rub Rub Rub
The purchase of this product was initially inspired by my mum, again, who uses this religiously. You can use this scrub anywhere, even in your hair! (I haven't tried this yet). When I first used Rub Rub Rub, I found it a little weird because when you put it onto dry skin it is quite an abrasive scrub however step into the shower and it melts into your skin leaving it feel nourished and beautifully smooth.

Dream Cream
Last but certainly not least of my Lush vegan favourites is a moisturiser. I don't often buy Dream Cream because I do feel like it is a little pricey for a moisturiser but it does wonders for my skin, oh the struggles! I suffer from KP on my arms and this really helps to combat that by reducing the redness and it being anti inflammatory from the chamomile oil. It also feels lovely and cooling on the skin, so I use this product sparingly.

That's it! I know it was a long list but I just so happen to love a lot of Lush's products. When it comes to it I would much rather spend my money on products from a company who support the same message as I do rather than someone who supports cruelty. It is your money and where you spend it that makes the true difference.

Posts you might like

Lush Dream Cream Review
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Eating Vegan in Greece

I have been vegan now for about 3 months, so I am still pretty new to it all. I was sceptical at first when going on holiday as to whether I would be able to eat normally or live the 10 days on cliff bars and fruit. When me and my family go on holiday we usually eat out at a restaurant every night, and I was unsure about the communication between myself and the waiting staff when I told them I was vegan. I went to Crete and specifically Elounda which was a beautiful traditionally little Greek town, they had no 100% vegan/vegetarian restaurants within Elounda so I had to order of main menu's in Taverns. However if you go to places such as Chania I believe they have a few vegetarian restaurants.

The first tip that I can give to vegans who are travelling is to research, research like crazy the country you are going to be visiting. Research their traditional dishes and restaurants that can cater to vegans. I was fortunate to be visiting Greece as a lot of their traditional Greek dishes are vegan or can be easily adapted by just leaving out the cheese. When researching I came across a number of helpful sites with restaurant options and also dishes I could order off the menu and them to be guaranteed vegan. I recommend using Happy Cow if you are in a popular area as you can select the type of restaurant you want and the area you are in and there is your dinner sorted.

For breakfasts and lunches we made our own food so it was pretty easy to make them vegan for myself. I also found that supermarkets were reasonably good at stocking several vegan products such as Alpro yogurts, non dairy milks and even vegan cheese. The majority of bread is also vegan in Greece however it is best to check the label or if you are ordering from a bakery ask what bread is nistisimo (a vegetarian diet excluding dairy but not fish eggs, clams, cephalopods or honey). I tended to have porridge for breakfast with almond milk and fruit. The fruit over their is so affordable and in an abundance, a watermelon was 35 cents! I can't get one in the UK for under £2! For lunch I usually had an avocado and humous sandwich with salad, because you cannot come to Greece and not have some humous.

In Greece the traditional restaurants are called taverns. They make the traditional Greek dishes such as Gyros, Souvlaki and Mousakka, but also a lot of vegan options. When listening to a lot of videos on eating vegan in Greece I was told they may understand the word vegan, however in my case they didn't seem to. I only had one occasion when they did and the waitress was English. Just make sure to specify you are vegetarian but cannot eat milk or egg and they should be able to point you in the right direction. I also had two occasions where I asked for dishes without cheese and they were very accommodating for that. If I couldn't see any main dishes on the menu I could have then I usually had a selection of starters for my main, which in Greece is known as a Meze. I often had stuffed vine leaves, grilled vegetables and gigantes plaki. My favourite restaurant we visited in Elounda was Porto Rino which is an Italian restaurant offering traditional Greek food also. They were very accommodating so we went back 4 times! I had the vegetarian pizza without cheese, a gluten free version of the vegetarian pasta and the vegetarian risotto. Also at the end of the meal they usually brought out yogurt however changed it to fruit without us even having to ask and they remembered each night we went. Marilena is also good for traditional Greek Meze's. For desserts the Taverns will provide fruit usually after a meal or you can ask for it. When staying in Elounda I also found vegan ice cream called I love Plako, and although they didn't have that many flavours it was ice cream! It was made using olive oil instead or milk so it was true Greek ice cream.

Dishes you can most likely eat in Greece as a vegan

Humous
Bread (just check there is no milk/egg)
Stuffed Vine Leaves
Courgette Flowers - I would highly recommend these!
Grilled/Fried Vegetables
Gigantes Plaki (beans in tomato sauce)
Falafel
Greek Salad (no feta)
Most vegetable risotto's (make sure there is no egg in pasta/milk used)
Pizza without cheese (check that no milk/egg is used in the dough)
Stuffed vegetables with rice (check there is no meat/milk etc)
Certain Pasta's (make sure there is no egg in the pasta as lots of homemade pasta's do have egg, I had a gluten free pasta which was fine)
Chips

It was pretty easy for me eating vegan in Greece because I love Greek food, but if you don't like eating oil it may not be the right place for you to eat. Overall though I would say that Greece is one of the most accommodating countries for vegan food for ordering off the main menu without asking for too many alterations. Not only that Greece is a beautiful country and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to visit.

Lush Dark Angles Review

I was on the look out for a new cleanser that I could really feel cleaning my skin. There are those cleansers out there that you can't feel doing anything. But, after doing some research I found that Lush's Dark Angles may just be what I was looking for. It is a mix between a cleanser and an exfoliant and because of that it is great at brightening up your skin and removing any dead skin cells without being too abrasive.

As you know all of Lush's products are natural provide your skin with amazing benefits compared to cleansers packed with chemicals. The little beads of sugar and charcoal really help to exfoliate you skin and when I first used it I noticed a dramatic difference in how bright my skin looked the next day. Like I said before this is one of those products you can really feel working on your skin as you use it. Unlike so many other cleansers after using it my skin didn't feel tight or dry, instead it felt nourished and moisturized even though I was yet to apply my moisturiser, that is from the essential oils that Lush always has in it's products to soothe your skin after using the cleanser. One of the main ingredients in Dark Angels is charcoal. Charcoal is great at deep cleansing the skin and also helps to combat spots and other impuritities on your skin. I really noticed a difference in my skin after using this product for a few days. My skin looked brighter, I found that I had less spots so I was really impressed with the overall look of my skin and would recommend Dark Angels if you suffer with blocked pores or tired looking skin.

One downside I will say to this amazing product is that be careful when you are using it. I have found that when I use the cleanser the black charcoal tends to stain my face and requires a tough rub with a facial cloth to get it off. That is my only negative though as it can be an inconvenience.

Have you tried Lush's Dark Angels and have you suffered the same issue I have? I hope you enjoyed reading this post and  maybe even sparked a little trip into your local Lush.

Vegan Dupes

There are so many products out there that aren't by cruelty free brands or that contain unnecessary animal products. I am constantly on the look out for vegan/cruelty free dupes for some of my favourite products, so I thought I would share some of my current favourites that I have found. Not only are these dupes cruelty free and vegan but a lot of them are highly affordable. A lot of these dupes are Mac eyeshadows or lipsticks because they are such great products however do come with the downside of animal cruelty.

Mac Velvet Teddy - Wet and Wild Bare it all
Mac Whirl - Wet and Wild Mochaliscious (not vegan) - Elf Praline
Mac Retro - Wet and Wild Spiked with Rum
Mac Cyber - Wet and Wild Vamp it up
Mac Soar - Colourpop Brink
Mac Shroom - Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma
Candy K - Wet and Wild Bare it all
Mac Satin Taupe - Makeup Geek Prom Night
Mac Tempting - Makeup Geek Pretentious
Revlon Stay Matte - The Balm Sexy Mama Powder
Benefit They're Real - Two Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

I hope this post will help you to make better decisions when it comes to choosing where your products come from, especially perhaps your favourite Mac lipstick.

Cruelty Free Brands 2016

It has been a while since I posted a blogpost on here, blame my exams. But now I am finally exam free (almost) I thought for my first post back I would do an updated cruelty free brand list with 100% cruelty free brands.

I have been doing a lot more research on different brands and their animal testing policies. In my opinion I don't want to buy products from companies that are owned by parent companies who test on animals as I feel that a portion of my money is therefore going to that industry. The choice is up to you however. In these lists I have included 100% cruelty free brands and those owned by parent companies who test on animals.

Cruelty Free Brands

The Balm
Two Faced
Lush
Original Source
Natural Collection
Barry M
Gosh
Wet and Wild
Colourpop
Make up Geek
Charlotte Tilbury
Cover FX
OCC
B. By Superdrug
Becca
First Aid Beauty
Inika
Lime Crime
Milani
Paul Mitchel
Physicians Formula
PIXI
Zoeva
Yes To
Sleek
Alba Botanica
DR Organic
BH Cosmetics
ELF
Illamasqua
Hourglass
Soap and Glory

Parent Company Tests

Kat Von D (Kendo owns brands who aren't cruelty free)
Urban Decay (Loreal)
Body Shop (Loreal)
Nars (Shiseido)
Tarte (KOSE)
NYX (Loreal)

The brands I have included in this list I have researched and this is up to date as of June 2016. If you have any updates for me they would be appreciated. But I hope that this list will help you be more conscious of the brands you are giving your money to in regards of sponsoring animal cruelty. There are many brands as seen above that are much better options that the testing companies. Always keep checking for updates by just searching in google or visiting Cruelty Free Kitty

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Natural Cruelty Free Skincare Routine

After attempting to become cruelty free for a few weeks now I have finally accumulated a number of  cruelty free skincare items but most of which are almost 100% natural. Some people say that it is hard to find cruelty free products but you just have to know the right places to look. My favourite places are Holland and Barret, Amazon, Lush and Tk Maxx. Also sites like Peta are good for lists of cruelty free brands and that is really how I started out.

Makeup Remover
To remove my eye makeup I have been using coconut oil. I rub it between my hands until it dissolves and becomes an oil and then massage it around my eyes and it remove all of my eye makeup. It even removes my waterproof makeup and also it moisturizes your eye lashes. To remove my face makeup I used the Safa Cleansing Milk. I massage it into my skin and then use a flannel to remove the excess. Its lovely and gentle on the skin.

Scrub
At night I like to use a gentle scrub on my face, the one I am currently using is the Yes To Tomatoes Daily Scrub. Again it is really gentle on your skin and contains almost 100% natural ingredients. Its great at removing any excess makeup and residue from the day.

Cleanser
For my morning cleanser I like to use the Yes To Tomatoes Daily Gel Cleanser. I had previously never used a gel cleanser before but I quite like it. The consistency is a little odd at first but you get used to it and it leaves your skin feeling clean without being left tight.

Mask
I couldn't do this skincare routine without mentioning a Lush product. I think Mask of Magniminty is my all time favourite Lush product! I love how it leaves my skin looking illuminated. It also calms any spots that I may have on my skin without being too harsh.

Toner
I recently picked up the Lush Tea Tree Toner as I know it is great for spot prone skin. In the morning it leaves my skin feeling rejuvenated and awake and at night I feel like it is really cleansing my skin deeply and removing any left over dirt.

Oil
This way a recent find in Tk Maxx and it is a Argannaturals Argan Body Facial Coconut Oil. It's an all natural product and I like to use it several times a week to give my skin that little bit extra moisture boost. Often I find that oils tend to break me out but this one leaves my skin feeling glowy and also I have noticed helps to reduce scarring. I apply it before moisturizer to really make sure that it sinks into the skin.

Moisturizer
This is an old favourite of mine. I have been using the Yes To Tomatoes Daily Balancing Moisturizer before I even considered becoming cruelty free. Its a great moisturizer if you suffer with oily skin and leaves my skin feeling hydrated all day.

Spot Treatment
I don't really go all out with spot treatment. What I find works best is just plain old tea tree oil. It works great at targeting spots and scarring. I am not sure if this one is cruelty free, I was just using up what I had but there are many cruelty free ones out there.

Are you cruelty free or trying to incorporate more natural products into your skin care routine? Let me know some of your favourites?