Affordable Cruelty Free Brands | 2019

As I am still vegan it is still important to me to make sure my products are cruelty free, and by being student who doesn't have a whole lot of spare cash lying around at the minute it is also important to make sure these products are affordable. Hence, why I am always on the lookout for high street finds minus the cruelty. I have put together a list of some of my favourite brands which I have been tried and tested by me so I would recommend to my fellow cruelty free lovers for both their quality and price tag.

The List
Lush
B by Superdrug
Source of Nature at Sainsburys
Collection
Natural Collection
Barry M
Colour Pop
Palmers
Sleek
Elf
Wet and Wild
Superdrug
Original Source
Makeup Revolution
Bastiste
Yes to

Not to mention a lot of supermarkets own brands are also cruelty free these days, they do not just do  beauty items but also cruelty free cleaning products as well. The majority of these brands I use within my daily routine and I even used them before I went cruelty free. Making the switch to cruelty free beauty products does not always have to cost an arm and a leg and this list proves that it is easier than ever to make that step.

1st Semester of University

I made it through my first semester of university, I survived. I did not die of lack of food, or over-dosing on alcohol.

I learnt many things in my first semester of university. I think the most important one being me learning to survive on my own. I think I have become quite good at it, the adulting life is not all that bad so far. I have learnt the concept of budgeting (kind of), mostly entailing me making sure I can still afford alcohol at the end of the week. I equipped myself with the skills of washing up my dishes and doing my own laundry all of which were done for me at home. It makes you appreciate everything that little bit more when you do eventually go home for the holidays, like a double bed or a nice shower that does not just dribble or not having a shower curtain that likes to have a fight with you mid shower.

Starting lectures was a challenge. Yes, I was excited to delve into the science that is Marine Biology, but I was not quite prepared for the amount of new information that would be thrown my way and that I would be expected to absorb and regurgitate for exams. I wrote from first essay and report, learning the masters of completing work the day before it is due (yes you will always do it). Essays are hard, trying to blab 1000-2000 words on a subject you have no clue about proves a challenge but I did it and actually got a decent grade for it.

The people have been the best part about university for me. You are thrown into a pool of new and interesting faces. It is easy to meet people because you are literally all put in the same situation and everyone is looking for someone to hold onto to become friends with. I have met amazing people in my short time here and know I will continue to meet even more.

The downsides of university are still there amidst the good. It can put a strain on your mental health at times. Being away from home without that comfort blanket of people, it can be a lonely time sometimes. The stresses of deadlines can sometimes get overwhelming. But as a student you learn to deal with it and it will be okay in the end. University really is not all bad.

I am thankful for my time at university, enriching myself with new information within my degree and surrounding myself with the beautiful people I have met in my short time here.

Friendships and Loneliness

I don't think I have encountered much worse than losing people you love. Over the years I have made some true friendships that I hope will last a lifetime, but a few months ago I had to say goodbye to all of those people.

The first few days of being without someone makes you realise just how much you relied on that person. My friends have always been there for me. They know when I am in a bad mood and how to cheer me up, they laugh at my awful jokes and appreciate my slight stupidity. Not having them physically close to me breaks my heart a little and though that may sound dramatic it kind of is the truth. Being lonely is not something I thought I had experienced before, but losing friends you have had for the past 2, 7 and 13 years of your life, hurts. You have to tell them how things are going over the phone and whilst yes, you can still talk, it is not the same as being face to face. Do not get me wrong I have met some amazing new friends upon my time in university but there is still that hole of my friends miles away. It is an alienating thing.

It is not all doom and gloom as I know we will see each other as much as we can and when we do it will be special. We will make the most of the time we have together and I hope these people never leave my life completely but I wish them all the best for their futures.

Just because someone has walked out of your life it does not mean that you will never fill that hole, you have the memories that will remind you of the moments you spent together, you shall meet new people and make even more memories.

Body Image

Body image is a thing that many people struggle with, including me. I constantly have battles in my mind about whether I like the way I look on a certain day and I will not lie, more often than not I do not. I have good days and bad days. I have days where I see a picture of another girl and want to look like her and days where I don't mind what I see in the mirror. Sometimes I hate my short legs, other days I like them. Yes I have small boobs, do I want bigger ones? Maybe. Sometimes I want to be skinnier and others I want to be curvier. The amount you love yourself stems from your mental outlook on your own body.

We are used to seeing so many idealistic body shapes in todays society, whether it be curvy, toned or skinny. Though the media now displays a larger variety of body types, it still doesn't erase the issue of people being able to love themselves. Yes, girls and boys are no longer faced with just one ideal figure in magazines, but that still doesn't change the struggles people face mentally. You either always want to be curvier, stronger or skinnier. 

Loving yourself is what is important and accepting the fact that your body is the shape it is. No matter how hard you try it you might not be able to physically become the shape you so desire as you were born the way you are for a reason. Each person on this planet is different and no one worth less because of the way they look or dress.