Ok so todays post is going to be all about my journey to going cruelty free. For those of who you who don't know, i decided i need to stop contributing to animal cruelty. It is not something that has always been close to my heart to be completely honest. I always claimed i was an animal lover, but i guess only ever when it came to 'pets'. I was a massive meat lover and used to say i'd be happy to kill for my own meat. But now i realise that i probably never would have, it was just a front to justify my consumption of meat. After watching a lot of vegan documentaries last year and seeing the cruelty, i still continued to eat meat and dairy. But, i have always been 'interested' in the vegan lifestyle from a nutritional point of view and watched a lot of vegan/plant based youtubers anyway. I was often curious and wanted to try eating that way but i believed 'it wasn't right for me' and i couldn't do it because i needed protein. Eventually my meat consumption did decrease, i did things like meat free monday and included more vegetarian and vegan meals. Slowly these meals become more and more regular (accidentally). I started to eat a lot more bean chilli's instead of meat. Hummus with carrot sticks became my favourite food. I then went to Malaysia with a few vegetarians and one vegan, i made a promise of the final day of that trip that i would be 'more vegetarian' (whatever that meant). And from that day on i did just that. This was about 8 weeks ago and i think i've ate meat/fish four times ever since, which for me is a massive thing considering i was eating meat/fish probably four times a day before that. This gradually led to me deciding to cut out dairy. For some reason, i dropped meat but started eating a lot more dairy - strange considering i wasn't really a dairy fan beforehand. I rarely ever used to cheese and always used a plant based milk for health reasons. I don't do well with lactose, probably because it's supposed to be for baby cows not human adults.
Onto the whole point of this post, sorry for the ramble. Now, it's only right i stop buying products that use animal products and test on them, right? I never really thought of animal testing before until a drunken discussion with my housemate who was against animal testing (but still eats meat/dairy) and my mum who doesn't like the idea of the torture and slow plain these animals go through (but still eats meat/dairy). This got me thinking, its contradictory to do one or the other. I can't claim to not eat animal products because i care about animals to then use products that test on them. That still contradicts the use and pain of animals for humans benefit. So now.. i am taking the pledge to go cruelty free.
What does this mean? This means i am making a conscious effort to not buy any more products that test/use animals. This doesn't mean i'm throwing away old products that aren't cruelty free (cf). But from now on i am going to only be buying cf products! It just suits me as a person and it is something i am passionate about. I really want to do it.
Now i'm going to be sharing some of my 'accidentally' cf products. These are products i already use (and love) which just so happen to be cf. So.. i don't think it'll be too hard to go cf as i use a lot of cf products/brands anyway. Although, it will be exciting to try lots of new products and brands i haven't considered before.
Skincare
Lush - An overall easy go-to shop which offer a lot of different cf & vegan products. I tend to reach for their toners and face masks skincare wise. And we can't forget Snow Fairy come christmas time.
Apivita - My go-to cleanser is by this brand - cf and vegan. I featured it in my May Favourites for a more in depth review. I will most definitely be repurchasing this and trying more from this brand.
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser - Another cf and vegan cleanser i absolutely love that has the leaping bunny logo. And you get a free muslin cloth! This is the second time i've purchased this. It's really creamy and moisturising so it makes your skin feel really moisturised and pampered. I use this when my skin needs some TLC.
Superdrug Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanser - Another cf and vegan cleanser i absolutely love that has the leaping bunny logo. And you get a free muslin cloth! This is the second time i've purchased this. It's really creamy and moisturising so it makes your skin feel really moisturised and pampered. I use this when my skin needs some TLC.
Body Care
Nip + Fab - Another cf brand. Unfortunately their Pistachio body butter isn't vegan but, they do not test on animals. This is by far my favourite smell body butter wise, it is a much better alternative to the Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache range. I also have their 'Dry leg fix' which is vegan. They have a list on their FAQ's of non-vegan products which is amazing. I will be trying more from this brand, i'm particularly interested in their glycolic range.
Lush - Another 'go-to' for shower products. I use 'Snow Fairy' (obviously, my favourite) and the 'Comforter'. I know lush do many more products such as face masks, makeup, haircare and bath bombs which i have used before. But my favourites are the shower gels/soaps.
Hair Care
Makeup
NYX - This is a brand i honestly adore and have done for years. I've been ordering their products from America before they were so easily available in the UK. So my excitement is real now i can just get it from Boots. I use their lip products regularly, their brow gel and 'above and beyond' concealer. In my stash, I also have their 'Stay matte but not flat' foundation and translucent powder. So i'll be using these products from now on. I'm hoping this foundation will fulfil my foundations dreams so i can use it to replace my non cf foundations. If not i'll be on the search for a new cf foundation. But, overall a great cf and very affordable brand. Vegan list here.
Illamasqua - I use a few products from this brand. On a daily basis i use their brow gel - it's amazing, long-lasting and easy to apply (and vegan). So i have no problems with finding a cf eyebrow product. I have this lipstick palette which I can use instead of MAC whilst travelling. I'll look forward to trying more products by them. Full vegan list here. They will email you a list if you ask.
Wet n Wild - I don't use a lot of their products but, their eyeshadows and nail polishes are pretty great. Full vegan list here. So i may look into buying some more of their products.
The Balm - Oh yes, hell yes, the best highlighter and it is vegan/cf. Like many other #bbloggers i adore my 'Mary Lou Manizer' so, this makes me happy. Check out this list for vegan products from this brand. I think i'll definitely stick to their highlighters.
Sleek - Another brand that commonly pops up in my makeup bag, especially the contour/face form palette, blushers and eyeshadow palettes. So i have no worries that i'll be able to find a ton of great cf options quite easily. The eyeshadows/true colour lipsticks are not vegan based on this blog post but, i will definitely keep repurchasing the contour kit.
Barry M - Another affordable cf brand which is featured in my collection quite a lot. Especially their lip liners and nail polishes. They do label their products so you can check they're vegan online easily. Most of their 'Nail paints' and 'Gelly Hi-Shine' polishes are vegan - my favourite. So i'll have no problem when purchasing cf nail polish especially with the large range of colours available. I'll be looking to try the 'Coconut infusion' ones soon.
MUA - I am over the moon to find the brand on this cf list. I own so many products from this brand already. Like so many. Their lip products, blushers, eyeshadow palettes, concealers.. The list goes on. Again not all of their products are vegan. So this is something to think about when i consider repurchasing.
Products i need to purchase/replace
Toothpaste - Something i've been wanting to switch for a long time to be honest. More for the natural ingredients than cruelty free. But they often go hand in hand. So i am going to be trying the Jason's natural range or the Lavera range. Let me know your favourite.
Shampoo - This is my next thing i need to change. I have never used a cf shampoo before but i've heard good things about Faith In Naure and the Superdrugs Extract Coconut range. So i'll be getting one of them next.
Facial Moisturiser ft. SPF - I currently use this oil free Nivea day cream which is actually cruelty free/vegan as far as i can tell. But i'm looking to expand and try out new cf and vegan products. *Haul coming soon*.
Mascara - I don't currently use any cf mascaras and my two favourites are by L'oreal and Lancome. These are fast running out so i really need to find an amazing cf/vegan mascara asap. I'm looking for one that adds length and volume. Thinking of trying one by Arbonne, Wet n Wild or Urban Decay next. *Update: Currently using a vegan, cf Barry M mascara and i love it!*
I think thats everything. I am so sorry for the long post. But, if you like it, that's great! Let me know.
Any cf/vegan recommendations would also be much appreciated. Can't wait for my little shopping spree soon!
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