Decorated Doldrums

Becoming a Vegan Makeup Artist: Storage and Organisation

2017-12-26T17:00:00.000+00:00

So now you have all the stuff you need to be a vegan makeup artist, you're gonna need somewhere to put it. That 'somewhere' will need to be easy to carry and travel with as you travel to and from jobs.

The Zuca Bag was my kit bag of choice for most of my career. It's sturdy, on wheels, and the fabric part is washable for when something inevitably spills. The Pro Artist Bag comes with clear plastic inserts to organise your kit. It's also suitable to take on a plane as carry-on luggage.

The £229+ price tag is pretty steep, so if you aren't likely to be jetting off with it, you might want to consider the cheaper Zuca Sport.

This comes without the inserts, but you can buy your own clear plastic cases to separate products by type. Clear cases are vital - you need to be able to see what you have quickly without rummaging around! This'll set you back by around £130+. I highly recommend the model with flashing wheels!

For your hair kit, the Zuca Artist backpack is ideal. It's designed to sit on top of the Zuca Bag, it has removable pouches and a thermal pocket so you can put away hot curling irons safely.

I know these cases are expensive, but I've done my research and carried other cases, and honestly, these are the sturdiest, most hardwearing, most user-friendly cases available. They aren't even paying me to say this! I've linked the cheapest UK shop I've found, as prices vary a lot between retailers.

If you happen to find yourself in a state of monetary deficit, as I often do, then a second hand Zuca is ideal. As the fabric inserts are removable and washable, you'll have no problem getting your case clean and looking like new again.

Organisation

Your kit should be arranged by type. Each category should have its own place, normally a medium clear PVC bag. My kit categories were as follows;

Skincare, including wipes, tissues and cotton pads (kept in the door pockets of my Zuca)
Foundations, concealer palette, setting powder & single blush/highlight/contours
Airbrush foundation minis (came in their own small PVC bag)
Single eyeshadow pigments, gel liners and cream shadows
Eye pencils and mascara (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
Lipsticks and lip palette
Lip Pencils (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
Liquid lipsticks/glosses (kept in a small PVC pencil bag or wallet)
Large Palettes (kept at the bottom of my Zuca, under everything to stop them moving around and getting broken)
Disposable lip brushes, mascara wands, and cotton buds (in small Cozette vessels or wallets)
Powder/foundation brushes and eye brushes (in large Cozette vessels or tube holder)
Nail polishes, file and clippers (just those I'll need, not my full collection, kept in a small PVC case in my Zuca's side pocket)

Pro Picks

Here are some bits that I think are pretty nifty.

Magnetic Palettes -

My Kit Co Palette

Crowd Colour Palette

Pic via etsy.com

I no longer support Z-palette after the owner went on a bit of an Instagram rampage insulting customers, and these are some great alternatives.

Vueset Palettes

Pic via love-makeup.co.uk

These clear plastic palettes are perfect for melting cream products into or storing bobby pins or lashes.

Set Bag

On set or location, it's not possible to take your entire kit with you for touch-ups. This is where a set bag is useful to have the essentials on hand. This one has a tissue dispenser built in, and will keep things dry if it rains on location!

Pic via love-makeup.co.uk

Actor Bag

When working on a single job for extended periods, such as a film or TV series, it is often necessary to organise each actor's particular products and shades separately.

So there you have it, you now know all you need to become a vegan makeup artist and hairstylist. The most important thing, when you're learning, is to practice constantly! Makeover all your friends, take pictures, track your progress, take notice of your timing. Get a couple of hairdressing practice heads to practice your techniques on. It's best to get the highest percentage of human hair as you can afford, because synthetic is too slippery and not realistic. (For anyone wondering about the vegan-ity of human hair - humans can give consent, animals cannot!)

I have now imparted my wisdom, bestowed it upon you. Use it wisely. For now, I must bid you farewell. If I ever manage to claw back some precious health, I fully intend to continue this blog! If you'd like more info on my illness and to perhaps donate towards research for a cure, click here.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Recommendations, Hair Session Styling

2017-12-19T06:16:00.000+00:00

It's very rare to be a makeup artist without needing to work as a session hairstylist too. Here are the tools to get the job done. It's a lot, but the trick is to know what you'll need beforehand and only bring the items required.

Pic via denmanbrush.com

Denman Brush - This is the best hairbrush. Great at detangling, kind to hair (the kind of brush with bobbles at the end of each tine can trap the strands and cause breakage.) Super easy to dismantle for thorough cleaning. It also comes with a beechwood handle for those trying to reduce the use of plastic.

Tail Comb - for sharp partings, precise sectioning, and general combing. Wooden version for those reducing plastic use.

Backcombing Brush - Be careful with these, as they often contain boar bristles, make sure they are synthetic.

Sectioning Clips - vital for creating styles.

Pic via salonsdirect.com

Pincurl Clips - to hold a curl in place while it sets.

Bobby Pin Set - in a variety of colours and shapes.

Hair Ties in various colours - get the kind without metal to avoid snagging.

Clear small hair elastics

Bun doughnuts and hair padding in different sizes and colours.

Hairspray

Heat Protectant Spray

Dry Shampoo

Hair Gel

Matte Wax

Heat Protective Mat - safety first, kids!

Straighteners Useful for straight looks and loose curls or waves.

Tongs

I liked to have 2 of each set of tongs so I could work faster. The kind with a clip to hold the hair is best, as it can be held with one hand. Wrap one section, clamp and ask the client to hold the tongs. Wrap next section, swap tongs with the client, slide off the curl and pin if necessary. Repeat until the full head is complete. (Be careful, if you're too slow with the next section, the first section could burn! Time is of the essence.)

Tongs, narrow barrel

Tongs, medium barrel

Pic via salonsdirect.com

Tongs, large barrel

Tongs, extra large barrel

Hairdryer - This won't often be needed, but it's necessary to have.

Hood Attachment Great to set velcro or bendy rollers.

Bendy rollers of various sizes - you can often find the greatest selection of these for the best prices at your local beauty supply or Afro-Carribean beauty supply shops.

So hopefully, these posts have helped you get a good idea of what to carry in your kit. But how to carry it? Don't worry, I've got you covered with the next post.

Til Next Time,
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Recommendations, Lip Edition

2017-12-12T17:00:00.000+00:00

Welcome to this instalment of my Kit Recommendations series. This time we've got lippies galore, and no pesky beeswax or carmine in sight!

Lip Liner

Barry M

OCC (Trick is an amazing nude)

Pic via occmakeup.com

Elf

Lipstick

OCC Lip Tar

Lip Palettes -
Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Palette - The expensive option, includes primary colours plus white and black to mix custom shades, plus a metal mixing palette, and a lip brush.

Pic via anastasiabeverlyhills.co.uk

Freedom Makeup Pro Lipstick Palettes in Naked, Reds and Noir. Great value - may be worth it to combine these with OCC's lip tars in black, white and primary colours to mix if you're on a budget.

Matte Liquid lipsticks -

Barry M Matte Me Up Single, Metallic Lip Kits. These are such great value (the lip kits contain liner too) and don't feel crusty on the lips.

Pic via barrym.com

Aromi Liquid Lipsticks,

Milani Amore Matte Lip Cream. Beautiful and smell amazing.

Lip Gloss

I don't believe in spending a fortune on lipgloss, and these quality products are perfect if you're on a budget.

Elf Lip Laquer - Standard clear gloss is a kit staple.

Makeup Revolution Amazing Lipgloss/My Sign Lipgloss Wide range of shades, bargain price. What's not to love?

Pic via tambeauty.com

This concludes our vegan lip selection.The next Kit Recommendations post will be up next week, teaching you how to build your vegan hair session styling kit!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Recommendations, Eye Edition

2017-12-05T17:00:00.000+00:00

Welcome back to my series covering the awesomest products to stuff your vegan kit with. This post is all about the eyes.

Eye Primer

Elf Eyelid Primer
Quality product, and an absolute bargain. They just brought out medium and deep shades.

Pics via eyeslipsface.co.uk

Elf Glitter Primer Perfect for sticking glitter to the skin.

Eyeshadow

BH Cosmetics Palettes (check vegan list.) The Second Edition 120 Palette is a real favourite in my collection!

Pic via beautybay.com

Shiro Cosmetics High quality, interesting shades.

Neve Cosmetics Palettes (All vegan apart from blush palette.) If my house was burning down and I only had time to save one palette, it'd be the Elegantissimi palette. Blendable, pigmented neutrals. Beautiful.

Pic via nevecosmetics.it

Makeup Revolution/ Freedom Makeup Palettes (vegan items labelled on website)
Surprisingly good quality, for the most part.

Elf Smudge Pot Cream Eyeshadow

Eyeliners

Pencils -
Barry M Kohl Pencils (vegan apart from black glitter shade),

Pic via barrym.com

Neve Cosmetics Pastello Eye Liner Pencils

Gel -
Medusa's Makeup Eyeliner Paint, all shades, fantastic bright colour range!

Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner

Pic via Illamasqua.com

Brows

Makeup Revolution Brow Pomade

Pic via tambeauty.com

Elf Instant Lift Brow Pencil

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro HD Brow Pencil

Elf Lock On Liner and Brow Cream

Elf Clear Mascara

Mascara

The Balm Mad Lash

Elf Mineral Infused Mascara

Gosh Rebel Eyes Mascara

Essence Lash Princess Sculpted Volume Mascara

Pic via Wilko.com

False Lashes

Ardell Demi Wispies - My all-time faves - buy the multipack, you'll get through them fast!

Pic via falseeyelashes.co.uk

Helen Dowsley Lashes Ethically sourced, synthetic but look like real hair.

Social Eyes Lash Glue Latex-free. YouTuber favourite.

That's your lot for this week. If it's lip recommendations you're after, word on the street is you'll find them here next week. Keep it on the down low, you didn't hear it from me.

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Recommendations, Face Edition

2017-11-28T17:00:00.000+00:00

Creating smooth, even, healthy-looking skin is the bread and butter of makeup artistry (or should that be the dairy-free spread of makeup artistry?) The following products are best for getting the job done, the vegan way.

Concealer

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer

RCMA Color Process Foundation (can be used as concealer or foundation. Comes in convenient palettes.Thinning fluid isn't vegan, but moisturiser can be used instead to sheer out product). Perfect for contouring and highlighting, too. Palettes, Singles.

Pic via Guru Makeup Emporium

Kett Fixx Creme (can be used as concealer or foundation. Comes in convenient palettes.)
Palettes, Singles.

Elf All Over Cover Stick

Foundation

Kett Hydro Airbrush Foundation (Only for use with an airbrush.)

Wet n Wild Coverall (Poor shade range)

Illamasqua Skin Base

Pic via Illamasqua

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

Colour Corrector

Barry M Colour Correcting Kit

Pic via Barry M

Powder

RCMA No-Color Powder
Cult classic. Cuts through shine like no other. Colourless and invisible.

Highlight

Kett Hydro Shimmers

Can be airbrushed or used with a sponge.

Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops

Makeup Revolution Soph Highlighter Palette

Pic via Tam Beauty

Contour

Kett Hydro Contour
Can be airbrushed or used with a brush or sponge.

BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Cream Contour Palette

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Contour Book Palette VOL 1
Buildable and mixable - a tap of each colour on your brush creates a custom shade.

Pic via Lunatick Cosmetic Labs

Shiro Cosmetics Contouring Powder - Do Your Research (Cool matte tone)

Blush

Freedom Makeup London Pro Blush Palettes in Peach & Pink

BH Cosmetics 10 Pan Blush Palettes in Professional, Glamorous and Nude

Pic via Beauty Bay

Setting Spray

Skindinavia Bridal Finish. This stuff is legendary. Shake well and spray liberally to ensure the makeup lasts all day!

What are your favourite vegan face products?
Check back next week to hear about some killer eye products!

Til Next Time,
Emma
xXx

Becoming a Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Building & Skin Prep Recommendations

2017-11-21T17:00:00.000+00:00

In this post, I'm going to talk about building your vegan professional makeup kit.

Buying your kit will be pricey, even if you only go for the cheapest products to start out with. I recommend signing up for an industry discount once you've enrolled onto your course. You will need to sign up with each individual retailer separately and show proof that you're enrolled, then you will receive a discount. Also, when buying online, try to go through a cashback site like Top Cashback. You'll get a small percentage of each sale back, and it adds up rather quickly if you're buying a lot. I've earned £267.45 so far! You can sign up at topcashback.co.uk, or go via my referral link if you feel like helping me out! :)

To figure out if a brand is cruelty-free, just search for them on lists such as Cruelty-Free Kitty and Logical Harmony. You will need to decide whether you are okay with using products from a cruelty-free company with an animal testing parent company (such as Tarte, Urban Decay). I personally try to avoid brands with animal testing parent companies, except when there is no other option, or the company is extremely dedicated to making vegan products (such as Superdrug or Kat Von D). Here is a good post by Lovely Witches about parent companies.

Brands that are 100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan

Kett

A post shared by Kett Cosmetics (@kettcosmetics) on Sep 11, 2017 at 9:08am PDT

I highly recommend their airbrush makeup - if you plan to airbrush, I would purchase the whole kit from them.

OCC

A post shared by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (@occmakeup) on Sep 20, 2017 at 9:00am PDT

A great way to get a lot of lip colours is to buy a set of Lip Tars and mix any colour you can imagine from them. They can be topped with gloss or blotted and powdered, and come in metallic, glitter and tinted gloss finishes. Their pencils for eyes and lips are also great quality.

E.L.F

A post shared by e.l.f. Cosmetics (@elfcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

Lots of quality products for cheap prices. Read reviews prior to purchasing as they have a couple of dud products among the many great ones.

Shiro Cosmetics

A post shared by Caitlin | Shiro Cosmetics (@shirocosmetics) on Apr 14, 2017 at 10:25am PDT

Great for unique powder eyeshadow shades, especially duochrome shadows.

Fyrinnae

A post shared by Fyrinnae (@fyrinnae.cosmetics) on Jun 8, 2015 at 2:25pm PDT

Great for duochrome shadows, colour shifting shadows and Pixie Epoxy - a kind of 'primer' to bring out the shimmer in eyeshadows.

Skin Illustrator

A post shared by @skinillustratorofficial on Sep 17, 2016 at 1:27am PDT

Skin Illustrator makes alcohol based makeup for film, TV and SFX. The vast majority of films and TV shows you see use these products to produce realistic skin effects like freckles, tanning/sunburn, bruising, ageing, scars, tattoos, dirtying down, the list is endless. They also produce tooth lacquer, dirt for different dirt effects, blood under the name 'Fleet Street', and heavy-duty sealing sprays (Blue and Green Marble).

Brushes - Nanshy, Spectrum, Real Techniques and Cozzette make high-quality vegan brushes. Ideally, you will have multiples of oft-used brushes to save time sanitising them between clients, but it's okay to start out with less.

Great Brands With Vegan Lists -

Refer to these websites when shopping for the same brand on other websites. It's often cheaper to buy many different brands from the same retailer rather than make several purchases from the brand websites.

BH Cosmetics

Neve Cosmetics

Illamasqua

Barry M (Vegan products are labelled in the drop down ingredients tab of each product)

Wet 'n' Wild (Hard to find in the UK, but good quality and cheap if you can get it)

Sugarpill

Skin Prep Recommendations

It's essential to start with a clean, moisturised base when building a look. The right products will cleanse quickly without drying the skin, add moisture without grease, and help makeup adhere to the skin to last all day.

Skincare

A small pot of homemade sugar and sunflower oil lip scrub to be used before cleansing if needed.

B. Pure Micellar Water (they sell two micellar waters, this one is a larger bottle)

Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum

A cult favourite with moisture-boosting ceramides, and only £2.99!

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 (if model/client will be in the sun)

Perfectly matte, high protection without flashback. Bieberino knows what's up.

Superdrug/Sainsbury's Petroleum Jelly or pure shea or cocoa butter for lips.

Primer

Hylamide HA Blur*

Effectively blurs wrinkles and pores.

The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer*

Niod Photography Fluid*

'Lit from within' in a bottle.

Elf Mineral Infused Face Primer

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer Apricot

(* - Deciem is part-owned by Estee Lauder, but the company itself remains cruelty-free)

I hope you're now suitably prepared for next week's post about foundation and concealer recs!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

-All pics from the instagrams or websites of the brands in question-

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Hygiene

2017-11-14T17:00:00.000+00:00

Hygiene is so vitally important to your work as a makeup artist, which is why I've decided to dedicate a whole post to it. Bacteria, fungi, viruses and even parasites can be transferred from a client's skin to your brushes. From here they can be transferred to your makeup kit via double-dipping, where they can grow, before being transferred to other clients the next time you use the brush or product.

SERIOUS

BUSINESS!!

Hygiene Rules

Wash hands with soap and water before and after each client.
Once brushes have touched a client's skin, they are to be kept separate from the clean brushes. Do not put them back until they have been washed/sanitised, they will contaminate the others. A large zip-lock bag or a plastic bag can be used to store dirty brushes for later cleaning.
Brushes used for powder can be quickly sanitised between clients by spraying with 70% alcohol and leaving to dry naturally.
Cream and liquid products are prone to bacterial/fungal growth, which thrive in a moist environment. These products should be decanted from the container using a clean spatula or the end of a brush and deposited onto a clean palette or back of the hand and used from there with a brush. Double dipping with powder products is acceptable, but everything should be spritzed with 70% alcohol every month or so.
Brushes used for cream products should be washed with soap.

Pic via realtechniques.com

Mascara should be applied using a disposable mascara wand, which should be dipped once, used, then discarded or set aside for thorough washing and disinfection. To prevent accidentally double-dipping, I recommend cutting off the wand that comes in the cap of your kit mascara.
Lip gloss, eye primer, and other products with a wand/doe-foot applicator should be deposited onto a clean palette or back of hand using the applicator provided. This applicator should never touch the client's skin.
Make note of when products are opened, and discard them when they have been opened for the amount of time it says on the packaging. This should be a number, followed by m (for months), inside a diagram of an open jar.

Period After Opening symbol. Pic via Wikipedia.

Recommended Products

Brush washing -
Isopropyl Alcohol/Rubbing Alcohol/Surgical Spirit for spot cleaning. Used in a spray bottle with kitchen towels or washcloths. Strength must be 70%, higher or lower will not kill bacteria effectively.
Vegan bar soap (preferably palm oil free) for deep cleaning brushes. Vegan shampoo/washing up liquid for beauty sponges. After washing and rinsing, put beauty sponges in cup/bowl of warm water, then microwave for 30 seconds to kill bacteria.

Superdrug Fragrance-Free Baby Wipes

Cotton Pads (Organic, Fairtrade Cotton)

Cotton Buds (Organic cotton, paper stalk, not plastic)

Kitchen Roll (preferably recycled)

Large Ziplock bags to store dirty brushes/sponges apart from clean ones. Can be washed/dried and reused. Can also be used as a rubbish bin.

Clean small towel to lay on the table to protect from spillages and provide a clean working surface.

Disposable Mascara Wands. These should be washed thoroughly and reused.

Disposable Lip Brushes. These should be washed and reused, but can also be given to brides along with a tiny pot of their lip colour to reapply throughout the day.

Stipple Sponge. To scrub eyeshadow brushes on before changing the shadow colour. If you're confused about the concept, it's a bargain version of the 'Colour Switch'.

Eyebrow/Facial razors. To remove excess facial hair. To shape brows when there's no time for plucking. Do not reuse.

Superdrug Hand Sanitizer

Real Techniques Brush Cleansing Palette. Helps immensely with working the product out of brushes. If you have sensitive skin, like me, wear waterproof gloves when washing brushes.

The less glamorous side of make-up is just as important if you want to be a pro. Keep an eye out for my next post, all about my skin prep recommendations!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Becoming A Vegan Makeup Artist: Makeup School & Learning From YouTube

2017-11-07T17:00:00.000+00:00

Hey! It's been a while since I've posted here, but I've decided to hop back on the blogging train for a bit to share some knowledge and experience. Every once in a while I'll get an email asking about how to become a vegan makeup artist. The answer isn't short, so I'll be spreading the info over a series of posts. Even if you're not planning to be a vegan makeup artist, I'll be recommending my some amazing makeup artist YouTubers and telling you all of my favourite products!

Training

As far as I know, there are no specifically vegan/cruelty-free makeup courses. This means you will have to build your own kit before attending your course. If a kit is included in the price of the course, make sure you ask for a discount so you aren't paying for anything you won't use.

First, you'll need to decide what side of the industry you want to go into - Fashion/Editorial or Film/TV. Bear in mind that working in film and TV is very demanding - long hours and potentially many days back to back without a day off. It's very rewarding, but perhaps not the best option for those with chronic illness, or any health condition that could be exacerbated by this kind of lifestyle.

Schools I highly recommend -

AOFM for fashion/editorial (London, Paris and New York).

A post shared by Academy Of Freelance Makeup (@aofmakeup) on Sep 17, 2017 at 6:50am PDT

CBMA for Film/TV (London).

A post shared by CBMA Makeup Academy London (@cbma_academy) on Feb 13, 2017 at 4:04am PST

They are pricey but will give you the best possible leg up into the industry. Both schools organise work experience for their graduates, and the professional artists that teach there will choose graduates to assist them on big shoots.

The most important thing about choosing a course is ensuring the teachers have enough real experience working in the industry, and their own work is of a high technical standard. Most of the time, if you get a BTEC or VTCT at your local college - it'll be taught by someone with little experience and sub-par skills. I initially went down this route due to lack of funds. I learned a lot by working with other makeup artists, and by watching tutorials by real working makeup artists.

Makeup artist YouTube Channels

Beauty gurus are great, but they often only have experience working on their own face, which limits them a lot. The following makeup artist YouTubers may not use vegan or cruelty-free products, but can teach you a lot about technique. Be sure to watch tutorials of how to apply makeup on every race, age, skin tone and eye shape (including monolid), as well as over acne, scars and birthmarks. A good search term to look for is 'client tutorial'.

I DO NOT recommend you learn solely from YouTube, but instead use it to supplement your knowledge.

Angie Di Battista

Jordan Liberty

Claire Marshall

Mathias Alan

Stella's Addiction

Alex Faction

Rae Morris

Pixiwoo

Sonjdradeluxe

Jen Chae

Jackie Aina

Jordi

GoldieStarling (SFX)

KlaireDeLys (Character Makeup)

Sam Villa (Hair Styling)

Lilith Moon (Hair Styling)

Freedom Styles (Afro Hair Styling)

Vegan Beauty YouTubers

These YouTubers may not all be professionals, but following them will keep you updated on the vegan beauty world and let you know which products perform best.

Beauty Addict Next Door

By the time you've finished your colossal YouTube binge of the above channels, it'll be time for next week's post about a vital part of makeup artistry that is often overlooked!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box 7 Review

2016-05-26T09:30:00.000+01:00

Earlier this month I recieved my The Vegan Kind Beauty Box (yaaaay!) Instead of just showing you what I got, I thought I'd take some time to try out the products and tell you what I thought.

This is what the box contained.

Anticlockwise L-R PHB Eye Gel, Alva Sparkling Mineral Powder, Fairypants Lip Scrub, Grounded Hair Mask, Twa Burds Bath Soak.

I was really impressed with what I got this time. It's amazing value for money, bought separately the contents would set you back £42.94! Pretty good, considering the box costs £18.15 (including P&P) on the most expensive subscription plan! Right, let's get to the products.

First we have PHB Ethical Beauty Anti-Aging Eye Gel, RRP 16.95.

It's a hydrating gel containing aloe, argan oil, seaweed, sea buckthorn, rock rose, and lavender. With the 'anti-aging' claim, I was expecting to find ingredients like peptides, retinol, vitamin c, niacinamide, but no such luck. While it might not work miracles on your crow's feet, it is intensely moisturising, and leaves the eye area supple and soft. I was expecting it to make my eyes water or sting because of the strong fragrance, but somehow it doesn't cause any irritation.

Packaging

I like that it comes in an airtight container with a pump, instead of a jar.

The gel absorbs quickly, leaving no sticky residue. It works well under other products and doesn't 'pill'.

It has some impressive ingredients - argan and sea buckthorn oils nourish the skin, effectively locking in the moisture provided by the aloe and seaweed. However I'd much prefer some real anti-aging ingredients instead of the fragrant essential oils - especially as fragrant oils can be a potential irritant for people with sensitive skin.

Ingredients List

Overall, it's a good product, but for the price I would demand more active ingredients and less fragrance.

The next product is Alva Natural Cosmetics Green Equinox Sparkling Harmony Mineral Powder, RRP £7.50.

This is a beautiful, multi-purpose golden shimmer powder. It's lovely as an eyeshadow, but it really comes into it's own when used as a highlight. I initially thought it would be too dark to use as highlighter on my skin tone, but it adds a sort of 'lit-from-within', ethereal glow that I can't get enough of! The shimmer particles are just the right size so that it doesn't look obviously glittery. I've also been applying a little to the centre of my lips and cupid's bow to add dimension. The only fault I can find with it is the sifter only has three holes, so getting the product to come out is a struggle!

Left, finger swatch. Right, blended out. In sunlight.

Tried to capture what it looks like on in this hastily snapped selfie.

Next up is Fairypants Lemon Drizzle Lip Scrub, RRP £3.99.

This is one of those products I wouldn't buy because they're so easy to make yourself. However it is lovely! It smells - and tastes - of sweet lemony vanilla. Mmm! It works, too, leaving my chronically dry lips smooth and flake free. Great for prepping your lips for unforgiving liquid lipstick formulas!

I love the cute packaging!

Yum!

I've been dying to try some of Fairypants' other products - ecpecially their lip paints and space-themed collection of holographic nail varnishes! Everything seems very reasonably priced, too, perfect if you're on a budget!

The next item is Grounded Coconut and Lime Hair Mask, RRP £12.50.

I love using oil treatments overnight on my hair, but for frugality's sake I usually use plain coconut oil, or a mixture of olive and coconut. This one contains a blend of coconut, macadamia, avocado and grape seed oils, and is scented with a tropical lime aroma. I used it according to my normal routine, which is as follows.

Step 1 - Before bedtime, brush hair thoroughly to remove all tangles. Place a towel around your shoulders to protect your pyjamas.

Step 2 - Fill a spray bottle with warm water and spritz hair until damp, but not dripping. This step is important, as the oil's job is to lock the moisture in, and it can't do that without any moisture!

Step 3 - Saturate hair with oil. If you have a dry scalp or are looking to promote hair growth, saturate the scalp too.

Step 4 - Section hair into two sections, left and right. French plait hair.

Step 5 - Lay the plaits close to the scalp, then wrap the head in cling film. Leave out the face, or you'll die.

Step 6 - Put on a hat, or wrap head with a scarf. The warmer the hair is, the better the oil will penetrate, so wear as many hats as you can fit on at once!

Step 7 - Sleep. You may want to cover your pillowcase with a towel, just in case.

Step 8 - In the morning (or afternoon, I'm not judging) wash your hair. It usually takes 3 washes to get completely out. For the first wash, apply the shampoo to the hair before wetting it. Condition as usual.

Step 9 - Enjoy your soft, silky hair!

I really liked this hair mask. It worked amazingly, but apart from the (heavenly) scent it didn't seem much better for my hair than my usual straight coconut oil. It's easier than coconut oil because you don't have to melt it first, but if you want to heat it, it's as simple as popping the pouch in a bowl of hot water.

I love the pouch packaging with the screw top. I wish they made pure coconut oil in these pouches!

The final product I received was Twa Burds Woodland Rose Epsom Salt Bath Soak, RRP £2.00.

I am a massive fan of Epsom salt baths, so I was pleased to get this in the box! Epsom salt, or magnesium sulphate baths are a great way to get an dose of the essential mineral magnesium. An electrolyte, magnesium is needed by the brain and muscles - and sore muscles feel so much better after soaking in a hot Epsom salt bath! It also helps to soothe joint inflammation, so it's perfect for sports injuries, or for spoonies with ME/CFS, fibromyalgia or arthritis.

This bath soak is tinted pink and infused with a gorgeous scent. The rose and calendula petals floating on the water really give this product a luxurious feel - perfect for when you're in need of a pamper! I'm afraid I forgot to take a picture of this, it looked so relaxing that I jumped straight in!

I had a look on their Etsy shop, and they do Nag Champa scented Epsom salts! I have to try those next! They also sell palm oil free soap - which is perfect if, like me, you avoid palm oil because of the deforestation and destruction of orangutan habitat involved in it's production.

I'm so pleased with the selection in this beauty box! And of course 20p from the sale of each box goes to Dr Hadwen Trust, an amazing charity dedicated to non-animal medical research.

If you want to subscribe to The Vegan Kind Beauty Box, you can do so here, and if you already do, tell me what you thought of this box!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

This beauty box was purchased by me with my own money, but my opinions could never be bought either way!

M.E. Awareness Day #UndiesChallenge #MillionsMissing Plus Spoonie Survival Kit

2016-05-12T20:18:00.003+01:00

It's that time of year again, when ME/CFS sufferers worldwide take to the internet to raise awareness and funds for this debilitating condition. So I thought I would take a second to tell you about the disease that has well and truly kicked my behind.

It is usually triggered by a viral infection, from which the sufferer never seems to recover. For me, catching cold sores was the beginning of my decline over several years. When I was diagnosed, in 2008, the fatigue was relentless, but I ignored it as much as I could. I could use willpower to push through it and do things I wanted to do - like go to work, go clubbing, have a day out with friends or family. But each outing left me exhausted and weak the next day. I quickly learned that two days of activity in a row was almost impossible. Over the years my condition has worsened to the point that I had to give up the career that I loved, and I need to be pushed in a wheelchair in order to go anywhere that involves walking more than a short distance.

No amount of rest will relieve the exhaustion I feel. Having a bath or shower and washing my hair is a monumental undertaking. My memory is atrocious - I constantly forget common words and get lost in a haze of brain fog. Thinking feels like wading through mashed potatoes. If I've been out of bed for longer than usual, my joints and muscles will ache the next day. Sometimes they ache when I haven't done anything. My balance is terrible - I often stumble into door frames or stagger like a drunkard. I was supposed to post this early this morning, but I slept all day today after going out yesterday.

ME sufferers are not looking for sympathy. We want to raise awareness and fund research into this disease, so that soon there may be an effective treatment or cure.

My first step to achieving this is to do the #UndiesChallenge!

That's right, I'm wearing my underwear on the outside like Superman, because I'm a superhero for ME/CFS! I'm donating £10 to the Open Medicine Foundation's END ME/CFS Project at bit.ly/UOTO1 and I nominate YOU to do the same! If you're reading this, you have 24 hours to post your #undieschallenge selfie on social media, donate £10 or whatever you can spare and nominate 3 friends to do the same!

My second step is sending my shoes to London for the #MillionsMissing virtual protest on May 25th! Millions of people, all over the world are 'missing' from the lives they would have lead without this disease. Missing out on their careers, hobbies, trips, relationships they simply do not have the energy or strength for. The London event is on 25th May outside the Department of Health, to protest the lack of funding for ME/CFS research. Of course, as most ME sufferers are too ill to attend, we are sending our shoes to represent us!

Image via In The Now, Youtube.

Here are the shoes I'm sending. Bye shoes!

Click here for information on how to send you shoes for the protest.

Another way to support the protest is to sign and share the petition demanding the US NIH adequately fund ME/CFS. What are you waiting for?

For step three of supporting ME Awareness Day I purchased a special Spoonie Survival Kit for ME Awareness Month, which is May. Spoonie Survival Kits are 'little bags of happiness that contain a range of items that will hopefully help those with long-term conditions to smile, and remind them that they are not alone.' Usually 75% of sales money goes to chronic illness charities, but this special kit has 100% of sales money going to the ME Association!

Want to see what I got?

It comes in a blue organza bag, along with a leaflet from The ME Association. Inside the bag, everything is wrapped in blue tissue paper. It's like a present!

The first thing I got is this ME awareness wristband. It says 'It's real. It's physical. It's M.E.' This refers to the widespread belief in the medical community that the disease was 'all in the mind'. This has only begun to change in recent years with new research providing irrefutable evidence of a biological origin.

The second thing I got is an M.E awareness ribbon from M.E. Support. I immediately put it on my backpack, which I have decorated with other brooches and badges. What do you think?

The third thing I got was this pretty elephant bracelet. It's supposed to act as a reminder to help with the memory problems that come with ME, because 'elephants never forget'!

The fourth thing I got was a spoon charm, referring to the Spoon Theory, and chronic illness sufferers as 'Spoonies'. I think I might put it on my necklace. I'm holding tight to it today, I used most of today's spoons on yesterdays trip out, and even though I was in my wheelchair 99% of the day my hips and thighs are killing me right now!

The next thing I got is this lavender heat bag for aching muscles! You just pop it in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and it soothes ouchies, smelling lovely all the while!

The last thing I got was this ME Association balloon. I love balloons!

What are you doing for ME Awareness Day?

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

No Prep Vegan Snacks With EarlyBird

2016-05-05T10:00:00.000+01:00

Whether you're super busy, tired or sick, you don't always have the time or energy to prepare something to munch between meals. I recently discovered EarlyBird, who have solved my rumbly tummy issues!

It's easy to grab junk food when you want quick and easy grub, but EarlyBird give you a delicious, healthful alternative.

EarlyBird is a weekly snack box that delivers 4 healthy vegan snacks plus one tea bag. I've been testing them out for the past few weeks.

Week One! Everything was so delicious!

Week one's tea. Darjeeling Duck - very nice!

Week two was amazing, the only snack I wasn't crazy about was the Cho-kale-et Chips. The tea was Mojitea Mockingbird - peppermint with lime and lemongrass. The chestnut snack reminded me of Booja-Booja truffles, so yum!

Week three was delicious! I'm definitely enjoying these boxes! The chocolate buttons that feature in the Flat Pack Brownie (and also in Nuts About Ella) are gorgeous - really generously sized, too. The tea was Roy-boss Robin - rooibos tea isn't usually my favourite, but this was divine.

I really like that each week you get a chia pudding. You just need to add 50ml of water to them, leave it for a few minutes and you get a scrumptious porridge-like snack. I add hot water when I've boiled the kettle for a cuppa.

I really enjoyed Berry Chia Pud. What a beautiful colour!

Overall I've been really impressed with these boxes, I've been eagerly awaiting their arrival each week! EarlyBird costs £4.99 a week, but I got week one for half price with a code! Bargain! You can get your own half price box using my code emma-9227.

Other snacking favourites of mine lately include -

Eat Real Quinoa Chips, Sour Cream and Chive flavour, 85p. Guys, these are amazing! They remind me of a tastier version of Quavers.

Cocoa Libre Milk Chocolate Alternative, £1.99. I love these chocolate bars! So good, so creamy!

I hope I've given you some great snacking ideas, whether you're a spoonie*, short on time, or just have better things to do than making snacks! If you can recommend any quick vegan snacks, let me know in the comments!

Also, you may have noticed I've revamped my blog design and changed the name! What do you think? I love a good makeover!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

This is not a sponsored post, I bought everything with my own money. My opinions can never be bought anyway!

*Spoonie = chronically ill person.

The 'Life' of a Vegan 'Make-up Artist'

2016-02-21T11:29:00.000+00:00

I've been putting off making this post for a long time. I wasn't sure what I would write. This blog got abandoned along with my hope, when I realised I couldn't stay in denial any longer - I am far too ill to work.

When my Nan was alive, she came to live with my parents and I so we could help her with meals and generally look out for her when she was too frail and ill with her asthma. Even as her health declined, she still paid rent on her old house - she was adamant she'd move back in when she was well enough. We'd play along, but we knew she'd never be well enough again.

Nan was the type of person who loved looking after everyone. Extremely house-proud, every ornament was dusted and facing the right direction, every surface was polished. She'd clean up your crumbs and offer you more while you were still halfway through your food. She'd iron any clean clothes she could get her hands on, socks and knickers included.

Nan and I, around 1997 I think.

It was hard for her when she had to give up her cleaning job, but harder still was giving up her independence. Being looked after by those she had once bathed and fed, and bounced on her knee.

I find myself thinking about her now a lot, how I'd underestimated exactly what she went through at the time, as her body began to betray her. I lie in bed day in, day out, having my meals brought to me by my parents, in the same room where she laid and had meals brought to her.

When she died I was devastated, I loved her fiercely. But at the same time, a small part of me was relieved. I was no longer constantly worrying about her health and well being. I was glad she was no longer suffering, weak and ill and sad, though she smiled for us.

What happened to her in her eighties has happened to me, and I'm still in my twenties. I often wonder if, in the coming months or years I were to die, would my family feel that small sense of relief I felt for Nan all those years ago? ME/CFS is not a terminal illness, but it can certainly take your life from you. I pushed and shoved and forced myself to work for so long, because I simply loved it. I enjoyed my job and it was worth it, even if I had to turn down more jobs than I accepted. Even when I could only manage working two days a month, I cherished those days.

In the last year, I became unreliable, cancelling jobs at the last minute because I couldn't make it through my routine of bathing and dressing before I had to lie down, weak and exhausted. The jobs I did make it to, I no longer enjoyed, having to focus on staying standing, concentrating on what I was doing while my limbs ached, and every part of my body was begging me to lie down. It was time to admit defeat.

So now I'm no longer a make-up artist, what am I going to do with my life? I have no frikkin clue. Here is a Venn Diagram explaining my dilemma.

That question mark has been plaguing me for a long time. I need a sense of purpose, I need to achieve something tangible. My mental health, which is shaky at best, has definitely taken a hit now that my days are just spent killing time and trying to quell my epic boredom.

What does the future hold for me? For this blog? I'll need to change the name if I'm to continue. The Life of a Vegan Bed-Dweller?

I guess only time will tell. I have far too much of it these days.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Current Skincare Favourites!

2015-08-19T08:30:00.000+01:00

I am, I confess, a skincare-oholic. I love products, lotions and potions that promise to make my skin clearer, brighter, younger, firmer. I am ruthless, though. However appealing a product may be, it has to work to become a permanent fixture in my skincare regime. So many products give me blackheads and blocked pores, so I have to be very careful to only use noncomedogenic products and oils. That being said, I think I've found a pretty effective regime, so I wanted to share it with you!

Make up removal

I love Superdrug's Clearly Youthful Cream Cleanser for removing my make-up at the end of the day. It dissolves my makeup with ease, plus it contains AHA/BHAs to give my skin a bit of an exfoliating boost. When my skin is feeling dry or rough, I leave it on for a minute before wiping it off with a warm wet flannel. This cleanser is not supposed to be used on the eyes, so I rub a little petroleum jelly over my eye make-up before wiping it off with my damp flannel.

If I'm super tired I will use a wipe to remove my make-up. I usually use Superdrug's Micellar Cleansing Wipes, but lately I've been trying Faith In Nature 3 in 1 Facial Wipes, which are good, but I'd prefer if they were fragrance-free.

Cleansing

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser is amazing. It's a gently foaming cream that cleanses thoroughly, yet still leaves my skin soft and supple. I use this morning and evening, with my Superdrug Konjac Sponge or a flannel if I need extra exfoliation before makeup application.

Serum

I'm currently starting to see results from Active Solutions Vitamin C Serum from Sr-Skincare. Vitamin C has such a potent effect on the skin, it can reduce the appearance of sun damage, boost collagen and promote skin healing, plus it helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. I use this morning and night after cleansing. Twice weekly I mix in 1 pump of Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. I've definitely been noticing an improvement in fine lines.

Moisturiser

Even though my bottle has clearly been through the wars, I've had great results from using Hemp Oil to moisturise. It's noncomedogenic, super moisturising, plus it helps regulate oil production.

Sunscreen

I believe the most powerful anti-aging product is always going to be sunscreen - that's why I'm on the factor 50 all summer long! This summer I've been using Kiss My Face Face Factor SPF 50. I really like it, but I do wish it was fragrance-free.

Lip Balm

No skincare post would be complete without lipcare!

Lately I've been loving Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint in Vanilla Hibiscus. I get super dry lips, and this is so creamy and moisturising I can't help but slather it on all day! It's supposed to be a lip tint, but it's so translucent it doesn't really add any colour at all. I would consider one of the darker colours to actually give my lips a tint, but I'm fine with using this like a regular balm.

If I'm leaving the house I'll use Superdrug's The Little Protecting Pink Tin SPF 15 before my lipstick. Sorry, mine's got bashed up a bit in my bag!

Mask

A firm favourite of mine is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask.

You just mix it with a little raw apple cider vinegar to form a paste, then apply to clean skin and let dry. It's really great for unblocking stubborn clogged pores. I would recommend using it at night, though, as it leaves you with a slight pink flush! I like to mix in some oats to make it more moisturising.

So those are my skincare favourites! Feel free to leave your vegan skincare favourites in the comments!

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

The Vegan Kind Beauty Box, August 2015

2015-08-14T07:41:00.000+01:00

Subscription boxes are always something that sounded like such a good idea to me. It's like getting a present from yourself with great new products to try! I've been dying to get my hands on The Vegan Kind Beauty Box, and yesterday mine arrived! It was like Christmas morning!

I recorded my first Youtube video, unboxing it and giving my first impressions. Let me know what you think - I've been nervous about making a video, so feedback would be appreciated!

I'll be reviewing the products later, when I've had some time to test them out, so check back soon!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Conceal Dark Circles, the Vegan Way!

2015-08-07T17:18:00.000+01:00

Covering dark circles is one of the top things clients ask me about. Whether they're caused by lack of sleep, allergies, or hyperpigmentation, they can make you look tired, drawing attention away from pretty eyes.

But don't worry! Help is at hand! My simple tutorial will have you disguising dark circles like a pro!
I've had dark circles since I was a child. Mine are hereditary, and don't fade no matter how much sleep I get! This makes me the perfect model for this tutorial! Our cruelty-free, vegan dark circle fighting arsenal. These are my favourite products to use, they perform so well.

Small, synthetic hair concealer/lip brush

Peach corrector (for light skin) or orange corrector (for dark skin) - OCC's Creme Color Concentrate in Newt

High coverage concealer - Illuminaré Concealing Mineral Foundation

Mineral powder concealer or foundation to set. (Not pictured) I'm using Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation in China Doll.
Powder Brush - I'm using a Royal & Langnickel Synthetic Powder Brush

Step one

Start with moisturised, primed skin. Apply a small amount of peach or orange corrector to the darkest part of the circle. Your finger will apply too much, use a small brush. Step two

Blend it up to the lower lashline with your finger using a gentle patting motion. Step Three

Using your finger, apply high coverage concealer to the dark circle using a patting motion. Continue to pat, adding more if necessary, until the circle is covered and the concealer is blended into the surrounding skin. Blend a little over the upper eyelid to counteract any darkness there. Avoid using a concealer that is too light, as the circle could turn grey. I'm using a shade darker than my normal skin tone. Step four

Using a powder brush, apply mineral foundation or concealer to the entire eye area. Use a patting or dabbing motion to press it into the concealer. This will set your concealer and add more coverage. Step five Finished! Apply the rest of the your makeup and you're ready!

Let me know if you enjoyed this tutorial. Are there any other tutorials you'd like to see from me? Til Next Time, Emma xXx

How to Depot/Repackage Indie Eyeshadow Samples ft Shiro

2015-07-28T08:30:00.000+01:00

A short while ago I delved into the world of indie make-up. There are a lot of great brands out there, and so many innovative formulas and finishes. Naturally, the best way to try out new shades is to buy a sample, but they come in those annoying baggies that are so hard to work with. The solution? Repackage them into little pots!

I recently ordered a lot of samples from Shiro's Anniversary Sale, and I want to show you how I depotted - or should I say de-baggied - them.

This was a very fiddly task - you don't want to waste any of that precious make-up, or cover your carpet in it. Best to lay a towel down first.

Step 1
Get some 2ml pots from eBay or Amazon. Arrange them like so, and spray them evenly with 70% alcohol or surgical spirit. This is a very important step, as it ensures your containers are sterile - we don't want any nasties growing in out makeup! Allow to dry fully.

Sorry about the powder spillage on the towel, this wasn't my first batch!

Step 2
Take your baggie, and hold it in the top left hand corner. Shake it vigorously so that centrifugal force pulls all the powder to the right/bottom of the baggie. if you hold it up to the light, it should look something like this:

Step 3
Now, using clean, sharp scissors, cut the top off of the baggie so that the seal is completely removed. The seal will catch powder as you try to empty the bag.

Step 4
Before you pour your sample into the pot, take the sticker on the sample bag and place it on the lid of your pot. You may have to trim it.

Step 5
If you try to pour out the powder straight away, the sides of the baggie will stick together and make it very difficult. Carefully open the baggie like so to prevent this.

Step 6
Pour carefully. You may need to tap the bottom to get the last of it out.

Step 7
If your pots come with a sifter, insert this now. (Note - these should have been sanitised with alcohol like the pots)

Step 8
Screw on the lid and you're done!

Do you want to see the rest of my haul?

Eye shadows

I got Neutral Cool, Neutral Warm, and Bright Sample Packs.

Neutral Cool Sample Set

Neutral Warm Sample Set

Brights Sample Set

Extra Samples

Shiro Red in My Ledger Gloss

I adore this lipgloss, it's become my new favourite lip product! You can apply it thinly or thickly for a different intensity, and it wears off to a beautiful stain on the lips!

Hope this post has been informative. I've been loving the products, Shiro has gained a fan in me!

Til' next time,
Emma
xXx

A Very Late Princess...

2015-07-07T08:30:00.000+01:00

You may remember, that on the 12th of May, I posted about fundraising for ME Awareness Day, by dressing up as a princess. Except I didn't actually dress up as a princess that day, as I felt too ill. The thing about having ME, is that you feel 'too ill' an awful lot. My depression has also been worse lately, I seem to have lost all motivation, the past month or so.

Actual footage from my life.

Me trying to get stuff done.

So, I didn't get around to taking my princess pictures for a while, and I haven't got around to posting them until now. What can I say, I like leaving you in suspense!

Do you want to see my princess pics? Go on, then...

I chose to base my look around how ME makes me feel. Grief, for the life I could've had. Frustration, from having to push through debilitating fatigue in order to do anything. Envy, watching others live their lives, healthy and unencumbered. Basically, I threw a pity party on my face, with make-up. I'm carrying a powder brush to represent my (sometime) job, and a spoon to represent the 'spoon theory' explanation of illness, and me as a 'spoonie'.

Product list!

Face-

Kiss My Face Sunscreen SPF 50 Face Factor

- I actually forgot I was wearing this, it's why I have a bit of a white cast from the flash on my face and neck - oops!
Illuminare Concealing Extra Coverage Mineral Foundation in Alabaster and Porcelain, as concealer.
Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation in China Doll.
Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Cool Contour Palette in 1 to highlight, and 2 and 3 to contour.

She bravely posted a side profile pic. #schnoz

Eyes
E.L.F Mineral Eyeshadow Primer
Diggy Diggy Hole by Shiro on lid and undereye.
A touch of an acid green shimmer Yaby Shadow on inner corner
A mixture of forest green and brown matte Yaby Shadows on crease and inner socket.
Barry M Black Kohl liner all around eyes, on waterline and tightline.
Brows Smoking by Neve Cosmetics.

Tears Mystery by Beauty Without Cruelty mixed with acid green shimmer from Yaby and Holographic glitter from OCC. Mixed with E.L.F Mixing medium and a touch of clear OCC Lip Tar.

Mascara - Barry M Lash Vegas
Ardell Demi Wispie Lashes

Lips
Women's Weapons by Shiro Mixed with E.L.F mixing medium and clear OCC lip Tar. Topped with 1 from Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Cool Contour Palette in centre of lips.

What do you think of the look? Hopefully I can raise some money for ME Research UK! I have already raised £40 (yay!) at the time of writing on my JustGiving page, so I should get a bit more now that I've come up with the goods, right? I'm really hoping to get to my goal of £100. If you can, please donate! It's so important, ME research is extremely under funded.
In order to encourage you to donate, I present to you these silly pics from my princess 'shoot'.

Theodore getting on on the fun.

Spoooooooon.

Ballgown & socks, the new fashion trend, because sometimes princesses have cold feet!

Click here to donate, or text CFSM51 £3 to 70070. (Or replace £3 with how much you want to donate.) It really means a lot to me.

It means a lot to kitty, too.

That's all from me for now. I have a couple of posts in the pipeline, so don't be too surprised if you see another post soon!

Til Next Time,
Emma
xXx

M.E Awareness Day, The Princesses & M.E

2015-05-12T23:13:00.000+01:00

I'm taking a break from beauty related posts to write about something more serious, and a lot less fun. Today, 12th May, is ME Awareness Day. As an ME sufferer, I wanted to share with you my story, and what it's like to have this disease.

I first began suffering from Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, otherwise known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in 2008. Onset is usually triggered by a viral infection - I caught cold sores that didn't heal for six months, accompanied by a constant feeling of being run down and worn out. After a plethora of tests and referrals, I was finally diagnosed with CFS/ME. In the early days of my illness, I ignored it as much as possible. I was functioning at about 60% of full health - throwing myself into my work and occasional social life, and sleeping or resting every spare minute I got.

Then in late 2010, one week into a three week TV series shoot, I fell ill with suspected swine flu. The stress of the long hours, combined with the shock of a sudden death in the family, made me particularly susceptible. Since then, I fluctuate between 50% and 20% of normal functioning.

So what does it feel like to have CFS/ME? Think of a time when you've had a really bad flu or virus, and you're over the worst of it, but you aren't better yet. You're weak as a kitten, your muscles and joints ache, and simple tasks like getting out of your chair, washing your hair or preparing a meal take monumental effort. This is daily life with ME.

'Hang on,' I hear you say, 'you can't be that ill, I saw you down Romford/ doing makeup/ up the pub' (delete as appropriate). Let me explain to you the concept of 'spoons'.

Physically, I feel like lying down or sleeping 24/7. Mentally, I want, no I have to do stuff otherwise I'll go completely mad.

So in order to do anything at all, I have to use willpower and determination to get myself moving, when really I feel like curling up in bed. But when I do any physical activity, I'll pay for it the next day. This is where 'spoons' come in. Imagine energy is measured in spoons (don't ask why, just go with it.) A healthy person has 10 or 15 spoons a day to spend on activities, until they run out and feel tired. With CFS/ME and some other illnesses, you might only get 5, or maybe 3 per day. 'Wait,' I cry, 'that's only enough for breakfast, showering and getting to the bus stop! What about the rest of my day?'

'Shh,' says the devil on my shoulder, 'just push through it, borrow some spoons from tomorrow.'

I try to go about my day, walking slowly, needing to sit down here and there.

Then tomorrow comes and I feel even more like hell than usual. I spend the day in bed, I don't get up to eat, I barely manage to drag myself to the bathroom. This is known as spoon deficit, but doctory types like to call it post-exertional malaise.

It's not recommended to push yourself or overdo it, but what choice do I have? The other option is staying in bed every day, and that gets boring and lonely very fast. I have ambitions, I want a life. And so do the millions of other sufferers around the world. However, there are currently no biological treatments offered for ME. Because the disease is so poorly understood, sufferers are only offered therapy or counselling to help them cope, along with painkillers or antidepressants (because, let's face it, this disease sure sucks the fun outta life). Some doctors until recently even thought the disease was psychosomatic, or 'all in the mind', but research has proven there is a real biological cause.

Lives are ruined by this disease. Most never recover, some are left bedridden, some even die from it. We need more research to find effective treatments, and maybe even a cure, for this debilitating illness.

This is why I am joining The Princesses and ME, to try to raise money for ME Research UK.

It started when a group of friends with ME started comparing themselves to princesses.

The similarities - (taken from Me, Myself and M.E)

"Sleeping for a very long time like Sleeping Beauty

Being really uncomfortable in our beds and the slightest things annoying our conditions like the Princess and the pea

Feeling like we've been locked away in a tower like Rapunzel

Wanting legs that work like Ariel (find me Ursula now!)

Being out past midnight is way too late for us to stay out like Cinderella and just like her brainfog would probably mean we left something behind

We have a large propensity for hope

The bed head of Princess Anna from Frozen (anyone else love that moment and think hey she's just like me)

And we are in search of a fairytale"

In order to raise money for ME research, I will be dressing up as a princess! I did aim to do it today, but in true ME fashion, I felt too ill - I had a stinking cold to contend with, on top of everything! This is also why I am posting it at 11pm at night!

I tried to take a quick selfie, but I look as ill as I feel! So take this fancy princess pic of my teddy, Theodore, as an IOU, and watch this space for fabulous princess Emma!

It would mean such a lot to me if you could make a donation. It doesn't matter how small, every little helps! The charity I've chosen does not test on animals, and funds research working towards effective treatment or a cure for ME.

Thanks for reading,

Til next time,

Emma
xXx

Review: Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Cool Contour Palette & a Brief History of Contouring

2015-05-06T13:03:00.000+01:00

Apart from my birth (obvs), one of the great things that happened in the 80s was the rise of the contour. The art of sculpting the cheekbones using makeup moved from stage and film, into fashion and everyday wear. Women and men were using colour to give their faces definition and enhance their features. It was awesome, but in the bold blush colours of the day, it didn't look natural. At all.

What do you mean? We woke up like this! (Pics via Google Images)

In the 90s, the contour trend waned a little, although makeup god Kevyn Aucoin was giving celebs and top models the sculpted look, using lighter and darker shades of foundation to add light and shade.

Technique diagram, from Kevyn Aucoin's Book 'Making Faces'

Fast forward to the 2000s and it was all about the tan. Everyone and their Nan was on the sunbeds and fake tan. People smelled of dirty biscuits, and calling a girl 'pale' or 'white' was the harshest of insults. Contouring was in again, and this time it was done with bronzer, applied in an orange-brown stripe under the cheekbones.

Britney, being a Slave 4 Bronzer. Pic via Google Images.

The problem with all of these techniques is that they don't take into account the colour of actual shadows. Shadows are not hot pink, bronze, or even a darker foundation colour. They are a cool greyish taupe. And this is where I think Lunatick Cosmetic Labs has got it spot on with their Cool Contour Palette.

The palette itself is coffin shaped, and is decorated with Ouija boards, ghouls and monsters! But even if you're not a fan of creepy kitch, the 5 shades inside will more than make up for it.

The shades don't have names, so I have imaginatively called them, from L-R, 1,2,3,4 & 5.

I think the lightest shade, 1, is supposed to be a highlight. With shades 2-5, you can create a truly real looking contour on the lightest to the darkest of skintones. It doesn't look like makeup, it looks like shadow, a true hollow in your skin.

The colours are extremely pigmented, so you only need a little on your brush. They work wonderfully as eyeshadows, too. They have a silky texture, which means they blend easily into the skin with little effort.

One swipe, no primer.

I've really enjoyed using this palette, but I'm afraid this can't be a 100% glowing rave review. When I first received it, I noticed there seemed to be a little powder that had leaked between the outside of the palette and the plastic it was wrapped in. Uh-oh. This was what I found when I first opened it -

As you can see, the powder has leaked a little and made a mess inside the palette. Each pan came with a glass counter on top to help you re-press the powders. Hmm, this doesn't bode well. You see, as soon as you touch the surface with finger or brush, the powder turns from pressed to loose and goes everywhere! Massive pain in the bum! I was worried the powders would break and go everywhere during transport in my kit, but luckily they have stayed intact so far. I've put one of the counters in my kit so I can re-press them before I pack my things away. I've tried spritzing them with alcohol before pressing them, to see if they would stay solid longer, but as soon as I touched them with a brush, they turned powdery again.

Does this put me off the product? I think the colours and performance outweigh the negatives, but I kind of wish Lunatick Cosmetic Labs had just made them loose contouring powders, and sold them separately, with an option to buy the full set. I do think it's worth having all the colours though, because they do all work wonderfully as eyeshadows, too. Plus you can blend them together to get the shade that is right for you.

Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Cool Contour Palette is £22.95 from CuteCosmetics.

Keep an eye on my Instagram, I'm going to post a pic of this in action in a day or two!

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

This product was purchased by me. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.

PSA: Don't Use Old Products & Review: Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C Serum

2015-04-25T17:06:00.000+01:00

Any online shopper knows the feeling. That frustrated impatience you get while waiting for an order to arrive. Uggh, come onnn, I want it noooooww! The week before last I was waiting for my new sunscreen, and my Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum*. THE AGONY. I was especially irritated because the sun had really started to shine, and my SPF 20 moisturiser had ran out. I needed to do something because I had to leave the house, and sunlight cannot be allowed to touch my unprotected skin. I will get wrinkles. I will get a tan and then my face won't match my make-up, let alone the rest of my body. Rummaging in the bathroom, I found my tube of SPF50 face lotion from last year. I thought to myself. "It's a year old, but I'm sure it'll be fine." Those were my famous last words.Three days later and my face was a bumpy mess of blocked pores, blackheads and angry red dots.

My reaction when looking in the mirror.

Conveniently my orders turned up, but at that point I was too scared to try anything new out and anger the skincare gods further. I patch tested them, one behind each ear, and tried to sort out my facial mess using the oil cleansing method (sunflower oil) and also my Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask.

After a few days of this, the blocked pores were clearing up, but the red spots were as angry as ever. So I figured it was time to try out my new Vitamin C Serum from Oz Naturals.

The packaging.

The serum is a clear liquid, which is quickly absorbed into the skin. Importantly, it contains ferulic acid, which helps stabilise the vitamin C so that it doesn't oxidise too quickly, losing its efficacy. You are supposed to let it dry before applying moisturiser, and it dries fast with no sticky texture.

It comes in a brown glass bottle, to protect the serum from UV rays. The dropper means you can accurately control how much product you want to dispense.

I've been applying it morning, before my (new) sunscreen, and evening, before my night cream. It's not terribly moisturising, but I don't mind as that's what my moisturiser is for. As long as it's not drying, which it isn't. There is no discernible scent, and it plays well with my sunscreen and makeup - some serums can ball up when you apply products over them.

The serum - clear, and very liquid. Dries quickly and doesn't ball up under other products.

I've been using it for a while now, and I really think it's helped the red spots fade much faster than spots usually do for me. My skin usually gets hyperpigmentation for months after a zit, but this seems to be greatly reduced in the short time I've been using it. I have also noticed an overall brightening effect, which I'm rather pleased about!

Unfortunately, I haven't noticed any improvement in my fine lines, or dark circles. During my online research, I may have found the reason. From a post by 'shewh0mustnotbenamed' on reddit's skincareaddiction -

"SAP isn't as good at stimulating collagen synthesis as L-ascorbic acid (LAA) or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP). To achieve the same amount of stimulation of collagen synthesis, the amount of SAP used must be 10 times the amount of LAA that would be used (Source: [1]).

...

SAP has anti-acne properties (Sources: [1] [2] [3]). AFAIK, LAA and MAP don't."

Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum contains vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or SAP. This explains why it has been great for my zits and marks, but had little affect on my dark circles and fine lines, which require the collagen boosting forms of L-ascorbic acid or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate.

My conclusion
Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum is a good product for sufferers of acne or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. However if you primarily want a vitamin C serum for anti-aging or dark circles, I would try a serum containing one of the other forms of it. Would I buy another bottle when this runs out? I'm not sure, I do like the results, but I'm looking for a product to boost my collagen levels, which I don't think this one does enough. I'm thinking of trying the DIY Vitamin C Serum next.

Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum is £15.95 at Amazon UK.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

*This product was sent to me for review purposes. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.

Most Used Products in my Vegan Makeup Kit!

2015-04-08T09:30:00.000+01:00

Ever feel like you have to compromise on quality when choosing vegan cosmetics? That lacklustre, 'crunchy' vegan makeup could never compare to what the pros whip out of their zucas to use on top models and celebs? Well I'm here to show you that professional quality vegan makeup isn't as hard to find as you might think. Here are some of the products I reach for the most from my own pro makeup kit.

Eyes

A product I use time and time again is the Beauty Without Cruelty Sensuous Mineral Eyeshadow in Serenity, which is a beautiful shimmering beige with a hint of rose gold.

It's perfect for injecting a pop of light to the inner corner of the eye, or to highlight the centre of the lid for a 3D look. I've yet to see a skin tone this shade doesn't work beautifully for.

While sometimes their products can be a little hit and miss, BWC have got it right with this pretty, reflective formula. It's £8.79 to £8.99, depending on where you shop.

The next product I love is OCC Pure Cosmetic Pigment in White. No fillers, no shimmer, just pure, matte white.

It's great patted onto the eyelid over primer, or blended with other shadows to make the colour paler. As you can see, I've had mine for a while, and as I wipe over my products with alcohol periodically to disinfect them, the print on the label has disintegrated. Sorry it doesn't make for the most attractive product snaps!

It's such a versatile product, it can be easily mixed into powder, cream or liquid products. OCC Pure Cosmetic Pigment is £9.00.

Gel eyeliners can be a tricky product to get right. Some melt and smudge too easily, some dry out and refuse to blend. I've enjoyed using B. Precise Gel Eyeliner in Black.

It's blacker than a goth's wardrobe, and you do need to work quickly, because once it's dry it really won't budge!

I do recommend using your own fine or angled liner brush instead of the one that comes with it. B. Precise Gel Liner is £6.99 at Superdrug.

If gel liner is tricky to get right, mascara is almost impossible! Too clumpy, too flaky, too thin, too smudgey - it can get expensive trialling mascaras to find that ideal thickening and lengthening formula. The brand I always come back to is Barry M.

Lash Vegas mascara is amazing. I use the waterproof formula the most in my kit, to ensure it withstands the rigours of emotional brides and hot studio lights. The non waterproof version comes in a pink tube and contains fibres to really amp up the length and thickness. Unlike other fibre mascaras, they don't migrate into your eyes or onto your cheeks during the day.

It's supposed to have a 'spiral brush', but it doesn't look much different to a regular mascara wand, to me. It doesn't deposit too much product, and separates the lashes nicely. It usually retails at £6.49, but it's going for £4.49 in Superdrug at the moment.

These next three products are technically eyeshadow, but they are much more versatile than that. I use them for brows, for contouring the cheekbones and socket line, as a transition colour to blend out shadow in the crease or under eye. Yaby eyeshadows may be small in size, but do not underestimate their power.

The top shade, es048 or Bark, is the perfect brow colour for natural blondes, and a great contour shade for pale, warm skintones. My lighting makes it appear darker than it looks in real life.

The bottom shade, es198 or Firewood is a stunning taupe that works for most blonde and mid-brunette brows. It's also my go-to natural crease colour on white skin. I could write pages about how much I love taupe shadows, and this is my favourite matte taupe.

The right shade, es168 or Fresh Earth is good for dark brunette brows. It's a favourite of mine for deepening the crease and outer v, and using with mixing medium to make a dark brown liquid liner that doesn't pull too bronze or red.

As these shadows are small, it's easy to fit a spectrum of shades into a magnetic palette, like Yaby's Freestyle Palette or the Z-Palette. This means you will never be stuck without a colour you need, plus it's easy to replace the shades you use most. To contour, I lift the pan out of the palette to ensure my brush doesn't pick up the adjacent shades. Yaby eyeshadow refills are £2.75 each.

Swatch time!

Top to Bottom, B. Precise Gel Liner - single line and thicker to show how black it is. BWC Mineral Eyeshadow in Serenity. OCC Pure Color Pigment in White. Yaby shadows in Bark, Firewood, Fresh Earth. Swatched over a stripe of E.L.F Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (left) to show how they look over primer and bare skin.

Face

I use airbrush makeup in my kit to give the most flawless, natural looking results. I've tried a few different products, but Kett Hydro Foundation gives great coverage and looks just like real skin! The shade I always finish up first is O3.

This is a water-based foundation. I prefer this over silicone based products as it dries down to a skin-like texture, while with silicone based makeup the finish looks more obviously like product. I use cream products (like cream blush or bronzer) before airbrushing. Always wait at least 5 minutes for airbrush makeup to dry without touching it before using powder products on top. I usually do the lips while I wait.

I was going to swatch this for you, but it has literally just ran out, and I can't coax a drop more out of it! This is the smaller size, but I will be repurchasing the larger 35ml size for £23-£23.50 at love-makeup or Guru Makeup Emporium.

Lips

OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick is the definitely a contender for best neutral lip liner ever! It's a warm toned beige, and is just the right consistency to define without dragging the skin.

It produces the perfect nude lip, and works well with a number of different lip tars. I love this product so much I get a little excited about using it. Is that sad? Shh, that was rhetorical.

OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick is £10.95 - £11.

The final item I have to show you in this tour of my favourite products is OCC Lip Tar in Clockwork. A rich terracotta shade, this lippie is perfect for when you want something brighter than nude, but not a 'statement colour' like classic red, pink or orange.

It adds warmth and vibrancy to the face, but doesn't detract from a strong eye, or overpower the face. It is a warm colour, but it can be cooled to a taupe with the tiniest smidge of blue mixed in, like OCC's RX or Life's Entropy's Osmosis. It's a great colour, and a great base colour to add to, to start mixing your own lip tar concoctions! As with all lip tars, a little goes a long way, so if you only squeeze out what you need, it'll last much longer than a regular lipstick.

Swatch Time!

Top - OCC Cosmetic Color Pencil in Trick. Bottom - OCC Lip Tar in Clockwork

This concludes my most-used products list!

Have you tried any of these? I'd love to hear some of your most used vegan products!

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

All products in this post were bought by me, except the BWC Serenity Pigment, which was a gift. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.

zk'in Certified Organic Skincare Review

2015-03-27T18:00:00.001+00:00

I am a skincare addict. Cleansing, exfoliation, moisturisation are my mantras. My way of life. So when I was given the opportunity to trial a 100% vegan skincare range brand new to the UK, I was rather excited!

Yeah, I suppose I could review it, or whatever...
(gif via tumblr, source unknown)

Before we get onto my review, you better get out your notepads, because I'm gonna educate you on the brand.

zk'in is the brainchild of Grace Culhaci, who created the brand after developing a skin condition during her first pregnancy. The whole range is certified organic, cruelty-free and vegan!

Things I love about the brand-

1. They are kind to the planet

Image via graphicstock

Products contain no petrochemicals (which come from fossil fuels)
They use recyclable packaging from sustainable forests
They are mostly palm oil free except for a small amount of sustainable RSPO certified palm oil where unavoidable
They aim to be carbon neutral, and their waste management practices have achieved 95% diversion from landfill
The ingredients are produced using organic farming, meaning no harmful pesticides or herbicides are introduced into the environment.

2. They use clinically active ingredients, with evidence backed by independent clinical trials.

Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I like to know that the ingredients in my skincare are going to be truly effective. It's a huge thumbs down for me if products use folk remedies, old wives tales or even homeopathy to make claims about their efficacy. I need evidence!

3. They don't use unrealistically photoshopped models. While they will still 'tidy up' their images (removing stray hairs, adjusting lighting, etc) zk'in vow to be honest in the representation of their models.

zk'in model Tanya Linney. Image via zk'in

Things I don't love about the brand

1. They promote the fallacy that natural = good, and synthetic = bad. I like that natural products are often better for the environment, but that doesn't mean that synthetic ingredients are always chock full of harmful toxins and carcinogens.

Excerpt from zk'in's Honest Beauty booklet

The most common cosmetic preservatives are parabens. Parabens are often demonised because they are mildly oestrogenic, which makes people panic and assume they are going to cause oestrogen sensitive cancers, like breast cancer. Parabens are 10,000 to 100,000 less potent than the oestrogen the body makes naturally. They do not build up in the skin or organs, have never been found to be carcinogenic, and they biodegrade easily in the environment. Parabens occur naturally in some fruits. (Source)

2. They promote a dangerous alternative cancer treatment.

In the brand's promotional Honest Beauty booklet, the CEO, Grace, mentions using 'vitamin B17' to try to treat an inoperable tumour pressing on her optic nerve. This is actually not a vitamin at all, but laetrile or amygdalin, a substance that produces cyanide when digested. (Source)

Excerpt from zk'in's Honest Beauty booklet

The idea is that the cyanide kills the cancer cells, but there is no evidence that this works, and the treatment poses major risks of cyanide poisoning. I understand too well how it feels to be clutching at straws with your health, while the medical field shrug their collective shoulders. It is one thing to choose a potentially dangerous alternative treatment for yourself, but quite another to promote it with no mention of risks in an unrelated skincare booklet.

Make of that what you will, but now...

On To My Review!

I received four full size products, and some samples of their other products.

Calming Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist, and Relief Moisturiser

Brightening and Hydrating Masque and samples

As you can see, the products came in cardboard boxes. These may be recycled, but I couldn't help thinking it would be better for the environment if this extra packaging was done away with altogether.

Calming Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist and Relief Moisturiser

I like that the packaging is hygienic (no fingers dipping in tubs, introducing bacteria). I would've preferred to get a little more in the full size products, though. 50ml of moisturiser doesn't usually last me long! Luckily with most of the products a little goes a long way.

Brightening and Hydrating Masque, and samples.

The Calming Cream Cleanser is a soothing and hydrating milk. It dissolves heavy make-up with ease, even mascara (although it's not meant for eyes, and will sting if it gets in there!) I love that it contains oats, one of my favourite ingredients for hydrating and soothing sore or inflamed skin. My tip is to find an old pair of laddered tights (clean!) and cut the foot off. Fill it with a couple of good handfuls of oats, tie it off, and hang it from your bath tap letting the warm water run through it. Great for sunburn or eczema! Anyway, the only fault I can find with this cleanser is the smell - it kind of reminds me of play-doh!?
zk'in Calming Cream Cleanser is £15.95 at Love Lula.

The Hydrating Mist is very refreshing, and I really feel it boosts the skin's hydration compared to just moisturiser alone. It has a very strong lavender scent, so this might be a little much for people sensitive to fragrances and essential oils. It would be great to mist on to rejuvenate your make-up after a long day. Hydrating Mist is £22.95.

I was surprised by the Brightening and Hydrating Masque. I was expecting it to be a white, creamy moisture mask, but it was a clay mask! It smells of essential oils and cocoa - again, these products are not for you if you prefer fragrance-free skincare! The mask leaves the skin slightly flushed, a common side effect of clay masks, but I found my skin was a little brighter and clearer the morning after I used it. Brightening and Hydrating Masque is £29.90.

L-R, Calming Cream Cleanser, Brightening and Hydrating Masque, Relief Moisturiser.

The one product out of the bunch that disappointed me was the Relief Moisturiser. It was nowhere near moisturising enough for my skin, which felt tight and flaky five minutes after application! I thought this might be just because of my unusually dry skin, but after several family members tried it, the consensus was - not moisturising enough. Relief Moisturiser is £29.95.

The Rejuvenating Moisturiser, which I got a sample of, is better, but still not quite rich enough for my liking. The Line Smoothing Serum is a thin, silky lotion, almost a gel. A little goes a long way. It is supposed to help prevent crow's feet by having a weak paralysing effect on the muscles - like a topical botox lite. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, but I think my fine lines seemed slightly diminished after use. The product seemed to dry quickly to an invisible, almost film-like finish, which made it a little difficult to rub moisturiser or sunscreen over the top without disturbing it.

Overall, my favourite of the products I got to try was the Calming Cream Cleanser, by far. The products do all have a strange kind of scent, which I'm guessing is the natural preservative they use. It is made from bitter orange, radish root, vitamin E, essential oil isolates and basil extract, and is strangely listed on the ingredients as 'parfum (natural preservative)'.

Would I purchase these products after they run out? Maybe the cleanser, but not the others. While the clay mask and toner are good, the smell is too strong, and I can find similar products cheaper than these.

Verdict

The products are priced a bit higher than I would've liked. The company has great eco credentials, but products are too strongly fragranced for me, personally.

Zk'in products are available to buy in the UK from Love Lula and Zynergy.co.uk.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

The products in this post were provided to me free of charge for review purposes. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.

Illamasqua Vegan Product List & My Wishlist

2015-03-20T12:00:00.000+00:00

Once collection, via Illamasqua on Pinterest

Ever since the brand was launched in 2008, Illamasqua has held my attention with gorgeous, creative imagery, and a steady buzz of online adoration from bloggers and make-up artists.

With a focus on self expression and individuality, as well as a sound anti animal testing policy, they are definitely a brand after my own heart.

Fed up with faffing around with ingredients lists, I emailed them to ask for a list of their vegan products. They responded, and kindly allowed me to post it here for my readers. I have edited the format slightly to make it easier to read, as well as adding product links for your convenience. Keep reading after the list to see my wishlist!

Illamasqua Vegan List

Brushes & Tools

Brushes - all vegan
Brush Belts
Brush Roll
Makeup Bag

Foundations

Skin Base - All shades

Primers

Hydra Veil
Matte Veil
Triple Primer
Radiance Veil

Highlighter, Contour

Gleam, in Supernatural
Gel Sculpt in Silhouette

Blush

Gel Colour in

Charm
Fluster

Eyes

Precision Ink in

Abyss
Alchemy
Glister
Scribe
Wisdom

Precision Gel Liner in

Infinity

Precision Brow Gel in

Strike
Stare
Glimpse
Awe

Vintage Metallix in

Embellish
Bibelot
Courtier

Pure Pigment in

Zeitgeist (discontinued)

Palettes

Reflection (Shades Precipice, Acute, Graphica, Dart)

Fragrance

Freak
Freak Gold
Freak Scarab

Nail polish

Top Coat
Base Coat
Matte Top Coat
Alarm
Aorta
Bacterium
Baptiste
Bird Egg Fragile
Bird Egg Freckle
Bird Egg Mottle
Bird Egg Scarce
Bird Egg Speckle
Blizzard
Blow
Boosh
Boudicca
Cameo
Caress
Caryatid
Charisma
Collide
Creator
Dedicate
Design by You (their bespoke, create a nail polish service via Selfridges)
Devotee
DWS
Facet
Faithful
Faux Pas (Master)
Force
Fusion
Gamma
Geist
Gothiqua
Grab
Glister
Glitterati
Harem
Harsh
Hemlock
Jo'Mina
Kink
Lament
Load
Loella
Milf
Monogamous
Muse
Nightfall
Noble
Nomad
Nurture
Obsess
Omen
Optimist
Ouija
Perseid
Phallic
Pink Raindrops
Poke
Prosperity
Purity
Radium
Raindrops
Rampage
Rare
Ruthless
Shattered Star Fire Rose
Shattered Star Marquise
Shattered Star Mazarin
Shattered Star Peruzzi
Shattered Star Trilliant
Scarab
Scorch
Scorn (Master)
Seance
Serenity
Smash
Snap
Spartan
Stagnate
Stance
Superstition
Swarm
Swinger
Taint
Throb
Unnatural
Untold
Venous
Vice (Master)
Viridian
Whack
Melange
Prismatic

False Lashes

002
007
008
010
011
012
013
014
016
017
019
020
021
023
Grandeur
Lush
Diva
Bat

My Wishlist

Pics via Illamasqua

These Precision Brow Gels are getting great reviews, and I especially want to try the Awe shade. It's so hard to find a cool toned brow product for blondes, but this looks like the perfect shade. Warm or dark brows on a blonde are a pet hate of mine! I've heard these are better than ABH Dipbrows.

Pic via Illamasqua

I really want this Vintage Metallix cream eyeshadow in Courtier, it would make a lovely base colour to build on, or even on it's own as a lid colour it would be gorgeous.

Pic via Illamasqua

I'm so picky when it comes to fragrance. I don't want to smell like a florist, a fruit bowl, or deodorant/washing powder. That seems to discount the majority of women's fragrances! I like oriental and spicy scents, and when I smelled Freak in the Illamasqua shop I was smitten, and immediately doused myself in it! It's rich and warm, with a hint of strangeness that keeps you interested. Everything I aspire to be! I also adore the cute little snail on the bottle!

Are there any Illamasqua products you have your eye on?

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

#BlogForBunnies #BeCrueltyFree Week

2015-03-09T09:00:00.000+00:00

Pic - from Banksy's The Village PetStore and Charcoal Grill via Getty Images

I am just coming back to regular blogging, so it makes sense that my first real post is about the main reason I started blogging in the first place.

Finding cruelty-free (and vegan) makeup and beauty products can be a nightmare. Especially when companies word their statements to make it sound like they don't test when they do. In addition to this, once you find a cruelty-free brand, how do you know which products are vegan? If they are good quality or not worth spending on? I'd like my blog to be the place to go to get reviews and find out about new products. Where you can always be sure that the products are not tested on animals, and 100% vegan, too. I want this blog to be a reference for UK and worldwide cruelty-free beauty enthusiasts, and I want it to be fun to read! So that is what I aim for. My mission statement, if you will.

This is why I'm so proud to be a part of Humane Society International's #BlogForBunnies during #BeCrueltyFree week, 9th -15th March.

But wait, there's an EU ban on the import and sale of animal tested cosmetics, so shouldn't everything I buy in the EU be cruelty-free?

Companies are no longer allowed to sell animal tested products here, but if you buy from a testing company, your money is going to support their testing products on animals to sell in other parts of the world. HSI International is working with companies and law-makers all over the planet to end cosmetics animal cruelty.

Yeah but don't they just, like, put makeup on a bunny or whatever? It can't be that bad.

Typical animal tests for cosmetics include -

Skin and Eye Irritation/Skin sensitisation tests.
Chemicals are rubbed onto the shaved skin or dripped into the eyes of rabbits, guinea pigs and ears of mice to see if it causes irritation or an allergic reaction. They are then killed.

Repeated dose toxicity.
To see if a chemical is poisonous, animals endure oral force feeding/inhalation or application to shaved skin daily for 28 or 90 days. They are then killed.

Toxicokinetics.
Animals, such as rabbits or rats are forced to consume an ingredient to study how it is absorbed, metabolised and excreted by the body. They are then killed.

Carcinogenicity.
The rat, or other animal is force fed an ingredient for two years to see if it gives them cancer. They are then killed.

Reproductive toxicity.
This determines the effect a chemical has on an animal's fertility, pregnancy and young. Pregnant rabbits or rats are force fed an ingredient, then killed, along with their unborn babies.

There is no pain relief provided during any of these tests.

Oh. That sucks. But don't we need animal testing to make sure products are safe to use?

In short, no. Animal testing is only required on new ingredients. If it's already in use, it's already known to be safe. There are billions of different ingredients readily available to be combined in infinite combinations to make new products. There's no need to develop new ingredients. If companies want to make sure their product/ingredient is safe, there are more than 40 advanced non-animal tests available. These offer results that are more relevant to humans, and are often cheaper and more efficient.

What about ingredients that were tested on animals a long time ago?

We can't change the past. Cruelty-free companies operate using a 'Fixed Cut Off Date', meaning they won't use ingredients that were tested after a certain date. Other companies sometimes use a 'Five Year Rolling Rule', meaning they don't use ingredients that were tested on animals within the last 5 years. This is not as effective at curbing animal testing, though, as products can often take five years or more to formulate and get into production.

What about parent companies?

A lot of the time, a cruelty-free company can be owned by a bigger company that performs animal testing on some of it's brands. Many people see no problem with buying from them, as the products nor their ingredients have not been tested, and it shows the parent company that there is demand and support for cruelty-free brands. Others say that in buying these products, your money could end up paying for animal testing, as all profits go to the parent company. I personally try to buy mainly from brands with cruelty-free parent companies.

I hope you will join me in signing Humane Society International's #BeCrueltyFree Pledge, and I hope you will choose to #BeCrueltyFree.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

Sources - Humane Society International, Cruelty Free International, Animal Aid.

New Posts Coming Soon! Hurrah!

2015-03-04T01:09:00.000+00:00

So, I'm going to start posting again!

What would you most like to see on my blog?

Vegan beauty product reviews?
Other vegan-related reviews/content?
Tutorials?
Snippets of my life? (Working, coping with chronic illness)
Animal rights/human rights related posts?
~~Outlandish conspiracy theories?~~
~~Erotic fanfiction?~~
Any of your own ideas...?

Let me know in the comments!

Til next time,

Emma

xXx

<a href="http://test.skimlinks.com">Skimlinks Test</a>