Hey guys! I don't believe that I've ever done a non-outfit post. but I'm really wanting to branch out a little bit, and I have quite a few ideas under my belt. This being the first of them! I don't know if I'll keep the non-outfits to just Saturday, or switch it around, or if I'll even have posts for every week, yet. I guess we'll just see! Anyway.. I wanted to start out with this topic because I've always been a passionate gal. I once told my mom not to leave the water running when she brushes her teeth, because if we use up all the water, there won't be any left for the whales in the ocean!
In college I had to write an essay, and do an oral presentation, and I got to choose any topic I wanted! So I did a lot of research on animal testing done by cosmetics companies and it hit me pretty hard. I boycotted any companies that still did it, and I passed out fliers to all my friends (and strangers) and showed a pretty intense video as part of my oral presentation. As time went on, I kind of fell away from that. I got lazy, and just bought whatever I could afford, or sounded good. Not too long ago, however, I got the bug again. And I decided to re-commit myself to buying cruelty-free. I did a lot of research, because.. yeah.. You can find plenty of more expensive makeup brands that don't test on animals, but I don't necessarily have that kind of cash flow coming in all the time. So I need something that will satisfy my pockets and my morals. Here's a few brands that I've found, the products I most enjoy from them, and what I think about their performance.
It's kind of sad, but out of all the actual make up brands that are sold in drugstores/Target/WalMart or wherever.. The Revlon/Almay company and Physician's Formula are the only ones that don't test on animals. Luckily they have REALLY great products!! I love the ColorStay foundation because it lasts long, have SPF right in it, and it covers really well. Which is important for a girl like me with not-so-perfect skin. Their PhotoReady makeup is awesome as well, it has a light shimmer to it, that doesn't look glittery at all, but reflects light in a beautiful way. For powder I like the Physician's Formula Mineral Wear because it's light, but sets my makeup, and keeps the oil to a minimum without feeling cakey or blocking my pores. Both brands also have blush, eyeshadow, lipsticks, everything you could possible need at great prices, and everything I've tried has looked really nice. :)
Like I said earlier, I have some problem skin. I have tried everything on the market. Seriously. I was at the point where I was going to just give up and go to the doctor for it. However, I decided to give this scrub from Burt's Bees a shot, since it's all natural and of course, cruelty-free, whereas most face washes and stuff are made by companies who do test their products on animals. I have to say, I LOVE this stuff! It has a kind of weird smell, but it's not strong. .it's just an obvious "natural" smell. But it makes my skin feel reallyyyy soft, and I have not had any major breakouts since using this. I do have a pimple on my chin right now, but I got lazy and haven't washed my face properly. I should do that tonight. I would say, though, that it's a pretty thick scrub, and isn't
super great at actually removing your makeup. But
Almay makes these awesome wipes that remove all of your makeup, mascara and all, easily and gently. I would recommend using one of those before washing your face with the scrub.
I just recently found this moisturizer, but I'm really diggin' it. It's all-natural like the Burt's Bees stuff, and it can be used on your face or body. This specific one has Alpha Hydroxy Acids which are found in fruits and cane sugar. The acids help the turnover of cells speed up, so that you're getting a great exfoliation and unblocking pores, and allowing the new skin cells to grow. This is a very important thing for girls with problem skin, and everyone, really. Exfoliation is necessary! This is just a wonderful way to do it naturally and keep your skin looking great!
For my shower time... TRESemme makes some WONDERFUL hair products! They have every kind of shampoo and conditioner you could possibly need, plus mousses, hairspray, even dry shampoo. I haven't tried that, yet. But I definitely plan on it. I was using Aussie for awhile, but they're not cruelty-free, so I found out Tresemme was and made the switch. The bottles were about a dollar more, each, than what I was using.. but they're huge bottles! For a dollar more, I got almost twice the product! Totally worth it.
St. Ives is my favorite company for buying body washes. They're luxurious, and there's every kind you could think of. Right now, I'm using the Energizing Citrus, and I just love the smell. Their products are ALSO all-natural, and they have face products, lotions, and of course the body wash, everything you could ever need, and I would stand behind every single one of their products. :)
The last thing on my list, is something that I bought out of necessity, and then was happily surprised to find out that it wasn't tested on animals! It hadn't even crossed my mind to think about my shaving cream, mostly because I don't normally use it. I had gotten spoiled by Schick Intuition. The razors with the big bar of cream right around the blades. I think their company might be owned by Proctor-Gamble, though. Which is a no-no for me. Plus the replacement blades are pretty darn expensive. So, in a pinch.. I ran to the Dollar General of all places to pick up some throw-away razors and just bought the cheapest cream, which just so happened to be this. It wasn't until I had used it for about a week that I thought to read the back of the can.. and there it was. "This product not tested on animals". I was so excited! And even though using the old standard cream from a can takes a bit longer than my old razors with it built in, I think it's worth it. And this cream is perfect for my extremely sensitive legs. They get dried out easily, and I haven't had that problem with this stuff. :]
So, there it is! What do you think? Is animal testing something you care about? Could you ever commit to buying only cruelty-free cosmetics?? Or do you just buy whatever you are drawn to? Either way is fine with me. I'm no longer a crusader, I just choose to buy these because it's what I like. And the products just happen to be great quality. It's a win-win in my book! Have a great weekend!
