These earrings from Claire's. I like that they are cute (owls!!!!) And small enough to wear everyday. ... and sleep in, yes I'm that lazy.
I sometimes use one of those donut things for a tidier bun, but really all you need for a big bun, even with fine hair like mine, is some dry shampoo and a cacktonne of backcombing to turn this...
Into this...
Better!
When my hair is looking a total mess or I just want it out my face but still going-out worthy (I wore this for Tuesday night salsa) this is what I do with it as it takes about 2 minutes to do and you can dress it up with a sparkly clip or flower so easily.
I wore it with a gold smokey eye that I created entirely with the MUA Undress Me Too Palette (AV) aside from the waterline (hard to see in this pic I know!) which is GOSH's Velvet Touch Liner in Renaissance Gold (CV), set with Sugarpill's Goldilux (V).
Happy humpday all!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Into this...
Better!
When my hair is looking a total mess or I just want it out my face but still going-out worthy (I wore this for Tuesday night salsa) this is what I do with it as it takes about 2 minutes to do and you can dress it up with a sparkly clip or flower so easily.
I wore it with a gold smokey eye that I created entirely with the MUA Undress Me Too Palette (AV) aside from the waterline (hard to see in this pic I know!) which is GOSH's Velvet Touch Liner in Renaissance Gold (CV), set with Sugarpill's Goldilux (V).
Eyeball closeup!
Happy humpday all!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
So recently someone said on the UK Vegans Facebook page that MUA are not cruelty free because they sell in China. This isn't something I'd heard so I decided to email them and check that they hadn't changed their policies and happily, they do not sell in China! YAY. Here is their full reply for anyone wondering and also so you can see where any confusion may have come from.
Re their comments about not being vegan/veggie friendly - this is their standard response. Some products are vegan, but they are not great at answering queries about it, so you have to go buy ingredients list.
But anyway, hurrah, I don't have to take back those MUA items I just bought after all!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
Hi there Sal, Thank you for your email! We can confirm our products are not tested on animals and are 100% cruelty free. Our products are not Vegan or Vegetarian suited as some of the ingredients are derived from sources not accepted by Vegans or Vegetarians. We ship to China to individuals, but we do not sell there in store direct, so therefore no animal testing is done on the items. Thank you for your interest in MUA and I hope this info helps. Kind regards With best regards, MUA Customer Service |
Re their comments about not being vegan/veggie friendly - this is their standard response. Some products are vegan, but they are not great at answering queries about it, so you have to go buy ingredients list.
But anyway, hurrah, I don't have to take back those MUA items I just bought after all!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
Holy crap it's April already!!
Which means it's time for March favourites. I'm jumping straight in with...
B. Vivid Eyeshadow - Cinnamon (V)
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara (V)
OCC Conceal (V)
This one is a grower. At first I really didn't like it because it's so creamy and I have so many lines under my eyes that creamy concealers just look horrendous after about 5 minutes. But I've learned that if it's used super sparingly it's really great. It's great for blemishes (I use shade Y1 for that) and for under the eyes I blend R0 & R2 (they were sold out of R1 when I bought these but it's on my list for future purchase!) to cover the dark circles then Y1 over that. I really use the tiniest amount and only put it where the darkness is, avoiding any liney areas. Then set it with loose powder, the teeniest amount and it's pretty great. I like to use this brush for blending out my concealer.....
Sigma P80 Small Precision Flat Kabuki (V)
It's rad. You need it. That is all.
B. Lipstick in Doll's House (V)
MeMeMe Blush Me - Pink (CV)
Real Techniques Buffing Brush (V)
GOSH Eyebrow Pencil - GreyBrown (CV)
Someone mentioned on the PPK that Anastasia's products might not be vegan. I think that they're covering their arse a bit because there's nothing suspect in the ingredients list of the Brow Wiz. But either way, much as I love the Brow Wiz, it's forkin pricey and not that easy to get hold of over here. So because I love GOSH so much I tried their pencil and I love it!! It's a perfect shade, doesn't pull ginger, which a lot of brow pencils do on fair skin. It's a nice texture, soft but not too soft that it goes on heavy. And it has a spoolie on one end which is vital for brows. If you're looking for a brow pencil, I'd totally recommend you trying this one out!
That's it for March Faves.... what's been your favourite products this month? Leave me a comment and let me know or hit me up on Facebook or Twitter - links for those above right!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
This week I've been loving...
OCC's Nail Polish in Pool Boy (V). This is 3 coats!
Have an awesome weekend!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
So I'm thinking of making Wednesdays a day to post something that I've worn over the last week. Whether it's a face of the day, just a eye or lip of the day, my nails that week or some rad earrings. And I'm kicking off with the makeup that I wore last night to salsa and a mini review of the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Lip pencils (V).
Firstly, I have 3 of these babies but last night I decided to just take pics with 2 different lip options, as I couldn't decide which one to wear. So here's a lil pic and a swatch of the ones I have:
I really like these pencils. REALLY LIKE them. In fact I think there are 5 colours and so I will probably have to go get the other two at some point, because one is very orangey and orange lips are totally fetch this season! (Stop trying to make "fetch" happen?)
They are really lovely, glossy, they go on super smooth and they are nicely pigmented. They feel really comfortable and also stain the lips a bit so they last a bit longer than a regular gloss.
So here's what I did with them. I decided on a super neutral eye so as not to take the focus off the lips. Then I went and added a tonne of black liner and false lashes! Good one, Sal! But I digress, a full list of products after the pics.
Barry M Gelly Pencils are available from Barrym.com, Superdrug, Boots and some Tescos and cost £4.99 each.
As you can see I am not good at taking selfies; in fact most of them make me look like hatchet face! ....
Sorry, I should maybe have put a warning on that!
Happy humpday all.
Love & stuff
Sal xXx
Firstly, I have 3 of these babies but last night I decided to just take pics with 2 different lip options, as I couldn't decide which one to wear. So here's a lil pic and a swatch of the ones I have:
Top to Bottom: Shade 3, Shade 5, Shade 1 (look at that, I bought all odd numbers!)
I really like these pencils. REALLY LIKE them. In fact I think there are 5 colours and so I will probably have to go get the other two at some point, because one is very orangey and orange lips are totally fetch this season! (Stop trying to make "fetch" happen?)
They are really lovely, glossy, they go on super smooth and they are nicely pigmented. They feel really comfortable and also stain the lips a bit so they last a bit longer than a regular gloss.
So here's what I did with them. I decided on a super neutral eye so as not to take the focus off the lips. Then I went and added a tonne of black liner and false lashes! Good one, Sal! But I digress, a full list of products after the pics.
Option 1, with Shade 1
Lip close up
Option 2 with Shade 5, which is the shade I kept on for salsa. It's a lovely bluey pink and it's really wearable for day or night.
Lip close up
Here's an eyeball close up too
And a full list of the products I used for this look:
Face
No.7 Superlight Stay Perfect Foundation - shade Calico (CV)
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - shades 1 & 2 (CV)
MeMeMe Blush Me Box - shade Pink (CV)
Sleek Contour Kit - Light (CV)
Marks & Spencer Autograph Invisible Finish Loose Powder - Translucent (CV)
Eyes
Limecrime Eyeshadow helper (V)
B. Vivid Eyeshadow (single) - shade Cinnamon (V)
MUA Matte Palette (CV)
Makeup Geek Gel Liner - shade Immortal (CV)
Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara (V)
Duo Eyelash Glue (CV)
Random eyelashes from my makeup case that I reused
GOSH Eye Brow Pencil - shade Grey Brown (CV)
Eyeko Brow Gel (V)
Lips
Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Lip Pencils (V)
As you can see I am not good at taking selfies; in fact most of them make me look like hatchet face! ....
Sorry, I should maybe have put a warning on that!
Happy humpday all.
Love & stuff
Sal xXx
Last weekend, I was hanging out with some friends in Brighton, doing some makeup shopping as you do! And my friend overheard a girl ask the assistant in Superdrug which brands were not animal tested. She apparently had a list and it got me wondering how accurate it was, my guess is that it wouldn't differentiate the ones owned by parent companies that test either way. So I thought I would do a list.
I know I know, there's a load of lists out there; so this one is UK specific to the brands available in pretty much all Superdrug & Boots branches (I also added a few brands you can buy in larger Boots); not brands you can only buy online or in specialist/department stores.
I know this is a vegan blog but this is NOT a list of vegan brands, just the ones that don't test and that either definitely do have vegan options or probably do... the only brand I know for sure is fully vegan is Superdrug's B range.
For a much more comprehensive list, that includes online etc brands too, take a look at this brilliant list from The Bunny Beautiful.
Brands that do not test
2true
B.
Barry M
Beauty UK
Collection
GOSH
Models Own
MUA
Nails Inc
Natural Collection (Boots)
No.7
Revolution
Seventeen (Boots)
Sleek
Soap & Glory
Brands that do test
Benefit
Bourjois
Clarins
L'Oreal
Maybelline
Max Factor
Rimmel
Revlon
Sally Hanson
Stila
Brands that may not test but are owned by a parent company that do
Essie (Owned by L'Oreal)Miss Sporty (Owned by Coty)
NYC (Owned by Coty)
NYX (Owned by L'Oreal - available in some Next Stores)
Smashbox (Owned by Estee Lauder)
Urban Decay (Owned by L'Oreal)
So you can see there is a pretty good choice of brands that don't test on animals now in our drugstores. High end stuff, not so much. I kept it to drugstore because pretty much ALL of the high end brands they sell in departments stores like House of Fraser are not cruelty free.
Did I miss any brands off that your local Boots or Superdrug sells? Let me know and I'll add 'em in!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
I know I know, there's a load of lists out there; so this one is UK specific to the brands available in pretty much all Superdrug & Boots branches (I also added a few brands you can buy in larger Boots); not brands you can only buy online or in specialist/department stores.
I know this is a vegan blog but this is NOT a list of vegan brands, just the ones that don't test and that either definitely do have vegan options or probably do... the only brand I know for sure is fully vegan is Superdrug's B range.
For a much more comprehensive list, that includes online etc brands too, take a look at this brilliant list from The Bunny Beautiful.
Brands that do not test
2true
B.
Barry M
Beauty UK
Collection
GOSH
Models Own
MUA
Nails Inc
Natural Collection (Boots)
No.7
Revolution
Seventeen (Boots)
Sleek
Soap & Glory
Brands that do test
Benefit
Bourjois
Clarins
L'Oreal
Maybelline
Max Factor
Rimmel
Revlon
Sally Hanson
Stila
Brands that may not test but are owned by a parent company that do
Essie (Owned by L'Oreal)Miss Sporty (Owned by Coty)
NYC (Owned by Coty)
NYX (Owned by L'Oreal - available in some Next Stores)
Smashbox (Owned by Estee Lauder)
Urban Decay (Owned by L'Oreal)
So you can see there is a pretty good choice of brands that don't test on animals now in our drugstores. High end stuff, not so much. I kept it to drugstore because pretty much ALL of the high end brands they sell in departments stores like House of Fraser are not cruelty free.
Did I miss any brands off that your local Boots or Superdrug sells? Let me know and I'll add 'em in!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
When I think of M&S I don't generally think of makeup I think of comfy bras and sensible pants. But no more....
They've really upped their game and brought out a lovely range of makeup. They have a basic range too which is cheaper, but I'm talking today about their Autograph range. I emailed them recently to check if their mascaras were vegan (as the ingredients lists all say 'may contain carmine') and they confirmed that they all are, as are most of the Autograph makeup products. They are also BUAV approved, as are all their own brand cosmetics. Their response is below so you can see which products to avoid.
"Thanks for emailing us about our range of beauty products.
I've checked our systems and can confirm all four mascaras are suitable for vegans.
The only item in our Autograph range with carmine listed in the ingredients is our True Colour Blush (T224003). Also, the only other items in our Autograph range which are unsuitable for vegans are the Sheer Lipstick (T222101) and High Definition Eyeliner (T222530)."
So I thought I'd post a bit about some of the products I have and what I think of them. Starting with....
This is a liquid illuminator for mixing with foundation, or wearing underneath or above foundation. It has a lovely shimmer but it's not glittery. I like this for a subtle sheen on the cheekbones and down the bridge of the nose.
I only have one of these because the rest are all pretty shimmery and I have a tonne of shimmery shades that are similar. This one is more like a satin to matte finish and it's a great neutral tone. This makes it perfect for a crease colour but I also really like it for contouring, as some warmer colours can look orange on pale skin. This doesn't. Below is a daylight swatch of it; at first glance I thought it might be a dupe for MAC's Omega (if you were a MAC girl in a former life, like me, then this would be exciting) but I swatched them side by side (if you wanna see that swatch let me know and I'll post it) but they are not the same. This one is a little darker and Omega is a teeny bit warmer. But this is still a great multi-purpose colour that I think would work on brows too!
I love these lipsticks. Love them! Firstly, and I know this is shallow but I don't care, I love the packaging. You push the bullet in and it pops out .... little things please little minds! haha (If you have any of the B. lippies this is the same!) But I also love the formula. They feel nice and creamy and not drying at all and there's a pretty big range of colours. My favourite one is raspberry, which is pictured above and I'll do a look with it soon so you can see how gorgeous it is. As for long lasting - no not really but no lipstick is on me (except the matte variety that are made to be long-lasting!)
I've only used this twice but so far, I'm lovin it! My pic is a bit blurry so I dunno if you can really see the brush. But 2 edges are like a regular mascara brush and two edges are the plasticy/spikey type. So you can use the regular side to deposit colour and then the plasticy edge to de-clump. It's really a great brush and I like the formula too. I will get back to you (I'm testing out a bunch of vegan mascaras so I can do a comparison post very soon!) on how well it lasts and how easy it is to remove. But first and second impressions are that I love it!
So there you go. Just a few items out of a big range. I don't have a concealer yet, or a foundation that works well on my skin type, but I'm definitely going to be trying out more items from this range.
Let me know if you've tried any of this range and if so, what you think of it!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
They've really upped their game and brought out a lovely range of makeup. They have a basic range too which is cheaper, but I'm talking today about their Autograph range. I emailed them recently to check if their mascaras were vegan (as the ingredients lists all say 'may contain carmine') and they confirmed that they all are, as are most of the Autograph makeup products. They are also BUAV approved, as are all their own brand cosmetics. Their response is below so you can see which products to avoid.
"Thanks for emailing us about our range of beauty products.
I've checked our systems and can confirm all four mascaras are suitable for vegans.
The only item in our Autograph range with carmine listed in the ingredients is our True Colour Blush (T224003). Also, the only other items in our Autograph range which are unsuitable for vegans are the Sheer Lipstick (T222101) and High Definition Eyeliner (T222530)."
So I thought I'd post a bit about some of the products I have and what I think of them. Starting with....
This powder is AWESOME. It's super finely milled and silky so it won't be cakey or make the face look too dry. It's perfect for setting concealer under the eyes, as it's fine enough not to exacerbate any creasing in that area. It is very comparable to MAC's prep & prime finishing powder, which I still have a whole pot of from the days when MAC were cruelty free. I used to keep it in my bridal kit!
This foundation has the most beautiful silky texture and I wish wish WISH it worked for me but I'm just not convinced it ever will. This is because my skin is dry (at the moment really REALLY dry for some reason) and it most foundations show this up, this one especially. Also, Beige is not the right shade for me, it's too dark (it's hard to tell from the in-store testers sometimes), but I think the lighter one will be too light. I don't want to give up on it yet, because I think this foundation could be great if my skin were in a bit of a better condition (and I had the right colour of course!) If you don't have dry skin, definitely give this a go. It's a matte foundation so you don't really need to powder it, unless you have super oily skin.
PURE Colour blushes are vegan, TRUE colour blushes are not! So this is a Pure Colour one in the shade Coral. This blush is lovely and it's pigmented so you don't need a tonne of it. This is the only colour I have and my swatch pic sucks a bit but it's a lovely peachy flush, not at all as orange as it looks in the pan. I will probably pick up more colours.
So there you go. Just a few items out of a big range. I don't have a concealer yet, or a foundation that works well on my skin type, but I'm definitely going to be trying out more items from this range.
Let me know if you've tried any of this range and if so, what you think of it!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
So I've read recently a few people saying they don't buy from Boots because they animal test, which is not something I ever thought was the case. So I contacted Boots to check and here is their response:
"Thanks for contacting us about animal testing and whether our products are sold in mainland China.
Boots and its subsidiary businesses do not test any products or ingredients on animals, and do not commission others to do so on our behalf. In fact in March 2013 it became illegal for any company to test cosmetic products or ingredients on animals in Europe. We realise that until satisfactory replacements are available, other businesses around the world will carry out some tests for their own particular products and ingredients to meet regulatory requirements. These safety tests may sometimes involve ingredients of the type used in products which we manufacture and sell.
We would definitely like to see an end to all animal tests, and take a keen interest in the development and introduction of alternative forms of safety testing.
Boots do not sell Boots products in China, this is in part due to the mandatory animal testing policy. We do sell products in Hong Kong, but the regulations in Hong Kong are different to mainland China.
Boots has had this policy in place for over 20 years, and fully support the change in laws that came into effect last year. I hope you find this helpful and reassuring."
So I think they're saying that some business do test (that they stock) but they don't and they don't sell their beauty products in mainland China. So to me I'm happy to still buy No.7.
What do you think, do you think I'm reading it wrong?
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
"Thanks for contacting us about animal testing and whether our products are sold in mainland China.
Boots and its subsidiary businesses do not test any products or ingredients on animals, and do not commission others to do so on our behalf. In fact in March 2013 it became illegal for any company to test cosmetic products or ingredients on animals in Europe. We realise that until satisfactory replacements are available, other businesses around the world will carry out some tests for their own particular products and ingredients to meet regulatory requirements. These safety tests may sometimes involve ingredients of the type used in products which we manufacture and sell.
We would definitely like to see an end to all animal tests, and take a keen interest in the development and introduction of alternative forms of safety testing.
Boots do not sell Boots products in China, this is in part due to the mandatory animal testing policy. We do sell products in Hong Kong, but the regulations in Hong Kong are different to mainland China.
Boots has had this policy in place for over 20 years, and fully support the change in laws that came into effect last year. I hope you find this helpful and reassuring."
So I think they're saying that some business do test (that they stock) but they don't and they don't sell their beauty products in mainland China. So to me I'm happy to still buy No.7.
What do you think, do you think I'm reading it wrong?
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
Thought I'd post a quick face of the day for no reason other than I am wearing my favourite eyeliner. Full list of products under the pics.
Eyeball close up!
Horrible lip shot - I suck at taking lip pics! haha.
And look at my earrings! I LOVE them. (From Claire's Accessories)
Full Product List
Face
Neve Flat Perfection Mineral Foundation Light Warm (V)
OCC Conceal Y1 (V)
Sleek Contour Kit Light (CV)
NYX Blush Peach (AV)
Neve Cosmetics Setting Spray
Eyes
MUA Undress Me Too Palette Shades Lavish (crease/transition shade), Reveal (lid), Exposed (outer crease), Shy (upper crease) & Naked (browbone highlight) (AV)
Makeup Geek Gel Liner Fame (CV)
ELF Volumising Mascara Black (V)
Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder Blonde (AV)
Bilion Dollar Brows Brow Gel (AV)
Lips
ELF Lipstick Nostalgic (V) (just their cheapy £1.95 lippy, I LOVE it!)
GOSH Volume Lip Shine Soft Coral (CV)
Have a great weekend everyone!
Love & Stuff
Sal xXx
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