Saturday 26 November 2016

Vegan Beauty Stocking Fillers

Looking for vegan Christmas presents? Read my gift guide of vegan beauty stocking fillers for recommendations on the best cruelty-free presents for Christmas.

Time to start some Christmas shopping! Whether you have a vegan to buy for or want to give your friends some cruelty-free gifts this Christmas, these picks are a great way to start. I've put together a few ideas and my own recommendations to make things easier, plus all these stocking fillers come in at under £5 each so they're very affordable too.

Hand Cream

A must this time of year and this one from Superdrug has seen me through the last couple of winters really nicely. It's never greasy and lasts for ages as I only need to put it on once or twice a day. If you're in need of something a bit more intensive I'd really recommend the Rescue Balm too, which works so well to soothe your skin if it's feeling sore. It's actually hard to believe how good it is for the price and fantastic for anyone who works with their hands.


Bath Bombs

Lush bath bombs are such a popular stocking filler and it's no wonder why! One of my recent favourites is the huge Intergalactica mix of peppermint and grapefruit oil that makes big, blue, glittery bubbles. Their Christmas range has some adorable characters like the Peeping Santa and Christmas Penguin bubble bars that are almost too cute to use.


Mini Products

I love mini products for trying out new things, they're great to travel with if you're going away for Christmas and the perfect size to put in a stocking. This mini shampoo and shower gel from PHB Ethical Beauty are handmade in the UK, palm oil free and 20% of the profits go to charity. 

Argan oil and vanilla make the Clarifying Shampoo* incredibly hydrating so it's a great option for dried out or coloured hair. Since I've started using it, it's made my hair so shiny and I've even had a few compliments. The Jasmine Body Wash* is a natural blend of floral oils with a lovely botanical scent. Even though it's made without SLS it foams up into a rich lather and feels luxurious and softI always think nice shower treats in the winter can do wonders for your mood when it's cold and grey outside.

Lip Balm

Something I always have in my bag, my current picks are the Hurraw! natural flavours made from organic cold pressed oils. My regular is Chai Tea which feels very hydrating and soft and has lasted me nearly a year already. The Cinnamon flavour* has a red tint and tingles a bit when you put it on, just enough to wake you up in the morning! If you know a cinnamon lover this is a perfect little Christmas gift as it has a spicy taste and feels very festive.

Nail Polish

More brilliant stocking fillers are Barry M's nail polishes, and you can't go wrong with the classics - Vintage Violet is an all time favourite of mine, a grey purple that suits any occasion. Berry Cosmo is a gorgeous, deep plum shade which looks amazing with a sparkly glitter on top. They also have two limited edition shades for Christmas this year, a metallic rose gold named Twinkle Twinkle and glittery pink called Nutcracker.


Let me know what you think of these stocking filler ideas and what you'd add to the list.

Gemima

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Cruelty-Free & Vegan Resources October

Cruelty-Free & Vegan Resources October

It does seem lately that every month another cruelty-free brand has been bought by a company that tests on animals. But, to try and find the positive in these situations it means that the ever growing demand for cruelty-free beauty is being acknowledged. Often brands that have been bought out will stay true to their cruelty-free stance. And in really good news, more and more countries are passing legislation to ban animal testing for cosmetics, with hopefully the USA and Canada to follow suit soon.

Cruelty-Free News

Taiwan banned cosmetics animal testing, sending the message worldwide that it's an outdated and unnecessary practice.

Previously cruelty-free make-up brand BECCA have been bought by Estée Lauder, and are yet to disclose whether they will enter the Chinese market along with Estée Lauder's other brands.

Cruelty-Free Beauty

If you'd like an insight into how a huge corporation like Estée Lauder can justify testing on animals, read their interview about selling in China and the future of the cosmetics industry.

Kat Von D's make-up line has launched in the UK and will soon be completely vegan. (Although it is worth noting their parent company is not cruelty-free.)

Vegan Food & Resources

Excluding honey from your diet may sound extreme to some, so why don't vegans eat honey?

Nadia recently wrote a bunch of excellent posts about veganism for Blogtober, and I'd recommend reading them all. My favourites included 5 Comebacks To Common Questions Vegans Get Asked and Should Your Cat Be Vegan?

If cooking in bulk has been something you've been meaning to do for ages, Bianca has some great tips for getting started with a plant based diet.

Beth is switching to veganism, and I've really enjoyed reading about how she's been cutting out meat and dairy.

And lastly, Tesco have released a dairy free chocolate selection box for Christmas. Unsurprisingly it seems to be sold out but it's already at the top of my Christmas list.


Gemima

Saturday 5 November 2016

LoveLula October Beauty Box

LoveLula Beauty Box October Review

My first LoveLula beauty box* was such a treat that I couldn't wait to open this one. For a while I've been slowly switching my skincare to all natural products, so I was very pleased to have three new skincare treats to try inside this month's box. LoveLula's beauty box is always cruelty-free but the products aren't always vegan, so LoveLula kindly switched out this month's non-vegan products for a Turbliss Bioactive Peat Toner for me. This meant I had three full sized products which I was very happy with!

The first, a Barefoot Botanicals SOS cleanser, has some gorgeous natural ingredients of calendula extract, cocoa butter and rosewater. Being very creamy, it feels gentle and nourishing for my skin now the weather's getting colder. At first it reminded me of my Lush 9-5 cleanser, but this has a thicker consistency and is really working well with my current Odylique moisturiser to keep my skin looking clean and hydrated.


PHB Ethical Beauty Lavender Vegan Soap Review

PHB Ethical Beauty are a brand I really want to try more from as they have such good values, including being palm oil free. I never usually use soap bars so I was really pleased that this one can be used for the face, body or hands as it gives me a lot more opportunity to use it. It's now replaced my shower gel and feels a real treat to use in the mornings! The soap has a lovely strong scent of lavender and foams up really well, and I know I'll be buying more when it runs out.

It's been a long time since I've used a toner as, especially in the evenings, I want my skincare routine to be as simple as possible so I can get in my pyjamas and watch some Netflix. However this Turbliss toner comes in a spray bottle which makes it super quick and easy to use before I put on my moisturiser. It feels very refreshing and has certainly made a good first impression, so I'm keen to see if it helps my complexion and pores after using it for a bit longer.

The skincare products in this month's box and last have all been different so I'm glad that I'm not doubling up on anything. The products in the October box are worth over £40, so at £12.50 it's such good value, as you get to try new cruelty-free products that have been well thought out and put together. You can subscribe to the December box here which I think would make a lovely present for anyone with an interest in cruelty-free beauty.

Have you changed your skincare for Autumn? Let me know what products you're loving at the moment.

Gemima

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