Empties #20

Hello!  I am back with 5 new mini reviews to share with you from my empties bucket:

Marks & Spencer Nature's Extract Anti-Perspirant Roll-On

It's no secret that the bane of my cruelty free life has been finding a decent anti-perspirant deodorant!  A lot of the cruelty free options tend to be 'green' which in itself is great, but this means that they are usually only deodorants and not anti-perspirants.  I'm not a particularly sweaty person (mmm!) but I'd rather just avoid it if I'm honest rather than stopping it from smelling which is what plain deos are made to do.

Empties #18

Hello!  I've really been struggling to fit in blogging round my job and other activities recently, especially with the dark nights making taking photos near impossible!  As I've moved away from home for work, a lot of my weekends are taken up with either going back up or having people down visiting.  However I managed to do some bulk photography which should keep me going for a while. Does anyone know of any decent daylight bulbs or lights?  This would make life a lot easier, can't wait for light nights again!

Empties #16

I have got some super exciting news to share with you all (although if you follow me on Twitter you probably know!) but I will do a separate more personal/life themed post so you can read it if you are interested :) Anyway, onto this next bunch of empties!

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner

Thoughts: I received this to try out along with other John Frieda products.  I wasn't particularly impressed by the others but I really liked this deep conditioner.  I used it just as a normal conditioner but sometimes I would leave it on for longer as a hydrating mask.  £6.99/150ml here via Boots.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Yes.

REN Hydra-Calm Cleansing Milk

Thoughts: I got this as sample with an order from LoveLula and I really like it!  It leaves my skin feeling so clean and soft.  The Hydra-Calm range have been rebranded as Evercalm now but as far as I'm aware they're just the same.  £16/150ml here. 

Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Yes.

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint in Light

Thoughts: LOVE this product!  This is now my everyday tinted moisturiser - I only wear foundation on special occasions haha!  I like to mix it with a highlighter such as Soap & Glory Hocus Focus to give it a nice and glowy finish.  £21/40ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Already have!

Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara

Thoughts: This mascara was fine, I quite liked the shape of the wand.  As the name implies, it was in a one sided fan shape which was quite good for coating the lashes and giving them a bit of curl.  £9.99/9ml here via Boots.

Cruelty-free?: I thought so but there's a bit of confusion with them at the moment as they've been seen selling in China.  I have emailed them asking so we shall find out soon hopefully!

Repurchase?: Probably not.

Lush So White Bath Bomb (not pictured)

Thoughts: So White is a Christmas bath bomb which smells like apples!  I love apple scented products and this was no exception.  Fizzes nicely with some white foam and it even changes colour on the inside which was a nice surprise! 

Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Yes.

Current Favourite Eye Make Up Remover

I've been trialling several eye make up removers over the past few months after my favourite one ended up not being cruelty free (it was Boots Botanics, but apparently they reformulated it and made it crap so that makes me feel better!).

After going though various different brands I've finally settled on The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Make Up Remover and am now on my second bottle.  

Generally I prefer oil based products but I've yet to find one which is cruelty free actually - if you can think of one please let me know! - so I've just been using water based ones recently.  I think this one works really well at removing eye (and lip) make up quickly and effectively.  Although Caroline Hirons says that you shouldn't need a separate eye make up remover, your cleanser should do the job, I definitely prefer taking it off before cleansing, especially if the make up's quite heavy!  Most of my cleansers would be fine at taking off eye make up but I rarely use them for that, I also feel a bit worried about rubbing round my eye area with a muslin cloth or flannel!

The ingredients for this product are on the website - here.  It contains SLES which I'm not a big fan of and prefer to avoid but it's not a main ingredient thankfully.

Honestly, it's not amazing but it's definitely the best one I have used which is cruelty free, I am quite happy with how it does the job.  My only complaint would be that if you have too much on the cotton ball/pad then it can sting the eyes a bit but to counteract this I use it on my eyebrows first to remove excess liquid.

It is £8 for 250ml but I only buy from The Body Shop when they have offers on, which is pretty much all the time!  If you keep an eye out you will rarely pay full price for any of their products online.

I see that they also do a waterproof eye and lip make up remover, has anyone tried this one?  What's your favourite eye make up remover?

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Empties #15

All products in this post are cruelty free, how exciting!  What's more, they're all actually suitable for vegans too which is certainly a first!  I don't think I have much left which isn't cruelty free thankfully, just a few make up things which take ages to use up.  

Jason Volumizing Lavender Pure Natural Shampoo

Thoughts: This is a SLS free shampoo and it worked pretty well, had a good lather. I didn't notice it to be particularly volumising but I never do with shampoos to be honest! Suitable for vegans.  £5.59/454ml delivered here.
Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Possibly but I like to change up my hair care!

Jason Super Shine Apricot Pure Natural Conditioner

Thoughts: I decided to go wild and not get a matching conditioner... This smells really good, although combined with lavender it's an odd scent! Seems to work well enough, stops the tugs!  Suitable for vegans.  £5.59/454ml delivered here.
Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: See above!

Superdrug Crystal Anti-Perspirant Deodorant

Thoughts: This is the best cruelty free deodorant I've used so far. I'm not a big fan of aerosol sprays though and it does contain aluminium which isn't great but it will do for now! Suitable for vegans. £1.29/250ml here.
Cruelty-free?: Yes, BUAV Approved.
Repurchase?: Yes.

Neal's Yard Remedies Organic Eye Make-Up Remover

Thoughts: I had high hopes for this but I was quite disappointed! It didn't really work that well and had a very strong smell. I think I'll go back to The Body Shop's Camomile one! Suitable for vegans. £10.75/100ml here.
Cruelty-free?: Yes, BUAV Approved.
Repurchase?: No.

Lush Blackbery Bath Bomb (not pictured)

Thoughts: I really liked this bath bomb! Smells great and has a good fizz to it, it also contains frankincense and bergamot to clear the mind and induce a feeling of well-being. There's also a little surprise inside which is such a cute touch! Suitable for vegans. £2.99 here.
Cruelty-free?: Yes.
Repurchase?: Yes.

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NOTD: Jack the Lad

Cutecosmetics have currently got 25% off Butter London so obviously I had difficulty controlling myself!  I did very well though and only got two...  I went for Jack the Lad and the holographic Trustafarian.  So here I'm showing the the first one I've tried - Jack the Lad.

Jack the Lad is a dark forest green with gold, green and turquoise glitter through it.  It's a really pretty dark polish which is opaque with 2 coats although for the photos I had to use 3.  It reminds me of Wicked actually, maybe I'll wear this when I go to see it in May!

Butter London polishes are usually £12 but with 25% off they are £9 at the moment.

<3

Empties #14

Christmas has come and gone!  I had a lovely time with friends and family, and apart from work I wish it was Christmas Eve all over again!  Work wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but it was still pretty chaotic and I'm glad it's over; now the January lull has begun which is possibly even worse...  This year I will get a new job!

Herve Leger Femme Shower Gel

Thoughts: I really liked the perfume of this but used it up over a year ago.  I used to wear the perfume on nights out though so using the shower gel just brought back hazy memories of being steamin in clubs when I was like 19...

Cruelty-free?: No, from Avon.

Repurchase?: No.

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

Thoughts: I've technically not finished this yet, I just decanted it into a more user friendly squirty bottle.  I am a huge fan of toner but unfortunately not Liz Earle's, I find the scent too floral and overpowering for my liking.  £13.25/200ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes, BUAV Approved.

Repurchase?: It was a free sample but wouldn't buy it myself.

Dr Hauschka Deodorant in Floral 

Thoughts: I was quite disappointed by this deodorant actually.  I didn't like the smell, it was quite spicy and since it's not an antiperspirant, when I sweated I would just end up smelling as if I had really bizarre BO - not good!!  I was so glad to see the back of this one.  £11.95/50ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

REN Hydra-Calm Global Protection Day Cream

Thoughts:  Received this with my LoveLula order as you can choose 3 free sample to try if you spend over a certain amount.  I quite liked this moisturiser, it seemed to work fine and smelled really good.  £27/50ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Possibly but it's not cheap!

Benefit Erase Paste

Thoughts:  I bought this years ago when looking for the perfect under eye concealer.  I wasn't a fan of this one to be honest, it was too creamy and would crease and sit in the lines really easily.  I had to buy Powderflage to try and set it!  There's still a tiny bit left but I'd rather just bin it!

Cruelty-free?: No.

Repurchase?: No.

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The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

I discovered The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil on Katie's blog and really wanted to try it as she said it was approved by Caroline Hirons - excellent! - and she was using it as a pre-cleanse, or first step in a double cleanse, to remove make up which is just what I had been looking for.  Shortly after I went onto The Body Shop's website and as usual, they were having a sale so I picked up the cleansing oil for £6.50 instead of the full price of £10 which is for 200ml.

I've been using this almost every night to remove my make up, it even works brilliantly on eye make up.  I have been looking for my 'Holy Grail' eye make up remover for a while now and I think I've found it, even better that it's a normal cleanser so you don't need a separate product!

It has a handy pump on the top which makes it easy to dispense.  I use one pump and rub it over my entire face and eyes - particularly into eyelashes to remove mascara.  If I am feeling a bit lazy and not going to cleanse again afterwards then I will rinse with water - it emulsifies with water unlike a plain oil - and remove the excess with a damp flannel, then finish with toner and moisturiser.  I've had this for about a month now using it most days and I've still got loads left, I would definitely buy this again.

My only real complaint with this product is that the pump is a bit strong and if I don't cup my hand around it it will end up halfway across the bathroom!

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NOTD: All Hail The Queen

If you remember back to my recent wishlist post I said I would like another Butter London nail varnish to add to my lonely little Disco Biscuit, so the next time I was in Boots I picked up All Hail The Queen!  After quickly swatching it on my finger I was quite disappointed, it was so sheer and streaky, so it put me off trying it properly for a while.  However when I finally did I was quite pleased with how it turned out, after 3 coats that is!  You could probably get away with 2 coats if you are very careful to get them even.  All Hail The Queen is a neutral brown with a slight scattered holo through it which is really pretty.  It is quite similar to China Glaze Fast Track which you can see here which is lighter with gold shimmer instead.

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Tips for Going Cruelty Free

I've been cruelty free for the past few years now so I thought I would compile a little list of tips for anyone thinking of/going cruelty free.

• Start by having a big clear out of all your make up.  I like to try and use up and non-CF items and include them in my daily make up routine: powders, blushers etc.  Set yourself a challenge not to buy a new product until that one is finished/nearly finished.
• You don't need to bin all your 'bad' products.  I still have quite a few!  Things like blushers and eyeshadows can last for years so there's no point wasting them.  If you really want rid of them then have a blog sale or pass them onto friends.
• Don't feel guilty if you buy something then realise it's not CF.  It's so easily done, especially at the start.  When I started going CF I would quite often just buy something even though I wasn't sure and do the research afterwards, not ideal but it meant I could try the thing I wanted, and I'd know whether I could repurchase or not.
• Keep a list of companies who you've found to be cruelty free.
• Use the Leaping Bunny website to look for brands which are definitely CF.
• PETA Approved brands are not necessarily cruelty free, they don't do any proper checks into the companies suppliers etc.
• Email companies and ask them about their policies, it can be really confusing to start with but if you are struggling to understand them then it's probably best to stay clear!
• If a company sells in mainland China, they are NOT cruelty free.  Hong Kong have different rules I believe but I'm not 100% sure.

Have you got any tips for being or going cruelty free?

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Thoughts on Superdrug + Mini Haul

So ages ago I wrote this post about why I avoid Superdrug...  Incase you've not read it and can't be bothered, it's basically about how Superdrug give money to Cancer Research UK, who test on animals.  I know that animal testing for medical reasons is a whole different kettle of fish but I just think that it's a bit sneaky of them since a lot of vegans can shop there quite happily now, without realising they're contributing to this.  I know generally this won't bother most people but being cruelty free, I wasn't too pleased about it!  Since finding this out I have tried to avoid Superdrug but I haven't boycotted them completely. 

However, since discovering that Boots own brands aren't cruelty free I've struggled to find the cosmetic basics such as nail varnish remover, hair removal, hair dye etc.  So I've decided to go back to Superdrug for the time being and make use of their BUAV Approved own brands.  Obviously I'm still not loving the whole donating to charity part but never mind.  

Another reason is my deodorant dilemma!  Trying to find a cruelty free anti-perspirant that actually works is a bloody nightmare.  There are so many deodorants out there but they don't actually keep you dry, just make you smell nice instead...  I don't particularly want to go back to high street ones but if I need to I will.  I'm hoping that Superdrug can help me out with this!  I just wish they did stick deos though, those are my favourite!

~

On my most recent trip to Superdrug I bought a big can of deodorant for 99p - super cheap compared to Sure and the likes; some hair removal cream (£1.99) and some cheap wee body sprays (2 for 99p).  I'm sure you'll see all of these in my Empties posts at some point in the future, but if you would like me to review one or more in particular then just let me know!

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Nail Varnish Challenge #16

 

Okay I'm back on the Challenge again!  I have failed a little bit with the 'no buying new nail varnishes' part of it though haha oops.  I won 3 Models Own ones, bought another 2 and then bought an Illamasqua speckly one...

I'm really not sure about this one at all!  It looks okay from far away but I really don't enjoy the VNL (visible nail line - worse in real life too) and close up I feel like my nails look a bit diseased!  They are very shiny though which I do like.  While wearing this a lot of people commented on my nails!  They were sort of either "omg I love your nails!" or "what the F*CK is wrong with your fingers?!" haha!  I decided to remove it after only about 30 hours...

In case you haven't seen any of my other Clubworks nail swatches, they came in a Christmas set and don't actually have any names or numbers... so yeah, this is just the orange one!

I think this one might be going in the 'get rid of' box.

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Empties #10

I seem to have gone through quite a lot of products recently, it's not often I have one so soon after the last!  Also for a nice change, they're all cruelty free!

Organic Surge Blonde Boost Shampoo

Thoughts: No, I'm not exactly blonde but at the time on Naturissimo it was this one and another type which were available and the blonde one suited me best!  This was fine, SLS free which is good but still foamed well.  £5.99.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: I'd like to try other Organic Surge shampoos.

Organic Surge Blonde Boost Conditioner

Thoughts: No issues with this at all, worked well as a conditioner.  I found it so strange that although it cost £5.99 too you get a 50ml less than you do in shampoo!  However I still finished them both on exactly the same day, freaky!

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Same as above.

Lush The Comforter Bubble Bar

Thoughts: I love Lush's bubble bars and this is definitely one of my favourites.  It smells like blackberries and it's such a lovely, relaxing scent.  The bar itself is huge and you can get about 4 uses out of it, probably more if you cut it up in advance.  The Comforter is vegan.  £4.25 here. 

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Yes.

Montagne Jeunesse Juiced Orange Body Wash

Thoughts: The lovely girls at Beauty Without The Beasts included this little sachet in a goody box they sent me a while ago.  I hadn't tried any of Montagne Jeunesse body washes before and it was quite nice, but I'm not a huge fan of orange scent so I wouldn't buy it myself.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

The Body Shop Green Apple Bath & Shower Gel

Thoughts: I love apple scented things but I was a bit disappointed by this to be honest.  It was a very artificial scent and it actually reminded me more of Apple Sourz rather than actual apples - which isn't the best when you're showering with a hangover, boke.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

<3

Nail Varnish Challenge #14

#14 worn on index finger! 

#15 worn on all fingers except index

These two colours are from the Clubworks (Superdrug) set I got at Christmas.  They are both so similar, no idea why they didn't make them a little bit more different!  The one on the left is more purple, and the right one has a bit more red through it - it reminds me of a watermelon sort of colour for some reason!  I used that one on my index fingers and the left-hand side one on the rest of my fingers, it looks a lot more purple in real life... stupid camera!! At first glance, and especially in the photos, it looks like I have just the one colour on all of my nails.  They dry to a semi-matte finish but they become really nice and shiny with a coat of Seche Vite on top.

I'm finding it hard to decide whether to keep any or both of these... hmm! 

<3

I've added this rubbishy photo of chipped nails from my phone to give a more realistic representation of the colour!! 

The Buddha Beauty Company Facial Night Cream

I had been following The Buddha Beauty Company on twitter for quite a while because they are BUAV approved, but I hadn't actually tried any of their products.  A few months ago they offered to send products out for bloggers to try and I put myself forward.  I'm not sure what the others got but I was sent The Chamomile & Jasmine Facial Night Cream.  I was really pleased to receive this as the last night cream I bought (No7) burned my face a little bit...  Not the best.

I have had this since about February but obviously, as with all skincare items, I wanted to try it out for a while first to get an idea of how it works with my skin before reviewing it.

As well as being cruelty free, Buddha Beauty are also vegan and contain organic essential oils which is great!  They don't use SLS or parabens in their products, which I prefer to avoid when I can!  The night cream is £12 for 50ml and is available on a few different sites including their own here.  Unfortunately I can't seem to find the ingredients on their website so I've listed them for you below:

Aqua, Aloe barbadensis Leaf Juice, Borago officinalis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Anthemis nobilis Flower Extract, Lavandula angustifolia Flower Extract, Panax ginseng Root Extract, Symphytum officinale Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alcohol Denat, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylisothiazolinone.  

So firstly, this smells so good!  I was worried that the jasmine and camomile scent would be overwhelming but in fact it is lovely, and perfect for bedtime as it's so soothing and relaxing.  The cream itself feels nice on the skin, you don't need to use much and it doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy.  I also noticed that in the morning when I wash my face, I can't feel it sort of 'washing off' like I have done with other moisturisers - I have no idea what this means but it makes me think that it soaks in well and isn't just sitting on my face haha!

Personally I haven't noticed any big changes in my skin while using this but I have fairly normal skin with combination tendencies!  What I can say is that I have had a couple of small dry patches and they would clear up within 2 days, however I can't say definitively that the night cream alone cleared it up as I use a moisturiser in the morning, and my cleanser is hydrating too.

Overall I am really pleased I had the chance to try this, I think £12 is a great price and would definitely buy it myself.  Also I think it'll last ages as the photo above is quite recent and as you can see I've only just started to make a dent in it!  I'll be looking to The Buddha Beauty Company the next time I need some new skincare - which admittedly probably won't be for a rather long time!!  I had a snoop on their website and they also sell candles and bath bombs along side the usual skincare items.  Click here for The Buddha Beauty Company website - they have free UK delivery, yass!

Have you tried anything from Buddha Beauty?

If you have a review, feel free to leave the link below for me to read :)

<3

Nail Varnish Challenge #10

This is the lime green colour from my Clubworks nail varnish set, unfortunately it doesn't have a name but I think they were limited edition anyway!  I love this colour in the bottle but it's so sheer and has more of a jelly finish on the nail.  I don't like seeing my nail line, eurgh!  I might try it over a white next time to see if I can get a more opaque effect.

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Liz Earle Brow Pencil in Dark

Since using up my Une brow pencil I was determined to find one I would be happier with, I just found it too soft and I would need to sharpen it really often.  The soft nib makes it a lot harder to create a defined shape and makes it more smudgy!

I decided to go for the Liz Earle brow pencil in Dark as I really wanted to try out something from their make up range.  I looked up some reviews and they seemed pretty positive so I went for it.  Liz Earle were doing free delivery when you buy any item of make up at that time which was really lucky - I probably would have just waited until I was in a John Lewis otherwise, I'm so cheap!

The pencil cost £11 and it also comes in Light.  I went for Dark which matched my hair nicely, but I think they would do well to expand their colour range, to include red tones for example.

I have used it for just over a week now and I really like it.  It is quite hard, but not too hard - it allows you to create sharp lines easily, but also to fill in bigger areas quickly.

Eyebrows before - only wearing Soap & Glory Glow Job

Eyebrows after - make up completed

As you can see in the second picture I fill them in quite a lot!  I love filling in my brows and it really annoys me when people don't haha, it honestly makes such a difference!  This pencil allows me to do this quickly and accurately as I am always in a rush in the morning.

I would definitely repurchase this, and I recommend it to anyone looking to try out a new one.  The only thing I would say is that if you're not sure about the colour then go to a counter and try it out as it is quite expensive if you're not sure it'll suit.

<3

EU Ban on Animal Testing

I mentioned this in one of my recent posts so I thought I'd go into it in a bit more detail seeing as this is a major breakthrough and fits in with my blog!

This new law states that as of 11th March 2013 any products sold in the EU must not be tested on animals - finished products or ingredients.  Now, it is a bit confusing as there are loopholes and obviously the whole issue with China, but I came across a great post by Beauty Without The Beasts which is very informative and goes into all these details.

Click here to read the post!

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Valentine's Day Look

Soo unfortunately I managed to break my memory card a few nights ago - 16GB, soo gutted!!  I can't afford to buy a new one until next month so it's gonna be photos from my phone, or ones I took ages ago, for the time being I'm afraid!

Before I broke it, I did a Valentine's Day make up look for cutECOsmetics using Lime Crime and OCC products which they sell on their website (shown below).  For all the details visit cutECosmetics' blog here.  My post is the second of a series of guest posts by different bloggers using lots of their lovely cruelty free products, so I recommend that you follow them for those!

In other news, have you all heard about the ban on animal tested products in the EU from 11th March?!  It's such an achievement!  I am so looking forward to that date to see what a lot of companies do, because as far as I'm aware ones like L'Oreal will have to withdraw from China if they want to continue selling in the EU, since in China animal testing on cosmetics is mandatory.  I'm just wondering if I can go back to buying from companies I'd previously have avoided, when would it be 'safe' to do so, would I even want to??  So many questions!

What are your thoughts on the whole thing?

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