Household Empties #2

Hello!  This is the second instalment of the household empties post so let me know if you want to see more.  I thought I'd just mention a change that my blog is going through, you might have noticed that I've taken down my cruelty free lists!  This is simply because since moving down south and having a pretty stressful job my blog has suffered, so my cruelty free lists have been neglected.  I decided to take them down and go through each brand and give it a good overhaul to avoid providing outdated and false information!  However, I still don't have much free time at the moment so please bear with me until it's all sorted!

Household Empties

I'm not sure whether to make a series out of this style post but just wanted to test the water with it!  I thought it would be quite interesting to do some mini reviews of household items.  Now that I have moved out I can make sure all the products I buy are cruelty free and I'm enjoying trying out lots of brands that are available!  Let me know you found it helpful and would like to see more of this post!

Empties #17

I finally have my broadband sorted!  It's been an absolute nightmare, honestly!  So hopefully that should be me back for good now.  I'm hoping to do one post a week until I get back into the swing of things.  

Also Manchester is now my nearest city so I definitely wanting to get involved in the blogging community here so if anyone who has any info on that then let me know :)

Superdrug Anti-Perspirant Deodorant in Soft Pink

Thoughts: This is my 3rd can I think but the first one in this fragrance.  I really don't like it and won't be buying it again!  It smells very powdery and horrible, it makes me choke!  The deo itself is fine, the best I've used so far but definitely on the lookout for something better - and preferably in stick form!  £1.29/250ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Already have, but a different smell!

Giovanni Triple Tee Tree Treat Invigorating Conditioner

Thoughts: This conditioner is really nice.  It smells so lovely and refreshing, a little bit tingly too - in a good way!  No complaints on the functionality of it, detangled and smoothed well.  £7.99/250ml here - currently not available.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Possibly at some point.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish (not sure how I missed photographing it!)

Thoughts: I love that Liz Earle give you some sort of sample like this one with every order! So generous!  I got this one when I bought my eyebrow pencil I think.  I'm terrible for using skincare religiously but I was getting pretty good with this one.  I would take off my eye make up then use this in shower in the evening for removing the rest of my face make up.  Luckily I've got a full size one to go onto next which should last me a while - I won it on Twitter, yay!  £14.75/100ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Yes.

No7 Luminate Radiance Serum

Thoughts: I was using this to mix in with my tinted moisturiser as it gives a nice sheen to the skin.  I definitely wouldn't call this a skincare product like a serum, it's basically just a light all over highlighter.  Worn alone it looks a bit glittery which is why I started mixing it with TM - to try and use it up to be honest!

Cruelty-free?: No, thought it was at the time!

Repurchase?: No but wanted something similar, got a Soap & Glory one however there are now disputes on their cruelty free status as the policy on their website has changed!

Liz Earle Smudgeproof Mascara

Thoughts: I did quite like this mascara but it's still not amazing, and a bit pricey for something pretty average.   Currently using a Too Faced one which I am quite liking so hoping to get a review up for that one soon. £14.50/8ml here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

<3

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.

<3

MUA Pro-Base Conceal & Brighten

I've been using this for a good few months now and I've actually really been enjoying it!  I bought it on a whim when my last concealer was running out and as it was not CF I couldn't repurchase.  It was only £3.50 from Superdrug so I figured if it was rubbish it wouldn't matter too much.  The shade I purchased is Porcelain.

It doesn't actually specify what each one is used for but I use the left hand side one for under my eyes; the middle one for any blemishes or redness; and the right hand side one I steer well clear of!  The LHS one is great as it has a peachy tone which helps cover dark circles, it's almost exactly the same colour and consistency of Mac NW20 Studio Finish Concealer which is what I was using before.  The middle one is pretty much the same colour as my skin which is incredibly lucky!  Onto the last one... apparently this is a highlighter?!  You can see the glittery pieces reflecting in the photo but it's just so dark, why would you use a highlighter darker than your skin tone, doesn't that defeat the purpose haha?  The only way I've been able to use it is as a cream blush but even then I'm not keen on it.  However when it's £3.50 for a huge 11g of product I am quite happy to sacrifice one third!

I find that it seems to last quite well and doesn't crease under my eyes which is somewhat miraculous!  I set it with Benefit Powderflage (not CF and discontinued I believe?) and for the rest of my face I just use whatever powder I'm using - currently ELF Translucent Matte Powder.

I am still on the look out for another concealer as the the ingredients in this aren't great - contains parabens.  However if I am stuck it's something I know works for me and I can fall back on it.

Any cruelty free concealer recommendations?

<3

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!

<3

Paperbacks & Beauty Facts: Summer Favourites

Some of the items I've been loving this summer!

<3

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.

<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!! 

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.

<3

Clubworks: Got It Nailed Nail Decoration Set

I've mentioned this little set in a few posts.  I received this (along with another 2 sets) from my Secret Santa at work which is amazing because they are BUAV Approved so either it was lucky or they know me quite well!  As far as I can tell Clubworks is a Superdrug brand, although I have never actually seen it in store.  I think that it is a limited edition brand they bring out every Christmas, so apologies if you like the look of this and can't find it - you never know, it might be lurking around in a sale corner somewhere!

I have already worn the green on the far left which you can see here.  These colours are lovely and bright; this is with two coats, no topcoat.  They apply very well considering their price (the Secret Santa budget was £10).  My only complaint is with the two purpley shades, I think instead of the middle pink, they should have included a more neon pink to create more of a difference between the two.

Has anyone heard of this brand, or tried anything from them?

<3

NOTD: Emerald Green

This is one of the nail varnishes from one of the Clubworks set I got from my secret Santa at work.  I went for this colour as I had recently heard about how the Pantone colour for 2013 is emerald green.  My camera really made the colours go funny so I added a couple to try and show the true colour, the best ones are those in the middle.

It isn't completely opaque and has a sort of semi-jelly finish and it applied quite well considering it would have been quite cheap.  I used two coats for these photos.

I didn't find that it lasted very well but I went to work the day after applying it which is really tough on my nails, and then over the next few days it peeled off half a nail at a time!  However, again, considering the whole set (6 plus nail file and stickers) probably wouldn't have cost more than £4 I think it's not too bad.

I am going to do swatches of all the colours in the set on a nail wheel very soon.

<3

What's In My [Kit] Bag?

As promised here is a breakdown of what is in my makeup kit bag for college at the moment.  You will notice there is a lot of Bobbi Brown in it which is because that is what they made us buy for our starter kit - don't even get me started, I think it is ridiculous and horrendously overpriced, especially for practicing on each other!!!  I would not buy Bobbi Brown ever again, it was only because we were basically forced to... This pile of shit skinned me £350 *deep breaths*

Anyway, enough moaning and onto the kit!  To make things easier I have put (CF) beside items which are cruelty free as there are a lot in here which aren't.

I got the bag from eBay for about £17 but I kind of wish that I just splashed out for the £30 Charles Fox one as I feel like this won't really last and the strap is actually sewed on squint...  Joys of eBay!

In The Pockets...

1. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15 in Golden 6 
2. Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation SPF 15 in Warm Sand 2.5 
3. Bobbi Brown Moisture Rich Foundation SPF 15 in Porcelain 0
4. Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer in Medium

1. Bobbi Brown Lip Color Sandwash Pink 22
2. Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss in Black Ruby 8
3. Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Ballet Pink

1. Benefit They're Real Mascara
2. YSL Touché Eclat
3. ELF Eyelid Primer
4. Surgical Spirit in a recycled Lush bottle!
5. Victoria Jackson Show Off Lip Compact

On The Inside...

I've got a few smaller bags inside to keep everything nice and neat, then bigger things just float about loose in the bag.

1. Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Compact Foundation in Beige 3 
2. Bobbi Brown Oil-Free Even Finish Compact Foundation in Warm Ivory 1
3. Bobbi Brown Bronzer/Blush Duo - Bahama Brown & Pink Peony
4. Coastal Scents 10 Blusher Palette (CF but their brushes aren't)
5. Kryolan Loose Setting Powder (CF)

In this bag I have my powder puff (I use this when resting my hand on people's skin when doing eyeliner to stop me smudging their base), mascara spoolies (I clearly need some more haha!), spatulas, pointy cottonbuds and a pencil sharpener.

In the other bag I have makeup wipes (CF), lip balm (CF), eye makeup remover (CF), cleanser (CF), toner (CF - it's Lush!), eye cream, moisturiser and hand sanitiser. 

I've not labelled these are there's just so many!!  Most of them are just my own which I've got in sets at Christmas and never use...  If there's one in particular you're wondering about just let me know in the comments and I can tell you what it is! 

1. The Body Shop Shimmer Waves (CF)
2. Bobbi Brown Blush in Slopes 17
3. Kryolan Classic Lip Mini Palette (CF)
4. Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Powder Pink 6

Lastly I have Kryolan Dermacolor Mini Palette in Fair (CF) which I used to do a tattoo cover-up in this post, and a very cheap and cheerful MUA light pressed powder (CF).

So there you go!  I think I will also do a post on sanitising products as that is a very important part of being a makeup artist and also helpful for your own items, especially if you are prone to breakouts.

<3

Superdrug Update

In my post about Superdrug I said I'd find out whether this was still continuing and I had a look on their website and came across this:

Since 2006 we have been working to raise fund and awareness to support charities which work on skin cancer campaigns. We have worked with the Institute of Cancer Research, the Teenage Cancer Trust and CRUK and this year will see us exceed raising over £1 million for skin cancer charities over the last six years.

Which can be found here, and pretty much answers the question, unfortunately they are still doing it and are not showing signs of stopping any time soon!

Complimentary cat photo!

 <3

Why I try to avoid Superdrug...

I have mentioned in a few posts and on twitter recently that I try to avoid Superdrug and understandably I've had people asking me why, so I am writing this to explain why!

I found out last summer through CCTV for Slaughterhouse's facebook page that although BUAV approved, Superdrug were raising money and donating it to charities such as Cancer Research UK and The Institute of Cancer Research who both use animal testing in their medical research.  This seems very hypocritical to me and is annoying that BUAV don't take this into account (they also don't take parent companies stance on animal testing into consideration).

So sent Superdrug the following email using their contact link:

I am just writing to you to say how pleased I was when your own brands were BUAV approved - which is fantastic.  However I am now very disappointed to discover that you are raising money to donate to charities which use animal testing in the medical field (Cancer Research UK, The Institute of Cancer Research).  I find this very hypocritical and if you really believe that testing on animals is wrong then you should not be contributing to these institutions who believe that animal testing is excusable.  It is also unethical for you to be using people who are against animal testing’s money to pass it on to companies who do so.  This is completely unfair, and in my honest opinion just plain vulgar.  I really hope you review your decision and in the future donate to cruelty free charities instead.  Until then I am very sorry to say I will be boycotting all your products.
Sincerely,
Louise Brown

Please feel free to copy and paste this if you want to contact them yourself!

And here is the reply I received:

Dear Miss Brown,

Thank you for your email enquiry regarding Cancer research UK.

Superdrug supports Cancer Research UK as part of its campaign to educate customers on the dangers of skin cancer and the ways this disease can be avoided by taking some simple steps during the summer.  Rates of skin cancer are increasing each year in the UK and we believe that offering our customers the expertise and advice of the country’s biggest charity cancer research UK, is vital to help stop this growth.

Neither Superdrug or its own brand manufacturers commission animal testing on any of its own brand products or ingredients.  All Superdrug’s own brand beauty and health products carry accreditation from the BUAV.

Thank you for contacting Superdrug.


Kind Regards
Miss S Berry
Superdrug Customer Relations

Which in my opinion is a load of crap.  How about you stop selling low factor sunscreen (pointed out to me by one of the wonderful members of the facebook group “CCTV for all slaughterhouses”)?  Why don’t you do your own research and find a cruelty free charity to support?  By advocating a cruelty free charity I am sure they would gain a lot more of support from various groups!  I am pretty shocked by their sheer ignorance to be honest.  I know that there are a lot of people who shop there for the sole reason that they are cruelty free and vegan, so taking these people's money and putting it towards the very thing that they are against?  They have been ‘unliked’ and ‘unfollowed’ by me!  I urge you to email them if you agree with me - they need to know that this is wrong!

Admittedly, I have bought a couple of things from Superdrug since I found out about this, but I did use my points so only had to pay for a pound of it!  I am buying a lot less than what I would be buying anyway!

Also this was last year so I am not 100% sure if they are still doing this, but considering it is coming up to summer again the chances are that they are.  I will look into this!  Click here for an update.

Thanks for reading, a very boring wordy post again boo!!

 

Cute kitty picture!

<3

*EDIT: I no longer avoid Superdrug as buying cruelty free is tough enough as it is, however if there is an easy alternative I will try to use it!*

MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 23

So here is the nail varnish I mentioned in my recent haul post.  I am very impressed with it I have to say, the colour is really nice and it was almost opaque in one coat.  Please note my ring finger nail went a bit wrong, I applied a shimmery top coat, then Seche Vite, but I didn't leave it long enough to dry and then I rubbed it...

Unfortunately I can't comment on how long-lasting the nail varnish is because my nails don't take it very well and they always chip within about 2/3 days, no matter what brand or what top coat I use.  It's very irritating!

Overall I would definitely recommend this, especially as it's £1!!!  I've never tried any of the other ones but I've found that cream ones tend to have better coverage than pearls or shimmers so I did consciously avoid them.  It would be interesting to try them.  But as Superdrug are still on my Naughty List I won't be able to try any more for the time being!

<3

Things I bought today even though I have no money and really shouldn’t have:

Today was payday, yippeeee!!  So I decided to treat myself with a wee shopping trip because I have literally not bought any clothes other than wedding pieces for a looong time, last thing I bought was one top for a night out at the end of January, and before then… who knows!
Unfortunately even though I got paid I am still broke so it was Primark for me!  I got a few bits so here they are :)

 I found this shirt just lying in a random stand (as you do in Primark!) and loved it, especially the back.  It is quite long on me, I’m only 5’4 so not a big fan of long things but never mind, I can see past it!  Luckily the size I found fitted me fine, it was a 6 and I’d usually take an 8 but it was quite big and baggy. Cost £10.

 One can never have too many white shirts! Cost £10.

 This little aztec print mini skirt caught my eye once I thought I’d finished clothes shopping of course!  I haven’t tried it on properly (I shimmied on over my jeans, all myself, what an embarrassment!) so it might end up going back if it doesn’t fit - hope it does though, love the colours!  Cost £4.

 Lastly I got this pair of bright orange shorts.  If you know me well in person you will probably know that I’ve been quite obsessed with the colour orange recently…  So I obviously couldn’t resist these!  They also had a navy pair and I was torn between them until my friend reminded me that I already have a pair of navy shorts, so I went for orange.  The material has a sheen to it which you can see reflected the flash in the photo.  Cost £10.

I also went to Superdrug because I really wanted to look at MUA and GOSH stuff, and I had some points to spend on my beauty card so I figured it wouldn’t be too bad going, even though I am still pretty much boycotting them (excuses, excuses!).  I got MUA blusher in shade 6 because obsessed with berry blush - I have about 3 on the go at the moment!  It is really lovely and smooth, very finely milled considering it costs a pound, A POUND!!!!  Then I saw the MUA nail varnish in a khaki green colour and I don’t have any colours like that, and for a pound again, you can’t really go wrong.  Finally I was having a look in clearance section and came across this eyeliner in Bananas (love it!) by GOSH for £2 so I got that thinking it might be a nice waterline colour for when white is just too white.  It came to £4 and I could use £3 of my points so I think that wee selection isn’t too bad for £1!  Also, you still get points… when you spend your points… mind blown!  Damn you Superdrug, I wish I wasn’t boycotting you!
Okay I am done… Well done if you made it through that, or at least looked at the pictures ;)

<3