Update to the cruelty free list

The animal testing situation in China has recently become much clearer to me, and so after some research I have decided to move some brands from this list. The following brands have been removed:

Almay (Revlon)

American Beauty (Estee Lauder)

Bobbi Brown (Estee Lauder)

Bumble and Bumble (Estee Lauder)

Caudelie

Clinique (Estee Lauder)

Coach (Estee Lauder)

Donna Karan (Estee Lauder)

Elizabeth Arden

Estee Lauder

Flirt! (Estee Lauder)

Giorgio Armani

GoodSkin Labs (Estee Lauder)

Grassroots Research Labs (Estee Lauder)

Guerlain

Jo Malone (Estee Lauder)

Jurlique

La Mer (Estee Lauder)

L’Occitane

MAC Cosmetics (Estee Lauder)

Michael Kors (Estee Lauder)

Missoni (Estee Lauder)

Ojon (Estee Lauder)

Prescriptives (Estee Lauder)

Revlon

Tom Ford (Estee Lauder)

Tommy Hilfiger (Estee Lauder)

 

In light of these updates, any posts containing products from any of these brands will be removed from the blog.

Please note as well that though many Estee Lauder brands have been removed from the list, some were not listed on the PETA “Do Test” list (click here to see the list) and were therefore left on my list marked with an asterisk to show that they belong to a parent company that tests.

Most Worn Products Tag *Summer Edition*

I really enjoyed watching other people do this tag, so I have decided to turn it into a blog post. Hope you like it!

1) Most worn nail polish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It would probably have to be either OPI’s Lucern-tainly Look Marvelous or Wet n Wild’s Emblazed. Emblazed is a quite summery color, but the OPI color? Not so much… I think it was because the beginning of the summer the whether here in Germany was really super cold.

2) Most worn scent

Image courtesy of Sephora.com

I wore Dior Addict Eau Fraiche quite a bit, but more towards the end of the summer, I really like it. Apparently it has notes of bergamot, grapefruit, orange, freesia, lily of the valley, lotus flower, pineapple, watermelon, grenadine, sandalwood, and white musk, but honestly I wouldn’t know because I am terrible at describing scents. It is a very appropriate scent for summer, it is pretty light. I guess that’s from the floral notes? Anyway, it is beautiful.

3) Most worn hair product

Image courtesy of The Body Shop

Image courtesy of JohnFrieda.com

This is quite easy, The Body Shop Rainforest Shampoo for oily hair and the John Frieda detangling spray. Right now my hair is the healthiest it has ever been, and I am pretty sure it is down to one or both of these products. I cannot rep the Body Shop shampoo enough, I love everything about it. It is sulfate free but still manages to fully clean my hair, and smells phenomenal to boot (to see the full post, click here). The John Frieda detangling spray is pretty good as well, it does the job and smells quite good (and to see the full post for this one, click here).

4) Most worn bag

Image courtesy of Bloomingdales.com

Again, an easy one: I only really ever use one bag outside of school, and that is my Longchamp Le Pliage. I love it (obviously!), it is chic and timeless and goes with everything. It is also a good size for me; it fits everything I need to bring, without being too big. This is very important for me, because I tend to bring a lot of stuff so I need space, but if the bag is too big I will fill it with all kinds of crap that I would never need and I would give myself back problems.

5) Most worn shoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That would definitely be my flip-flops! I hate wearing socks, so as soon as the weather permitted I donned my sandals and hardly took them off after! I got this pair in Italy, from a shop called Scout. I am very impressed with them, they are extremely sturdy and they were only 10€!! When I walk my feet turn in, and I have wrecked so many pairs of shoes, both cheap and not so cheap. For these flip-flops to be in the condition that they are in after a whole summer of wearing them pretty much non-stop is nothing short of amazing.

6) Most worn accessory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My sunnies! These are my babies, they are oversized and gorgeous and just generally perfect! They are from Versace, and I feel like a movie star when I wear them.

7) Most worn clothing item

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I guess this would have to be my American Eagle top. This is one of my favorites out of all the tops that I have, I love how baggy it is as well and the pattern on the tie.

8+9) Most worn blush/bronzer and lip product

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have combined these two questions because the answer is the same for both of them. I have used MAC’s Costa Chic both on my lips and on my cheeks because it saves time and looks really nice! It also means less product I have to carry around with me to touch up.

10) Most worn mascara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I only use one mascara at a time, so this summer was still my Bourjois Volume Glamour Max mascara in its awesome hot pink tube.

11) Most worn eyeshadow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t really wear eyeshadow very much this season, I got really into smudgy eyeliner… my most worn eyeliner, though, would have to be the Body Shop eyeliner in Blue Smoke.

Well, that’s it, I hope you enjoyed my tag post!

Lilla’s Box of Treasures (LBT): June 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since June is my birthday month, this month’s LBT is formed predominately of birthday gifts. Nails do feature prominently, as I got a crapload of pretty polishes, and I just wanted to try them all out!

The Nailpolish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three nailpolishes which have been big this month are these three from OPI: Lucern-tainly Look Marvelous, Uh-oh Roll Down the Window, and Bogata Blackberry. Lucern-tainly Look Marvelous is a gunmetal grey with shimmer (see NOTD here), Uh-Oh Roll Down the window is a creamy army green, and Bogata Blackberry is a dark red with shimmer.

MAC Costa Chic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous coral which I have been wearing unashamedly pretty much every day. Since I got it almost halfway through the month, most days I have just been wearing some eyeliner (more on that in a bit) and this dabbed onto my lips. It is a perfect color for summer and complements my long sleeved shirts wonderfully. Yes, you read that right, guys. It has been like October in Germany for the past couple of weeks!

The Body Shop Eye Definer in Black

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently I have been going for  a darker, more smokey look than I normally wear, and have been really loving it! Well, I hardly go smokey at all, so it isn’t that much. I love how I can get defined, made-up eyes using only this eyeliner and a cotton bud. If you are looking for a creamy, black-black eyeliner this definitely isn’t it. However, it works very well for the purpose I have just described to you. Because it is so hard and not creamy, I find that it is much quicker and easier to get the smokey, smudged out look I was going for. This was the one product out of this post that I did not get for my birthday!

The Ice Watch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This watch is the medium-sized watch (I believe). It is white with a graphite-colored face and a black Swarovski crystal on the windy bit that you use to change the time with. I was never a big watch-wearer, but I really love this watch! It is the perfect size for me, and I love the face and the crystal. I am a thoroughly happy bunny 🙂

The Bracelet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last but not least I have a product that shouldn’t really be here because I have absolutely no clue where it is from , but I had to include it anyway because I have been wearing it everyday since I got it along with my watch. It is a really delicate gold chain, with bejewelled bobbles placed at intervals around it. It is so delicate and feminine, I really love it. It’s funny, because it is one of those cases where it is an item I would never have picked up myself (I normally go for huge, loud, in-yo-face jewellery, and rings mostly), but I really love it and how it looks on and basically everything about it.

What To Do About China

**UPDATE** Urban Decay has decided to pull out of the Chinese market, see post here.

So as you may know, the cruelty-free world has had some controversial news: some highly respected cruelty-free companies such as Estee Lauder (owners of many brands, including MAC and Bobbi Brown) and Urban Decay are expanding into China. “So what?” you ask. Chinese law allows the government to test products going onto the market without the knowledge of the companies, according to Urban Decay’s press statement. And yeah, those would be animals they would be testing on. This has pretty much pissed off a bunch of people that supported the brands because they were cruelty-free. I don’t really like the fact that these products in China may have been tested on animals at some point (Urban Decay still does not test on animals themselves, but by expanding into the Chinese market they open themselves up to the risk), but I also see this as a good opportunity, as does Urban Decay. As I have said before, I do not want my money being used to test on animals. However, I do want my money to go for making a change in the way things are run. Apparently the Chinese market is a very closed market, so the only way to change the policies regarding animal testing would be from within. From what I have heard, it seems like Chinese consumers really don’t think about it at all, there is very little awareness of the horrible things that are done in the name of beauty. I am willing to support these companies expanding into China if they will try to promote cruelty-free testing methods to the Chinese government. And according to their press statement, that is exactly what they plan to do. OK, so Urban Decay is going to try to work some changes, but is Estee Lauder? I have not found a statement regarding promoting change in China in particular (it may exist, though, I just haven’t come across it), but in the FAQ section of their website where they state their policy regarding animal testing, they do stress the point that they work hard to promote alternative testing methods. There really cannot be enough promotion out there, so if a company is doing their fair share, I am not going to boycott them and endanger their campaigns.

And China is already starting to change. PETA sent out a press release that stated that the Chinese government is in the last stages of approving their first-ever non-animal test for cosmetic ingredients, and are working with scientists from the Institute of In-Vitro Sciences, a program which PETA supports. Whether this step has anything to do with Urban Decay or Estee Lauder is hard to say, but nevertheless it is still great. If nothing else, this is a brilliant stepping stone for the companies to use to jump-start their campaigns.

I, for one, am willing to continue to support these companies, but you may not. It is your decision to make, and I am not going to push anything on you, I merely ask for you to do your research before you condemn anyone. For those that have decided to revoke support of these companies, in my list of non-animal-testing companies, I have specially marked out all the brands who have expanded into China, or are owned by a company expanding into China. Where possible, I will suggest alternatives from brands who have not expanded into China, so no matter what your beliefs on the subject, you can still look and feel fabulous.

PETA Press Release:

http://www.peta.org/mediacenter/news-releases/China-Poised-to-Accept-First-Ever-Non-Animal-Test-Method-for-Cosmetics.aspx

Urban Decay Press Statement (found on Temptalia.com)

http://www.temptalia.com/urban-decay-press-statement-animal-testing-and-china

Urban Decay Chinese Expansion Q&A (also on Temptalia)

http://www.temptalia.com/qa-with-urban-decay-a-follow-up-on-animal-testing-and-entry-into-china

Estee Lauder Animal Testing Policy

http://www.esteelauder.co.uk/cms/customer_service/faqs.tmpl#companytest

Lilla’s Box of Treasures (LBT): May 2012

As the month of May draws to a close I would like to draw your attention to a couple of products that I have really reached for this month.

MAC Eyeshadow in Quarry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have really been neglecting my eye makeup recently (the result of warmer weather, extreme laziness, and the sudden fascination for bright lipsticks, which I unfortunately am not brave enough to wear to school), but when I have done something with my eyes, it often involves this color. One of my biggest pet peeves in the world of beauty (or anywhere, really) is an overly dark crease color. I don’t think having a brown line in your eye socket is attractive, and it sure as hell isn’t fooling anyone when it comes to eye depth. To me, Quarry is the perfect color. A beautiful soft purple-y brown (I don’t think the camera is quite picking up on that), it is subtle enough that it can actually look like a naturally shadowy socket, but does still provide a unique color. I also sometimes use it as an all-over lid color for a subtle and polished eye look (a nice partner for bright lips, for instance), or to blend out the edge of Urban Decay’s Sidecar eyeshadow. As for quality it is a very nice, smooth texture, and provides the perfect amount of pigmentation for a crease/blending color. I really do recommend this shade; it is a very versatile and unique eyeshadow that you can always depend on.

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer in Genius in the Bottle

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have only recently acquired this color, and I have been really enjoying it! It is a beautiful color, one of the many dupes of Chanel Peridot. I have gotten a ton of compliments on this nail polish, and actually a couple of friends bought this shade after borrowing mine, so expect some drooling if you choose to wear it ;).

Wet n’ Wild Megashine Nail Color in 437F Emblazed 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To me this is the perfect summer color: a gorgeous true coral, even if it doesn’t show up on camera as such (it is actually less orange in real life). I currently have this on my toes, and it looks amazing! Another amazing thing: the price (somewhere under $2, I believe…)!

Labello Soft Rose Chapstick

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s just talk about lifesavers for a minute. Along with my face, my lips have been so dry recently. And then, of course, I went and lost my Carmex. I was not amused. So of course I had to trek down to my local drugstore and pick up another chapstick, and I picked up another one of these guys. Well, two of these guys, as they came in a two-pack for a grand total of €1.99 (!). The color provided is really sheer, NOTHING like the Revlon lip butters, but when applied they just give you the prettiest your-lips-but-better lip color imaginable.

Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Lotion SPF 15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been getting pretty sunny this month, especially now towards the end, so sun protection is getting to be really important (click here to see more about sun protection). This has made it really easy for me to just throw on some protection without needing a separate facial sunscreen. In addition, my skin has been especially dry recently (normally it’s combination, but it has been just flat-out dry), and this also has really helped that.

Clarins Moisture-Rich Body Lotion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, I have been into skincare this month, more so than usual (skincare normally comes as an afterthought to makeup for me). I have been really into this moisturizer this month, because it is fabulous. It is so super nourishing; my dry scaly legs just love to soak it up. Good thing too, considering I have to expose them now that it is warm…

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioning Spray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been looking for a good detangling spray to use on my rat’s nest after coming out of the shower. Apparently your hair is super-vulnerable when it is wet, so you’re not supposed to yank a hairbrush through it at that point. Oops. Anyway, that’s where this spray comes in: you spray it in your hair, and voila, your brush just slides right on through with no problems whatsoever. I was also very excited to see that it comes with heat protection, so I can blast my hair with a hairdryer and not feel bad. Is it bad that this makes me so excited…?