Cruelty Free Everyday Winter Makeup - 2016

I have an office job and I like to wear makeup. The combination of these means that I'm drawn to very wearable and quick to apply makeup looks that not only look nice but are also fairly neutral. I've been wearing this combination of products on my face almost every single day this month and I think it is a very lovely classic look which would suit a range of complexions.

Rather than showing you each of the products I used, I'm just going to show you the finished face and I'll also talk you through some of the themes of the look that I've gone for, so you can recreate it using the makeup you already own. It goes without saying that all the products I've used are cruelty free, however, so I will make a note of some of my favourites.

The first element of this makeup look that I'd like to mention is my blush. This is a much more blush-heavy look than my usual but I think it works great for warming up my face in the colder months (figuratively, if not literally). The blush I'm wearing is farily purple toned, so it gives a berry-hue, and it has a satin finish, which just adds a little extra dimension to my face.

The next element of my face that I want to focus on are my brows. I recently invested in the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown and I've been loving it. It is so quick and easy to use and it has really helped me shape my brows. Similarly to my blush, I fill my brows a little more in the colder months. This is partly because I wear high necks, scarves, and hats in the winter, so creating something bolder and more structured on my face stops me from getting lost in all that material.

My eyeshaddow is another element that had deepened with the colder weather. Rather than the pale peach nude of autumn, I've transitioned into a light grey. I also run a darker grey through my crease, which again gives me that little more dimension. The closer to Christmas it gets, the more glitter I'll introduce into this look but, for the time being, matte has been my way forward.

The final element of this look is, of course, the lips. I'm using Kat Von D's Lolita, which I have been loving. This is a really build-able liquid lipstick and I just run the lightest layer over my lips to give them a super natural hint of colour. This lipstick perfectly complements the purple tone in my blush and really finishes the look - for me at least!

Let me know what you think of this makeup look! What's your 'go-to' winter face at the moment?

Cruelty Free Beauty Favourites - Winter 2016

Like most people, my skin changes wildly between winter and summer. I am such a summer child and my skin love that vitamin D. Not only do I generally have much clearer skin in the summer but the sun also appears to calm down my skin condition, too. In the winter it is a different story. Being sat in a office with the heating on all day really exacerbates the natural oiliness of my skin, so I find myself having to take lots of steps to counteract this. However, the cold air outside really dries me out, especially my lips and hands, so I'm constantly applying moisturiser to counteract this. This year I've bought a handful of new products to try and get me through this conflicting winter skin and I've been really enjoying them so far - so I thought I'd share them with you.

The first product that I've been loving is the Arbonne FC5 Oil Absorbing Day Lotion with SPF 20. This is significantly more expensive than my usual moisturiser choices but it is also by far and away my favourite cruelty free moisturiser to date. It applies really nicely and leaves my skin feeling smooth and soft, without feeling greasy. My one issue with this moisturiser is that it claims to leave a matte appearance, which it certainly does not. I am yet to find an SPF product which is also matte and I just kind of wish that products like this would stop making this claim! Other than that, I love this product and will definitely be re-purchasing.

The second product is Superdrug's Clearly Youthful AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cream Cleanser. I became interested in this product range after seeing a post from Steph several months ago and this was one of the products I picked up. I use it at night, after my coconut oil cleanse, the remove any of the residual grease and makeup that might be on my face - and I have to say that I've really noticed a difference in my skin! When I first started using this product I was having a lot of issues with uneven skin on my forehead - this has practically gone away. I actually need to repurchase this, since I'm almost out, but it's got a big thumbs up from me! The only thing to note about this product is that it is an acid exfoliant, so you do need to use SPF after. 

I popped into Boots a couple of weeks ago and saw they had a sale on Soap and Glory skincare, so I thought I'd give them a try! The first product that caught my eye was this Total Drama Clean Magnetizing Miceller Make Up Remover. This comes in a huge pink bottle and it smells very sweet - almost too sickly for my liking but I know plenty of people would love this. I use this on days when I'm too lazy to use coconut oil, as well as when I've been travelling, and it does a fairly decent job. It's probably the best miceller water I've tried so far (I'm probably going to do a cruelty free comparison post about this soon) but it's by no means the miracle worker that I hear about from other, non-cruelty free products. 

The second Soap and Glory product I bought was their Scrub Your Nose In It Facial Scrub. I love the packaging of this - the tube is more like a toothpaste tube than a traditional plastic packaging, which makes it super easy to get every single bit of product out! I also much prefer the smell of this product - it's a lot fresher and cleaner than most other Soap and Glory stuff. It comes out in the same green which is on the packaging and it is a very finely gritty formula. This really makes it feel like its getting right into my pores - without feeling harsh on my skin. What's more, this grit is a diatomaceous earth mix, which means that it isn't going to be super nasty for the environment either! I use this scrub in the shower each morning. 

The final product that I picked up and have been really enjoying is this Boots Tea Tree and Witch Hazel with Active Charcoal Facial Mask. I've been looking for  new face mask for a while, so I thought I'd give this one a shot. I've only used it a handful of times, so I can't say for certain how amazing it is or isn't, but I've been liking the results so far. It's not as obviously oil-pulling as other masks that I've used but it defiantly leaves my skin feeling softer and smoother, which is always a bonus.

This has all bee very face focused, so I'd like to give a quick shout out to the other prodict which has been helping me through the winter. When my lovely Katie told me that Palmer's was cruelty free I was super happy, as they were a brand I had loved before but had assumed were not cruelty free. If I'd looked a little closer, I would have seen that it said 'Against Animal Testing' right there on the package! I've been loving their Intensive Relief Hand Cream and actually need to buy a new tube because I've almost completely ran out! I massage a big dollop of this into my hands (focusing on my cuticles) every night before bed, letting it full soak in through the night, so I wake up with ultra-soft hands. I'm actually going to get an extra tube of this to have in the office at work, too!

I'd also like to mention the LaVanila Healthy Deodorant. This is one of the most hyped products in the natural and cruelty free community, so when I went to New York I knew I had to pick it up. I really like it and have been getting on with it so far, although I think I might struggle in the summer when things get a little sweatier. I've got it in the Lavender Vanilla scent, which has a nice mix of herbal and sweet for me, but I think I might invest in the Sports Luxe version for the warmer/sweatier months!

What have been your cruelty free favourites so far this winter?

Cruelty Free Own Brand Spotlight: Superdrug

One of the biggest things I hear when I tell people that I only buy cruelty free hair, beauty, and skin care products is 'Isn't that expensive?' I think it is because most people associate cruelty free with Lush. This simply isn't the case and, although Lush is a great cruelty free brand, it certainly isn't the only cruelty free brand out there. In fact, if you're not part of the cruelty free community, you'll probably be surprised about how many own brands are cruelty free.

I got the inspiration for this series from my friend Sally (thanks!) and today I thought I'd highlight one of my favourite (and one of the biggest) cruelty free brands out there: Superdrug.

The first thing to say about Superdrug is that they have lots of sub-ranges, which means that you have loads of choice. If you're unsure about whether a product is cruelty free or not, look out for the 'Superdrug star'.

This little star is featured on most of Superdrug's own brand range - with the exception of B. B. is Superdrug's makeup and skincare range and its products are slightly more expensive than the rest of the range.

I've tried out a variety of Superdrug own brand products, so I thought I'd give a little overview about each category here. I'll be delving back into my blog archive for this, so sorry if the picture quality is a little hit and miss!

Hair - This is the one aspect of the Superdrug own brand range that is yet to impress me. The shampoo was fine, the conditioner was meh, and the mousse was so bad I actually threw it out after only a couple of uses.

Body - I've been impressed with both the body wash and the moisturiser in Superdrug's range. The body was is perhaps a tad on the watery side but they have a good range of scents and it is very reasonably priced. The all-body moisturiser I've tried has been great and I actually need to re-purchase soon. I'm also going to mention the dental floss in this section, as I don't know where else to talk about it. I really got on with the whitening floss and I've been meaning to repurchase for a few weeks now - it's by far the best cruelty free floss I've used as it doesn't break up in between my teeth!

Skincare - I've had mixed results with the skincare range, but there are a few products that my face has really loved. I get on very well with the Tea Tree exfoliating scrubs and they are definitely some of my most repurchased products. I've also really liked the B. exfoliator, but it has micro-beads so I won't be purchasing it. I've had less success with the moisturiser, but for many years (pre-coconut oil) the Vitamin E eye makeup remover was my go-to.

Make-Up - As I said, Superdrug's make-up falls under the B. brand. I've had mixed results with the brand, but I really like their pressed powders and bronzers. I know my sister likes their lipsticks (although I find they lack staying power) and she rates their nail polish too. My stand-out product has to be their eye shimmers though, and there was a VERY long phase where they were my go-to daily product. In fact, I might just search them out again, now that the festive season is upon us.

#reviewsdaytuesday: NYX HD Concealer

I am forever on the hunt for a good cruelty free under-eye concealer that doesn't crease, vanish, or break the bank, so when I found this I thought I had hit the jackpot. I bought this NYX HD Concealer in the shade 03 about a month and a half ago. For the first fortnight (or even three weeks) I loved it. It was the perfect brightening shade, it applied really nicely, and it barely creased. However, this all changed about two weeks ago when I started noticing it oxidising really quickly on my face.

You can just about tell from these photos (it doesn't show up very clearly on camera) but the first is take 5 seconds after applying and the second about 10 seconds after that:

It goes from this lovely pink-nude colour to a super orange tone that is darker than my skin tone (under my eyes) and looks more like fake tan than brightening concealer! I've still been using it because it seems silly not to, but I can't lie and say that I'm overly impressed.

I do have a theory why this is happening, though. The concealer doesn't travel very well and on the way home from America the lid came free of the applicator, like so:

I think this means that I can't tighten the lid back on as much as I would like, allowing air to get into the product. It should look like this:

This isn't my only NYX concealer this has happened to; I also bought an colour correcting concealer in shade 10 and the same thing happened to it.

So, overall, I like the coverage and the fact that it doesn't crease super badly. It also gets on well with my mascara, so I don't end up with mascara smudge under my eyes. I also like the colour, pre-oxidisation. I'm just a touch disappointed that it travels so poorly - has anyone else had this problem? Please let me know, I can't be the only one!

Cruelty Free Autumn Make-Up Look

Since it's a Sunday and I actually have time to take photos and write a post, I thought I'd share with you my current go to autumn make-up look. Obviously, it is all cruelty free and its pretty much been what's on my face since the weather got cold.

This is the finished look. It's very minimal on the eyes and neutral but bold on the lips. I like a bit of highlight on the cheek and brow bone, and I've got a touch of bronzer on the outer edges of my face too.

After applying moisturiser, the first thing I put on my face is concealer. I don't have a huge problem with spots at the moment, so this just slaps on under my eyes. I'm actually going to do a reviewsdaytuesday (remember those?) on this NYX HD Concealer in shade 03, as I have super mixed feelings about it.

I set this with a touch of Gosh BB Powder in 06. I also sweep this over my forehead, down my nose, and on my chin.

I then swish a bit of bronzer over the outer edges of my face and on my cheeks. I juts feel it gives me a little more dimension and allows me to pretend that it's still summer. This is Makeup Revolution Ultimate Bronzer.

Please excuse the lighting change, this photo was taken way back in April as I completely forgot to photograph it today! This is of course The Balm Mary-Loumanizer. I've pretty much worn this every day since I purchased it and I love it - I think it adds a beautiful glow to my face. I wear it on my cheek bones, up my temples, and on my brow bone.

This is one product from NYX that I really rate. It's their Wonder Pencil and it is basically a creamy nude eyeliner. It comes in lots of shades but I went for a lighter one than my skin tone as I wanted to use it in my waterline to brighten my eyes.

This Makeup Revolution Ultra Eye Contour Light and Shade palette might be a bit of a mouthful but it is one of my favourite purchases this autumn. It's my first matte palette and I adore it. I use the large peachy pink shade all over my lid, for this look, and then go in with the ash brown shade (on the bottom row, far left as you look at it) for my crease. It gives a really delicate finish. I also use the dark brown (bottom row, second from right) to fill my brows, which I whizz through with a spooly afterwards.

After curling my lashes, I go in with this Arbonne It's A Long Story Mascara. I bought this after being sent a sample for review and I loved it for a super natural long lash look. It is also waterproof, which is great for a rainy winter.

Here's a look at the finished eye.

To give a little more colour to my face I add a swipe of this ELF Cream Blush. It's a 'cream to powder' formula but I use it with a traditional blush brush in order to get a much more subtle look. This shade is Seductress.

I finish everything off with the star of the show, my Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita II. It is my perfect warm nude - and ideal mix of rusty orange and pink.

Two Stay-All-Day Cruelty Free Make-Up Products

I'm not the kind of girl who likes to carry around tubes of concealer, mascara, and pressed powder pallettes in my handbag. In fact, I barely ever touch up my makeup, unless I am going out for an evening do and I'm able to get home first. Make-up that lasts all day, however, is few and far between - especially since I have skin on the oiler end of the spectrum that literally eats make-up!

However, I have found two products that really do make a difference to the longevity of my make-up. I wouldn't recommend using them both every day, as I can't imagine that they do much good for your pores but, for those super intensive days when you want to look as good at 8pm as you do at 8am, these products are real holy grail items! One goes under your make-up, the other on top - and they are both cruelty free.

NYX HD Primer

This is a thick-ish, blue-ish primer that definitely doesn't give you skin that 'glide-right-off' feeling of traditional primers. It does help make-up stay firmly in place, however, and I've always been impressed about how much product is left on my cleanser pad at the end of a long day when I've worn this. It's worth noting that although NYX is a PETA certified cruelty free brand, they are owned by Loreal.


UR Cheeky Freeze Frame Setting Spray 

I've had this bottle for a couple of years now and truth be told it is probably time for me to throw it out and re-purchase it. This used to be my go-to at uni to keep my make-up on through a sweaty night of dancing and, when I've accidentally slept in makeup after spritzing with this, I've been complemented on how good it still looks the morning after!

What products do you use to keep your make-up in place from dusk till dawn? Tweet me your cruelty free suggestions @VickiMaitland or leave me a comment below!

Cruelty Free Comparisons: Liquid Lipsticks

For those of you new to my blog, every so often I like to pit high(er) end cruelty free products against their drugstore alternatives. In the past, I've compared conditioner, mascara, and today is the turn of liquid lipsticks!

Budget:

NYX Liquid Suede in Soft Spoken - £6.50

High End:

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita - £16

I roped my sister in for this, so throughout the post she will be wearing the NYX Liquid Suede and I'll be wearing the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick.

First Impressions: In the tube these look like the ideal dupe for one-another. However, you'll soon see that on the skin the Kat Von D is significantly darker; it is much more purple and brown toned than the NYX Liquid Suede. In fact, I think Lolita II would probably be a closer comparison colour wise, although that might swing things slightly towards the orange end of the spectrum.

Even with my darker complexion you can see how much darker the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick is.

The Application: The Kat Von D slides on the lips really easily and, with fully moisturised lips, you soon forget you are wearing it. I could easily match the shape of my lips, even at the often fiddly cupids bow, and didn't need to go in with a cotton swab for emergency touch ups. The NYX doesn't fair so well. Although it glides on easily and it's a really nice consistency, the applicator itself is far too clumsy. Becca uses the applicator to do the centre of her lips and then goes in with a lip brush for the finer details.

NYX above, Kat Von D below. You can see how much larger the NYX applicator is, and the Kat Von D has a lovely taper.

The Wear: Both Becca and I have owned and worn these lipsticks fairly consistently for a number of weeks. We've both been really happy with the wear. You do have to reapply after meals, but otherwise they are both very long lasting products. To put them to the test, we both took a sip out of a warm cup - you can see the results below...

This was Becca's cup, and you can see the classic lipstick smudge showing clearly on the white.

This was my cup. Although you can't see it, there were a few marks left by the lipstick. On the whole, the Kat Von D fared much better.

Which Won? For this round I think it is a real tie. Both products have their merits and both are very good for their price tag. If you have the extra £10 in your pocket I think the Kat Von D is really worth it. Not only is the brand completely cruelty free but these Everlasting Lip Sticks are also vegan! NYX, on the other hand, is Loreal owned and it doesn't have an easily accessible list of vegan products (although I am led to believe that many are).

Which would you choose? High end or high street?

In this photo you can really see how much lighter the lipstick is on the lips rather than in the tube.

The Kat Von D is a very true colour match.

Award Season Cruelty Free Make-Up

This is going to be a slightly different make-up look post. Firstly, the make-up isn't on my face, it's on my sister's. Secondly, I don't have any product photos - so you're only going to see pictures of her face. This make-up look was born from me playing around with some new products, but I really liked the end result, so here goes!

I let my sister do her base as normal, and then I let loose. The main reason I started this look was to play around with the B. Contour Kit. This kit features a creamy highlighter and a powder contour. My sister is the palest of the pale, and the light shade was pretty perfect for her. However, the contour colour is a little warm - it's more of a bronzer style contour than a typical contour but it did the job. Both my sister and me were slightly confused by the placement of the pale cream and the dark powder - it would be so easy for the powder to stick to the cream and ruin it. That said, the highlighter is very glowy and natural. All in all, it's an okay kit, but I prefer the Barry M offering.

Staying with the 'face' element of the look, I also tried out a B. Glowing Shimmer Block in Just Peachy. It's one of those blush kits that has lots of colours running through it, and they blend to this gorgeous rosey glow. This looked stunning on her pale skin and gave a delicate warmth.

Moving on to the showcase - the eyes. I framed the eyes using the GOSH brow gel in shade 003. This is actually the shade I've been using on my brows recently, but because my sister has such dark hair she can get away with a darker brow then her natural.

On the lids, I began with a base of B. Vibrant Shimmer in Golden Sand. I love this colour and I think it looks stunning on her lids. In the inner corner I went in with B. Vibrant Shimmer in Moonshine. This really brightened up her eyes. On the outer edge of her eye I went to town with a black shadow from the elf Brights pallet. My sister wanted a very bold look and I definitely achieved that! I even brought a little of the black down under her eyes too (sticking to the outer corner) to give a really bold smokey look.

Her waterline is lined with a White Kajal eyeliner from The Body Shop and her lashes are coated in Showgirl from Barry M.

Finally, as this look could handle a bit of lip we went for the B. Rose Quartz.

I'm pretty happy with how this look turned out, especially considering I was just winging it and hand't tried out half the products before! Looking back, I think I could have gone darker on the bows and contour, and perhaps a little paler on the lips, but I love how deep the eyes look! If you were to try this look I'd probably recommend setting the lids with gold and silver shadow but the only ones we had to hand weren't cruelty free so I've chosen not to include them in this post.

Cruelty Free Winter Empties 2016

Since Winter is slowly coming to a close (okay, there is over a month of official winter left but a girl can dream) I thought I would clear out the bag of empty products I've accumulated over the past few months and share them with you! For the products where I know, I've indicated if they are vegan or not - a couple I forgot to make note of/don't expressly say on the packaging.

Superdrug Whitening Tape - Okay, I'll admit it. I have a flossing problem. I never really used to floss, but towards the end of last year I started experiencing sensitive teeth and found that flossing really helped. Also, after seeing how much gunk can come out of my teeth even after I've brushed them (it's disgusting) I've vowed to make it a part of my daily routine. I floss every evening, and my mouth just doesn't feel clean if I don't do it now! I really like this whitening tape, and I legitimately think it does make my teeth whiter (although that could just be because my teeth are cleaner). (Vegan)

Superdrug Spearmint and Sea Salt Shower Gel - This shower gel has a huge FOR MEN emblazoned across it because heaven forbid a woman wants to smell of anything other than flowers but I bought it because I couldn't find Superdrug's Mint Shower Gel and this was the closest alternative. I really liked the smell of this shower gel, although I prefer a full mint as I think it smells cleaner. The gendering of shower products continues to baffle me, though, and I'm fairly annoyed that Superdrug felt the need to proclaim that this product was for men, as it is literally the same product as the regular shower gel. (Vegan - I think)

Avalon Organics Strengthening Spearmint Conditioner - I reviewed this product in my Cruelty Free Comparisons series, and this is the second bottle of this that I've bought. The price tag is the only off-putting thing about this conditioner, as I love the smell and the way it makes my hair feel.

Dr Organic Argon Oil Conditioner - I picked this up when Holland and Barrett had an amazing Dr Organic offer on, and I was pretty pleased with it. I still think I prefer the coconut oil version, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy this one again. It left my hair feeling soft and the smell was unoffensive and fairly neutral.

Cranberry Festive Face Mask from Lush - This was the first lush fresh face mask that I'd tried and I have to say I loved it! I asked for it for Christmas because I didn't think I could warrant spending over £6 on a face mask, but now that I've used it I would definitely repurchase - in fact I can't wait till next Christmas when Lush bring this face mask out again. My skin felt so smooth after using it, and the fact that it was cold from the fridge was so soothing. This face mask smelt heavenly - like cranberries and roses - and because you get so much in a pot I was using it every day for a week to use it up before it's use by date. Next time I fancy a bit of a pamper, I'm definitely going to invest in a fresh face mask again! (Vegan - I think)

Roots Hair Mask by Lush - I feel like I've babbled on about Roots enough recently, so I'll just link to my hair routine post for my review! (Contains honey)

R & B Leave in Conditioner by Lush - Same goes for this product, check out my hair routine post! (Vegan)

Superdrug Nail Strengthening Hand and Nail Cream - I have very dry skin around my nails (a result of me biting at my skin - disgusting I know but it's a self perpetuating cycle that I'm trying my hardest to stop). I was also experiencing a lot of nail breakages before I bought this product. It sits by my bed and I massage it into my finger tips/nails every night before bed. I apply a nice thick layer and let it soak in slowly over night - t does wonders and I've already re-purchased it! It doesn't soak in super quickly, and a little goes a long way, so it's not great as a cream to apply throughout the day (although I do have a travel sized version to stop me from biting my skin in the office), but for what I use it for it works wonders. (Vegan)

Superdrug Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner - I liked this product and used it after my coconut oil cleanse to make sure I didn't have a layer of oil on my face before bed! It smells of a mix of tea tree and peppermint (so I was always going to love it) and left my skin feeling tingly after I used it - which I really enjoyed. I haven't repurchased this yet as I'm trying to get through a micellar water, but it'll be on my radar when I'm in need. (Vegan)

Superdrug Tea Tree Cream Exfoliator - I use this product every morning in the shower. Like the cleanser, it smells of tea tree and peppermint, so I find it really wakes me up in the morning! It also has walnut shell particles to exfoliate, which I believe are better for the environment than microbeads. I've already repurchased this.(Vegan)

e.l.f Pressed Powder - These are the shades Sand and Buff (my winter and summer shades respectively). I actually used up Buff a while ago so I'm not sure why it's only just made its way into my favourites, and I used up Sand at the beginning of the season. I'm almost through another Sand, but it broke up soon after it arrived so I haven't repurchased. This is a great pressed powder for the price tag, but it's not spectacular by any means!

There you have it! I've obviously kept the three lush pots (when you return five in store you get a free face mask) but my empties bag is looking a lot, well, emptier now! Have you used any of these products? Let me know what you think of them!