Hi fiends, hope you are having a spooktacular March! Believe it or not, I've been enjoying a bunch of Halloween-related stuff this month! It feels like Springoween! The month, I went to a haunted house, saw a great horror movie, drooled over some new Halloween stamps that are coming out later this year, scored some amazing new artwork, subscribed to a rad Halloween membership club, and so much more.
As I've been doing on a monthly basis with these "ten things" posts, I'm sharing 10 items I'm loving this month. This practice encourages me to be grateful for the little (and big) things in my life and also give me a chance to share some cool things with you!
Halloween has returned to Lush with lots of fearsome, fizzy, and frothy bath bombs, shower gels, soaps, and more to keep your suds spooky this Halloween season! There are a few old favorites that have returned, along with some eerily exciting new products, including a neon-green ectoplasm shower gel, glow-in-the-dark ghost soap, Lord of Misrule bath bomb, pumpkin bubble bar, and more! Lush's products are always cruelty-free, and I'm happy to say their entire Halloween collection is vegan!
It's almost Valentine's Day again, and though I'm not the biggest fan of the holiday, I couldn't resist putting together a gift guide full of goodies for your Valentine, which kinda doubles as my own personal wishlist as many of the items are gothy and dark, along with being cruelty-free and vegan! These are the kinds of things I would loooooove to receive for Valentine's Day (or any ol' day)! Even though I don't believe you need to give gifts of monetary value to express your love, the items below are quite handy as tokens of affection!
I have been using Lush’s Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze since this past January, when I received it as a gift for my birthday. Here is the product description from the Lush website:
“If your hair is a little fluffy, frizzy, dry, or out-of-control, Jasmine and Henna Fluff Eaze is made for you. Our specialty hair treatment, it's packed with copious amounts of moisturizing and nutrient-filled oils including organic jojoba, almond, Brazil nut and extra virgin coconut oil. It works brilliantly on curly hair as well, as all of the oils help define the curls and add loads of shine. And if that doesn't stop passerby’s from stopping in their tracks, the jasmine fragrance will stick with you for days after using it, so you'll have irresistibly soft, shiny and sexy smelling locks.”
My hair is fluffy, frizzy, dry and out-of-control when left to its own devises, so I definitely was excited to try this treatment. I generally try to use it at least once a week on my hair before shampooing…usually on the weekends since I can leave it in longer. The consistency of the product is a bit runny, but I scoop out a bunch and slather it all on my hair, from roots to tips (it is a little messy, but I don’t mind). I have really thick hair, so this takes about 10 minutes to completely coat it all. Then, I put my hair up and leave it on for 30 minutes or, if I need extra deep conditioning, a few hours. Then I hop in the shower and shampoo and condition my hair as normal.
Once out of the shower I notice my hair has a softer feel and smells of yummy jasmine (yup, the smell lasts even after shampooing and conditioning!). My hair is easier to manage and style after using Lush’s product. Even if I don’t style it I find that it is less frizzy and fluffy.
When I do straighten my hair, I notice that my hair is sleeker, smoother and shinier. Also, I notice the henna really brings out the red in my hair (I have red hair, but this treatment helps punch up the color). A word of warning…this product will naturally bring out the red in your hair because of the henna, so if you don’t want a red tint then steer clear! Also, if you use heated tools on your hair like a straightening iron, the henna will stink while you are applying heat to your hair. It does go back to smelling like jasmine after, though it doesn't last as long as if you hadn't applied heat to your hair!
I really liked this product and the only real downside is that I use it up so fast! One container lasts me about a month if I use the treatment just once a week (I use about ¼ of the product each time). I think maybe if the consistency of the treatment was a bit thicker and not so runny it would last longer, too. However, Lush actually recommends using ¼ of the container for short hair and the whole container for long hair in one sitting, so I guess that is how they designed it to last.
Overall, I really do love this product and will continue using it as a deep conditioner for my normally coarse and unruly locks or when I need an extra boost of red tint to my hair.
I have been using Ecco Bella's fantastic black mascara forever, but sometimes a girl just wants to switch it up a bit, so I set out to try a few other vegan mascara's to see what else is out there.
The black Raven mascara by Manic Panic was by far my favorite. I prefer really dark mascara that gives me a full, heavy fringe of lashes and makes my eyes pop, and this was the clear winner. I only had to apply one or two coats to get gorgeously dark lashes. It was extremely long-wearing, didn't smudge and held up all day long. Added bonus: this mascara is pretty cheap at around $10 and can be purchased in-stores or on-line. The only con with this mascara is that it can tend to clump if you put too many coats on.
The Lush Eyes Right mascara gave me a much more natural look, but I wasn't as happy with this mascara. It was hard to apply with its short brush design, took at least three coats for me to even notice I had put any mascara on (and I have relatively light-colored natural lashes) and it didn't have the impact I was looking for. Plus, it left me with a smudgy mess at the end of the day...we are talking raccoon eyes here! It is also pricey at $18.95 both on-line and in-store. On the plus side, it didn't clump, went on extremely smooth on every coat and is made from natural, healthy-for-you ingredients like wheatgrass.
Neither mascara irritated my eyes in any way (I have sensitive eyes and some mascaras I've used have made my eyes water or get red) and I didn't lose any lashes taking the mascara off at the end of the day. Both mascaras came off relatively easy with some makeup remover (I use jojoba oil or Lush's 9 to 5 cleanser).
In my case, Manic Panic was my favorite vegan mascara because it gave me the thick lashes I was looking for, so I will continue to use it as well as my go-to Ecco Bella mascara from now on. If I want a more natural look, I may use the Lush mascara, but I doubt I will ever purchase it again.
Buy Manic Panic Raven Mascara on Amazon!
Buy Lush's Eyes Right on the Lush website!
Buy Ecco Bella Mascara on Amazon!
Since the disappointing announcement was made last week that cruel animal-testing conglomerate L’Oreal has acquired Urban Decay, a lot of vegans have been outraged and have been scrambling to find other vegan-friendly makeup to use instead of UD. I am one of those vegans. Urban Decay has been vegan-friendly for years, but with the announcement earlier this year that they would sell in China (and therefore be required to test on animals per Chinese law) as well as their diminishing vegan options (WTF did you have to add lanolin to your mascara and eyeshadow primer?!) had already cast a lot of doubt into compassionate consumers. Though they quickly reversed their decision to sell in China after MUCH public outrage, the deal with L’Oreal is said and done, marking an end of an era for many ex-UD supporters.
Even though UD pledges to remain cruelty-free, they will still be owned by a corporation that tests on animals, uses animal ingredients and profits from it, which means I will no longer support or buy Urban Decay products. I love Urban Decay’s vegan products, but even so I can no longer support them since that means I would be supporting L’Oreal. So suck it, UD, I won’t be buying anything from you ever again.
Which means I will need to find replacements for some of beauty staples…
Some of my go-to products from Urban Decay included their Perversion and Zero 24/7 black eyeliner pencils and mascara, but it looks like I will need a replacement for those. I am eager to try some independent vegan cosmetic companies and plan to purchase some different vegan makeup products from Etsy and around the web…reports will follow!
For now, I will use Lush’s liquid eyeliner in “Independent” (black) and Ecco Bella’s mascara. I don’t use too many eyeshadows, but the ones I do have from Urban Decay will last me a long, long time. I will continue use ones I have previously purchased from UD until they are all used up (this could literally take years).
As for foundation, I already use Lush’s and Ecco Bella’s products, so no need to find a replacement for those. Woo hoo! Same goes for blush, which comes from E.L.F., though I might search for a few eco-friendly vegan brands online too. I’m interested in checking out Pumpkin and Poppy on Etsy, which I’ve heard a lot of good things about, as well as The All Natural Face online.
Will you stop supporting Urban Decay since they have been bought out by L’Oreal? Why or why not?
Have recommendations for vegan makeup? Let’s hear them in the comments below!
It's finally here! Lush has unveiled their new makeup line, called "Emotional Brilliance!"
I am a Lush devotee and have loved their fabulous products for years now. I use their foundation (or "color supplement" as Lush calls it) and love it, but I have always wished they would expand their line and offer vegan eyeliners, mascaras, lipsticks and so on.
Well, I (and many others) finally got that wish granted! A few weeks ago Lush released a whole slew of gorgeously colorful cream eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascara and lipsticks! Not only that, but they are all vegan!! Yahoo! Not to mention all of their products are cruelty-free and sourced from the best ingredients and are suitable for sensitive skin types. Their makeup nourishes skin instead of damaging it! Oh Lush, how I love you so!
Read more about each new product below:
Liquid Eyeliners
The liquid eyeliners range contains two different types of liners; cream liners that can be blended to your desired shade, and no-smudge stay put liners that set immediately after application.
Cream Eyeshadows
The cream eyeshadows can be bold and colourful or less dramatic as the base softens easily into the skin. The base, made with soothing rose petal infusion, almond and jojoba oils, is gentle enough for sensitive eyes.
Liquid Lipsticks
This super softening formula, which is a simple blend of organic jojoba oil, candelilla wax and rose wax, can be used to colour cheeks as well as lips. To soften the effect, simply apply a LUSH lip balm before your colour.
In addition, Lush has a new Eyes Right Mascara specifically formulated with fresh wheatgrass for that is gentle on eyes as well as translucent face powder and skin tints (one that brightens skin for a younger look and one that gives it a tawny glow).
I cannot wait to head to my local Lush store and try all their new goodies! It is so great that there is now another vegan option in cosmetics now!
Look for reviews of these new products soon!
Check out Lush's "Emotional Brilliance" color ninjas:
To purchase your own or for more info, visit the Lush site!
Lush's Halloween bath products are herrrrrre!! I have loved Lush's products for year's now, but their Halloween products always hold a special place in my heart! How can I resist natural, organic and vegan pumpkin soap, spiderweb bubble bath and ghostly shower gel?!
My annual favorites include their Pumpkin Soap (smells like clove, cardamom and fresh pumpkin), Cobweb Bath Bomb (smells like lavender, chamomile and a touch of blackcurrant) and Ghost Shower Gel (smells like rose and lilies)!
I absolutely LOVE Lush! Their products are absolutely fantastic and I use them on a daily basis. Not only are most of their products vegan, but they also use natural ingredients like essential oils and never use any toxic chemicals.
Happy lil' Lushes!
I have a drawer full of Lush's bath bombs, but the other night I wanted the benefit of the yummy smelling bath bombs without having to actually take a bath. So instead I decided to use Lush's "Too Drunk" EmotiBomb in the shower. All you do is stick the tablet under the shower spray and it releases its intoxicating scent.
Lush's site says: "This is for the day after you got too drunk. It has essential oils of peppermint, tagetes, fennel and reviving sweet wild orange to refresh you, soothe a sore head and bring you back to life."
Duckies not included
I didn't have a hangover when I tried this, but was looking for a pick-me-up to sooth my frazzled senses. So, I threw it under the shower water and waited for the EmotiBomb to take me away! And waited...and waited...until the whole EmotiBomb melted away. I don't know if I got a bum bomb or if these EmotiBombs just aren't all that strong, but it did absolutely nothing. There was no nice scent and no relaxing side effects. Overall, it was a very disappointing experience and probably the very first Lush product I've used that hasn't "wowed" me.
Lucky, the "Too Drunk" EmotiBomb only set me back $4.50, so it wasn't too much of a loss. Still, for a Lush product is was disappointing that this was such a dud.
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