A to Z Candles Halloween 2019 Collection

A to Z Candles make some of my fave candles and I order from them year round (my fave scent is Apple Cider Donut - it makes my house smell like sugary, fall donuts year-round!), but their Halloween collection is really something special! This indie, family-owned company was kind enough to send me their Halloween 2019 collection, and I am swooning over the scents! They are the same as last year (check out my review from 2018 HERE), but I am so glad they are back since they are so delicious! I wanted to feature them here (I've already shared them on my Instagram) since they deserve all the attention they have been getting lately! These are seriously some of the best candles and you can read more about them below!

Spooky Summer Goth Essentials to Survive the Sun

With Memorial Day behind us, I can't believe summer is almost here! I'm already in shock of how long the days are stretching and I am already dreading the warmer temperatures. Summer is the last season before the glorious return of fall, and all we need to do is survive summer to get to the best season, autumn! And of course, summer can be fun if take the time to stock up on some necessities that make it so much more pleasant for us darklings...

I have to say that summer is usually a struggle for me (and many other fellow fiends who wear black year-round), so in preparation I've rounded up some spooky summer goth essentials to help me and my fellow spookies survive the summer. Below I'm sharing clothes, accessories, pool floats, parasols, swimsuits, makeup, sandals, and more with a spooky twist to make summertime more bearable.

What's in My Spooky Purse

Hello lovelies! Confession: I am obsessed with posts showing what is in people's purses/fridges/etc. It is so much fun to get a peek at what people use everyday and seeing how they live day-to-day. And I don't mean just celebrities, I mean like regular people like you and I, especially if they have a spooky or vegan (or both!) aesthetic. Plus, this is a wonderful way to discover new products, bond over similar items and styles, and just get more of an insight into someone else's habits and style!

Ever since my ghoulfriend-in-crime Miranda from Spooky Little Halloween shared what was in her purse, I've been wanting to share what's in mine! I figured now that we are going into spring it would be the perfect time to clean out my purse and share what's been lurking within. I've decided to omit any necessities like my phone, wallet, keys, etc. because everyone has those. Though I do love mine so I've include a photo of them at the end!

Check out what is lurking in my spooky purse below:

10 Things I'm Loving This March

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!

See the 10 Things I'm Loving This March below:

Fund the Future of Fashion With Legends and Vibes

I am not the most fashionable person by any means. I prefer my look to be like the vampires from What We Do in the Shadows, "dead but delicious." Or rather, distressed, tattered black clothing like I just rolled out of a grave (so maybe not as delicious as I'd envisioned!).

Nevertheless, I am always looking for new, eco-friendly clothing brands that are vegan and ethically conscious. I'm glad to say that a new brand, Legends and Vibes, has caught my eye, and they are currently fundraising to make all our fashion dreams come true!

11 Eerie Articles of Clothing + Odd Accessories to Creep You Cozy This Winter

As the temperatures finally start to drop, I've been thinking a lot about comfy clothing and accessories that will creep me cozy the remainder of autumn and into winter. The standard autumn-colored or (eeeeek) Christmas-colored clothing just won't do, so I went on a search for some gorgeously gothic pieces of comfy clothing that will keep you looking fabulously strange and unusual through these cooler months.

Here are 11 eerie articles of clothing and other odd accessories that will creep you cozy this autumn and winter:

The Stay At Home Girlfriend Zine #29 - Halloween 2018 Edition

My friend Kendy P. (aka MissMuffCake) creates some incredible zines (several which I've had the pleasure of contributing to or featuring here, like Cemetery Gates volumes three and five and Catsploitation). I recently had the pleasure of contributing a Halloween playlist to her latest zine, The Stay At Home Girlfriend volume 29. I just received my copy and it is packed full of Halloween treats! Get a sneak peek below...

Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Coffee Scrub

My sister gave me a recipe for a DIY coffee scrub several years ago, and I love making it to this day! I use it in the shower and not only does it make my skin silky-smooth, but the coffee perks me up and I swear it firms up my behind! With pumpkin season upon us and pumpkin spice coffee so readily available, I had a lightbulb moment and thought to make a pumpkin spice coffee scrub based on my sister's recipe. All I did was replace regular ground coffee with pumpkin spice ground coffee and it came out incredible!

I love everything pumpkin spice, so I usually end up buying pumpkin spice coffee this time of year, despite the fact that I'm not a big fan of flavored coffee (the cute packaging always gets me!). With this recipe, I can use up the pumpkin spice coffee I buy and continue using it all year to make this recipe.

I love how this Pumpkin Spice Coffee Scrub smells and how it moisturizes and exfoliates my skin. Plus, this is such a quick and easy recipe, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand. Check out how to make your own Pumpkin Spice Coffee Scrub below:

Halloween 2018 at Lush

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!

A to Z Candles 2018 Halloween Collection

'Tis the season for stocking up on Halloween candles and I love finding new companies that offer vegan and cruelty-free candles, like A to Z Candles. This woman-owned and operated company uses high-quality soy wax (from non-GMO soy grown in the USA) and premium fragrances to make all their candles. They just released their new 2018 Halloween collection and all the scents are to-die-for! They kindly sent me their five new Halloween candles for review and I'm so stoked to be able to share my thoughts on them below.

The Spooky Vegan Shop Now Open On Amazon

Do you ever wonder what kind of things I shop for on Amazon? Do you like discovering new products that I personally recommend? Looking for that spooky something to get yourself or that special someone? Are you interested in what cruelty-free and vegan products I use daily? Wanna check out my favorite vegan snacks? Have you ever wished to get your hands on the black nail polish I use or get a peek at what movies and books I'm into?

Well, fiends, lucky for you I've curated a spooky shop on Amazon full of product recommendations so you can find all of these eerie items collected for you in one place! I thought this would be a fun way to show off some of my favorite things and show you what items I use regularly (for example, what hair dye or face wash I use, which I get asked about a lot!). Also, when you purchase items via my Amazon shop you are helping me earn referral fees, which go toward keeping this blog running, especially since I do not use ads, only Amazon affiliate links.

So take a look at my spooky shop, filled with treats like Halloween decor, horror movies, books, accessories, cruelty-free and vegan beauty/makeup/skin care products, and even some of my favorite vegan snacks and food!! You just might find some must-haves or new favorites! I'll be updating the spooky shop regularly with new and old favorites, so check back often!

Visit The Spooky Vegan Shop on Amazon!

Stay spooky!

Attend A Worldwide Memorial Service For Animals On National Animal Rights Day

Image from NARD's Facebook page

This Sunday, June 3rd, 2018 marks the 8th National Animal Rights Day, an annual day observed across the world on the first Sunday in June to memorialize the billions of animals killed each year. The worldwide event is held in multiple cities, including Los Angeles, and its purpose is to give a voice to all the animals and raise awareness for their rights. This event is powerful, emotional, heartfelt, and inspiring and I highly recommend attending if you can! More info on the event, including the one in LA, is below.

Goth Gifts for the Strange and Unusual

Many darklings (myself included), struggle when telling our families and friends what kind of gifts we would like to receive during the holidays. Now, I know we should be grateful for whatever we receive (even if it is your millionth copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas), but wouldn't it be great if we could nudge our friends and family in the correct creepy direction?

I created this gift guide for goths the past couple years to not only share some fiendish finds I wouldn't mind having for myself but to also to make it easier on those that are shopping for strangelings. This year, I've listed items that are mostly from small independent shops and artists with a few products from larger companies. You will find something for everyone, including art, t-shirts, totes, banners, perfume, wallets, pillows, games, accessories,  hoodies, and more! As always, all items listed below are vegan and cruelty-free to the best of my knowledge.

Check out my Goth Gift Guide for the Strange and Unusual below:

The Enchantment Box - Hocus Pocus Edition

The Hocus Pocus edition of The Enchantment Box

The Enchantment Box is a new monthly subscription service that sends you a magical themed box full of goodies like cruelty-free makeup, vegan snacks, delightful decor, gorgeous jewelry, fun paper crafts, beautiful bath and beauty products, and other charming treats! Plus, all boxes are completely cruelty-free and vegan, yay! They contacted me recently to see if I would be interested in reviewing their October 2017 box, whose theme was Hocus Pocus. I really had to contain myself (because OF COURSE I WAS INTERESTED), as I was so excited about this box since Hocus Pocus is one of the best movies ever and one of my personal favorite Halloween movies!

I checked out some of their past boxes, whose themes included Marie Antoinette, Mystical Mermaid, and Secret Garden, which made me even more thrilled when I saw the fantastical fripperies that were tucked away in those boxes. I knew then that I was head-over-heels in LOVE and couldn't wait to check out their October 2017 box. See my step-by-step unboxing below!

Acure Organics Smooth + Manageable Shampoo and Conditioner

I love Acure Organics' products and have used their facial cleansers, their argan oil (review), and their ultra-hydrating Moroccan oil shampoo and conditioner (review) for quite some time now. The majority of their products are vegan and cruelty-free and work great! I decided to try their Smooth + Manageable Shampoo and Conditioner a few months back, and every since them I've been using it with fantastic results.

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

We celebrate Earth Day to honor our planet and to reflect on how we can better take care of it and preserve it for future generations. There are lots of things you can do this Earth Day (and every day) to make a difference - recycling, composting, reducing what you buy, volunteering to pick up trash along your local beach/parks, mindfully purchasing local products and food, and so on. However, the biggest impact you can make is to go vegan!

On past Earth Days (here and here), I've written about how going vegan can greatly reduce your footprint on the world, but I just like to reiterate the huge impact going vegan has on not just yourself, but our planet, and how it is the single biggest positive change you can make for the environment, for yourself, and for the animals!

Schmidt's Charcoal + Magnesium Mineral Enriched Natural Deodorant

Whenever I want to switch it up from using my own homemade vegan deodorant, I turn to Schmidt's! Besides my own DIY deodorant, I find that it is only vegan deodorant that works to keep me feeling and smelling fresh all day, even through hot days or hard workouts. I adore their Cedarwood and Juniper deodorant (and they have many other scents!), but I was excited to try their brand new Charcoal + Magnesium Mineral Enriched Natural Deodorant they gave me at Expo West this past March. This, like their other products, is vegan, cruelty-free, and free of aluminum, propylene glycol, parabens and phthalates and does not contain any artificial fragrances. I am a sucker for charcoal anything, so I couldn't wait to try this out! I also love the scent itself, which smells like fresh, clean air after a thunderstorm in spring.

Green Saturday LA Pre-Valentine's Day Marketplace

Green Saturday LA is back this weekend just in time to get all your Valentine's Day shopping done! This cruelty-free marketplace is THE place to find unique gifts, delicious food, and even enjoy a beer with friends in its bigger, better location at The Alpine Village in Torrance, California.

This Saturday, you will be able to shop everything from apparel to food to art to housewares to toys to makeup to chocolates to accessories and much more from your favorite vendors. You'll be able to find yourself or that special someone the perfect gift that is made locally, supports the local economy and veg community, and is cruelty-free! Not to mention that a portion of proceeds are donated to the local rescue organization Whiskers and Tails Foundation!

More info on the event is below:

Samhain Scents That Will Make You Smell Like Halloween

In Type O Negative's song "Black No. 1," Peter Steele sings "Her perfume smells like burning leaves," and I've been forever searching for a scent like that which evokes the spirit of Samhain! What do you picture the autumn season smelling like? For me it's a woodsy, smoky scent of autumn leaves with a bit of candy corn sweetness, apple orchard tartness, pumpkin patch earthiness, and a sprinkle of brimstone. Who knows if a scent like that actually exists, but I'm on a quest to find it!

In my search this year I've come across a few small, independent companies who are making perfumes, bath bombs, lotions, and other potions in lovely autumn and Halloween scents that I'm absolutely drooling over! I've compiled some of these for you below, all of which are vegan and cruelty-free (note: always double-check ingredients since formulations can change, though most of the businesses listed below are themselves vegan and cruelty-free!).

Hopefully this year I can find some scented treats that will keep me smelling like Halloween long after all the jack-o-lanterns have been blown out on October 31st.

Green Saturday LA Market Returns this Weekend

Green Saturday LA returns this Saturday, August 20th, 2016 to the Alpine Village in Torrance for an end-of-summer market! For just $5 (or pet food, etc. donation - see event details below) you can shop to your heart's content for vegan and cruelty-free housewares, crafts, and more while you enjoy some delicious vegan food and beer. There will also be a pie-eating contest (mmmmmm pie!) and raffles to win some amazing prizes! Plus, all this fun is for a good cause - a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Whiskers and Tails Foundation, a local organization that rescues and adopts various animals, from cats and dogs, to ducks, pigs and goats.

The event is bigger and better, and will feature vendors both inside and outside the Alpine Village. You'll be shopping cruelty-free clothes, trying Jaycelab's delicious and innovative vegan eats (like a vegan deviled "egg," oh my!), cooling off with some ice cream or popsicles, making some cute stuffed animal friends from Stacy Michelson, smelling the wonderfully relaxing creations of Simply Wicked and Spirit Spa Soap, stocking up on Kelly's Croutons (you really can't eat just one!), draping yourself in the beautiful jewelry of Larra Mirk Design, and nomming on Your Vegan Friend's delicious vegan conchas, among many other yummy food vendors! It's gonna be a fun day full of amazing cruelty-free goodies, food, and people!

Event Details:
Location: Alpine Village – 833 West Torrance Blvd, Torrance, CA 90502
Time: 11 AM – 5 PM
Admission: Children are free, $5 (per adult), or FREE with a donation of cat or dog food, new cat or dog toy, or a clean blanket for The Whiskers and Tails Foundation

For more info, please visit Green Saturday's website, Facebook, and Instagram!