My top 5 make-up products – are they cruelty-free?

I change favorites as quick as I change my clothes cause there is always something new and exciting to try out. And even though I want to minimize my make-up collection I still have some trys and errors left. With that being said I want my make-up to be ‘cruelty-free’, and that’s why I’ve made it a goal for me to check out every brand before I buy it. I’ll start with make-up and slowly move over to hair products, perfume, shower gels – you name it. It is in fact 2018 and I can’t believe this isn’t a law already that applies to every brand out there. But I must say there are surprisingly a lot of brands that already have joined the movement.

---

I’ve picked out my TOP 5 FAVORITE make-up products at the moment, and these are my go to products whenever I wear make-up.

L’Oréal True Match Foundation & L’Oréal Volum Mega Lashes

Founded in 1909 by Eugene Schueller, Loreal is most likely the biggest name of them all. They have it all, from make-up to hair products to sun lotion and protection to skincare. Other products within the L’Oréal family are: Kerastase, Garnier, Redken, Maybelline, Lance, YSL – just to mention a few.

On L’Oréal’s frequently asked questions they claim not to test any products or ingredients on animals. Never the less, L’Oréal still sells in China and by law all products must be tested on animals there. To be included as ‘cruelty-free’ with PETA for instance, is a requirement that the company does not and will not conduct, commission pay for, or allow tests on animals for any of their ingredients, formulations, and products, anywhere in the world.

From what I understand from my research is that L’Oréal only tests on animals in China. Non the less, if I where to continue to buy from them I would in a way support their actions.

Maybelline Strobing Stick

Maybelline was founded by 19 year old Tom Lyle Williams in 1915 and his first products was a modern mascara inspired by his sister. The company was bough up decades later by L’Oréal, in 1996.

Maybelline does not test their finished products or ingredients on animals except where animal testing is required by law, as it is in China. They have not made it to PETA’s ‘cruelty-free’ list, possible because of their parent company L’Oréal, and the fact that they both still sell in China.

Gosh Anti Redness Mix & Fix Colour Drops

Gosh Copenhagen founded in 1945 in Denmark by Einer Tjellesen. The goal was to focus on business opportunities within pharmaceutical companies, but quickly moved into the cosmetics industry. Today Bo Tjellesen, son of founder, is the director of Gosh Copenhagen with products sold in more than 80 countries.

The company claims to not use animals to test any products or ingredients. Neither do they commission others to perform animals tests. They also have a new vegan friendly list where products do no contain any ingredients derived from or produced by animals.

It is prohibited to test on animals in Europe which is great news. Non the less, now I have to think about what ingredients there are in all of these products.

Fenty Beauty Killawat / Hu$tla Baby Highlighter
Fenty beauty was established in 2017 by non other than Robyn ‘Rihanna’ Fenty. You probably know this company because it’s been all over social media whenever there’s a new product. Great reviews and amazing products for every skin type and tones. Her slogan is: «Beauty for all».

Fenty Beauty is cruelty-free and never tests on animals, nor do they allow suppliers or affiliates to conduct animal testing on their behalf. Most products are free from animal byproducts, but it’s not considered a vegan line.

---

2/5 of my favorite products where from a ‘cruelty-free’ line, and I must say I’m disappointed. I never though L’Oréal wasn’t considered a cruelty-free brand, and because they still sell in China they aren’t considered one. My next move is to use up the products I’ve already purchased, like L’Oréal and Maybelline, but try to find alternatives whenever I’m out shopping for make-up.

‘Cruelty-free’ drugstore make-up: 

– Ardell

– e.l.f

– GOSH

– NYX (Owned by L’Oréal though)

NOT ‘cruelty-free’ drugstore make-up:

– Rimmel London

– Revlon

– Bourjois

– Cover Girl

– L’Oréal

– Maybelline

Just to mention a few. I hope this guide was a bit helpful for you who is interested in supporting brands who do not test on animals.

Elizabeth

Advertisement

A dive into my make-up collection

I love to minimize everything but even though I do it for the 100th time, I always think I still have to much stuff.

Today I took a dive into my make-up collection. I love to buy and test out new products, but let’s be honest, more often than not these products are not keepers. They end up stuck in my cabinet for who knows how long and way over their expiration date.

---

Here are the products that didn’t make the cut.

GOSH eyeshadow pallet I bought way back but just ended up using 6 of the 9 shades, if even. I also managed to drop it once on the bathroom floor. Now it’s time to officially let go.

Rimmel lipstick. I’ve actually used this in it’s early days but the last couple of months, years, it hasn’t seen the light of day.

L’oréal True Match foundation bought way back when I didn’t really understand my skin tone. Totally the wrong shade for me and in the end just using up space.

Inglot Creme Foundation, a product I loved when I bought it but soon realized was way too water based and slipped off my face.

Bare Minerals foundation powder and veil. Two products I did use a good while and was happy using them. But over time my skin changed and I knew I needed liquid foundation for my dry skin.

Maybelline Master Prime, and anti redness primer which I had high hopes for but other than having a good applicator, it didn’t really do anything. A total waste of money. 

L’oréal Mega Volum mascara, in hopes of finding the next best mascara after years of using the same one. And I really thought this was it. Unfortunately I found that it clumped my lashes together and didn’t give me a lot of volum, something it promised.

GOSH sparkling eye liner pen, only used a handful of times whenever I managed to do a winged eyeliner. But I’ve never seen that sparkle it promises. It also has a very liquid formula.

---

Now I’m search for products I will stick to and make-up I know I’ll use frequently. At least I have more space now.

Elizabeth

My daily make-up

I recently purchased some new make-up because I’m desperately trying to find the right kind of brand and shade for my skin tone. I am very fair skinned so finding something that suits me is quite difficult since almost all the foundations or concealers I’ve tried are always too dark.

I went to H&M not planning on buying anything but walked out with three new make-up products. All of them are actually meant for concealing but I’ve used them for highlighting and as a full face foundation. I thought I’d do a little review and also show you what my go-to make-up look is.

---

I had heard so much good things about Maybelines Anti-Age concealer and was so happy when I finally found one cause I’ve been looking for ages. I was a little disappointed when I only found two shades but I immediately took lightest one, hoping that this would in deed be light enough. I love how creamy it feels and how easy it is to apply on my skin. The only negative thing is the color. For me this is not light enough and almost looks like a sand tone on my skin. I can definitely not use this as a concealer under my eyes, but instead I use it on my forehead, my nose, chin and the bottom part of my checks.

The second concealed I bough was NYX Sculpt & Highlight Face Duo. I was pleasantly surprised when I tested this on my skin. The highlighting part is light enough for me to use under my eyes and the dark part, which at first looked too dark, is perfect to sculpt your face. A little goes a long way, and I usually use this on my cheekbones and on both sides of my nose to contour.

Lastly I bought Sleek Correct & Concealer Palette. I actually though I bought the one on the packaging but when I opened it there where too light creamy concealers and one in a powder format. Powder does not work on my skin cause it only makes me look even more dry so I was left with the other two. The lightest one, on the left, I use as a highlighter down my nose and over my upper lip. And the one in the middle I use on the corner of my eyes to cover up any redness, or even a little bit under my eyes as well if I look extremely tired. Overall, this palette is fine, I love the creamy texture, but they should have labeled it better so that you know what you are buying. I don’t really have a lot of use for it, but I guess it’s handy to take with you on the go or when you need to cover up any spots or redness.

I finish of with INGLOT Make-up Fixer (read review here) and a little mascara and I’m good to go. I hope this was somewhat beneficial for those of you looking for the right kind of make-up brand for you.

Elizabeth

Smashbox photo finish

It’s time for another review, and this time I’ll be sharing my thoughts on Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. I bought this a while back at ‘Kicks’ cause I’ve been struggling with redness almost all my life, or at least since I was a teenager. It hasn’t really gone even though I use high-end skincare products daily.

I was happy to have found a primer that had a green tone to it because this, as I’m sure you know, is the complimentary color to red. Which basically means that those two colors putt together should even out my skin tone. I bought this for 260 kr, so my hopes where high.

---

First of the consistency is uneven and when I work it in my hands it gets clumpy and almost feels watery. Additionally I have to use a lot to even out the color of my skin, and to be honest in the end I can’t see any difference. I also noticed when I first started using this product that whenever I didn’t clean my skin afterwards, I would break out and get spots where I applied it. This usually doesn’t happen with any make-up that I’ve tried.

As you can see there is hardly any difference, if any at all. This products is an absolute waist of money and it’s safe to say I will not buy this again.

Elizabeth

INGLOT: 1st impression

I got a little bit less sleep than I’d hoped today but the sun is shining behind the clouds and it’s a new week. I’ve already been grocery shopping for the entire week and the only other thing I want to do today is maybe start a new sewing project. But for now I wanted to share my thoughts on the make-up brand INGLOT. I had never heard of the brand before a year ago when a shop opened at the shopping center I work at. Impressed by the great customer service and the professional make-up artist that work there to give you the best consultation with a wide range of inexpensive make-up.

---

AMC cream foundation
This was the first foundation I bought from Ingot and I was eager to try it out. I got good service from a make-up artist there and she tested out several foundations before we chose this one. Unfortunately after applying it myself I found it too creamy and very watery. I’ve always had trouble finding the right shade and I often go too dark. This time though it was too light for my face, even though I’m very pale to begin with. It did give me a nice coverage and I only needed 1-2 pumps for my whole face. Downside is was that it only lasted 3 months and I usually have my foundations up to six months.

Cream foundation
After the first foundation was a miss I wanted to give the brand a second chance. So I did, and again got great service from one of the make-up artist working there. I told her what I thought of the first foundation and she agreed that I was too light for my skin. After a consultation she recommended a cream foundation. She told me it was light weight but I felt it covered up nicely when she applied it. When I came home and tried it for myself I realized how much product I had to use to get a nice complexion. And personally I think it’s too expensive for the amount of product I have to use to get the result I want. The shade on the other hand was spot on and perfect for my skin tone.

Sparkeling dust
This is the first highlight that I’m impressed with and has stayed on my face the whole day. I’ve tried a cream one before and it has not worked with my skin type. You get a lot of product and a little goes a long way. It could be even more pigmented for my liking and it is a little bit messy when you apply it since it is in a powder form. But the prize is just right for the amount of product you get.

Setting spray
This has a nice fresh sent to it and it does the job. You have a lot of product for a very nice prize as well. I could definitely see myself buying this again.

Lash enhancer mascara
Mascara is always hard to buy because you can’t test it in the store and you just have to trust that the sale’s person. I was recommend this because I wanted length and it does give you that. But for me it clumps too much, the brush doesn’t define your lashes and you get too much product on your eyelashes.

Elizabeth

Review: Everyday make-up products

NYX matte lip cream 

Easy to apply, non sticky with a matt finish.The only reason this didn’t get a five star rating from me was that it’s not that long lasting, and it can dry out your lips a little.

BareMinerals powder foundation:
This foundation works with your skin and gives you a natural look, perfect for those lazy days where you only need a light coverage. Doesn’t give you a full coverage and  I have gotten some dry patches when using this is curtain areas.

BareMinerals bronze powder:

This is the best contouring powder I’ve every used and it deserves a five star rating. Easy to apply, you don’t need much product and it has lasted me for years.

Smashbox contour trio:

I was really exited to try this, but truth be told, smash box disappointed me. The lightest color, which is ment for highlighting, is even darker then my regular foundation. The only good thing is the two different shades of darker contour pens. But then again, they are hard to blend.

L’orèal perfect liner:

By far the best liner I’ve tried. It has a small tip which makes it easy to apply a nice winged liner and you don’t necessarily need a eyelid primer beforehand cause it will stay in place all day.

BareMinerals complexion rescue

This is a light coverage BB/CC cream. Like all the other Bare Mineral products, it works with your skin and gives you a really nice glow. The only down side is that you don’t get a lot for you money. It’s quite expensive and doesn’t last more then 4 months.

L’orèal volume mascara

I’ve always gone back to this mascara after trying several different once over the years. It gives you length and volume, and it doesn’t clump. However it doesn’t give you the perfect curl to your lashes even if you use an eyelash curler.

---

I hope this review was helpful for up and coming beauty products you want to buy. These are products I’ve mostly used over the last year and they are all my honest opinion.

The winner is definitely BareMinerals bronze powder & I will also go back and buy more of NYX matte lip cream.

Elizabeth

Review: Everyday make-up

Last week a made a ‘Everyday make-up routine’ video and this week I reviewed the products that I used.

Top 3 favorites:
♥ Loreal True Match – Vanilla 02
♥ Bare Minerals – Warmth
♥ Loreal – Volum Million Lashes

Loreal True Match foundation is one of the foundations I’ve started to love only after using it a moths. It’s easy on the skin, doesn’t clump or dry up and it lasts all day.

Bare Minerals are products I can vouch for and I’ve never been disappointed. Even though it’s more pricy, you get A LOT from the products. A rough and powder foundation you can have up to 1 year!

Loreal Volum Million Lashes is the best mascara I’ve found the last five years. It divides and lengthen your own lashes, it doesn’t clump and it lasts up to 6 months.

Elizabeth

New make-up video

Yes, it has stopped snowing! Waking up and only seeing white outside your window is the worst, especially since the snow finally started to melt the last couple of weeks. Now we’re back at it again, and it’s March and stuff. I guess we’ve gotta wait for spring a little longer.

---

I finally released a new video on YouTube and it’s my go-to make-up whenever I’m in a rush, which is like every single day. I usually don’t were make-up as often as I did before, just because I don’t want to get used to only seeing my face fully made up and not liking how I actually look. I see so many girls that hate to go outside their own home without mascara or blush, and it’s not supposed to be that way. Make-up should be fun and artistic, and not a daily need for it.

I wil hopefully also shoot and release a review of the products used in the video above. Have a lovely Wednesday. Only two more days till the weekend!

Elizabeth

Shades of pink

weheartit

I thought I’d leave this Monday morning with a little pink inspiration. I’ve been loving we heart it lately, as you may have noticed from my previous posts.

Go follow me: We heart it!

Now I just have to re-touch my make-up and then I’m off to work. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great start of the new week!

Elizabeth

I covered my face

Today I put on make up. I covered my face because I thought it would get better. I covered up the blemishes on my face just like I cover up my feelings. I hid up my red checks just like I hide myself. I thought I would feel better but I didn’t. The harsh truth looked back at me and said; ‘who is this?’. I couldn’t recognize myself with the black long lashes, overdrawn lips and painted cheekbones.
I’m left with a  big question mark because I can’t understand how I have made myself believe that I’m less beautiful. We hide the imperfect human being God created us to be. But somehow we all aim to be perfect.

Today was not a good day and even though I want to post an uplifting image, I can’t hide what my heart is feeling. I want to scream and cry at the same time and shake those around me and ask them how they can’t see that I’m hurting. I want to cry my eyes out because I’m broken inside.

Elizabeth