May Monthly Favorites!! Vegan & Cruelty Free!

May was a whirlwind of a month!!  I worked at so many Ultas this month!  I tried a few new things, got some new things in my Vegan Cuts Box, and of COURSE wore lots of Too Faced!  Here are the products I was loving this month!  As always, all products are cruelty free, and they are vegan unless otherwise stated!

SKINCARE:

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair SPF 40:  I am in love with this product.  I was worried it was going to be too heavy for my combination, acne prone skin, but I am finding just the opposite!  My skin drinks it right in and it makes everything smooth and plump.  I haven't had any issues with it making me shiny or sticky, either.  My only word of advice is that if you are particularly dry, you will want to supplement with a moisturizer underneath.

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy:  I love this product!  I prime my face every day with Too Faced Hangover primer, eyeshadow primer (currently using up Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer), and this below my eyes.  It hydrates and plumps the skin, de-puffs, and also slightly color corrects.  It is, simply put, the bee's knees.

MAKEUP:

Too Faced Born This Way (in Snow & Nude):  I have been wearing Snow for months.  I noticed that lately it's not quite enough color, so I've been applying Snow to the center of my face, then mixing it equal parts with Nude to add more color to the borders of my face.  I reviewed my favorite foundations and went more in depth here.

Medusa's Makeup Blush in Jezebel: I got this blush in my Vegan Cuts Beauty Box, and instantly fell in love.  I visited Chicago maybe five years ago and got my first glimpse of the brand, but never ended up buying any.  When I saw it in my box, I was excited.  As soon as I tried it on, I knew I was going to be using it often.  It's a coral color, but it has a gorgeous pop to it.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Pencil in Moonspoon: I'm a pretty big fan of this exact liner.  I can't say I'm a fan of ALL of the 24/7 Pencils, but I do like Moonspoon a lot.  I ended up with a LOT of UD liners during my years with Sephora, so I've been trying to use them more lately to use them up before they all dry out.  This one is my favorite because it reminds me of the Perfect Eyes in Perfect Storm from Too Faced.

Too Faced La Creme Matte:  I don't even have a favorite color, I am in love with all of them!  I wear As If! a lot because it goes well with Jezebel from Medusa's Makeup, and Love Hangover from Too Faced.  Bachelorette is another gorgeous choice.  Pitch Perfect is a purple-fuschia that looks good on everyone.  I haven't tried one on yet that I didn't like!

EDIBLES:

Ben & Jerry's Non-Dairy:  Holy crap!  I CAN'T EVEN.  The best non-dairy ice cream I have found is the So Delicious Coconut and Almond Milk varieties.  They are still fantastic, but now I am in LOVE with the Ben & Jerry options!  I haven't tried one I don't like yet!  As a matter of fact, Fudge Brownie is waiting in the freezer for a taste test...

Gamma Labs G Fuel in Mystery Flavor:  I have now tried Fazeberry (yum!!), Pineapple and Mystery.  The Mystery Flavor smells like the Lik-Em-Stik from Fun Dip, but tastes floral, almost like I would expect cherry blossom to taste.  I don't think it's my favorite, but I would buy it again!

Chameleon Cold-Brew and Califia Farms Cold Brew:  I have been drinking cold brew for over a year now, and it's amazing how much better my stomach does with it.  I used to brew my own, but I started buying the Chameleon Cold-Brew while we were still in Texas.  Shortly after, I discovered Califia Farms had cold brew and have often picked up the single serve bottles every time I work in an Ulta or Sephora near a Whole Foods.

Cruelty Free Brands at My Sephora

Disclaimer: This post is specific to my location.  There may be more options at your local Sephora.  If a company is on this list, they, nor do their parent companies, test on animals.  If you see any mistakes, please let me know immediately!  This post actually exists as a reference point for a co-worker on my days off.  This list was last updated 9/3/2015.

Color Brands:
1. Too Faced
2. Josie Maran
3. Hourglass
4. Cover FX
5. Tarte*
6. Kat Von D**
7.  Becca Cosmetics

Skincare Brands:
1. Dr. Dennis Gross
2. First Aid Beauty
3. AmorePacific
4. Drunk Elephant
5. DERMAdoctor
6. Lavanila
7. Sunday Riley
8. NUDE Skincare
9. Korres***
10.  Coola Suncare
11.  Supergoop! Skincare

Haircare:
1. Alterna
2. WEN by Chaz Dean
3. Verb Products (not in my store, but Texas local!!)

I have more research to do on haircare.  I will add brands as I find more info on them.

For a more thorough list, check Cruelty Free Kitty's Sephora list.  She is diligent and constantly updates it.

Tarte*: has been bought by Kose.  I am having a hard time finding any information on this brand in general.  They are a Japanese brand so I'm assuming they sell in mainland China, but I honestly don't know.  If you have helpful information on the brand (in english), please link me!
Kat Von D**: is a Sephora brand.  There for, it is Kendo, and falls under the LVMH umbrella.  I list her here because for some reason a lot of people are still totally comfortable buying her despite this.
Korres***: Korres has taken control of their company again and become independent. The worrisome thing is their products have been seen on websites that operate in mainland China.  The brand is claiming it's unauthorized and is working to get the items removed.  For now, I believe them, but we'll have to see what the future holds for Korres.
I have since taken Murad & Kate Somerville off of the list.  In June they were both purchased by Unilever.  Both brands will remain cruelty free, but their parent company tests.

My Cruelty Free Routine for Adult Acne

Before we get started: Sadly, a handful of these brands are no longer cruelty free due to buy outs or expanding to the Chinese mainland market.  As I run out of their products (which I often buy in multiples), I will find new, cruelty free products to replace them.  Items that are not cruelty free will have some sort of alternative offered in their description.  Also, many of these items were gratis from my work.  This does not effect my opinion on them; if it works, it's here.

Please note: Shortly after writing this post, I found out that Kate Somerville had been bought out by Unilever.  Sadly, she is still a cruelty free brand, but her parent company is not.

MORNING ROUTINE: