TUTORIAL: YSL Nails Inspired!

Today I got home from work and decided I wanted to do a look.  I couldn't think of anything I was nuts to do, and since my requests document is on my dead computer, I grabbed April's issue of Glamour and flipped through it.  I found an image for YSL fingernail polish, and fell in love with the combination of a cool green, an orange, a cool pink, and black.

The supplies:

+ Madd Style Cosmetix pigments in Birfday Suit, Mushroom Jazz, Bang! Bang! and Frankenstein [V, CF]
+ NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
+ Blinc Mascara [V, CF]
+ Lancome Le Curler
+ Madd Style Cosmetix Fireworks lip bomb [V, CF]
+ Shiro Cosmetics Forty Cakes Intertube [V, CF]

Not pictured:
+ Korres Anti-aging Eye Primer
+ Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero [V, CF]
+ ELF Contour Brush
+ ELF Concealer Brush
+ Sedona Lace #305  Brush
+ Crown #C407 Jumbo Shadow Brush

Gather your supplies and meet me after the jump...

TUTORIAL: Monster Inspired!

Nearly a year ago, the lovely Karyl of the Biting Gnome sent me a love package.  In that package was a precious monster who is one of the cutest little things I've laid my eyes on... and tonight I decided to do a tutorial based on him because I asked j0hn to pick an object for inspiration.  =] 

So let's get into the supplies:

In order of use:
MTcoffinz Under the Rainbow Eyeshadow Primer [V, CF]
Madd Style Cosmetix pigment in Love Potion No. 9 [V, CF]
Madd Style Cosmetix pigment in Outlaw Star [V, CF]
Madd Style Cosmetix pigment in Birfday Suit [V, CF]
Madd Style Cosmetix Awesome Sauce Foiling Medium [V, CF]
Madd Style Cosmetix pigment in Atomic Dreamland [V, CF]
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Pencil in Zero [V, CF]
blinc Mascara [V, CF]

& the brushes (left to right):
Sedona Lace Midnight Lace Synthetic Brush #305
Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush
Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush
Real Techniques Pixel-Point Eyeliner Brush
ELF Flat Liner Brush

To see my look inspired by the little monster...

HAUL: Shiro Cosmetics!

 Edit: I am editing this to add that EVERYTHING from Shiro Cosmetics is vegan!  I forgot to mention that before & this is vital because those intertubes have some pretty amazing coloring without including carmine!

I placed in order with Shiro Cosmetics a little while back for samples. I wanted to try a few things out and get a feel for the brand before I purchased any full sizes. Mostly because j0hn & I couldn't narrow down our choices of intertubes from "all of them". I waited for j0hn to leave for Mexico, then ordered a few samples that I felt he was the most interested in, then choose the rest for me.   His three choices (whether he knew it or not) were Me Gusta, Sad Keanu and Insanity Wolf.



To see what I got up close and personal...

Christy Robinson Designs Giveaway!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC:  Edited:  This giveaway is now sponsored because Christy wanted to offer one of her new cruelty free leaping bunny necklaces to a lucky winner!  Thank you Christy!!

Review & Vegan Insight: Dr. Brandt's Pores No More Moisturizer

I have particular atrocities with my skin directly related to my combination/oily skin type.  I get a little.. shiny in my t-zone and my pores are huge.  I've had a pore on my cheek next to my nose that has been huge for years.  I'd given up all hope on it.  Then my lovely co-worker, Susan, made me a sample of Dr. Brandt's Pores No More.  I'll try anything, even if I don't end up buying it, just so I have the knowledge to tell a client how it went for me.

I tried the sample, which lasted me about a week, and now I am literally in a vegan-researching panic because my sample is nearly out and I am positively in LOVE with this product.  No one seemed to have a definite answer because it appeared vegan & cruelty-free but none of us knew for sure.  Our skin care educator was in today and I attacked him with questions (poor guy).  He told meeee:

[paraphrased]  Dr. Brandt is both vegan* & cruelty free.  He synthesizes ingredients in lab because natural (animal) sources are both cruelly obtained and terribly inconsistent.  Consistency is a HUGE deal to him.  The only reason he doesn't get certified is because he uses honey in a couple of products and therefore is technically not vegan.

After that, he and I had a conversation about why honey is cruel to obtain and he was actually quite shocked.

So, on to the actual product.  I absolutely love the Dr. Brandt's Pore No More moisturizer, and I now want the whole line.  It has done so much for my skin in such a short amount of time.  I will definitely be purchasing, despite the hefty price tag.  It's $55 for 1.7oz.  I'd like to say a little goes a long way, but use is about what you expect.  It's still worth it to me, it's that good.

If you're interested in it, but don't want to spend $55 on one item, pick up the Pores No More Travel Kit that includes trial sizes of the cleanser, the toner and the moisturizer.  I'm interested in the whole line, but I'm really happy with how it's working with my current skin care, which includes the Beauty Without Cruelty AHA Facial Cleanser.

Dinner!! Vegan Pizza Bread!

Bread, toasted under the broiler, topped then with Daiya Mozzarella, sweet red peppers and mushrooms. Forgot italian seasoning this time, which makes it tasty!

posted from Bloggeroid

REVIEW: Beauty Without Cruelty!

I am extremely excited to be reviewing these products from Beauty Without Cruelty.  This is a brand that had brought to my attention, and I was, of course, very intrigued.  There aren't a lot of full color cosmetic lines out there that are cruelty free and vegan.  If you'd like to know where BWC came from, read their bio here on their page.

So what did they send me?

L to R: Natural Cream Concealer in Fair, the Natural Infusion Lipstick in Deep Plum & the Aromatherapy Skin Care AHA Facial Cleanser

Let's start with the concealer.  It's creamy, it's rich, and precise in the best way possible.  I've never used a pencil concealer like this and I really appreciate how easy it is to conceal around my nose around it, as this is where some of my serious redness is.  It's also easy to use under the eyes and blend out with my C425 Tapered Concealer from Crown (they're a match made in heaven).  It's available for $15.95.

The lipstick is hydrating and very pretty.  However, because it's hydrating, I suggest using a primer or a good lip liner first, and like you should with any high contrast lip look, set the edges with concealer or powder.  I love the color payoff, and the color in general of Deep Plum.  There aren't a lot of vegan lipstick lines with this many colors.  Even the packaging is absolutely adorable.  They are $22.95 each.

The face wash is amazing and also breaking my heart.  I was using it morning and night, but I'm going to have to reduce this to just morning because I'm starting to get a little flaky around my chin, sadly.  Other than that, I have no complaints about this cleanser and I love how soft my skin feels after I use it.  This item could possibly become a holy grail item, as I plan to repurchase.  It runs for $11.95 for 8.5 fl oz.

Overall, I'd have to say that I am very satisfied with Beauty Without Cruelty.  The prices teeter around the lower side of high end, or the higher end of drug store for the most part.  The products are good, and even better, they are vegan!  I definitely recommend trying something from Beauty Without Cruelty today!  You can start by entering the giveaway on my youtube!  ;)

FTC:  These items were sent to me by BWC's PR department for use and consideration.  I was not compensated for this review.  These are my honest opinions.

Vegan Hair Dyes

I was recently asked about what hair dye I use by a girl I met at Sephora, and truth be told, I use the least desirable "vegan" option.  But the reason I'm posting today is because I do want to change that, and share what I find with you guys.

I'm currently using Revlon hair dye, which is technically cruelty-free (but the parent company obviously isn't).  It's cheap, it's easy to find, and it doesn't bleed much, which is important when you dye your hair black all the time.  I've heard that the other options available to me tend to bleed, which is probably because they're stains, not horrible chemicals to slather on my scalp, which is pretty close to my brain.

A simple google search led me to a blog post about vegan hair dyes.  This was posted in December of 2010, and yet this has never popped up for me as a search result.. it was meant to be.  I suggest you all go and read her article.  I'm going to look into the LUSH Henna dyes more because they're the easiest for me to get my hands on, but I think I'm going to end up going the Manic Panic or Special Effects route..

Fellow vegans, what hair dyes do you use?  I'm not even necessarily going to crazy color, I tend to keep things calm and black, haha.

Vegan List from Sephora

This list is very out of date.  Please do not use it as a shopping guide.  Check my list of cruelty free brands in the top bar.  I will be working on getting updated lists.  Thanks.

I do have a list specific to the Sephora I work at: http://bethbr00tality.blogspot.com/2015/07/cruelty-free-brands-at-my-sephora.html

I contacted Sephora and specifically asked for a list of vegan products carried by the company, and they responded with a rather long list, fortunately.  Unfortunately, she clearly stated that this list focused on which items were vegan, not whether or not they were tested on animals, so I'm going to have to go back & compare notes.  Also, I'm not sure how current/up to date the list is, which is another thing I have to check into as I compare notes.  But, regardless, here is the list I was given.  I added some formatting to make it a little easier to follow.  I know some items are missing because I know that Philosophy has a primarily vegan line, and they aren't on this list at all.  Their response is after the cut.