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Cruelty Free Beauty Finds

Cruelty Free Beauty Finds

Posted on: Wednesday 9 August 2017


Newsflash guys, I've actually written a beauty post, say whaaaat? Beauty posts are pretty scarce around here these days mainly because I wanted to steer my blog towards style/lifestyle but also because I'm not a beauty product addict so I never really felt like I had the 'right' to write beauty posts. I don't have a huge stash of make up and skincare (I hate waste so I couldn't deal with having to keep throwing things away when they went out of date) but I do like beauty products so it seemed silly to not write the odd post just because I'm not an expert. So here we go. 

I have to start this post with a confession. For the past couple of months I've been trying my hardest to go cruelty free in terms of the beauty products I use (I had naively thought that because animal testing is illegal in the UK that no brands sold in the UK tested on animals.) When products run out I've just been replacing them with cruelty free alternatives. Here's the confession that I promised at the beginning of this paragraph. I'm not going 100% cruelty free for a really stupid reason. While I was researching some of my favourite products to see if the brands tested on animals (sadly waving goodbye to my favourite Maybelline mascara in the process) I discovered that my all time favourite perfume isn't cruelty free.  While I can happily replace a mascara I can't bring myself to replace the perfume that has been my signature scent since I was 15 and is just so inherently me so I feel like a bit of a fraud, but at the same time I'd like to think that every little helps. And on that note, I'll finally get to the point of this post, which is that I wanted to share my newly discovered favourite cruelty free beauty products.


Barry M Sunset Daylight Curing Nail Paint | OK so this isn't actually a new discovery, but these are my favourite nail polishes ever so I had to include them. I love Barry M for nail varnish anyway, but this range is my absolute favourite because with the top coat they last for at least a week without chipping, they're insanely affordable and they do some lovely wearable colours. My favourite at the moment is Do It Like a Nude (even if I do get Jessie J in my head every time I see the name) because it's such a lovely wearable summer colour. I've never had gel nails done, but I don't feel like I'll ever need to when I have this range to rely on because my nails really do stay perfect for so much longer than when I use any other nail polish. The only bad thing I could say about this is that I wish there were more shades in the range!


Frezyderm Velvet Face Sun Screen SPF50* | I wear SPF on my face every day (partly because I'm super sun safe, but also because I'm vain and want to prevent wrinkles for as long as possible...) but it's actually quite difficult to find a facial SPF that isn't just sun cream i.e. the oiliest thing that will ever sit on your face. I know you can get low SPF in some primers and foundations, but I like wearing factor 50 on my face for maximum protection. This sun screen by Frezyderm, which I was kindly sent to try, has everything I want in a facial SPF. It's factor 50, it's transparent so not at all oily and it has the most amazing velvety texture (seriously it feels amazing when you apply it) so it works incredibly well as a make up primer too. At first glance it seems quite pricey at £17.50, but you actually get a lot more product (50ml) than you would usually get in a facial SPF so it'll last much longer, plus it's really two products in one as it serves as a primer too.


E.L.F. Instant Lift Brow Pencil | I picked up a couple of bits from E.L.F. as it's a brand I'd never tried before, but heard such good things about and the product that stood out for me was their eyebrow pencil. It's a creamy formula so super easy to apply and it comes with a little spoolie on the other end for brushing them into place. It makes my eyebrows look neat, but not too 'done' plus it's only £3.50 so a winner all round. I definitely want to try more products from this brand.

If you have any cruelty free recommendations please do send them my way!

Amy x

*Some of the products featured in this post were sent to me for review, but opinions are my own.

Comments

  1. What great picks! I've never tried e.l.f before either but I must now!!
    Have a lovely day :)
    Rosanna x
    Rose's Rooftop

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    1. ooh yes you definitely should! I hadn't tried it either until recently, but I'll definitely be trying more from them! xx

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  2. Factor 50 for your face that isnt oily sounds like the actual holy grail, I like wearing spf on my face too but because usually they are pretty gross I just go for products which have it built in - the factor isnt generally very high in those though! Love Barry M of course and I'm happy to have an e.l.f recommendation, as I just tried two things from them which I really liked and would like to pick up a few others now. Also (sorry for the really long comment) I know exactly what you mean about not feeling you have the 'right' to talk about beauty products as you're not a beauty product addict - I feel exactly the same! I do obviously use quite a lot of products but I dont buy loads and try lots of different things...I do like sharing them though so when I get an urge I'm going to continue doing so! xxx

    Sophie | Sophar So Good

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    1. Yes that's exactly what I'm going to start doing too - if I want to talk about something I will! I'm excited to try more elf products as I love what I've tried so far and I've always loved Barry M nail varnishes but I need to branch out into some other bits! xx

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  3. You're absolutely right, every little bit helps and it's amazing that you're replacing your beauty products with cruelty-free ones. I find it pretty difficult to buy cruelty-free fragrances, it feels like every single brand is testing on animals. I really need a new brow pencil so I'll give the one you mentioned a try xx

    113thingstosay.com

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    1. Well it's kind of good to know that I'd probably struggle to find a replacement although bad that they're so difficult to find! I'd definitely recommend the brow pencil :) xx

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  4. To only have one product (the perfume) going against your new goal is SUPER impressive Amy, such a lifestyle change to have swapped your usual products for cruelty-free options; well done! Also, E.L.F's Instant Lift Brow Pencil has certainly caught my eye...

    aglassofice.com
    x

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    1. It's so good I'd definitely recommend it! And yeah, I thought I could let myself off the one product! xx

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  5. I know what you mean about not feeling like you're in the know enough to post beauty posts as I always feel the same. I like what I like but knowledge regarding products is pretty thin on the ground let alone what I'm like applying makeup! I think that's a lovely idea and I'm going to look at doing the same. I love Barry M, their nail varnishes always leave a superb finish, they're a bargain and have such a fab range of colours. Though, after reading this post I'll have to find alternatives to my Maybelline mascara. Thanks for sharing,
    Jaz xoxo
    http://www.thelifeofasocialbutterfly.co.uk

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    1. Same although I guess as long as people know that I'm not an expert it's OK! Barry M are so good aren't they! xx

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  6. I've been slowly trying to use up all my collection and only replace them with cruelty free brands. It's sad that it's so much harder than you might think! x

    rhymeandribbons.com

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    1. I know, there's so many more brands than I thought that do test on animals, it's so disappointing! xx

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  7. Great post! The sunscreen sounds really nice. Have a great weekend.

    Gemma x
    www.jacquardflower.uk

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    1. Thanks Gemma, it's so lovely, works wonderfully as a primer! xx

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  8. Great beauty post - you should do more! I always love reading what my fellow bloggers are using and enjoying.
    The Elf eyebrow pencil looks cool :)
    Happy Weekend xo

    www.stylecalling.com

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    1. Aw thank you! I think I probably will do more in the future, hope you have a good weekend! xx

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  9. Great post lady - I'm like you too in the sense that I'm fairly naive to that kind of thing but it really IS something that I need to do more research into! I've never tried anything from e.l.f but have heard great things so will definitely have to look into the brand! :)

    Hayley xo
    www.frockmeimfamous.com

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    1. Yeah I really want to try more from them - I've loved that I've tried so far! xx

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