Category: Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty

Mothers Day Gift Guide 2018
Gift Guides, Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty, Vegan Fashion, Vegan Food, vegan lifestyle

VCF Mother’s Day Gift Guide (for procrastinators)

Samantha

…did you know Mother’s Day is this Sunday? Literally two days away? Surprise! Well it shouldn’t have been, but now that your heart is beating faster because you’ve RSVPd’ yes to brunch without a gift in hand, I’ve come to the rescue. Whether you’re mama is vegan or not, concerned about cruelty-free or not, or said “no gifts” (no one ever means that, okur), this gift guide is for you. Best of all, you can pick up most of these things in store, or if you buy them tonight on Amazon, especially Prime (where are you if you don’t have Prime), then you’ll get it at some point on Sunday and you can casually surprise moms at some point during the day like that was your plan all along 😉

Mothers Day Gift Guide 2018 for procrastinators
1. Drunk Elephant Rise+Glow Duo | 2. Pretty Vulgar Nail Polish | 3. Tarte Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette | 4. Silpat Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mats | 5. Tea Forté Tin Sampler Gift | 6. NutriBullet | 7. Purple Carrot | 8. Organic Wheatgrass Growing Kit | 9.Zafu Meditation Pillow | 10. Jawbone Activity/Sleep Tracker | 11. Vegan Gym Bag | 12. S’well Water Bottle

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Mother’s Day Gifts for the Beauty Loving Mama

If your wife, mom, sister, grandma or any “mother” in your life is always on-the-go or simply loves feeling pampered, help her feel her best with these vegan and cruelty-free beauty gifts. This Drunk Elephant Duo is the perfect gift or gift topper to help mama feel wide awake after long days tending to the kids or your fur babies. The Tarte Highlighting Eyeshadow Palette is a quick trick to make her look (and feel) like she had a peaceful morning with her cup of coffee cause that woman will be glowing from cheek to cheek with these many color options. Lastly, you can never go wrong by giving this beautiful woman a moment to herself at the spa with a gift certificate to get a manicure, pedicure or facial. (For you true procrastinators out there–this is your best option! As in you can roll out of bed Sunday morning, and pick this up on the way to Mother’s Day Brunch. Also, shame on you).

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Mother’s Day Gifts for the Vegan Foodie or Cook

Mamas love to feed us, especially if you have an Indian mom like I do, who loves to cook, then shove rice and curry into our mouths all day long–why I ever complained about this growing up is beyond me. I literally look forward to visiting the parents now for this reason only, oh and to see them of course…anyway, if your lady loves to cook, consider Silpat Baking Mats, they make baking and cooking mess free. Literally all gunk rolls right off and they withstand a high temperature in the over, toaster, etc. FYI Costco sells a similar version, just not Silpat brand. Another #procrastinationhack. You’re welcome.

The NutriBullet is also an easy last-minute option–you can buy them virtually anywhere. As is the Organic Wheatgrass Growing Kit–a fun way for mom to experiment in the kitchen. If she enjoys food but wants a break from cooking, give her a chance to relax with her choice of tea with this Tea Forté Tin Sampler Gift, or you can buy a bunch of boxes of tea you think she would like, throw them in a basket, add a Starbucks gift card, and boom. Last-minute Mother’s Day present.

If you have zero time at all, then consider an order of the Purple Carrot Meal Delivery service. You can buy her a subscription as a gift. It comes with all the measured ingredients, the recipe and directions to make a quick and easy meal. You can print out the sheet that says you’ve ordered it, roll it up, tie a bow around it, and voila.

Vegan and Cruelty-Free Mother’s Day Gifts for the Active Mama

The active mama, gym rat or simply health-conscious individual sometimes needs a moment away from all the activity, and the Zafu Meditation Pillow may give her just that. On the opposite note, if she wants to rack up #alltheactivitypoints, then help her realize how awesome she’s doing with the Jawbone Activity/Sleep Tracker. Whether she’s crazy active or just likes to take a morning stroll, it’s important to stay hydrated. Help her fuel up stylishly with this S’well Water Bottle. Lastly, give her a bag to put all of these things in that’s both super adorable and functional, like this Vegan Gym Bag. Lululemon also makes some cool bags (but do people know if they’re VCF?).

In reality, whether you got her something ages ago or are scrambling for a last minute idea, all mama wants is time with her babies. So spoil her with all of your time and shower her with love, because she brought you into this world (and she can take you out). JK.

HAVE A GORGEOUS MOTHER’S DAY, VCF FAM!

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softhands
Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty, vegan lifestyle

3 Steps to Softer Hands: My Experience with Renaud’s Syndrome

Samantha

I know I’ve talked about this before, but I want to talk about it again! I suffer from terribly, terribly dry hands as a result of Renaud’s Syndrome–my blood circulation is really poor, and the effect of that is most noticeable in the winter time. Being a Cali girl at heart, anything below 60 to me is freezing and my body thinks so too, which is why when winter comes around, it’s like my fingers get frost bites. No joke, I’ve had to wear band-aids just because it gets so cold in my office on a daily basis (winter or not). After years of suffering, I decided to do more than just put a band-aid on the situation (get it?). I sought hand lotion after hand lotion and product and service after another, and this is what works for me! (It may not work for you, but the whole process is kind of like a spa day so make it your own! (Please always consult your physician before starting any new regimen).

Step 1: Get a Regular Manicure

…and not a gel manicure, or acrylics. Just get a regular old fashioned manicure and ask them to pay special attention to your cuticles. Once you get a manicure and your hands feel fresh, free of all hangnails and relaxed after a short hand massage, it’s time to keep up appearances. What I mean is, you need to put lotion on your hands every night and treat your cuticles with some love.

Step 2: Lotion Up! 

I’ve tried nearly every lotion under the sun, and these two have been my holy grails the past couple of months. The Asili Naturals Lavender Shea Body Butter is perfect before bed because of it’s calming lavender scent, and how it sinks into the skin (no messy bedsheets here!). After I wake up and get ready for the day, I then slather on some Green Goo 100% All Natural Hand Goo a few minutes before I head out (so it has time to sink in). My hands definitely drink it in. I bought my Hand Goo from Sierra Trading Post for $10, but you can also find it on Amazon or directly from GreenGooHelps.com. Both products are cruelty-free!

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Green Goo Hand GooANLavender

Step 3: Care for those Cuticles

When I have time to just sit and read or relax, I put on some oil (for the most part, any oil meant for skin will do) and massage the oil into my cuticles for just a few seconds per finger. With Renaud’s my fingertips get really sensitive and makes it hard to do things, like even write sometimes without cringing. Massaging with my rosehip oil really helps my circulation and keeps my hands soft!

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Here are some before and after pictures that prove my method works! You can see that my hands before were peeling, splotchy and red, sometimes also purple due to poor circulation.

Before:

After (posing like a t-rex): 

HandAfter

Question of the Day

If you have dry hands or skin, or suffer from Renaud’s Syndrome, what works for you?

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Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty, vegan lifestyle

February Favorites: Makeup & Skincare

Samantha

MFA

February had the shortest amount of days, felt like it would never end, and yet when March 1st came around I was like, “Where did February go?” Clearly, 2018 is off to a weird start. Thankfully, I can’t say the same about all the products I’ve been trying so far. Aside from the Tarte Shape Tape Foundation, I’ve found so many holy grails and we’re only 2.5 months into the year #winning. Memo to self: remember unforgettable foods for March Favorites (stay tuned–check back in March too!)

Skincare & Makeup Favorites

1. Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation

Nothing helps you realize what’s best in your life until you try it’s terrible, terrible counterpart (of sorts). I tried new foundations and kept going back to the Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation. I’m convinced now that it really is that good. Go to Sephora stat and get a sample to try, and tell them you want a week’s worth because you’re worth it but really because you know your paycheck could go to Sephora in one fell swoop. According to the Kat Von D website, the foundation is part of their #veganalert product line, and I believe their entire brand is cruelty-free.

I bought mine from Sephora.

MFB2. Acure CGF Oil-Free Serum

You can’t tell in the picture above but that bottle of serum is empty to the last drop. I literally pulled it out of the trash for you guys (you’re welcome). I alternate the use of this serum with my rosehip oil every night. The reason I love this serum so much is that I can truly tell the difference in my skin the next morning when I didn’t use it. While I would 100% buy this again, I’m too much of a “need for change” type of girl, and want to try a new serum. Any recommendations?

According to ethicalelephant, Acure is a cruelty-free brand, but not all of their products are vegan (the CGF oil-free serum happens to be): Acure Organics is certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny and PETA Beauty Without Bunny Program. This ensures Acure Organics products and ingredients are not tested on animalsduring any stage of product development and manufacturing. Acure Organics also does not sell in foreign markets that require animal testing by law.

I bought mine at Fresh Thyme but you can buy it on the Vitamin Shoppe as well, and select Target locations.

3. Fresh Sugar Lip Caramel Hydrating Balm

The best part of waaaaking up, is Fresh Sugar Balm on your lips (don’t lie, you said that like you were singing the Folgers jingle.) While I won’t buy this again because I am uncertain if Fresh is vegan and cruelty-free, I did enjoy nourishing my lips with the smell of dulce de leche every morning. My husband didn’t mind it either 😉

According to the Fresh website, the entire brand is cruelty-free (woop woop): As a result, all Fresh products undergo very strict tolerance tests using non-animal methods during the development of each product to ensure quality and safety prior to market. 

However, ethicalelephant found otherwise, so I’ll leave it to you to make that decision.

I bought mine last year at Sephora.

Bath & Body Favorites

4. Asili Naturals Bath Bomb

MFC

After a looooooong day, what’s better than some cuddles, Netflix, wine and maybe a bath? I love how these Asili Naturals bath bombs smell (so subtle and not overly fragrant) and best of all, I can definitely feel softer skin. I made hand soap out of the lavender bath bomb one and lurv it.

You can order them on the Asili Naturals site and in select stores throughout Wisconsin.

Random Favorite

5. Dr. Jaikaran’s Herbodent Toothpaste 

I wasn’t sure which category this should go under so it got it’s own. While I’m not 100% if this is vegan, I know with certainty that it is 100% vegetarian (and most aren’t!), according to their site. My uncle-in-law (??) gave this to me, and I used it a couple of times (and I will probably leave it for guests to use because I am uncertain if it’s VCF), but if you are transitioning to a vegan lifestyle, and can’t find a vegan toothpaste you like, the Herbodent toothpaste might be the perfect stepping stone. You can buy it on Amazon.

MFD

Questions of the Day

What is your favorite VCF serum? What would you recommend? What were your February favorites?

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Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty

Tarte Shape Tape Foundation Review

Samantha

TarteShapeTapeF

The Tarte Shape Tape concealer apparently turned the makeup world on it’s head. It seems Tarte decided to ride the coattails of their concealer’s popularity and bring their beloved Shape Tape lovers with a foundation by the same name. While I have yet to try the Shape Tape concealer (because I don’t need a concealer yet), I decided to give their Shape Tape foundation a try. If you’re thinking about handing over more than $40 to your Ulta salesperson, please read this review first. Spoiler alert: it ain’t good.

Note: I tried this foundation everyday for 10-15 hours per day for 2 weeks straight, just like I did for my Kat Von D Foundation review.

I purchased my foundation at Ulta for $42 including tax. It retails for $39.

The Tarte Shape Tape Foundation: Pros

1. 2 Formula Options: Dry or Oily Skin

TarteMatte

Of the 36 shades (we’ll get into that below), 18 are made for those who have dry skin and 18 for those who have oily skin. Dry skin individuals may opt for the Hydrating Foundation and those with oily skin (hi!) will probably want to try the matte foundation. So, of course, having a semi-oil slick for a face, I opted for the matte foundation.

2. Medium Coverage

TarteSwatch

This is NOT at all a full-coverage foundation. Because it’s more liquidy, it tends to lean on the err of medium coverage. You can build it up, sure, but there’s a reason why you shouldn’t (see cons).

The Tarte Shape Tape Foundation: Cons 

1. The Color Range

After Rihanna’s successful launch of her Fenty Beauty makeup line, including a range of foundation colors for everyone under the sun, Tarte’s range failed to please. As in crash and burn. They only have a selection of 18 shades per line (see above). 18! Drugstore foundations have more of a color range than that, right?

2. Doe-Foot Applicator

TarteDoeFoot

I found this applicator cumbersome to work with. I mean, yes, hardcore first world problem, but every time I used this foundation, I would open it, and swipe the foundation on one of my fingers (clean hands), and would swipe that onto my face. When I needed more, I used a new finger. I don’t think the doe foot applicator is the most sanitary option, which is why I count this as a con.

3. Longevity

Ya’ll, this didn’t last for sh**. I said in the cons that it has medium coverage, and it does, but even one small layer of this foundation lasts maybe about 2 hours, 4 hours if you’re having a good day. If you layer the foundation on, it’s worse. This may be because I have oily skin (not sure), but this foundation moved around SO much. I put my makeup on around 6AM then head to work about an hour later. Around 9AM-10AM, I go to the bathroom and when I look in the mirror, my face has marks from where I touched it because this foundation doesn’t stick worth a dime to your face. It MOVES. It’s a matte foundation that sits on top of your skin. Not to mention, it get super blotchy throughout the day.

Worth It? Absolutely not. Although, you obviously have different skin than I do and there are many other outlying factors where this foundation may be your holy grail! I have tan, oily skin with an olive undertone, and it didn’t work for me.

Question of the Day

What is your favorite vegan and cruelty-free foundation? I went back to my Kat Von D foundation, and am loving it.

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Vegan and Cruelty Free Beauty, vegan lifestyle

How to Turn a Bath Bomb Into a Cruelty-Free Shower Gel

Samantha

If you love the idea of taking baths but don’t have a bath tub fit for a queen like you, or want to enjoy your bath bomb without having to take a bath because some of use just don’t have the time to luxuriate (hi!)…then this SUPER EASY DIY is for you! I’m completely devoid of the DIY gene so the fact that I can even do this says something. Without having to film, this would’ve taken me like 5 minutes to do. Watch the video to find out how to turn your favorite bath bomb into shower gel. No surprise that I used one from Asili Naturals, but you can use any you have.

NOTE: One thing I would do after mixing, is to let the solution settle for up to an hour before pouring into your bottle. Enjoy!

Watch the video here:

Bath Bomb DIY
How to turn a bath bomb into a shower gel

Question of the Day

How else do you use your bath bombs? Do you get creative?

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