❤︎ Empties :: May 2015 || Cruelty-Free Beauty

Hey GUYS! 

Today I really wanted to share a couple of empties I've had laying around. I really like all of these products but I wouldn't repurchase some of them.

1. Tree Hut: Shea Moisturizing BODY WASH :: Tropical Mango!

I LOVE this guy! It smells amazing and the scent lingers! It also does not dry your skin out! I haven't repurchased it just because I haven't been to Ulta in a while, but I definitely plan to. I highly recommented this line from Tree Hut. I've used the scrubs and love them! (Here are links to the Mango Scrub and Coconut Lime). 

2. YAROK Leave-In Conditioner: 

I got this in October's Petit Vout Box and really liked it. I wash my hair every other day and so my hair gets really dry and frizzy on the days I don't wash it. This products definitely gave it moisture and, though it doesn't claim to do so, helped with the frizz, a lot. I want to repurchase it again because I want use it more and see if I see long term results. (I got a sample size). However, if you are looking for a deep moisturizer this is not it. I still needed an oil to make my hair feel really soft and manageable. 

3. Earth Body | dream Body Oil

I got this guy in a Petit Vour Box, but I guess I didn't share it because I can't find it on my blog. It's an oil meant to "..enhance mental clarity and restore moisture". It's very moisturizing and smells great! I liked using it right before bed. It's on the pricey side, so if I repurchase it will be a splurge! I won't buy it right now, but as a birthday gift, I might just do so. 

I really like the c. Booth Bath and Body Oil as a cheaper and just as good alternative!

4. Meow Meow Deodordant Cream: Lavender. 

LOVED IT!! What can I say. I dedicated an entire post to this guy! TRY IT!

It's a natural and cruelty free deodorant that works! 

5. Beesential: Original Honey Hand & Body Cream

I was sent this and I also dedicated an entire blog post to it. I LOVED IT. It agreed with my skin so much. Most lotions work right away but the moisture will fade after a few washes and doesn't leave the skin feeling soft for more than a couple of hours. This didn't do that! LOVE IT!

6. 100% Pure French Lavender Hand ButterCream

I got this in a Petit Vour Box. I liked this, but I prefer the Beesential lotion for the body.  However, seeing at it's 100% vegan and natural I used it as a face moisturizer and liked it that way. I won't necessarily repurchase this again, but I will look into 100% Pure's facial moisturizers. 

Lots of Love,

Camila

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SkinCare Haul || My Skin Was FREAKING OUT! || CRUELTY-FREE ||

Hello Guys! 

Today, I wanted to jump back in here with a SkinCare Haul! I picked up everything on Drugstore.com. Sorry for my LONG (at least it felt so to me) hiatus! But I'm back now! 

My skin has been freaking out lately. I think it's just a combination of stress and hormones. So I decided to look into natural acne treatments. I found a video by CloudyApples (she's very into natural skincare) and she recommended using Castor Oil along with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to clean deep in the pores. I've heard many good things about oils for skincare in general, but especially about Castor Oil. I planned to just buy the Castor Oil, but of course I ended up with eight other things! 

1. Now Solutions: avocado oil | 100% Pure Moisturizing Oil

$6.99

I've heard so many good things about avocado oil for acne and aging. I've not used it much so I can't say much yet. 

2. The Palma Christi || Castor Oil 

$7.29

I only thought of Castor Oil for my skin but after researching it seems to be good for many other things. I've only used it twice and I can already see a difference. I will do a blog post for this guy once I've used it longer. 

 3. Dessert Essence: Thoroughly Clean Face Wash

$9.59

I can't tell you how many times I've repurchased this guy. I've used it for three years. It's GREAT! It's my first defense when my skin is freaking out. I also use it regularly once to twice a week). It has tea tree oil and awapuhi. ( I must confess I have no idea what awapuhi is, but it agrees with my face). It's definitely drying so use a good moisturizer. 

4.Freeman|| Pomegranate Revealing Peel-Off Mask & Charcoal & Black Sugar Polishing Mask 

ea. $3.99

I LOVE Freemen masks. I've used the charcoal one before and I love it. It's great for a gentle but thorough exfoliation. (I bought two!) I've yet to use the pomegranate mask. It's suppose to be good for purging dirt and controlling excess oil. I'll let you know how I like it. 

5. WinCo || Extra Virgin OLIVE OIL ::

~ $2.96 (can't remember exactly)

Cassie form CloudyApples used Castor oil with extra virgin olive oil in her video, so I wanted to do the same. Castor oil is supposed to be very drying for an oil so use it with a moisturizing oil. (Here are some of my recommendations coconut, avocado, and extra virgin olive.) This isn't the most expensive extra virgin olive oil, but I'm sure it will do the trick. 

(This is the only product I didn't buy from drugstore.com). 

6. Desert Essence|| Coconut Soft Curls Hair Cream

$8.99

While I love my Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash, I haven't really explored much other products from this brand. I have wavy/curly hair and wanted to give this a try. I haven't used it yet! I'll let you know if I like it! 

7. Thayers Natural Remedies|| Rose Petal Witch Hazel with Aloe Vera

$7.99

I really like Witch Hazel for my skin! It agrees with me and really clears it up. I also needed a toner. Witch Hazel smells TERRIBLE on it's own and so I LOVE the rose scent in this! It feels so nice and  cooling on my skin. 

RANDOM! 

 I just wanted to share this adorable notebook I bought the other day. I got it at Michael's for $3.00! It's so Spring-y! If you like stationary as much as I do, I'm sure you will appreciate me sharing this random purchase! 

**Everything was purchased with my own money! Not sponsored! 

I hope you liked this post. Sorry for my absence! 

Lots of Love,

Camila

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Beessential: A Three Product Review! Hand & Body Cream, Lavender & Honey, Lemon & Lavender Lip Balm (Cruelty-Free NOT Vegan (obvs.))

Hello guys!

I'm really excited to share these products with you all. However, I want to be honest and let you know that they were sent to me. Meaning, I did not pay for them, but I am not being paid to write this review. Also, they are not vegan.

Anyways, now that we got that out of the way...

**disclaimer: Links are NOT affiliates, they are there to help you find the product quickly. 

1) Beessential: Original Honey Hand & Body Cream: Relaxing Lavender

When I first applied this lotion I REALLY liked it. However, seeing I had just received it in the mail and I was really excited, I didn't want to rush my opinion. In order to test this lotion properly I put it in my backpack (I'm usually at school 7-12ish a day) and have been carrying it with me for almost three weeks and its always by my side on my computer desk. I can tell you that I really LOVE this lotion. I think the honey especially agrees with my skin. It's not oily and will help you so much if you have chronically dry hands like me. I also use it on my legs, I have REALLY dry skin on my legs and sensitive skin (when I shave), this does not irritate my skin, rather calms it down. 

I have the 100% Pure French Lavander Hand Buttercream, which I LOVE (great alternative) but not as much as I like this one. 

It's formaldehyde free. paragon free, and PEG free. 

6 fl. oz - $ 12.99

2) Beessential with Natural Vitamin E: LEMON & LAVENDER: Beeswax Lip Balm

I have a few favorite lip balms and so I'm pretty picky about the ones I try. The girl who emailed me about doing this review, mentioned this lip balm in particular, as it has been voted by TopBeauty.com as the best lip balm. I have to be honest, when I think of beeswax lip balms, I'm NEVER a fan. I always find them hard to apply and not moisturizing at all. I have to say I really, really like this one. It's super moisturizing and goes on smoothly. It's not oily at all and will not give you a "clear-lipgloss" effect. If you like lip balms that aren't "wet" I'm sure you'll like this one. 

0.15 oz - $2.99

3. Beessential: Lavender & Honey: Bee Calm & Carry On:

I'm such a sucker for soaps! I was super excited to try this one. I have to say from the stuff I received this is third on my list. I don't hate it but it didn't impress me as much as the products I already mentioned. Not that it's not good. It's definitely not drying, as in my opinion most bar soaps tend to be. As you use it you can see the honey in it. If you like honey (honey is GREAT for the skin) you will really like it. I say, give it a try. It might just be for you. It is good for acne prone skin. Did I see a huge difference? No. Nothing miraculous, it did make my skin feel nice though. I want to try the other soaps they make.

I hope you enjoyed this. I hope more than anything that you will give this brand a try. (If you're not vegan). They have SO many products! Search their site and see if you like anything! (Again, links are to help you find the products more quickly not affiliate links). Try the lotions! They have other scents!

Lots of Love,

Camila

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c. Booth Bath and Body Oil || Bubble Bath Time :: REVIEW

. 

Hello guys.

So, I have something to tell you. I'm a bath person. 

Meanwhile, most of the time I don't have the privilege of taking 45 minutes to soak in bubbly warm water.  I know that a lot of you like me, if you find that half an hour out of your day to soak in a bath, you want to do it right.  Though, now that I'm on Summer Vacation *yay* I have some much more time to relax and pamper myself. 

Doing it right. What does that mean to me?

Easy:

1. light candles  

2. Your Favorite Drink 

(seeing as I am under 21, I refer to a Starbucks Valencia Orange Refresher with Passion Tea rather than water. All my Starbucks obsessed readers either know what I'm talking about, or need to right away. Talk about a delish summer drink. And no I am not being paid to talk about SB. I work for them and genuinly love all the drinks. I have a couple of my favorites from the 'secret menu'! Let me know if you'd like me to share! :D )

3. A good book, or Netflix. We've all been there. Don't try to deny it.

4. A good body scrub, wash, and a good moisturizer. 

5. Sometimes, chocolate! 

I really value my bath products. I am quite picky and when I find something I like I want to share it.

I picked this c. Booth Bath & Body Oil at Rite Aid more than a month ago. I saw this and really wanted to try it. I wasn't sure about c. Booth (I've never heard of them before). However, I noticed that their parent company is Freeman Beauty. If you check on Leaping Bunny's list, you'll notice Freeman Beauty is cruelty-free. Therefore, I thought it safe to go ahead and buy it. 

According to the bottle, this is free of parabens, sulfate, mineral oil, and petrolatum. I'm not exactly an expert of the effect these ingredients have on the skin; I am sure they're not good. 

How to use:

I had never used a bath oil before and so I wasn't exactly sure what to do. The bottle says to add 3-4 cap fulls to your bath. I have a small tub and so I used 3. It works to give your skin extra moisture. Something, I really need and appreciate. My skin gets really dry!  

You can also use it directly on your skin. It's definitely oily, so I would only use it directly in the bath, that way it is easily rinsed off. 

Scent:

It's such a nice scent. It's very warm, like vanilla without being too artificial or sickly. It also has notes of amber. It does linger on the skin, but not so much that it will you nauseous.  

Overall: 

I really love this product. I got it on sale that day at Rite-Aid. I think it was like $4 bucks. It normally retails for $9.99. (According to the Ulta.com site). 

It's an 16 oz bottle and so I'm sure it will last me a while. Even for it's regular price I would re-purchase it. It makes your Bubble Bath Time a different very pleasant experience! 

Do I recommend it: YES! 

I hope you guys enjoyed this review. I decided to do it in a different more silly style of writing. I really enjoyed it! I hope it wasn't too random! Love you guys all!

Lots of Love,

Camila

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** I was not paid or sent this product to review. I bought it with my own money and my review is honest. 

Snatch-It-Up Saturday || Tree Hut's Shea Sugar Body Scrub in 'Coconut Lime' YUMM!

I wanted to start a new weekly thing on my blog. I wasn't sure what, but I knew I wanted something fast and straight-forward.

I thought Id be an awesome idea (if I do say so myself) to let you know of something I've been really loving that you NEED to get a hold of. It doesn't have to be beauty-related at all. It could be anything. (I'm sure most of it will be beauty-related, though).

The Tree-Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub. Can we please have a minute of silence, for the amazing-ness of this product!

Scent: 
The scent was the first thing to "sucker" me into buying this guy. It is not overly coconut-y, the lime really balances the scent. It's yummy! It made me crave summer so bad! (Mind you I got this in the beginning of January -which was still chilly even in California. ) It lingers on your skin! It's not a scent that is overwhelming, it's more like your get whiffs of it throughout the day.

If you really can't get past anything remotely close to the smell of Coconut, they do have other "flavors". (It does smell delicious, but it's not edible so try not to snack on it). They have Brazilian Nut, Mango, etc (those are the ones I can remember off-the-top of my head.)

Application:
It is rather thick which makes it easy to apply, as it does not run between your fingers. The sugar is just rough enough to exfoliate the skin of your body. However, do not use it on your face! It would be too rough for that skin.

I used this especially for my legs, and they have NEVER felt smoother! It's been a month since I've run-out and I can definitely tell the difference. If you are someone, like moi, that gets in-grown hairs on your legs easily after shaving, please give this a go! I also used it on my arms (I used it everywhere) and ughhh it's just soooo good! I really think it's worth your time.

Price:
It retails at Ulta (I'm sure at other places) for $7.49. Which I think is a great bargain, it's a wonderful product and you get a 18 oz tub of it.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I'm excited to do another one next Sunday! Hopefully I'll get it up a little bit earlier!

Lots of Love, 

Camila

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Light Mountain NATURAL | Hair Color and Conditioner REVIEW (LOTS OF PICTURES)

Hey guys. 

A few weeks ago, I was hunting for cruelty-free hair dye companies. I had seen Light Mountain's products in Sprouts and decided to shoot them an email. I shared my correspondence here! I was delighted to learn that they are a cruelty-free company and certified by LeapingBunny! I mentioned I wanted to try their products. 

Well, a representative from Light Mountain show my post and offered to sent me a hair dye to try. So yes, this product was sent to me for free (which trust me is hugely appreciated seeing as I'm a college student on a budget); however this review is 100% my opinion! I am not being paid for this review. I am always transparent on here with you all and hope, seeing as it's almost my 1-year blogger birthday, I have earned your trust! 

About the Product: 

I got the Light Mountain Natural Hair Color and Conditioner, in Light Red. These sets retail for $6.99 on the Light Mountain website. (Which is a GREAT price for a natural/cruelty-free company). 

Their products are super unique. The dye is actually made out of henna, yes henna! It does not have ammonia or peroxide, which is horrible for your hair and the scalp. The henna clings to the hair which causes the color change. (For in-detail info on how this works, click here). However, it does not remove color from the hair, so if you're looking for something that will lighten your hair, this is not the product for you. 

First Impression:

I was skeptical. Looking at the chart (picture is below) I knew that I wouldn't see much change, in terms of color, for my un-bleached hair -which is 95% of my hair. According to the chart the henna would give a 'conditioning effect' to my hair. Conditioning effect?! This basically means that the henna 'enhances and deepens existing color'. On the website they claim: "It can help minimize split ends and acts as "hair insurance" if you spend a lot of time in the sun, surf or wind." When I think of conditioning for hair, it think of hair conditioner, leave in treatments, etc. However, I was really open minded and soo excited to test it out!

Mixing the dye:

As you can see, the henna comes in a powder form. 

I won't go into too much about how to prepare the dye, just to save you time. It's really not complicated at all. Be sure to READ the instructions! I will warn you that it's messy process, so be sure to lay newspaper or something to catch any spills. 

Here's a video of how I mixed the water and henna powder. 

Application:

It was definitely messy. In hindsight, I should have asked for someone to dye it for me. The instructions say to use petroleum jelly to protect your skin from staining. PLEASE do so! I used lotion, which prevented my skin from staining but not from irritation. Yes, there was irritation. However, I've you've ever dyed your hair, it was no way near as uncomfortable as that. Also, test a little bit of the mixture on your skin before you apply it, just to be sure you aren't allergic to it. I applied it to ALL of my hair. Including my blonde ends. 

Before and After: 

I forgot to take a picture of my hair before! Opps!  I will add some random pictures so you can see what my hair looked like before: 

As you can see, my hombre was really blonde. I had dyed my hair black a couple of years back. (I'm not sure why, since my hair is naturally really dark, lol). 

AFTER:

(Be sure to click on the pictures, if you want to look really closely at the color and texture). 

Post-Application Thoughts:
The day after I applied it I was really disappointed. My hair felt stiff and the color was flat. I had read the instructions so I knew that it would take a couple of days for the color to fully 'develop.  Also, when you wash your hair, after the application, they recommend you not use shampoo. Considering those factors, and the fact that my hair had gone two days without washing, I decided to give it time.

I'm glad I did. It's been about two weeks since I dyed it and I think the color is beautiful. It's a coppery-red color. It's a little bit more bright, than I originally wanted, but seeing as my hair was really blonde before I can see why.

As far as the conditioning effect, I really didn't notice a difference.  I will say that I don't have as many split ends as I did before I dyed my hair. However, I have been using argan oil so I can't claim it's because of the henna.


Would I Recommend it:
Yes! It was such a fun experience and, as you can see, it totally works! If you are trying to darken you're hair, I would especially recommend it. However, if you're goal is to lighten it, I would not.
Also, it's soooo much better for the environment! I felt guilt free watching it go down the drain in my shower.

I hope this wasn't too long of a post. Seeing as this product, I would imagine, is foreign for most of you I wanted to take the time to describe what it does. I hope you enjoyed this!

What do you think? Leave me feedback in the comments below. Are you going to give this a try?

Lots of Love,

Camila

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Makeup Geek | Animal Testing Policy Information

**Update (November 22,2013):
I have received an email from a Sugar Pill representative. He assures me that SugarPill is PETA certified. In fact here is a link so you can see. In fact the majority of their products are vegan. I have emailed them back, asking the questions I always ask companies. 


UPDATE(August 14, 2014): I have decided to add them to my cruelty-free list. Click here to read my reasons why. 

Hey guys!

I contacted MakeUpGeek a week ago. If you've never heard of this company, it was started by Marlena who actually makes YouTube videos. Their eyeshadows have been compared (some say they're better) to MACs. Which doesn't really mean anything to me -I've never tried MAC nor do I ever plan to. However, seeing as I am a makeup junkie, but first an animal lover, I of course wanted to check out their cruelty-free policy.

Seeing as I have received a couple of new followers this past month. I wanted to explain how I go about emailing a company. I always use this format (which I updated recently). I will sometimes -if I'm lucky- receive a reply within the week. Other times, I never receive a reply. Which is really unfortunate!! That's why I encourage you to email companies as well! Maybe one of us gets lucky!

Anyways. This is what I receive from MUG:

Hi there,
Thanks for contacting us.
The entire Makeup Geek product line is cruelty free. We don't do any testing on animals. Our lab and their ingredient supplier don't test on animals.
All of our products are vegan except for the lipsticks (they contain beeswax) and these eyeshadows: Bitten. Country Girl, Cupcake, Drama Queen, Mango Tango, Razzleberry, Twilight, Unexpected, Unicorn, and Simply Marlena (they contain carmine).
We have actually discussed with PETA and they were ok to give us a certification, the reason they did not is that we resell Palladio and **Sugarpill products that are not PETA certified, but for MUG products we are compliant with PETA requirements.
We don't have a parent company and are not doing business within China.
Hope that answers your questions!
the MUG team

**Please scroll up to read update!!! 


As you can see they didn't answer question # 7, which says: "Do you use palm oil/carnuaba wax in any of your products? If so, is it from an organic and sustainable source?"

(P.S. I'm trying to implement this question more in my correspondences. I have received a couple of emails from you guys asking me to do so. I'm still reading up on palm oil and its effect on orangutan in Indonesia, our Amazon, and Malaysia . So please be patient. I just do the best I can :D 

Therefore, I emailed them again asking them to please address this question. 
I received this reply, literally in a couple of minutes:

Hi
There is no palm oil in our lipsticks (and obviously not in our eyeshadows either).
Best regards,
the MUG team

Well that's pretty self-explanatory. :P

So let's review:  

I really appreciate their honesty! From the looks of it they meet the criteria I look for when determining a company's cruelty-free status.
(1) They do not test their products on animals nor do their suppliers.
(2) They do not have a parent company. So we don't have to look into another company's cruelty-free policy to completely determine their status. If you are new: I do not support a company whose parent company does not comply to a cruelty-free status. Such as in the case of Burt's Bees(Owned by Clorox) or UrbanDecay (Owned by L'oreal).
(3) They do not sell in China.

However, they do make it clear that on their site they sell Palladio and Sugarpill products. They explain that PETA did not certify them because those two companies don't meet PETA's requirements.
I don't know anything, in terms of animal testing- about Palladio or Sugarpill. The fact that PETA didn't want to certify them makes me feel really uneasy.

I don't know how to feel about MUG. You guys know I do not support a company, whose parent company does not comply with a cruelty-free, animal friendly policy. I always say that you have no way of knowing where that money is going! It might be funding animal testing. Which, ugh is just so disgusting to me. Just thinking about it makes me feel saddened and angry.

I honestly couldn't tell you if I'd purchase from them. At least not now. I think you have to let your conscious be your guide for this one guys.

I fear that I might be coming off as either compromising or too "hard". These thoughts bother me, but my hope with all blog is to be transparent. These are my honest feelings.

I won't be adding them to my cruelty-free list right away. I need to think about this one & I would REALLY appreciate your opinions and feedback! I'm always honest with you all so PLEASE be honest with me. What do you think?! HELP!

Until Next Time, 

Camila 

P.S. HELP! 

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UPDATE: theBalm | Leaping Bunny

Hey guys!
Do you guys remember my post of theBalm? I was excited to learn that they are cruelty-free! However, I really urged them to become certified by either PETA or LeapingBunny. Which, I'm sure you can agree, would make shopping SOO much easier! Well, I have exciting news!!

Today, I emailed them urging them to take a look at the comments of that post! THis is what I said:

Hello [I've omitted any names],I emailed you back in March about your cruelty-free status. Being an animal lover, I was so thrilled to find that theBalm is cruelty-free! I even wrote an article on my blog. I have emailed you guys before urging you to become accredited by PETA or leapingbunny. I would like you to take a look at my article and read the comments. You will find that when a company is accredited it makes it soooo much easier to shop. I'm not the only one who thinks so. I love your company! Especially because you stand up for the furry ones, but not everyone knows that. Please consider it. 

They emailed me back! Take a look for yourself:

Hi Camila, Thank you for reaching out again!  We completely understand you concerns and are working to become part of the Leaping Bunning list. If I can help answer any further questions, please let me know.

How exciting is this!!!???? I am beyond thrilled! This is a huge milestone! I can't wait to hear back from them once (fingers crossed) they become certified. Which, like I've mentioned before, just because a company is not on a list it DOES NOT mean they aren't cruelty-free. However, it does make life easier for the cruelty-free community! 

Lots of Love,

Camila 

First Impression/ Haul | Cruelty-Free Body Butter. Body Wash, and Hand Lotion

If you've ever been to a Marshall's, TjMAX, or Ross (a discount store like that) you would be familiar with their messy beauty/body/hair/face displays. If you ever decide to taken the time to dig through the mess, you might be surprised at some of treasures that are hidden. You will often find cremes/lotions/&potions that are marketed down at 50% or 75%! It's a dream for those wishing to save some dinero!

On my last trip to Marshalls I found these three little guys whilst digging through the display. (When I say digging I mean digging, I even sat down to look through the lower shelves.)

Seeing as I only buy cruelty-free products, I'm sure you'd be glad to know that everything I purchased is cruelty-free*! YAY!! For more information on cruelty-free companies check Humanely, Chic out!

I. deep steep: Argan Oil Body Butter warm vanilla coconut

First Impression: I usually hate vanilla scented sprays, candles, shampoo, etc- I often find it obnxiouslyly sweet! This scent -however- is very pure and pairs well with the coconut. 

Cost: $3.00

II. Greenscape: Organic HOMEMADE multigrain skin care  

for hands and nails is made of Apple, Carrot, & Oat Milk. 

First Impression: Such an odd combination of ingredients but it SMELLS delightful! It wasn't at all greasy on my hands! 

Cost: $ 4.00

III. Desert Essence: Organics ( Green Apple & Ginger Body Wash)

First Impression: I thought it was a scrub until I got home! Opps! I love anything that has ginger in it so I was naturally drawn to the scent. I've tried other Desert Essence products (their face washes) and loved them. 
Cost: $5.00

I'm planning on posting a review of each, that goes just a little bit deeper. So far I'm pleased with the three!

What treasures have you found in these displays?

Lots of Love,

Camila

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*Repost from Space-A-Lah

 

Light Mountain | Natural Hair Color and Conditioner | Cruelty-Free Inquiry

Hey guys. Someone on my facebook page requested that I look into cruelty-free hair color companies. I had seen Light Mountain in Sprouts and decided to go ahead and email them. I received a reply within 24-hours, which is always great & doesn't happen often! 

I emailed them using the format I usually use. Click here to see it. 

Light Mountain replied saying: (They went ahead and just answered directly from my email. Which I appreciated.)

To Whomever it May Concern:
I am doing research on animal testing, and I need to verify a few key points about your company. Please be sure to answer each question.  

1. Does your company test ingredients or/and finished products on animals?   NO. 

2. Do you test ingredients or products on animals through a 3rd party? If your answer is no, how do you ensure that your manufacturers do not test? NO.  we are party to the convention of Leaping Bunny which sets up protocols for both supplier declarations and for ongoing assurances that no animal testing is being done. 3. Do your manufacturers test ingredients or products on animals?   NO.  We actually do our own blending and we buy directly from the grower for all our raw materials, which are certified organic and monitored by 3^rd party certification organizations.  There is no intervening manufacturer. 

4. Are you owned or affiliated with any companies that test products or ingredients on animals?  NO. 

5. Do you/your parent company currently or have plans to market and sell your products in the Chinese market, which requires animal testing by law to sell in that country?   NO 

6. Do you use palm oil/carnuaba wax in any of your products? If so, is it from an organic and sustainable source?   NOT USED. 

7. Could you provide a list of all of your current vegan items available for purchase? Our entire product line is Vegan.  You can see it at www.light-mountain-hair-color.com  we have 20 shades of hair color, 12 “regular” and 8 “color the gray” in the line.
Thank you so much for the information. Also note that any reply I receive, I will be sharing on humanelychic.blogspot.com, which now has over 20,000 views! -Camila A.

YAY!! They meet my three criteria! They are also 100% vegan which I know a lot of you will be really happy about! I'm actually thinking of lightening my hair, so I might be reviewing their products.

Until Next Time,
Camila

My Cruelty-Free

So I've contacted a good hand full of companies, enough that I feel comfortable starting my list. Of course company policies are changing daily, none that I know of as of now, so that list will possibly change. This is just letting you guys know what is to come. I still have many to contact. These are the ones I've received a reply so far:

KEY:

BLACK : NOT cruelty-free

yellow ☀ :Cruelty Free

Fushia : haven't received a reply

(P:___) Parent Company is...

✘: Parent Company DOES NOT comply

_______________________________________________________________________
1st List (Cruelty-Free Companies)

***As you can see there are a LOT more non-cruelty-free companies vs. cruelty-free (or at the ones I've researched). I recommend you check out LeapingBunny's list, where they have PLENTY of more companies you can choose from. I'm sure having a list of non-cruelty-free companies is just as helpful as GOOD companies.

Desert Essence☀

NYX☀

Physicians Formula☀

Real Techniques☀

Sonia Kashuk☀

tarte☀

Too-Faced☀

theBalm☀

Wet N' Wild☀

_______________________________________________________________________

2nd List (NOT cruelty-free COMPANIES)

(a)

Adidas (P: Coty)✘

Astor(P: Coty)✘
Almay (P: P&G companies) ✘

(b)

Burt's Bees (P: Clorox) ✘

Balenciaga (P: Coty)✘

Beyonce (P: Coty)✘

Bottega Veneta (P: Coty)✘

bareMinerals (P: Shiseido) ✘

Biotherm (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

(c)

CCB Paris (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Cacharel (P: Coty)✘

Chloe (P: Coty)✘

Calvin Klein Fragrances (P: Coty)✘

Celine Dion (P: Coty)✘

Cerruti (P: Coty)

CK ONE Color (P: Coty)✘

Chopard (P: Coty)✘
Covergirl (P: P &G companies)

(d)

Diesel (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

David Beckham (P: Coty)✘

David Off (parfume) (P: Coty)✘
Dolce & Gabbana Fragrances (P: P&G companies)

(e)

Essie (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Elite Models (P: Coty)✘

Esprit (P: Coty)✘

Estee Lauder 

(f)

Faith Hill (P: Coty)✘

(g)

Garnier (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Giorgio Armani (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Guess (P: Coty)✘

(h)

Halle Berry (P: Coty)✘

Heidi Klum (P: Coty)✘

(i)

inneov (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

(j)

Jennifer Lopez(P: Coty)✘

Jil Sander(P: Coty)✘

Joopi(P: Coty)✘

Jovan(P: Coty)✘

(k)

Keraskin Esthetics (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Kate Moss (P: Coty)✘

Kylie Minogue (P: Coty)✘

(l)

L'Oreal Paris

L'Oreal Professional (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Lancome (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

La Roche Posay (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Lady Gaga (P: Coty)✘

Lancaster(P: Coty)✘

(m)

MAC (P: Estee Lauder)✘

Maybelline (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Matrix (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Maison Martin Margiela (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Madonna (P: Coty)✘

Manhattan ✘

Marc Jacobs (P: Coty)✘

Miss Sporty (P: Coty)✘

(n)

NYX 

N.Y.C NEW YORK COLOR (P: Coty)✘

Nautica (P: Coty)✘

Nicole by OPI (P: Coty)✘

NIKOS (P: Coty)✘

Nars (P: Shiseido)✘

(o)

OPI (P: Coty)✘

(p)

Pantene (P: P&G Companies)

Pureology (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Philosophy (P: Coty)✘

Pierre Cardin (P: Coty)✘

Playboy (P: Coty)✘

(q)

N/A

(r)

Revlon (P: Estee Lauder)✘

Ralph Lauren (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Roger & Gallet (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Rimmel (P: Coty)✘

Roberto Cavalli (P: Coty)✘

(s)

Sonia Kashuk 

Softsheen (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Shu Uemura Art of Hair (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Shu Uemura (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Stella McCartney (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Skinceuticals (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Sanoflore (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Sally Hansen (P: Coty)✘

Sarah Jessica Parker (P: Coty)✘

Stetson (P: Coty)✘

Shiseido 

(t)

Tim Mcgraw (P: Coty)✘

Tjoy (P: Coty)✘

Tonino Lamborghini (P: Coty)✘

(u)

Urban Decay (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

(v)

Viktor & Rolf (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Vichy (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

Vera Wang (P: Coty)✘

Vivienne Westwood (P: Coty)✘

Venus (P: P&G companies) ✘

(w)

(x)

(y)

YSL Beaute (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

YUE SAI (P: L'Oreal Paris)✘

(z)

_______________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer: I look at three factors to determine if a company is cruelty-free.
1. I look at their parent company. I do not believe in supporting a brand which is under a big company that does not also have a 100% cruelty-free status. I believe this because in those situations you often don't know where your money is going. Often, it might be funding animal testing.

2. I look at the suppliers of the company's raw ingredients. Companies I consider to be 100% cruelty-free will have verified that they make sure the manufcatures of the raw ingredients comply. They are often also accredited by an animal rights organization such as PETA or LeapingBunny. This gives me more reassurance that the suppliers are also cruelty-free.

3. I look to see if the products are sold in China. I do this because for cosmetic products to be sold in the Chinese market cosmetic companies must test their products on animals. Meaning, that if a company sells it's products in that market it cannot be cruelty-free. [Disclaimer: Although I ask about vegan products, I do not use that criteria exclusively to determine whether a company is cruelty-free. I just do it for the convenience of my vegan friends. :) ]