Chanel

Too-Faced

Hey guys. 

     Yesterday I went on a crazy-sugar fueled spree. What kind of spree am I speaking of? I went to many too-many company websites, and asked about their animal testing policy. I'm glad to say, being that it's only 24-hours later, that three have gotten back to me: Nars, Too-Faced, & Sonia Kashuk*. I'm still waiting for a little more information from Nars, but don't be too disappointed, I have a real treat for you. 

I've been lusting for Too-faced for quite a while. (Kind of like how I've been lusting for tarte). The packaging is too cute. I was hoping to hear good things from them. When I looked on their website, and scrolled down, I knew something awesome was coming. This is what my eyes saw at the bottom of the site. 

I was surprised. I'm always checking the PETA list and had never seen Too-Faced on it. 

When I received the correspondence, it spoke a great deal of the kind of company Too-Faced is. 

Take a look. 

"Good morning Camila,
Thank you for your message. Too Faced Cosmetics is proud to be a completely cruelty free company. We are certified by Peta, and are in the process of becoming certified with Leaping Bunny as well. Whereas we do not test any of the materials within our products on animals, I cannot speak for any other companies in regards to their cruelty free status. I can tell you that Too Faced is very careful in deciding where our products are manufactured and where they are sold in order to ensure that our products are not tested on animals. In fact, we are not sold in some large markets because they require animal testing in order to even sell products there. I hope you find this information to be helpful! Have a great day Best Regards, Aun'JenelleWebsite Customer Relations Coordinator 

www.toofaced.com

 17361 Armstrong AvenueIrvine, CA 92614855-TOOFACED949-553-4431888-454-2141 

   So there you have it. From the beginning to end you can tell Too-Faced is a special company. The whole tone of the letter is so cheerful and colorful. Well, enough of my continues lusting over them. (I think I have a crush). Let's get to the facts. 
      ♥ They are not sold in China!
      ♥ They are certified by PETA & in process of becoming certified by Leaping Bunny. 
      ♥ They DO NOT have third party testing.
      ♥ They are not only cruelty-free but also environmentally friendly. 
      ♥ They do not have a parent company that conducts animal testing. 

I would feel really confident in purchasing from Too-Faced. 
I might hold of on it, since it is a higher-end company. 

I hope this was helpful. I tried to make it shorter, just to get to the facts. 

-Camila A. 

   
*I have a post on Sonia Kashuk, I'm trying to advocate so they get certified my PETA or Leaping Bunny.  

CoverGirl, Almay, Dolce and Gabbana Fragrances, Pantene, Secret, Venus, etc.. P and G companies

      I've been trying to get through most well-known "drug-store" companies. I realized, that I'm missing CoverGirl, which is probably the most well-known of them all. Therefore, I started to look into them.

      I was surprised when the 'search', in my research proved short lived. I clicked on the "Contact Us" link, located on the lower right side of the CoverGirl homepage. I was then lead to a page, with three subheading. I clicked on the first, "Email Us." Instead of going to the email use header, I decided to check out their 'frequently asked' section. ( click here, to be linked there directly). I typed in "animals".                                                                

There I found the following:

"What is CoverGirl's policy about research involving animals?

P&G, maker of CoverGirl cosmetics, does not test beauty products on animals; nor do we ask suppliers to test them on our behalf. We do not test beauty ingredients on animals, except in rare cases when needed to meet regulatory or safety obligations. For more information on our full policy, visit http://www.pg.com/en_US/sustainability/point_of_view/animal_welfare.shtml "

      I Could already tell, from the "except in rare cases...", what I would find on the link provided to the P&G website.

Note: In case you are not aware, P&G is the company behind many household care items. (i.e. Bounty,   Mr. Clean, Pampers, Dawn) (click here for the entire list). 

      I realize that on this blog, I only focus on beauty related companies. However, I'm sure most of you would appreciate knowing that P&G is also behind those companies. 

   

    I found it surprising that they are also behind, MANY cosmetic/beauty companies. Here just a few of the better known ones: Always, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Pantene, Gillette, Venus, Tampax, etc. (Click  here to see them all) 

Back to what I found on the P&G wesbite. 

"Sometimes, to ensure that materials are safe and effective, we must conduct research that involves animals. This is a last resort. We consider such research only after every other reasonable option has been exhausted. The vast majority of our tests do not use animals and our ultimate goal is to completely eliminate animal testing. P&G firmly believes that ending animal research is beneficial for consumers, animal welfare, and industry. Wherever possible, we use computer models, synthetic materials, clinical studies, published scientific studies, and comments from consumers about products they use. P&G's product lines are diverse. We sell more than 250 brands. These brands are subject to different legal/regulatory oversight. As a result, our Animal Research policy for the Health Care business is similar to, but distinct from our policy for consumer products such as cosmetics and cleaning products. We are also committed to helping pets live better and longer lives, and our nutritional research programs for pets are designed to do just that. This represents a third area in which we have a policy to guide our development of nutritional programs specifically for cats and dogs. Today, more than 99% of our safety assessments are accomplished without the use of additional safety testing with animals. We reapply existing information and make extensive use of non-animal methods to determine safety. P&G is working with many partners and lawmakers globally to continue to advance science and technology in this area. P&G is well known for leadership in developing alternatives to animal tests, investing more than $275 million and developing or adapting more than 50 alternative methods. Many of these methods are not only faster than corresponding methods using animals, they are also more predictive of environmental or health effects.We are committed to continuing our leadership in developing non-animal alternatives, and our goal is to ultimately eliminate all animal research." ( P&G.com) 

      I think it's funny, laughable you might say, how they ramble on about "[believing] that ending animal research is beneficial for consumers, animal welfare, and industry." 

      

       Yet, they keep implementing it. I don't care how many times they say "we must conduct animal testing" to ensure the safety of our costumers blah blah blah!!! I know, that the only reason they continue to conduct animal testing is because of China's policy.

       

      If you are unaware, China requires cosmetic companies to conduct animal testing before they can sell in the country. 

      

      I think, and am sure most of you will agree, that the real reason companies like P&G, Estee Lauder, L'oreal Paris, MAC, Revlon, Maybelline, etc... continue to conduct animal testing, especially since we now have so many alternatives, is the profit or $$$. 

       Like I've mentioned before. The people behind these companies are not unaware of the 1.37 billion people living in China and what that means for their pockets! (http://www.statisticbrain.com/china-country-statistics/) 

So there you have it. I can't say I'm surprised at all by this. Definitely annoyed at their attempt to keep their "saintly" image. I wonder how 'saintly' they would seem, if they allowed us to enter their torture labs. 

Let me know what you think. By either commenting below or emailing me at ca.alva@yahoo.com. 

      I've been busying trying to contact SleekMakeup, Mally, etc from my list. By the way, if you are interested in looking at the list of cruelty-free companies I've gather, I have a post of each of them with my research, click here. Or you can look at the upper-left hand corner of my blog, where I will have my list linked, as well as Leaping Bunny's list, & PETA's list. 

      I would also appreciate if you would let me know which companies you want me to research. I can't guarantee I'll be able to get back to you guys with a post in a matter of days, but I will defiantly start.  

--Camila A. ☼

Too-Faced

Rimmel, NYC, Sally Hansen, OPI, philosophy, Marc Jacobs (fragances), Chloe, Calvin Klein (fragrances), adidas, Playboy (fragrances), Davidoff (parfums)

Well, that is certainty the longest title, I've ever given one of my humble posts. So let me explain why, I stuffed so many brands into one bunch. Coty, is the parent company of Rimmel, Sally Hansen, OPI, philosophy, Marc Jacobs (fragances), Chloe, Calvin Klein (fragrances), adidas, Playboy (fragrances), Davidoff (parfums) ) these are just the TOP 10 !); click here to see them all. I will put all of them on my official cruelty-free list on this blog. Click here.
That means, that whatever policy Coty has about animal testing, will also apply to any of those companies.

    So, now that we have cleared that up, to my correspondence. I received this email, with an attached document. I was excited, being that this was the first time a company attached a document to their correspondence; it made me feel like a professional investigator. 

    Let me share it with you:

"Camila,
Thank you for contacting us about our use of animals in safety testing.
Coty Inc  does not perform, nor do we ever commission any third parties on our behalf to perform, testing of our products or ingredients on animals. Attached please find our full Animal Testing Policy Statement. 

To the fullest extent possible, Coty Inc. products, do not contain Bovine, Ovine, Caprine, or Porcine derived materials, nor do we use any animal derived musk materials. However, there may be an occasional Coty product that may contain honey, beeswax, lanolin or cochineal ingredients. In addition, some of our products are available for purchase in China. 
Thank you for taking the time to write to us."

If all I had to go on Coty was this email and didn't research it more deeply, all my efforts to go cruelty-free would be worthless. That is one reason, I really enjoy receiving personalized emails from an official company representative, rather then relying in what it says on a company's FAQs page. 
     I will now share, the document that came attached to my email. It will go into detail. So, you've been warned. 

"Coty Inc. Statement on Animal Testing

    Coty Inc. is a leader in the global beauty industry and one of the world’s largest
fragrance companies.  We have developed a portfolio of notable brands and offer
innovative products of outstanding quality for which we are committed to maintaining
the highest possible standards of consumer safety.
Coty voluntarily ceased testing finished cosmetic products on animals in 1991, long
before the official European ban on such testing in 2004.  Coty has been actively
involved for many years in the research and development of alternatives to animal
testing.
     Before we place a product on the market, we assess it thoroughly to ensure that it is
safe for human use and for the environment and that it is compliant with all applicable
laws, rules and regulations.  Our safety assessment of cosmetic ingredients is based
on the use of recognized alternatives to animal testing, the use of existing safety data
and, increasingly, the sharing of such data with other industries.  We do not perform,
nor do we ever commission any third parties on our behalf to perform, testing of our
products or ingredients on animals.
     The only exceptions are the very few countries where, by law, the regulatory
authorities require us to submit our products or ingredients to them for testing on
animals as a mandatory part of their regulatory protocols in compliance with their
local regulations. In these countries we regularly communicate directly with the
authorities and try to convince them to accept the validity of the results of alternative
non-animal testing methods. We accede to mandated testing by the authorities on
animals only as a last resort.
     We continue to strive for the development and acceptance of additional reliable non- animal testing methods and will continue to vigorously support the research,
implementation and improvement of alternatives to animal testing, especially for
those more complex tests for which no alternative methods have been established.
     For this purpose we actively participate in research programs in Europe and the USA
by dedicating funding, time, resources and scientific expertise. The common goal of
all these efforts is to completely eliminate animal testing.

April 19, 2012 "

Notice how they keep repeating "We do not perform" and "We do not commission." It means that they DO NOT regulation or implement an no animal testing policy with those; third party companies include those where the raw ingredients come from.

They also talk about Coty being "actively involved for many years in the research and development of alternatives to animal testing." Blah blah blah!! Its the same story for sooo many companies!! Companies like tarte, Wet N' Wild, NYX, etc, create high quality products without resorting to animal testing.

Lastly, the document states "The only exceptions are the very few [China] countries where, by law, the regulatory authorities require us to submit our products or ingredients to them for testing on animals as a mandatory part of their regulatory protocols....." That is a red flag, which basically translates into we conduct animal testing. At some point, in Coty's distribution in those 'countries', the products are tested on animals.

It isn't surprising, but definitely a let down.


So what do you think? Are you surprised? Be sure to let me know! in the comments or email me at ca.alva@yahoo.com. :)


-Camila A.

Eyes Lips Face

Hey guys.

      I've been "monitor" shopping, basically meaning I've been looking at beauty products online. A few things have caught my eye from the ELF.com website. And like I always do when one a product catches my eye, I check that company's cruelty-free status. 

      I noticed, I had yet to mention ELF on my blog. Like many other company's, ELF has yet to reply to me, about their cruelty-free status. At this point, I think the only manner in which they will pay attention to me, is if I march to their office in NYC. I would be willing to do that to, but of course I live on a college student's salary. 

      So I guess we'll have to settle for looking at their FAQ page, at least for now.

      I know, it bothers me too. When purchasing from a well-known company to go-off their FAQ page, but alas with ELF I feel a bit more secure to do so. ELF is listed on PETA's DO NOT TEST list, as a company that does NOT conduct animal-testing. 

      Any who. Here is what it states on their FAQ page. 

" Do you test on animals?

 We do NOT test on animals or endorse such practices. Our products do not contain animal derived ingredients. Beeswax has been replaced by synthetic beeswax and lanolin has been replaced by Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladinpale-2. We currently support HSUS and are partners with PETA in the Caring Consumer Project. Please see our philosophy page for further explanation on our company."

      
I won't be discussing, ELF's philosophy, because this blog only looks at a company's cruelty-free status; which, in my opinion in itself says a lot about a company's philosophy. I will link it here, if you are interested in checking it out. 

     

      It warms my heart when company's go the extra mile to replace their animal derived ingredients, such as beeswax and lanolin, with synthetic materials. Although, I am not vegan, I am vegetarian. As you can see, ELF is cruelty-free according to their website. Although, I will request a proper correspondence from an ELF representative. As you known, I appreciate the credibility that comes along with an official correspondence. 

      I really admire their stance on animal testing and their stance on good-quality ingredients for a great price. 

     I really urge you to contact ELF for yourself. Maybe you will have better success in contacting them. If you do, I would really appreciate it if you share it here. 

-Camila Alvarez <3 

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays

Hey guys.

Today, is the day I celebrate Christmas with my family.

I spent the entire day having fun with my family & getting ready to go to my grandma's house.

I just wanted to stop by & wish you a very Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays.

I hope you get to spend it with your loved ones & enjoy with love & happiness.

I also wanted to share what I will be wearing on my nails.

In case you don't know I actually have another blog

camilacoco.blogspot.com

Which I dedicate only to beauty related posts & reviews, etc.

Check it out if  you'd like or not. 

Once, again enjoy these festivities and give lots of love. 

-Camila A.

<3 

Mally Beauty

April 23, 2013 UPDATE: Still haven're received a formal reply from Mally. :(
Will keep you posted. 

Hey guys.

       So, I've been really horribly unsuccessful in receiving quick replies from companies! It's really frustrating, so I decided to take manners into my own hands. I've been going to companies web pages and looking at their "FAQ" pages, as they are commonly known. 

      Don't worry!!! I'm still contacting these companies, but I figured it would be a good idea to post these, in addition to my correspondences. Like I mentioned previously I like the credibility that comes from personally contacting the companies. 

      However, I still feel like I can trust what it says on these companies web page because these companies would look really bad, if they lied about their cruelty-free status. Trust me. Take PETA who are infamous for checking those kinds of things. The truth always comes out. 

     So, please be patient with me. I'm working hard!

     For now, lets look at what it says on Mally's Beauty web page, about their "tested on animals" status. 

MallyBeauty.com(Click picture to go to site) 

      

I was surprised by the humble, quirky answer to this question. I often receive, answers that are full of facts but often don't answer the question. Just check out my correspondence with L'Oreal, Maybelline, MAC, & Revlon. I just want an answer, even if the answer is not want I want to hear. I don't want to feel like these companies are testing my vocabulary. Hopefully, that makes sense. 

     I feel this answer, from Mally Beauty is trustworthy because they get right to it. I like how, they mention Mally's personal philosophy, "She always says, tested on celebrities, not on animals." I wish all companies would take on that approach. 

         So far, I would feel safe purchasing from Mally. I will however, keep you updated when they reply to me. 
UPDATE: Dec. 29, 2013*** I know I said I would feel safe purchasing from Mally, but the more I've learned about animal testing makes me very spectacle when companies don't address animal testing questions. I would NOT purchase from them until they address my questions & if they meet the criteria I look for. 

       Mally, is usually only found on QVC or on their website. I've never seen her products in a sephora or Ulta. According to their FAQ page, they are not sold in China. 

 -So what do you think? Let me know your honest opinion below. 
-Also, I would appreciate it if you would subscribe. Just look for the subscriber box, to the left. -----> 
It would make me really happy!!! <3 <3 <3 


--Camila A. ☼

L'Oreal Official Correspondence

Hey guys.
So I finally received a reply from L'oreal. To be honest, I think the reason it took so long to receive a reply was my fault. I later realized I had emailed the wrong department. Opps. The important thing is that I finally received a reply from them. 



Here it is: 

My email to L'oreal:

"December 18, 2012

The safety of our consumers is our highest priority at L'Oréal Paris, a division of L'Oréal USA, Inc. Our products and ingredients undergo extensive screening so that consumers may purchase and use our products with complete confidence.

L'Oréal is a leader in developing alternative methods to animal testing with the ultimate goal of eliminating all animal testing completely. In 1989, L'Oréal voluntarily stopped using animal testing for the evaluation of its entire range of finished products. The company has invested $800 million over the last 25 years to develop innovative, alternative methods to animal testing, particularly in the area of reconstructed tissue development. We are totally committed to a future without tests on animals.

To learn more about L'Oréal's work in the area of alternative methods to animal testing, please visit our Sustainability website athttp://www.sustainabledevelopment.loreal.com/research-innovation/focus-on-predictive-evaluation/a-new-generation-of-predictive-evaluation-methods.aspx.

We appreciate your interest in L'Oréal Paris and we hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

[I don't feel right sharing the name of the person who replied to me]

Consumer Affairs Advisor

Ref # 6785402 "

      As you can see my suspicions were pretty accurate. Like I have mentioned before companies that mention they are committed to "a future without animal testing", are just evading the question. Whenever you hear that from a company it basically mean: WE CONDUCT ANIMAL TESTING. I am however, confused that according to my correspondence, in 1989 "L'Oreal voluntarily stopped using animal testing for the evaluation of its entire range..." I don't understand why a company would initiate an end to animal testing, yet continue to conduct animal testing. My opinion is that it has to due to China's obligatory animal testing law. Remember, there are  1.3 billion people in China, that is a gigantic market and companies like L'Oreal are not stupid. They know what that means to their pockets. Oh, money how you can rid us of our humanity! 

     Its weird to me that so many replies I receive from companies that do conduct animal testing are so similar. For example my correspondence with Maybelline, Revlon, & MAC. 

     I don't understand why these companies talk about trying to find "an alternative" to animal testing, when the alternative already exists. Check out Peta's website for an more detail at these methods, where are often "generally faster and less expensive."( Peta's Site)

       I won't go into too many details about these methods, as I am just a regular person who happens to be very passionate about animal cruelty, but I'm by NO means an expert. 

   

       So, if you are switching over to all cruelty-free cosmetics, I applaud you and urge you to STOP buying L'Oreal products. There are other great companies that come out with amazing products and do it with with no animal testing! For example, Physicians Formula, Sonia Kashuk, ELF, NYX, L.A. Colors (I still have to verify, but I'm hopeful), tarte, etc... (Check out my Cruelty-Free list for more). 

     Like I mentioned in my L'Oreal Update post, just a couple of days ago, I DO NOT support companies who have parent companies that test on animals. So I will be adding all the companies I listed from that post, to the NOT CRUELTY FREE section of my cruelty-free list. 

What do you think about all the similar replies I've been receiving from these companies? Have you had a similar experience? Anything you would like to add? Let me know, I really enjoy my comments! Especially since I receive so few. :)

      

--Camila A. ☼

I was Nominated for an Award :)

Hey guys.
I'm so excited and extremely humbled to be nominated by Diary of a Disney Diva for a Liebster Award. Thank you!!!!!  The Liebster Award is for new bloggers with under 200 followers. And I'm sure you would agree I fall into that category :) Its an awesome opportunity to help relatively unknown amazing wonderful bloggers get more exposure. 

Here are the rules:

1. If you are nominated for the award, post it up on your blog and thank other person who awarded you.

2. In the post let everyone know 11 facts about yourself.

3. Answer the 11 questions your nominee has asked you.

4. Choose 11 other bloggers with under 200 followers to nominate (not the person who nominated you), link to their blog and make sure you let them know they are nominated.

5. Choose 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

6. The nominees do their bit and the Liebster love keeps going round and round.

So here are my 11 facts:

1. While I live in the USA, I was born in Colombia. 
2. My favorite color is yellow.
3. I'm a vegetarian. I can't see myself as a vegan, because I like cheese too much!!! I put cheese on cheese!
4. When I lock a door, lets say my bathroom door, I will go back at least three times and twist the door knob, even though, I know it's locked. It's one of the few OCD compulsions I have. 
5. I have lived so close to DisneyLand that from my balcony I could see the fireworks every night. 
6. I have two dogs, Scraffy & Bruno. If I never find "the one" I'll become a crazy dog lady and have like 20 + dogs. I think that sounds pretty good for a plan B. Right? 
7. I've never had my own room :( 
8. I don't know how, but i swear I was suppose to be left handed! I don't know why, but I just know!
9. I watch YouTube videos more than TV. 
10. I'm 18 and cannot drive :( And I live in California where it is basically a law to drive. 
11. I hate any kind of injustice with a passion!! 
(Hopefully, you don't think I'm crazy after reading that.) 

 Questions to answer from Loz:

1. What is your favorite city?
-I haven't been to, too many cities unfortunately :( But from the famous ones I have been to I have to say LA, the Beverly Hills area. 

2. What is your favorite manicure that someone else has done?
-I'm not just saying this because Robyn nominated me, but I truly adore her look form "Dainty China Print Nails." I seriously need it in my life!!!!!! 

3. What is your favorite manicure that you have done?
-My mind is going blank, I'm sure later I'll think of something and be like "dang!!" I love patterns so anything like what I mentioned before. I love an orange-red base with crisp white polka dots! Makes me happy just thinking about it!!!

4. What is your favorite film?
-Definitely Pride & Prejudice, the version with Keira Knightly! I cannot express how much I adore everything about that movie! I've watched it in English (obs), Spanish, French( I cannot speak French), and with the Director's Commentary. 

5. WHat is your favorite holiday?
Christmas!!! With no doubt in my mind!!! I adore everything about Christmas!!! 

6. What is your favorite book?
-Such a tough question!!! I love to read! Wish I could do it more often!! I'd probably say Pride & Prejudice, but since I already mentioned good 'ol P&P; I'd feel bad if I didn't mention my second favorite book. Probably the Hunger Games Series. I know that is a random combination. 

7. What is your favorite Disney character?
- Again, such a tough question!!! Probably, Ariel from the Little Mermaid!!!! Yup!

8. What would your last meal be?
-Probably the Tom Yum Gai (Thai Hot & Sour Chicken Soup). Except, instead of chicken Tofu. <3

9. What is your favorite Christmas song?
-WHY? Such a hard question. I'm going to have to go with Sleigh Bells. <3 I know later I'll change my mind!

10. What is your favorite Disney film?
-This was a hard question!! I have to go with The Little Mermaid. 

11. What is your favorite nail polish brand?
-This is a tough question, I usually just buy cheap nail polish that is also cruelty-free. The one on the more expensive side I really enjoy is Orly. :) 

Time to mention the wonderful person I'm nominating!!!! I know I'm suppose to nominate 11 people, but I'm sorta new to the blogging business and don't really have too many blogs I follow. I'm nominating one of my two wonderful followers. 

amylwil from She Loves. She is just amazing!

1. Amylwil from She Loves


My 11 questions:

1. What is your favorite color?
2. What languages do you speak?
3.Have you ever lived in another country, other than your native country?
4. What is your favorite book? And why?
5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
6. Who's your celebrity crush?
7. From famous people who have passed on, who would you choose to go on a date (does not have to be romantic) just to chat about their life?
8. What is your favorite candy/sweet?
9. Are you a dog person or cat person? 
10. What is your favorite cruelty-free makeup line?
11. Who is your favorite Youtube Makeup Guru? and Why? I you don't have one, who inspires you in the aspect of beauty & fashion?

I want to thank Robyn once again for being so lovely and nominating me!! <3

-Camila <3