cruelty free

Dear Diary

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A few weeks ago we got an email from our girl Maram at Lush HQ asking if we’d be into a tour of the Lush factory here in Toronto, and though we weren’t sure what was in store we eagerly replied “yes!”

This past Tuesday we woke up early, hopped in a cab half awake, and headed to Etobicoke. Walking into the factory was like walking into a massive cloud of scent perfection- think Lush store level x 1000! We quickly started the tour, exploring everything from the bath bomb mixing room, to the labelling section and soap department. We tried our hand at pressing bath bombs, mixing fresh masks, and even covered ourselves with special lustres in the glitter room!

Last but not least we entered the bubble room, a giant open space packed with people hand shaping and prepping the bubble bars and bubbleroons that we all know and love. We got a quick tutorial on making up the mixture, then practiced shaping our own bars with all the other employees (who seemed mildly entertained by our lack of skill).

We left the factory smelling like Lush, with bags full of somewhat-deformed product that we had attempted to make ourselves. The best part about the whole experience was learning more about Lush as a company- whole avocados get hand cut into their products, funds are given to local sustainable farmers so they can meet the company’s demands whenever possible, and everyone putting the products together seemed genuinely passionate about what they were doing. Paired with their very public devotion to the fight against animal testing, Lush’s values have really made me a die-hard fan of their amazing natural products.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to take a very colourful bath…

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Oh so Pretty

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I’m a sucker for great packaging, and from the first moment I saw R+Co’s Bel Air shampoo bottles I knew I had to try it.

Formed by a think tank of leading industry stylists and educators, R+Co is all about the experience, and it shines though in everything from the texture of the packaging to the product scents. Cruelty-free, vegetarian, gluten free, colour safe, paraben and sulfate free- you name it, they’ve thought of it. Each product is made to evoke “a feeling, place, style, or attitude”, and I can definitely vouch that they’re each pretty transportive in their own special way.

Here are some of my favourites from the line:

Tinsel // a smoothing oil that creates shine, demolishes frizz, and smells like a fruity magical adventure to a mysterious land.

Bel Air Shampoo and Conditioner // I’ve been getting a lot of frizz and breakage from scarf season and the constant damage I am inflicting on my hair, but the Bel Air duo has really been making a visible difference in smoothness. It also doesn’t hurt that the packaging is 100% on point!

Death Valley Dry Shampoo // I have yet to meet a dry shampoo that I didn’t love, and Death Valley is no exception to the rule. Great for building body and 60s style voluminous looks, and it never leaves any powdery residue.

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*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*

Oh so Pretty

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I’ve been dyeing my hair pastel colours for years now, and though it’s a lot of work, I’ve come to really appreciate the time I spend blending colours and playing around with different formulas. That said, I’m always open to anything that will make the process easier, and that’s just what Tinge brings to the table (erm, shower?)

Tinge is a pastel conditioner line that’s lovingly made in San Francisco. Cruelty-free and non-damaging, it comes in turquoise, purple, silver, pink, and peach, and rinses out in 3-5 washes, making it the perfect pastel beginner product line. The best part? It’s almost impossible to mess this colour up! As long as your hair is bleached to a light enough shade, you’ll end up with perfect pastel hair every time. You can even keep using Tinge in the shower to maintain the colour, or let it fade to an even more powdery hue.

I wanted to try a handful of Tinge colours all at once, so I got my good friend/hair guru/pastel intern Johanna to donate her head for experimentation. Johanna and I have been doing our hair together since the very beginning (she’s the person who taught me the secrets of pastel hair!) so I knew she’d be up for the task.Tinge7

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I tried out the silver, but because I already had faded pink Manic Panic in my hair, it turned a super pretty smokey purple-grey shade, which is fading nicely into silvery lavender magic after only one wash. Johanna tried out the mint, the pink, and the purple, and though the purple and pink didn’t show up quite as much as we’d hoped, the turquoise was totally perfect, and according to her report today-“The mint in my hair faded really nicely- good fade quality.”

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Overall first impressions? These are great colours to play around with if you’re scared of at home hair dye, or just want an easy temporary change without too much commitment. What are you waiting for? Get your Tinge on!

*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*

Oh so Pretty

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I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the best beauty writer. Easily drawn in by pretty packaging, design details, and cutesy names, I always have way more products on hand than I actually really need, and as a result my skin suffers.

Thank goodness Glossier came along to make everything so much more simple.

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Glossier is the skin-perfecting cosmetic child of Into The Gloss, and it aims to put “Skin first, makeup second”. With a handy “phase 1” set that includes toner, priming moisturizer, multi-purpose balm, and perfecting skin tint, they’ve come up with everything you need to get perfect, smooth, blemish-free skin.

When my Glossier package first arrived (note: they currently only ship within the U.S., so you’ll have to use a friend’s address over the border or wait it out) I was pretty skeptical. Sure the packaging was pretty and the products came with a sheet of stickers, but would they really work?

The answer in short, is yes. My skin has never been better, and I love how straightforward the set of products is. Even the balm has blown me out of the water by keeping my lips smooth and crack-free all winter, something I had previously only ever dreamed of.
I can’t wait to see what skin goodness Glossier adds to their roster next- these pretty masks look oh-so dreamy!

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*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*

Oh so Pretty

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I’m a creature of habit, just like everyone else, and once I find a product that I love, I have a really hard time making a switch to something new. Once I use something for long enough and decide I like how it works, I almost never buy something different, but Ilia tempted me with their modern design and natural ingredient lists, and I’m so glad I gave their products a try!

Ilia’s line isn’t as massive as most, but the products they do have are simply wonderful. Animal product free except for beeswax, the line is fully vegetarian, natural, and much more sustainable than most cosmetic lines. Using plant based pigments and rich ingredients like organic avocado butter and jojoba seed oil, these cosmetics are as luxurious as they are earth friendly, and they work so well too! Originally from Vancouver, the brand is now L.A. based, and it seems every few months they have new exciting products up for grabs!

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Now, I’m not going to lie, I haven’t yet tried every single product (though I absolutely plan to!), but here’s what I have gotten my paws on so far:

Mascara

I was a little skeptical about this mascara, as I’ve been using BUXOM religiously for so many years, and was scared nothing could compete. Surprisingly though, it completely exceeded my expectations. With an angled, tapered brush for perfect lash shape, and a rich, clump-free formula, this mascara boosts my lashes, but keeps them looking natural too. I can’t wait to try out the copper colour next!

Illuminator

Okay so first off, the ivory illuminator is called “Polka Dots and Moonbeams”, so I was sold just reading the label! This product is great for adding dimension and subtle shimmer to the face without piling a bunch of toxic junk on your skin. I apply mine to my upper lip, under my brows, the tops of my cheekbones, and my nose!

Lipstick

I have a real issue with lipstick, because it always seems to dry out my lips extremely quickly. Luckily, the Ilia lipsticks are made with organic oils, cacao butter, and beeswax, and though they give great coverage, they also moisturize and let the lips breathe. My favourite colours of the moment are “In my Room“, and “Perfect Day”

Tinted lip conditioner

Ilia’s lip conditioners have shot to the top of my must-have beauty product list pretty quickly, because they’re actually the perfect product. Adding moisture like a lip balm, along with a hint of colour, these little sticks are the ideal product for someone who shies away from lipstick like I do. My current favourites are “Shell Shock“, and “Arabian Nights“.

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Photography by Brianne Burnell

*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*