Opening up my makeup bag and applying my good ol' Ruby Woo from Mac makes me feel great - at £15 a pop, I'd hope it did too. But what is the real expense of that perfect blue-based hue?
Masked behind its' glossy ad campaigns and iconic black packaging is - whether we are aware of it or not - a defenseless animal living a life of confinement being poked and prodded all for the sake of a few hours wear.
* For the sake of repetition sometimes cruelty-free will be referred to as CF.
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We live in a world of animal lovers, the number one petition site Change supports this by having an overwhelming amount of online petitions to stop the abuse and exploitation of animals, more so than any other campaign on their site. We campaigned so much so that the EU finally put an end to animals being tested on for cosmetic purposes in 2013. However, due to numerous loopholes this sadly doesn't mean animals such as; Bunnies, Guinea Pigs, Mice, Cats and sometimes even man's best friend Dogs, are safe from abuse - abuse being the prime word as animal abuse laws DO NOT apply to laboratory animals.
I've always said I was an animal lover - admittedly, some more than others - Personally, I've never had a close relationship with bugs, that being said, I would never purposely subject them to needless experimentation or knowingly let them be tormented for the sake of my own gain. So, you can imagine my horror when I realized this was still happening to animals that have been my pets over the years.
This was even more unnerving to learn when I found out there are more human-relevant, quicker and cost-effective tests available such as;
In Vitro Testing - (Test tube) Using human samples such as; blood, cells, or other tissue to calculate results.
In Silico Testing - Computer-based models used to replicate results.
Human Based Trials - Low doses of drugs given to consenting adults to monitor results.
Prior to 2016, I was not aware of the alternatives, I was not aware that animal testing was still happening. I was ignorant and continued to - unintentionally - support it. Even though there are so many great alternatives available to suit all price ranges, that despite some opinions, still achieve the very same results.
Advice For Going Cruelty-Free
If you're thinking about going cruelty-free, firstly, hell yes massive fist pump, I highly recommend you check out Logical Harmony and Cruelty-Free Kitty for a comprehensive list of all the brands that are available and a copious amount of advice and information.
And secondly, do not stress and think you instantly have to throw out all of your makeup, It has taken me over a year to phase out my non-CF beauty products (I still have a few now) as I refuse to let them go to waste and I do not have the money to instantly replace them. If you're financially in a position to instantly transform your kit and you feel you would like to do so, then how about donating your old makeup?
You will make mistakes. It can be an ethical minefield out there when it comes to purchasing cruelty-free goods as many brands aren't open about their animal testing policies and whether or not they sell in China (which is a country where it is mandatory for all foreign cosmetics to undergo animal testing).
Hence why I trust the two resources above as they only include brands in which they personally clarify their policies.
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So, all that being said let's have a look at what previously lived in my makeup bag and decipher just what is and isn't animal-friendly;
The Good - Brands That Do Not Test on Animals
❤ Charlotte Tilbury - They do not test their finished products or ingredients on animals, they also do not purchase ingredients from suppliers that test on animals - nor do they sell in China. Not all their products are Vegan* but, they do offer an extensive list of products that are.
* Some products contain things like beeswax or carmine (crushed up insects).
❤ Nars - Fun fact, François Nars is a Vegan. However, this brand holds an ethical divide among CF shoppers, Nars is a cruelty-free brand, however, they are owned by Shiseido who are not cruelty-free and continue to sell to China. Shiseido also own several other CF brands such as; Laura Mercier* (another company that is in debate) and bareMinerals.
Whether or not you decide to support CF brands that are owned by non-CF is a decision only you can make, I currently remain undecided on this.
❤ Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow lovers rejoice, ABH is a CF brand and does not test on animals. So go get your Insta-brow on.
The Ugly - Brands That Are Not Cruelty-Free
☠ Estée Lauder - In 2012 started to sell to China, despite previously being against animal testing - They also are parent company to a whole host of brands: Smashbox and Aveda both are cruelty-free however, Bobbi Brown, Bumble and bumble, MAC, Origins and Clinique are not.
☠ MAC - Despite their protest in this extremely condescending rant, here's an extract:
"Alternatives exist, but they aren’t accepted everywhere. Even though we don’t test on animals ourselves, but because of requirements by law, our products or ingredients can be tested on animals in places like China. If we had our way alternatives would be accepted everywhere."
MAC are ultimately not Cruelty-free. Regardless, of what false pretense they hold ultimately their reason for selling to China is (and I'm pretty sure of it) their £20 billion beauty market, therefore they are knowingly subjecting animals for testing.
☠ Maybelline - They are owned by L'Oreal, a company notorious for it's animal testing. Although Maybelline does not test any finished products on animals, nor does it test any ingredients, they do sell to China where it is then tested.
☠ Benefit - Although again, they do not test on animals directly they do sell to Sephora stores across China.
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Ultimately I'm not here to preach, but I do want to sway opinions and give information on what kick-ass cruelty-free products are available - as a Vegan (since January 2016) to promote any brands that still test on animals would be highly hypocritical.
As of now all products that are featured on this site, or Youtube channel will be cruelty-free. I'm still very much learning, but with the huge amount of information online and with the increased amount of interest - thanks to Veganuary, there is also plenty more people interested - so there is no need for us to do this lifestyle change on our own, if you need advice just give me a tweet/message/shout/smoke signal and I'll do my best to help you out.
Charlotte x
What is inside my old makeup bag?