NYX Cosmetics now owned by L'Oreal!

Hi guys!

It's been a while, I know... life got in the way. But I hope I will be able to start writing blogs more frequently from now on, I will definitely try my very best.

Today I'm writing this as I have to share something important with you guys that I JUST learned myself. I don't know how I could have missed this, I guess I was dreaming too much... but anyways. I just learned that NYX Cosmetics was acquired by L'Oreal in June this year! Which means that NYX is now owned by a company that does animal testing. If you've read my previous posts, you know I like NYX a lot so this news was really upsetting to hear! Of course, NYX will still remain cruelty-free just like before, which is great, but I personally don't want to support a company that does animal testing in any way, so this means goodbyes for NYX unfortunately. :-(  I leave it to everyone else to decide for themselves what to make of this, but this blog will no longer include NYX products in its posts.

That's all for now. See you next time!

xoxo,

Mia

Ps. I have some Christmas themed blog posts coming on your way soon, so keep tuned! 

First impressions - NYX color lip balm, Alverde Aqua peeling, P2 Perfect Look nail polish

Hey all!

I hope you've enjoyed your summer. It's already September now and the leaves are starting to change colour.  Everything looks so beautiful outside and that's why I really love this time of the year, it feels like a new start or something. I've been on holiday the past two weeks, relaxing and decorating my flat. The other day I went shopping and I thought I'd do a blog post about some of the things I got.

NYX COLOR LIP BALM

As my holiday is coming to an end I thought I'd cheer myself up by buying new lip products from NYX. I love the butter glosses from NYX but this time I wanted to try out something new. I bought two color lip balms in colours CLB01 Merci and CLB12 Shukran. Merci is a nice pink colour and shukran is more like a brownish red colour. These lip balms promise to nourish and moisturize your lips while giving a lovely colour and shine to them. The colour payoff is really good and I like the shine it gives my lips. Merci looks really fresh and luckily not too pink on my lips. Shukran on the other hand doesn't really do much to my lips because it is pretty much the same colour as my real lip colour. However, it does really intensify the colour of my lips which is great when I'm going for the natural look. What I don't like about these lip balms so far is that they make my lips feel a little bit dry, which kind of ruins the whole purpose of this product. Will I repurchase it? I'll definitely keep using it but I doubt I'll repurchase it.

ALVERDE AQUA PEELING MEERESALGE 

As you might know by now, I love products from Alverde. They're cheap, all natural and cruelty-free and available at the drugstore (DM). I wanted to buy a new peeling as my skin has been breaking out a bit more lately, so I went and picked up this Aqua Peeling for normal/combination skin with seaweed, which I have used before a couple of years ago but totally forgot about it. The peeling is a combination of brown and green seaweed and sea minerals and it promises to moisturize and refresh your skin and stop it from drying out. It definitely refreshes your skin immediately and I like the way it feels on my skin, it is definitely not too rough. Unfortunately it does dry out my skin a bit which is not great, but as I'm going to use a tonic water and put moisturizer on afterwards, it doesn't really matter. I've only used it once so far but I like it and I really hope my skin will too...

P2 PERFECT LOOK BEAUTY NAILS

For those of you who don't know this brand, P2 is a affordable German makeup brand that has a lot of great nail polishes to choose from. This time I bought the P2 PERFECT LOOK Beauty nails nail polish in colour 030 apricot style. This nail polish gives you an elegant gel-nail look which I've been loving lately. I love the shine and plumbing effect it gives to my nails and the colour payoff is not bad either. You can definitely wear it on its own or do a French manicure with it. I've only had it on my nails for almost a day now, we'll see how long it'll look this pretty.

What did  you think of this little review? Should I do more of these?
Have a great start to the new week, talk to you soon!

xoxo,

Mia

Ps.

My makeup routine for hot summer days ☀

The sun is shining and it's pouring with rain, the summer must be somewhere around the corner! At least according to an old Finnish song and to the weather we've been having in Germany lately. It has been pouring with rain and we haven't really had any good summer days so far - and it is already August! Nevertheless, I think it's never too late to share some tips on how to prepare your skin for a hot summer day outside. And that is exactly what my blog post will be about today!

Being born in northern Finland where the summer is quite short and not the hottest, I tend to struggle a bit when the weather gets really hot. My skin can't stand the heat so well, so if it gets to more than 30 degrees celsius, you'll most likely find me hiding in the shadows or in my flat with the blinds closed. Sad but true. My skin has always been pretty pale and no matter how long I stay in the sun, I never seem to get that perfect even tan. Well, much of a tan in general. This used to bother me but lately all that matters is that I don't get a sunburn which is why I always wear at least 25 SPF sunscreen when I'm outside. Here are some tips on how I prepare my skin for a hot summer day outside. Enjoy! :-)

1. Sunscreen before moisturizer

My skin tends to be a bit dry even during the summer months, so before I put my moisturizer on I put some sunscreen on, let it set for awhile and then put on some moisturizer. Moisturizers with SPF do exist, so if you have one that's great, So far I haven't been able to find one from a natural cosmetics brand that I like or one that doesn't cost a fortune. Also, if the moisturizer only has 10 SPF in it and you're going to be outside a looong time, it's better to be safe than sorry and put some real sun lotion on your face before you head outside. 

2. Mix moisturizer with tinted moisturizer

Lately I have been mixing my moisturizer with a tinted moisturizer to get more colour to my face. If your tinted moisturizer is a little bit too dark or it doesn't moisturize your skin enough on its own, I definitely recommend you to mix it with a little bit of your normal moisturizer and you're good to go!

3. Makeup 

In summer time I don't like to wear much makeup on my face, because I want my skin to be able to breath. Also, if I have too much on I sweat more and I'd rather try to avoid it the best I can! Especially when I'm going somewhere and will be in overcrowded places like in the underground. If I'm going to sunbathe all day then I might just put on some concealer and do my eyebrows and that's it. But if I'm going to a beer garden or a picnick with friends, I will put a bit more effort into my makeup. I like wearing gold and copper eyeshadows during summer, I especially like Alverde's baked eyeshadow in colour Elegant Beige. If your eyelids tend to sweat you should definitely put on some eyeshadow primer beforehand. I also just like to tap some dark eyeshadow on top of my eyeliner to set it more and to stop it from smudging into my grease. Sometimes when I'm really lazy or I'm just going to lay in the sun all day yet still want to define my eyes a little bit, I like to just carefully tightline the inner rim of my upper eye lid with a black or dark brown kohl pencil and put some mascara on. It's an easy way to define your eyes without having to spend ages on getting your eyeliner perfect.

If you are like me and want to look at least a little bit sun kissed in summer, bronzer is your best friend! Apply it with a light hand onto your temples, cheeks, top of your forehead and also little bit on your nose and jaw line, so pretty much everywhere the sun would naturally hit. If you're having trouble in finding the right shade, here is an easy tip I learned on how to pick the right shade according to your skin tone: hold the bronzer onto your face and pick a shade that is one or max. two shades darker than your skin tone.

I have also been loving a tiny bit of highlighter in the inner corners of my eyes and above my cupid's bow. You wouldn't think but it makes a huge difference. Give it a go!

4. Don't forget the sunscreen!

I can't stress enough how important it is to wear sunscreen when you're out and about! Sun makes us feel good and happy but at the same time it can also damage our skin, cause us wrinkles and age spots. Sure, most of us love a good tan, but if you don't want your skin to age faster, don't forget to put on some sunscreen! However, spending 15-20 minutes a day outside without any sun protection is also perfectly fine as this is great way to boost your D-vitamin intake especially right before autumn/winter time. Of course, if you are planning on staying outside longer than that, please have a sunscreen at hand. Usually you should put your sun lotion on about 20-30 minutes before you head outside so it has time to set into your skin. But, if you're using a mineral sunscreen, it is effective right after you have put it on as it stays on the surface of your skin and doesn't soak into your skin like chemical sunscreens do.

There are two types of sunscreens, ones with chemical and ones with mineral filters. Chemical filters are more common, i.e. are the bad ones, whereas mineral filters are used in natural cosmetics. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are ingredients used in mineral filters. Oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate are the active ingredients used in chemical filters and the ones you should definitely avoid. As I mentioned earlier, in comparison to natural sunscreens, chemical sunscreens soak into your skin where its chemicals eventually find their way into the bloodstream and start doing their mischiefs. These chemicals poison the body from within which can lead to interference with your hormonal function, can contribute to the development of breast cancer or other cancer, or even cause infertility. Pretty harsh stuff, right? So next time you're choosing your sunscreen, please keep this in mind and pick an all natural one!

At the end of the day, I'd rather be pale than get skin cancer or suffer from sun caused premature aging. So please all of my fellow sisters, embrace your snow white skin! And if you really, really hate to be the palest, there are plenty of self tanning lotions in the stores for you to choose from - even all natural ones.

All you need now is a nice pair of sunglasses and a hat, and you're ready to go!

Until next time...
Enjoy the summer and talk to you soon! ☀

Mia

June Favourites 2014

This is what I've been loving in the month of June...

Beauty

Logona Eyebrow pencil
My lifesaver for this month has definitely been the eyebrow pencil from Logona in shade blonde. Perfect shade for my eyebrows and easy to work with.

Arya Laya Clear Skin Spot Stop
I have also been loving Clear Skin Spot Stop from a brand called Arya Laya which I spotted at my local health-food shop two weeks ago. I've had more spots lately and this product has made my life a lot easier. It's very easy to use, you just get a little bit of it on your finger and then tap it onto the spot and you're done!

"This combination of tea tree oil, oil of orange and oil of lemon works as an antiseptic, cleanser and astringent. Panthenol (provitamin B5), extracts of liquorice root and tree lichen promote healing and have an anti-inflammatory effect."

My other monthly faves are non-beauty related, but I like to share them with you anyways!

Series

- Hart of Dixie
- The Vampire Diaries (Damon ❤ )

Food

- Couscous salad with pepper, cherry tomatoes, raisins/cranberries and feta cheese *yum*

Music

I'm hooked on Spotify! So much music to choose from, I love it!

Lately I've been listening to these songs on repeat:

- Calvin Harris - Summer

- Lana del Rey - Young and Beautiful 

- Oliver Koletzki - No Man No Cry

- Sia - Chandelier

- Incubus - Anna Molly

That's all for my June faves. What were your favourites this month? :-)

Mia

Going natural - Limit your exposure to chemicals!

Do you want to go natural and live your life happy and toxic-free? Me too!

About 2,5 years ago I stumbled upon a video on Youtube about toxic chemicals in beauty products. The video made a huge impact on me, and a couple of months later I had pretty much replaced all my beauty products and had switched to natural cosmetics. At first it wasn't easy at all. I was happy before with my skin care products and it was hard to stop using some of my favourite ones. But, as I was obsessed with the whole 'going natural' thing I decided I'd give it a go. Let me tell you.. My skin was not very happy about that! Before switching to natural cosmetics, my skin was normal with very few breakouts. Since I've started using natural products my skin tends to be way more sensitive. I've tried many different products in hopes for finding a good match for my sensitive, dryish, and somewhat combination skin. During my journey I've learnt so far that

a) my skin gets irritated from rose extract (which is kind of weird because it is suppose to help irritated skin....) 

b) going natural can be pretty expensive!

c) ask for samples or buy travel sizes so you won't be wasting any money in case you don't like the product

d) if it says natural or organic on the label, don't believe it!

e)"if you can't pronounce it, it's probably toxic!"

f)  if in doubt, buy vegan products and DO YOUR RESEARCH before you go shopping! 

So yeah, it hasn't been easy. But I am so happy that I made this change. I have luckily managed to find some great skin care products for my skin, but I'm still struggling to find a perfect moisturizer for my skin that doesn't irritate it, dry it out or make me breakout. So, switching to natural cosmetics might not be easy at first, or at least it has been so in my case, but hey, nothing in life really is! And I guess sometimes you need to make some compromises when you really believe in something.

I already mentioned how important it is to do your research before you go shopping. There are so many ingredients in mascaras, lipstick or in your moisturizer that can cause cancer, birth defects or are highly toxic. Parabens, PEGs, Phenylenediamine, Petrolatum, Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate, Oxybenzone, Propylene Glycol, Formaldehyde, Hexamethyl - just to name a few. Did you know that the same chemical that is used as a break fluid for your car can be found in your moisturizer? Or that the same chemical you use for building materials can be found in your body wash?  It is very important to know what the product you put on your face everyday really contains and this is the toughest part of switching to natural cosmetics: understanding the ingredients!

Did you know it is not only better for you to avoid getting too many toxins into your system, our environment also benefits from it! I tend to think of humans as walking toxic waste. It might sound horrible but I really think that's the truth. Think about how much we're exposed to different toxic chemicals everyday? They're either in our food, in our water or in our beauty products. There are even bad chemicals in baby products! I just read an article the other day that said a small part of the toxins in our bodies or from food, ends up in the ground water. A lot of the water we use everyday comes from the ground water. Of course, we're only talking about a small amount of chemicals, but still. I think it is important to be aware of these things and try to do your very best in keeping our earth as green and chemical-free as possible. Our fun on this earth won't last very long if we continue living like this. There is this picture I really like that pretty much sums it all up:



I can certainly say that ever since I've started paying more attention to what I put on my face or body, or what I eat, I've felt better. Sure, I'd rather not have to struggle with my skin so much, but sometimes you just have to accept that things change. And at least I know I'm doing something good for myself and that's all that matters. Of course, I still allow myself to "sin" once in a while, as I like to call it, and may go make a sneaky purchase of NYX cosmetics or buy a new perfume from the drugstore. I'm just human and sometimes I just can't resist the temptation! I'm sure you know how that is. But when it comes to my skin and body care, it's all natural, baby!

I hope I've managed to raise your attention to how important going natural really is, not just for you but also for our environment. I'm not asking you to throw all your makeup out of the window. If you do decide to switch to natural cosmetics, take it slowly and start replacing your products as you run out of the old ones. I'll definitely be writing another blog post where I go into more detail about different chemicals. In the mean time, I've listed a couple of websites for you that I find quite interesting and helpful.. go check them out!

Skin Deep Cosmetic Database
http://www.codecheck.info/ (in German)
Is there toxic waste in your body? The Huffington Post

Until next time!

Mia

Review - SO'Bio étic BB Cream "Perfecteur de teint" 5 in 1

Hey guys!

Today's review is about SO'Bio étic BB cream "Perfecteur de teint" 5 in 1. This is my first BB cream I've ever used, so here we go...

Details:

Ingredients (INCI): Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Aqua (Water), Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cocoglycerides, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Wax/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Lauroyl Lysine, Zinc Oxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Trihydroxystearin, Sodium Levulinate, Iris Germanica Root, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Hull Powder, Parfum (Fragrance), Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Aluminum Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Bisabolol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Glycerin, Silica, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Phytosphingosine, Lactic Acid, Lysine, Magnesium Chloride, Geraniol, Tocopherol, Citronellol, Rosmarinus Officinalis(Rosemary) Extract.
May Contain: Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77492 (Iron Oxides), Mica, Ci 77491 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides).

Available in: 01 beige nude Blister and 02 beige éclat Blister (I got it in shade 01)
Skin type: For all skin types (especially for oily skin)
Contains: SPF 10
Certificates: Cosmébio and ECOCERT

According to their website (http://www.sobio-etic.com/) all their products are cruelty-free!☺ 

"Supported by its founding values, SO’BiO étic® guarantees that its products are designed and manufactured with respect for humans and animals, with care at all times to protect the environment and nature, and with a duty of quality and effectiveness that respects consumers." 

Review:

The consistency is very thick and you need to spread it quickly on to your skin. Very little goes a long way though which is great as you only get 30ml for 12,49 €. You get a lovely matte finish from this BB cream and it covers minor faults on your skin easily. 

I like the product but I think it would work better for someone with oilier skin. My skin tends to get drier during winter/autumn and I did notice that if my skin was a bit drier, the BB cream didn't feel that nice on my skin. I tried it on again when the weather was a bit warmer and I had no problems at all. So that being said, even though it says it is suitable for all skin types I wouldn't recommend this product for anyone with dry skin.

I'm sure I'll have no problems in using it all up but for next time, I think I'd rather order the SO'Bio étic BB cream 5 in 1 in lighter texture which might suit better for my combination skin.

That's all for today. See you soon! 

xoxo,

Mia 

Everyday eye makeup look - March 2014

Hey all!

It's been a while since my last post and I'm sorry about that. The past month has been so hectic at work for me that I just haven't had the energy nor time to sit down and write something. But, things are getting a bit better now and I'm finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel!

I thought I'd make a blog post about my everyday eye makeup look today, as I changed it up a little bit this month. It's nothing special but let me know what you think!

I don't use a ton of makeup on daily basis, so my eye makeup is usually really simple. This month I've really been into using the NYX jumbo pencils as a base and I've pretty much ditched my eye liner completely and have just used a dark brown eye shadow to line my eyes.

Products I used:

- NYX Jumbo eye pencil, 604 Milk and 611 Yogurt
- Alverde eyeshadow palette, 37 chocolate
- P2 Beauty Insider Volume Mascara, brown

Excuse my brows.. I struggle with them the most as they are pretty straight and thick. But I try to make the best of what I have. :) Still searching for that perfect brow colour though, I hope to find it one day...

That's all for today. I wish you all a great start into the new week!

xoxo,

Mia

NOTD - Purple ombre nails (a quick how-to)

Here are my Nails Of The Day for you guys! :-)

Today I decided to go with a simple nail art called ombre nails. All you need for this look is

• 2 or 3 different shade nail polishes
• a makeup sponge

I first painted my nails with a purple nail polish by Catrice and used it as kind of a base for this whole look. As I decided to do a purple ombre, I thought these colours would fit perfectly together!

Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer - 890 How I Matt Your Mother
Wet 'n' Wild Megalast polish - E2072 Bite the Bullet

After you have picked up the colours, all you need to do is to get a makeup sponge and cut it smaller, so that it is pretty much the same width/length as your nails to avoid getting the nail polish all over your fingers. Then you just need to paint a side of the sponge with the nail polishes of your choice and start tapping the colour on to your nails.

To finish off the look, just paint your nails with a top coat and there you have it, beautiful ombre nails! This is a very easy and quick nail art to do, and you can use pretty much every colour you want for this. I love how my nails turned out and I'm sure you will, too!

Until next time...

xoxo,

Mia

January Favourites 2014 ☆

Better late than never, right?

Here are my favourites from the month of January!

Beauty

Alterra Kohl Pencil Eyeliner in colour 05 grey
(1,79 EUR at Rossmann)

I am happily surprised with the quality of this eyeliner considering how much it costs. The colour is more like a dark blue than grey, which is fine by me as I love dark blue eyeliners. The pigmentation is pretty good considering it is a natural cosmetics product. Another great thing about this pencil eyeliner is that it doesn't wear off that much during the day. That is pretty much all I want from an eyeliner..it should stay put! So this eyeliner definitely does its job!

NYX Buttergloss in colour Éclair

(around 6,99 EUR at Douglas)

I am in love with this product! It is very easy to apply and it feels soooo soft on the lips! The colour I picked up is a pale pinkish colour and it's exactly the shade I've been needing in my life. Pigmentation is okay, I would have to try out a darker colour to say more to that. It doesn't wear off that easily. It was still in place after I had had a sandwich, so that's a big thumbs up from me. I definitely recommend this product for everyone who loves lipglosses and is looking for one that feels soft and isn't too sticky on the lips!

Skin care

Lavera Gentle Facial Toner for normal and dry skin

(around 5,99 EUR at DM/Müller)

This is my favourite toner at the moment. My skin is very difficult sometimes and at the moment it is quite dry yet still a bit oily on my t-zone. It is also quite sensitive ever since I switched into using natural cosmetics in my skin care. So yeah, it can be a pain finding skin care products that don't dry out my skin too much, irritate it or cause blemishes! This toner consists of organic almond and malva and it is very soft on the skin and purifies it perfectly. I don't use a heavy foundation on a daily basis so this and a gentle cleansing milk is all I need at the moment. Sometimes after using the toner my skin can get a way from not using a moisturizer, which is great sometimes when you just don't want to put anything on your face...

Food

Indischer Chai Classic from Teekanne

(2,29 EUR at Rewe)

I love this chai tea! I like to drink it with some milk.. sometimes I get through 3 cups of this in a row, it is so good! And it smells delicious, too. What more can I say?

Clipper Natural, Fair & Delicious teas 

(around 3 EUR for 26 bags I think, I bought it at a supermarket in Finland last time I was there...)

I love these teas! Clipper is a UK brand and their teas are organic and made only of pure ingredients. The packaging is ah-so-amazing and the quality of the tea is great. I love the lemon & ginger and white tea with orange a lot..you should definitely check out their online shop, though, be warned; for a tea lover like me, it is like heaven on earth...: http://www.clipper-teas.com/

Stroopwafels

(under 2 EUR from pretty much everywhere!)

These are Dutch waffels which I once randomly picked up from a supermarket near by and I've been hooked ever since! Stroopwafel "is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle"  according to wikipedia and they look something like this:

The ones I like to buy have a honey filling and they are way too delicious. Lately I've had to force myself to only buy them once a week as I get through a package way too fast...Yum!

Music

Pharrell - Happy

Zero 7 - Record 
...and this is my favourite song of the album:



That's all for the monthly favourites... See you next time! :-)

xoxo,

Mia

♥ Cruelty-free beauty brands ♥

Today the time has finally come to separate the good guys from the bad guys, so come along and find out which beauty brands you can trust and which you should definitely be avoiding.

In the world of cosmetics it can sometimes be very hard to keep track of which products are cruelty-free, especially when companies say on their website they don't test their products on animals, but then don't specify if their ingredients are being tested which they get from a supplier, who most likely does testing on animals. Also, if a company sells their products in China (not including Hong Kong), this pretty much means that their products are being tested on animals (even if they claim to be cruelty-free etc etc) as all products that are sold in China HAVE TO be tested on animals.

Like you see, it is very important to keep your eyes and mind open and to not be fooled by companies promises as they might turn out to be nasty lies. Now on to my list... I hope it will help you in deciding whether to leave that mascara back on the shelf or not. Here you go:

Brands that DO test on animals ☹

• Anny
• Artdeco
• Aussie
• Aveda
• Avon
• Bare Minerals
• Biotherm
• Chanel
• Clarins
• Dior
• Essie
• Estée Lauder
• Garnier
• Kiehl's
• Lancome
• L'Oréal
• La Roche Posay
• MAC
• Make Up Factory
• Manhattan
• Max Factor
• Maybelline
• Misslyn
• NARS
• Nivea (- Beiersdorf -)
• Olay
• Redken
• Revlon
• Rimmel
• Schwarzkopf
• Shiseido
• Soap & Glory
• The Body Shop - cruelty-free BUT are owned by L'Oréal who test on animals!!!
• Urban Decay
• Vichy
• Wella
• Yves Rocher
• Yves Saint Laurent

Brands that DO NOT test on animals ♥

• Alterra
• Alverde
• Aubrey Organics
• Badger
• Balea
• Benecos
• Body & Soul
• Burt's Bees
• Catrice
• Dr. Hauschka
• Essence
• Everyday Minerals
• Illamasqua
• Isana
• Logona
• Lavera
• Lily Lolo
• Lush
• NYX
• P2
• Paul Mitchell
• PHB Ethical Beauty
• Rival de Loop
• Sante
• Terra Naturi
• Weleda
• Wet 'n' Wild

The big baddies of the cosmetics industry:

• Unilever (Dove, Vaseline, Simple, VO5, St. Ives...)
  http://www.unilever.co.uk/brands-in-action/
• Procter & Gamble (Aussie, Bruno Banani, CoverGirl, Escada, Head & Shoulders, Herbal Essence, Hugo Boss, Max Factor, Olay, Pantene, Vidal Sassoon, D&G, Gucci, Wella...and thats only some of the beauty brands mentioned!)
  http://www.pg.com/en_US/brands/
• Johnson & Johnson (Aveeno, Bebe, Korres, Neutrogena, ROC...)
  http://www.jnj.com/healthcare-products/consumer/
• Estée Lauder (Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Donna Karen, MAC, Michael Kors, Origins, Smashbox, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger....)
  http://www.elcompanies.com/Pages/Our-Brands.aspx
• Henkel (Diadermine, Fa, Schwarzkopf, Syoss, Gloss Kur, Got2be..)
  http://www.henkel.com/brands-and-solutions-12106.htm

Unclear at the moment (I'll update you on this when I know more...)

• Dr. Scheller
• Isadora
• I love....
• The Victoria's Secret (on PETA's list but some "cruelty-free experts" say one should not trust their lists so much...personally I don't know what to make of this yet.../)
• Yes To...

As you can see, the bad list is full of popular brands like Maybelline and Rimmel, which is pretty disappointing. If Dr. Hauschka or NYX can produce good quality products without having animals suffer, what on earth is stopping L'Oréal and co. from doing the same?! I really don't understand how some people can sleep at night...

If you want to be 100% sure that your product has not been tested on animals, please pay attention to the following seals, which are either printed on the product itself or on the packaging:

• Leaping bunny
• Cruelty-free bunny
• Vegan
• IHTK seal (International Manufactory Association against Animal Testing in Cosmetics - picture of a bunny being petted)
  
  And so on...

That's all for now. But I'll keep on researching this and will try my best to update the lists provided above as often as I can. Please keep in mind that I haven't listed every single cosmetics brand I know as the list would get veeery long and I would never get to posting it! I really hope you find this post useful and please do let me know if you need information on some other brands or if you just have any questions.. I'll be happy to help! :-)

xoxo,

Mia

Animal testing in cosmetics - Choose to be cruelty-free!

Animal testing is a very important issue that should be discussed more. In this blog post I hope to make you more aware of what is really involved in animal testing.

Few facts about animal testing

There are so many people unaware of how many products are in fact being tested on animals at this very second, or some simply choose not to care. Out of sight, out of mind as they say.

This really needs to change.

Animal testing in the cosmetics industry is still way too common. The situation in the EU regarding animal testing regulations is not that bad. For example last year in March a full ban on animal testing in cosmetics came into use. In other countries like the US things don't seem to have progressed that much. But, despite of regulations and laws, some companies still seem to find a way around them, for example by conducting animal testing outside Europe. 

When animal tests are conducted, different substances are tested on animals to find out how they react to it. They are examined, poisoned, burned and tortured and put through a lot of unnecessary pain and suffering. When the tests are over, animals are usually killed so that their organs can be further examined for any toxicity.

Animals that are mostly used in tests are rats, mice, rabbits, hamsters, monkeys, fish, sheep, frogs and even cats and dogs!

To give you an idea what actually happens behind those testing labs, here are some examples what these tests include:

• skin and eye irritation tests where chemicals are rubbed on shaved skin or dripped into the eyes without any pain relief.
• widely condemned “lethal dose” tests, where animals are forced to swallow large amounts of a test chemical to determine what dose causes death.
• animals are exposed to a substance and are then bred. After the animal gives birth, they are killed so that their system can be examined. Their baby is examined for any birth defects and is also eventually killed.
  (http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-testing)

These animals have no life. They are suffering and can't do anything about it. They are not running free outside like your pet or playing with their favourite toy. Instead they are being injected foreign substances into their bodies and tortured until they die.

Photo by: Colin Davis 

Animal tests cannot guarantee that the products are safe to be used on humans, because animals and humans have different anatomy and we simply function differently. Nowadays there are thankfully many other safe ways to produce products, like testing with human cells, without having animals suffering and dying just for our beauty's sake!

Choose to be cruelty-free!

In the end it is quite easy to become cruelty-free. After everything you know, if this does not make you think twice when buying make-up, I don't know what will! I hate the thought of animals suffering and it truly breaks my heart. I have been cruelty-free now for over 6 years and when you make the choice to only buy cruelty-free make-up, sure it won't be easy. You will most likely have to ditch your favourite mascara or concealer, but trust me, it is so worth it. Do it for the animals' sake. They can't defend themselves, so be the one to do it for them.

I hope this post helps you. In my next one I will write about cruelty-free brands and brands you should definitely avoid. Keep tuned for that!

xoxo,

Mia

Healthy Sexy Hair - Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner & Soy Milk Conditioner - disappointed!

If you are anything like me and try to avoid parabens at any cost, or if you are just trying to use more natural products in general, then you might want to keep reading...

In today's blog post I'm writing about two hair products from an American brand called Sexy Hair:

• Healthy Sexy Hair - Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner, 50ml, 7,95 EUR
• Healthy Sexy Hair - Soy Milk Conditioner, 50ml, 5,95 EUR

Everyone wants to have a beautiful, healthy and shiny hair and so far I have not had much luck in finding a good detangling and nourishing product within natural cosmetics lines, or a product that is completely paraben-free. So, after hearing a Youtube beauty guru rave about these products, I decided to check out the official website of Sexy Hair and I must say I was happy to see that they are not only cruelty-free (yay!) but also all of their shampoos and conditioners within Healthy Sexy Hair and other lines are completely sulfate-free and paraben-free. Just what I need to know! 

I ordered these products on http://www.hair-express.de and wow, they deliver their products really fast! So, you can imagine how happy I was to receive them only after three days of placing my order. BUT that was of course until I saw the ingredients...

I am so disappointed to see methylparaben listed in the ingredients. Parabens are a big no-go for me because of their connection to causing cancer. I just think it's better to be safe than sorry, and I feel better when I know my products (especially my skin care products) are not full of harmful ingredients. That being said, I will definitely not be testing these products now. I might even consider writing feedback to Sexy Hair about this, as I really dislike being mislead like that by companies. 

That is all I have to say about these products. My hunt for a nice paraben-free detangler continues!

I hope you find this post useful..See you next time!

xoxo,

Mia

Welcome to my blog!

I thought I'd tell you a little bit more about me... My name is Mia and I'm a 28 year old girl living in Germany. I originally come from Finland, but I moved to Germany some years ago. 

I work as a multilingual administrative assistant in an office, and as much I love languages my true passion lies in beauty. Animals have also always been very close to my heart and I was fortunate to grow up with having dogs as pets. One night when I was living abroad in 2005, I was online browsing and found a website stating all the terrible facts about animal testing in the cosmetics industry. I was horrified and immediately started researching it and became more and more aware of it. I have been cruelty-free ever since! Unfortunately not many people are aware of how much suffering goes into producing your favourite mascara or lipstick.. and this needs to change NOW! There are many sites out there stating the facts and listing cruelty-free products for you to choose from.. you will most definitely find these things on my blog as well as it is very important to spread the word. But I will also share my opinions by writing reviews on different products that I am using, giving make up tips for you guys and sharing my favourite products with you. 

It is almost impossible to escape the beautiful nature when you're living in Finland. I have always been a nature's child and I love being outside. Two years ago I decided to give natural cosmetics a try after reading about parabens and other harmful ingredients. So for the past two years I have been buying more and more organic products; make up, skin care products and even washing-up liquid! My journey hasn't always been that easy because of having a sensitive combination skin, which drives me crazy most of the time. But, I will keep on going and will take you with me on this interesting journey!

So, please stay tuned to my blog as I share my experiences in my search for a better, healthier and cruelty-free life. 

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Mia

Ps. Please excuse any mistakes..English is not my mother tongue. :)