Vegan Beauty Review» Vegan Beauty

DIY Papaya Face Mask

Sunny — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:41:10 +0000

Hey peeps, pep your skin with the power of papaya! Woot-woot! Don’t act like that wasn’t fun to say.

First things first, let’s talk about why papaya is the shit, shall we? It’s packed full of antioxidants, natural alpha hydroxy acids and enzymes that dissolve dead skin cells—improving skin tone and giving wrinkles a swift kick in the ass. Yee-haw!

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup ripe papaya, diced
1 teaspoon soy yogurt
1 teaspoon agave
A few drops of lemon juice

Blend ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Do not eat (you can have the leftovers after you hook your face up).

Slap that shit on your skin like there’s a party on your face!

Wait about 15-20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.

Follow up with toner, a light moisturizer, and a big ol’ self bear hug for being a DIY badass! Weeee! Life is good! xx

Kitty Litter Face Mask

Sunny — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 04:02:07 +0000

I know this might sound cray-cray, but kitty litter is the key ingredient to one of the best face masks you will ever try! No joke.

Natural clay cat litter is made of the same ingredients as special clays found in lots of fancy schmancy, expensive spa facials. Enjoy this cheap, quirky, DIY face mask recipe, and lemme know what you think!

What you’ll need:

Some fresh (from-the-bag) kitty litter (the 100% “natural” kind with sodium betonite clay)
Filtered water
A few drops of your fave essential oils (I personally ♥ peppermint)

Mix a couple tablespoons of kitty litter with water (enough to make it mask-y) and essential oil, and apply the mask to your face. Leave it on your face for about 10-15 minutes before rinsing off. You will love the way your skin feels afterwards!

*NOTE* I do not use clay litter for my cats, just for my face. Learn more about why clay litter is not recommended for cats here. If you’re looking for an amazing non-clay, clumping kitty litter that kicks some serious ass, I highly recommend World’s Best Cat Litter (appropriately named). It’s long-lasting, dust-free, biodegradable (made from corn), and seriously odor-absorbing (like fo’ realz—I’m talking 4-cat stank patrol).

My Current Beauty Regimen

Sunny — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:18:58 +0000

Ooo child, it’s been many moons since I dished about my ever-changin’ beauty regimen, so here goes… Enjoy!

Face:

Earth Science Chamomile & Green Tea makeup remover – This is an oil-free formula that is gentle and gets every itty bitty teensy weensie bit of makeup off, including all the bits around my eyes—I’ve been using it for years!
L’uvalla Foaming Facial Cleanser – This organic, super pure facial cleanser which contains billberry, lotus flower and antioxidants like Vitamin C, is gentle, removes makeup and helps fight acne, too.
Infotone Face Mist – This is like the everlasting gobstopper of toners. This is a reusable facial mist that you can refill with purified water for up to a year. It has a special clay ball inside that transforms the water into an anti-aging, refreshing spritz.
Moisturizer: Dermadoctor’s Photodynamic Therapy Laser Lotion – It’s a cruelty-free laser lotion (you heard correctly) set out to fight wrinkles (with SPF for daytime), and I use Pai Macadamia & Rose Cream (rich dry-skin formula for nighttime)

Makeup:

Arbonne makeup primer – I received a sample of this from my FB friend, Maureen, and I fell in love with it (on par with UD’s Primer Potion, but actually vegan)… will have to order more soon!
Everyday Minerals Fair Neutral Matte Powder Foundation – This foundation is light but still provides excellent coverage. I’m obsessed with everything Everyday Minerals—I wish they had a physical store right outside my house… no wait, I’d be broke as a joke—but I’d be lookin’ foin!
LUSH Color Supplements (liquid foundation) – When I’m in the mood to switch it up from powder to liquid foundation, I use LUSH’s “light yellow” base and mix it with a bit of moisturizer. It looks good and provides even coverage but the downside is that it contains parabens. Wompers.
Urban Decay’s Midnight Cowboy Rides Again eyeshadow – This glittery goldie shade is a staple in my makeup box. It perfectly complements my olive-y skin tone, and it sparkles all day long. It’s works for day and night va-va-voominess!
Manic Panic’s Eye Wear Glossy Mascara – This has become my new favorite vegan mascara. It’s thick, it stays put, and it’s bee-free (which is rare for mascaras).
Zosimos Botanicals Apricot Nectar lip balm – I have 5-7 lip balms scattered throughout my house at any given time. This is the one that currently lives on my night stand for last lubes before beddies. It smells like fruity candy and the formula is perfect.

Hair:

Pravana Naturceuticals Karatin Fusion Shampoo & Conditioner – This vegan salon line is exquisite. It’s designed for heat styling, so if your hair’s in need of some TLC, I highly recommend you seek this out. It contains sunscreen and a mega-dose of keratin amino acids and botanical extracts to keep your hair looking silky-smooth and healthy.
Thermafuse Leave-in Conditioner – This works as a detangler and de-frizzifier—hallelujah! I swear up and down by leave-in conditioners, and this one (which is packed with amino acids) makes my hair stronger and adds the perfect amount of shine.

Which vegan beauty products are you currently diggin’?

Apricot Facial Scrub for Cheap

Sunny — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 00:40:57 +0000

I ♥ face scrubs. I try to exfoliate with them at least three times a week, especially when my face is feeling extra grimy and grody-to-the-max. Now, I know this may not be news to all of you, but St. Ives has an ah-mahzing Invigorating Apricot Facial Scrub that is vegan, cruelty-free and affordable (only $3.59 at Walgreens—which is refreshing, because companies like to tack on an extra $5-10 to the price when using terms like “vegan” and “cruelty-free”). Yay for vegan drugstore beauty products!

This scrub effectively removes the dull outer layers of skin revealing a soft, healthy and hydrated complexion. I LOVE it (and so does my hubby)!

Have you tried this scrub? Do you love it, too? Which vegan scrub is your fave? Also, what are some of your favorite drugstore vegan beauty finds?

Dry, Flaky Skin? Oh Hells No!

Sunny — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:32:07 +0000

I’m a pretty gigantor CREO fan. Their products are all free of skanky shiz (i.e. sulfate-free, silicone-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free), and they don’t contain foam boosters like TEA, DEA, MEA or oxides.

Their Vanilla-Orange Hair Cleanser has got to be one of my all-time fave shampoos. Not only is it chemical free, but it smells like orangesicle and actually gets down and dirty with my hair without being abrasive or over-drying.

Now that fall is in full swing and winter’s on its way, keeping our skin extra moisturized is key! CREO has a new line of body oils that are überly moisturzing, quick-absorbing, awesome-smelling and don’t clog pores! I got hooked on their ♥ Citrus Mint ♥ body oil—I’ve been using it religiously after every bath. My skin is lovin’ it! It’s luxurious and contains key cold-pressed oils (high in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, Vitamins A, E and C, and lots of phytonutrients and antioxidants) for soft, supple skin: apricot kernel, Moroccan argan, rose hip seed, borage and kukui nut.

CREO body oil is $41 (SO worth it… and it’s a huge bottle, so it’ll last you a long time), and it’s also available in yummy-smelling Grapefruit Ginger and Vanilla Orange.

Don’t let your skin get the winter blues. Dry, flaky skin is so NOT sexy, so prevent it before it starts.

Get 25% off your entire CREO order by entering coupon code “VBR2011″ when checking out.

How to Curl Your Hair Without Heat

Sunny — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:03:30 +0000

Curling irons, flat irons and blow dryers are so bad for your hair! I wanted to show you guys how to make your hair curly using only your fingers and some bobby pins—it’s so easy and fun! As a bonus, I wanted to show you some of the cruelty-free beauty products I use on a daily basis… watch me go from drab and makeupless to curlicue cutie.

What should I make my next video about?

My Current AM Beauty Regimen 9/10

Sunny — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 22:55:24 +0000

I wake up. Decrustify my sexy eyeballs. Enter the magical chamber o’ beauty delights (aka the quarto del baño) and then…

Time to Cleanse My Skin:

Splash some agua on my face
Use a tiny dab (a lil’ goes a long way) of Lamas Pumpkin Spice Polish (smells like pumpkin muffins – YUM)
Rinse
Spritz (3 times) Yum Mandarin Blossom Toner all over my face. Smells good, feels amazing!
Moisturize with Earth Science Almond-Aloe Facial Lotion (light, absorbs quickly, fragrance-free)
Dab a teensy amount of Mychelle Fabulous Eye Cream under both eyes

Makeup (Everyday Look):

Dab Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil (in FBI) on my splotchy spots. It goes on smoothly and seamlessly – love it!
Evenly apply Monave Mineral Foundation with a cruelty-free brush (ditch the animal butt-hair brushes, people!)
Lightly brush on some Everyday Minerals Blush (Pink Ribbon – it’s such a happy shade of pink)
Apply a light layer of eye color (Pink Champagne) from The Body Shop on my eyelids
Use 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Zero) to line the inside of my lower eyelids; this stuff doesn’t budge
ZuZu Luxe Mascara time! This stuff is the shit (don’t forget your bottom lashes)!
Last but not least, gotta beautify my smackers with Zuzu Luxe Vegan Lip gloss (Tango)

End Result:

I switch up my beauty products at least once or twice a month, so check back later for more updates!

Which cruelty-free, vegan beauty products are you currently diggin’?

Spray Lotion and Wine Scented Soap? Yes, Please!

Sunny — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:32:34 +0000

Yup, that’s right! I found a vegan company that makes lotion for those days you feel like spritzing on your moisturizer rather than slathering it on. And wine scented soaps?! I found a whole bunch of cool skin care goodies from Kalliste Bath & Body, and they’re all handmade, mostly organic, natural and 100% vegan. My faves…

Soap Bars ($6.50): These soaps are not only delicious looking, but they are delicious smelling, too! All Kalliste natural soaps are made with vegetable glycerin and pure organic oils. Did you know a lot of conventional soaps are made with animal fats and oils (among other nasty ingredients)? Barfies! Anyhoo, I got my hands on a Riesling Fruit Bar and a Merlot Spice Bar of soap and O.M.G. First of all, they were beautifully wrapped (felt like Christmas came early), and I could smell them before I even unwrapped them. These soaps smell feminine and bold, floral and fruity and simply… pretty. I may not drink wine in real life but I am officially a soap lush!

Vegan Almond Lip Balm ($4.50): I LOVE that this lip balm comes in a slide tin! LOVE it! It’s easy to store in my purse or pocket and honestly, it’s fun to open and close. This vegan balm (beeswax-free, YAY!) contains only vegetable and plant oils, butters and waxes. It’s moisturizing, tasty, it makes my lips feel quenched, and it smells like marsipan (←best part)!

Citrus Aromatherapy Lotion ($12.60): This spritz-and-go lotion is perfect for when you’re on the move, in a bit of a time crunch or just prefer a refreshing spray of anytime moisturizer (sometime I just don’t feel like gettin’ my hands all goopified or I’m straight-up lazy). This lotion absorbs super fast and it feels great; it gives your skin the extra love it needs with vegetable and fruit oils and butters like shea, mango and almond. The citrusy smell (grapefruit, lemon and orange), which is gender-neutral (so go ahead and spritz some on your man candy) is delicate and light. I leeeeerve it!

Want info on new Kalliste products (like wine soaps), sales specials, limited time discounts, secret coupon codes and giveaways? Friend Kalliste Soap Shop on Facebook!

Book Review: ‘No More Dirty Looks’

Sunny — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:38:36 +0000

Our skin absorbs 60% of everything with put on it—it’s scary to think about how many products (many of which contain toxic carcinogens) we use on a daily basis. Take a second to count the products you use just while you’re bathing (shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving cream, shower gel, hair mask, etc.). I use 6-7! Combine that number with all your cosmetics (damn, that’s like 20 right there) and skin care products you use throughout the day (face wash, toner, moisturizer, eye cream (<— morning and night), sunblock, body lotion, hand lotion, lip balm, perfume, etc.) and you may be well past the 100 mark. That’s a lot of toxic shit… unless you consciously choose to buy clean cosmetics.

I just finished reading No More Dirty Looks by Siobhan O’Connor and Alexandra Spunt, and it totally reiterated the importance of keeping beauty products as pure as possible. This book is Skinny Bitch-esque, in that these ladies keep shit real. It’s a little less crass, but it definitely drives the point home. By the end of the book, I felt like these ladies were my girlfriends sharing girl talk.

What I like most about this book is that the authors expose the most dangerous ingredients used in conventional cosmetics (and explain why they are not regulated). This takes the guess work out of understanding cosmetics labels. Take this book into your bathroom and use it as a reference to pinpoint all the nasties in you beautifully packaged and well-marketed beauty products. You will freak!

On the flip side, O’Connor and Spunt talk about talk about their favorite natural hair and skin care products, many of which have been reviewed on VBR.

This book also includes cheap and simple homemade recipes for beauty products, which I’m all about! I learned how to make shampoo, mascara and perfume!

For more info, check out this book’s Facebook page!

Vegan beauty recipes easy as 1-2-3!

Sunny — Thu, 06 May 2010 00:30:23 +0000

Special guest post by Joanna

When I made the transition to Go Green and use natural, organic makeup and vegan products, I was still shocked to find that “Natural” and “Organic” brands used it as a gimmick rather than make true Green and natural products. What’s a girl to do? Turn to her kitchen cabinet. I decided to find my own beauty substitutes and to my knowledge, they actually ended up working better than any product I’ve ever purchased while saving me a ton of cash. Being a girl on the go, I thought I’d share some of my super quick and easy beauty secrets that don’t require much (if any) mixing and can be found right in your very own kitchen.

Skin: I have combination skin which is dry cheeks and very oily T-zone which leads to the occasional pimple party on my face. What I did to cure this problem? Good ole fashion Baking Soda!! When I wash my face I sprinkle some baking soda with a few drops of water to make a creamy paste and this makes a gentle exfoliating scrub! Its non abrasive like most over the counter scrubs and works wonders drying out those little bad boys and smoothing out the skin–it’s also great at clearing up bacne (eww gross, I know) in the summer. Sprinkle some baking soda on your washcloth in the shower and scrub the infected area. Since Baking soda can be a little drying especially for those with sensitive skin (use 2-3 times a week instead), this leads me to my favorite moisturizer…

Moisturizer: Flaxseed oil! Pure Flaxeed oil is a non-sticky fast absorbing oil, infused with healthy omegas, that the skin just loves to drink up. What I do is I buy a bottle of flaxseed oil from my local grocery store that has already been extracted (so I don’t have to waste my time poking open pesky little pills) and instead, I keep the safety seal on and poke a hole in the safety seal (because this stuff can come out quick)! I use it all over my body Head-to-Toe. Even a little at the tips of my hair to repair split dry ends. I have to say it doesn’t smell that great but it certainly works wonders. Everyone who I have suggested switching to flaxseed oil hasn’t stopped raving to me how much their skin just glows even under their makeup!

Toner: I boil some green tea and mashed up cucumber juices because they are loaded with antioxidants. I strain it and let the mixture cool and refrigerate the concoction till I’m ready to use. It’s great and refreshing in the summer and it hydrates my skin beautifully–just pour a little on a cotton ball and voila!

Body scrub: When I need a good pick me up, an all over body and lip scrub usually does the trick. I use Sweet Almond Oil and mix it with Sugar in the Raw. I like using Sugar in the Raw because it’s all natural, non-processed sugar cane and makes a wonderful sturdy scrub. The mixture should be half sugar and half oil depending on how much you need (make fresh every time you use it). Mix it in a plastic tub that’s easy to scoop out and apply.

Tip: For some bonus aroma therapy add a few drops of your favorite essential oils!

Nails: For weak and brittle nails I break open a capsule of Vitamin E and rub it on my nails and nail beds before I go to sleep. It is very greasy and a bit sticky which I why I do it right before bed. When I wake up my nails are very hard and moisturized and don’t need to fuss with using stinky formaldehyde ridden chemicals.

Hair: When hair needs a VA-VA VOOM body boost I take a can of beer in the shower with me and do a beer rinse after I shampoo massaging the beer mostly at the scalp. Something about the brewers yeast makes hair so silky, super shiny and full of body. It doesn’t effect color treated hair either and just adds a beautiful boost of volume and shine! To finish off add a small amount of condition to help get the comb through it and a final rinse with cold water!

SAFETY NOTE: DO NOT bring glass bottles in the shower with you! If you do not have canned beer pour the beer into a plastic cup prior to the shower. Glass + Shower = Disaster!

Thanks for checking out some of my favorite quick and easy beauty tips. I can go on forever with this and I have more fabulous recipes that require mixing and measuring and can share as many beauty recipes as you like. Just let me know!

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My website: Johnny Concert Glamour