Winter LUSH haul!

So I know a haul for some people means buying out an entire store of their merchandise. To me, a haul means you bought something, even if it is one thing. Yesterday I had finally made my way to LUSH. In the town I live in we don't have one but two towns over there is one in the mall. I was super excited to go because I knew they would have Cinders. One I had been wanting for awhile now because I have heard many good things about it. I already knew what I wanted and had a spending "limit". I picked up three bath bombs.

Of course I had gotten cinders. I personally have never tried it but like I had said I've heard many good things.

Look at this cutie. Bombardino! Let us just say he is winking. ;)

Ickle baby bot! This is one of my favorite ones at LUSH. I mean, look at him! Plus I love the smell, it's very relaxing to me.

They gave me a small soap sample when I was there. I don't know if it was a promotional or what. But it has a minty smell and to me it's invigorating. 

This is what it looks like. It's a very pretty blue.

Well that is it for my haul. I'm very excite to use these! Have you tried any of these or other holiday ones? 

E.L.F cosmetics haul!

Make up haul time! So I got this bundle of fun about a week ago and have finally had the time to sit down and tell you about it! I love when I actually can blog about something. Sometimes I get such a bad writers block that I just sit at my computer and cannot think of a single thing to talk about. It's a pain in the...well anyways. A few reasons why I love E.L.F is because they are cruelty free and they are super budget friendly! If you haven't heard of them I suggest you go check them out!
Let us get into it shall we?

E.L.F cosemtics

I only got four things. But they are four wondrous, marvelous things! I got:

• Mineral infused mascara
• HD mattifying cream foundation
• Under eye concealer and highlighter
• Baked eye shadow in NYC

This is the mascara. It is in black and it is the typical wand. Of course my camera didn't focus on the words so much as the dust...
This stuff is really great!

This is the cream foundation and it is in porcelain. It comes with a mirror and sponge.

Alas, the under eye concealer. I need this so badly. I have the worst under eye circles and this is a life saver! It is in fair.

This is what I was most excited for! I'm a huge eye shadow junkie. I love the colors on this palette so much! They are so pretty and I just don't want to ruin them. They are great colors for everyday wear or a night out! This is the NYC palette. 

What is your favorite E.L.F cosmetic? 

How to start becoming cruelty free part 1

The cruelty-free life

This post isn't to shove my views down your throat. This post is explaining what my life style is and what is really happening behind factory doors

Why did I choose to become cruelty free? I used to have a bunny. Her name was Snickers.

Isn't she a cutie?
She actually passed away recently. But she was one of the soul reasons why I decided to go cruelty free.
I had conscious knowledge that there was possibly testing happening. I didn't really look into it though. Plus I thought testing, probably wasn't that bad. I'm sure we all have had that same thought. Then when I was on tumblr I had seen a post (given that the source was so incorrect) it was a girl showing what it was like for animals to be tested on. Of course they weren't actually hurting her in the same way they do to animals but it is quite graphic. Then in 2012 I had discovered Lush. You know, that lovely bubble and bath place. And they told me that they were the ones who had done the campaign I had just mentioned. Lush is completely cruelty free. They don't test, parent company doesn't test or third party company doesn't test. They are the goddess...god of being cruelty free.

Why does testing happen? It happens because companies want to make sure that the chemicals they use aren't going to cause an issue to a human who will use it. Or if it does cause an issue, they can put a warning. Can we think about this for a second? It's 2013...by this point we should be developed enough as a civilization that we should know what can and cannot be put on us and we should have other methods of testing on not a living creature. Plus, if they have a need to test their products, what does that say about their ingredients?

Who is victim?

Mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs and many other animals. There are products (maybe not cosmetics) that are tested on dogs and monkeys. Animals we see as companions are being subject to cruel treatment. They are forced to have chemicals in their eyes, nose, ears and mouths. These animals are tested on and then carelessly tossed. 

There are many companies that claim the leaping bunny seal of approval. Therefore, research is highly required. What I mean by "they claim" is that their parent company tests or a third party tests. If the parent company or third party is testing, then the product isn't cruelty free.

There are many companies that test, many that you may purchase from currently. L'oreal, Maybelline, Covergirl, Garnier, Bobbi Brown, Smashbox, Estee Lauder and a lot more!

This website has a good list. 

What companies could possibly be cruelty free in that massive list?
The leaping bunny has a very reliable list, go check it out! There are many budget friendly brands out there that are 100% cruelty free. The website does put icons by some companies about whether or not they have a parent or third party that tests. 

Some helpful websites that you can look at are:
Leaping bunny

Peta (I personally don't use them as a resource)
Google

Apps:
Buycott 

(Though out time I will continue to add to these lists, if you know of any, leave them in a comment)

I plan on making a few more posts about cruelty free things. I plan on putting lists of budget friendly companies and high end companies.
I also plan on finding websites and resources on how to help and make a difference. 

How I take care of my hair

There are many ways people take care of their hair. There is no perfect way to do it and there's no wrong...no there are wrong ways to take care of your haha. I dyed my hair 5 times in 6 months and took horrible care of it. It stopped growing after a certain length due to being damaged and dead. So about a month ago (give or take a week) I chopped inches off my hair to give it a fresh start. Upon cutting it I decided to make a conscious effort to take proper care of my hair, and here's what I do:

I only wash my hair 2 times a week. This does not mean I don't shower everyday. I don't have poor hygiene. But I typically wash my hair Mondays and Thursdays and on Mondays I shampoo and condition with Joico. After that I use macadamia natural oil deep repair masque and run that through my hair paying close attention to my roots and let that sit in my hair for 50-60 minutes. I only use the deep repair masque once a week (you can use it up to two times a week) but once works well for my hair. While I'm waiting I'm not just hanging out in the shower for an hour letting water run. I get out wrap it up, I use a plastic grocery bag. That's college kid budget for you. But honestly, you don't need a $20-$100 hair holder thing. Use what you already hair and it helps the environment. I usually watch tv or YouTube videos during this time or even do chores. Just don't go out in direct sunlight. It doesn't specify that on the bottle you shouldn't go outside but the masque is intense and so is the sun and could potentially hurt your hair further. Then I wash it out. I part my hair and let it air dry most days. Once it is mainly dry I use the macadamia oil on my ends. If you are going to use a heat tool run the oil through out all of your hair. Dot use too much it'll look oily and gross. A good amount is a dime size. Then style as pleased. The second time I wash my hair is on Thursday nights. I just shampoo and condition, dry my hair, run macadamia oil in the ends and typically put my hair in braids. So what do I do when my hair is getting oily on days I don't wash my hair? Dry shampoo. Get to know it, it'll be your best friend. I use Batiste because they are budget friendly and cruelty free. I know there are people who like the product and people who don't. I personally do. But it's all trial and error with hair products. Find what works with your hair don't buy something and pretend you like because someone said they liked it. Anyways, I spray this in my roots, give it time to sit (about a minute) and brush your hair. Use as much as you desire, again it's all trial and error. Your hair will not only be non greasy but the volume will be insane! Also, I spray in part conditioner part water into my hair for a little extra softness sometimes. I hope this post helped and maybe will lead anyone with questions about hair care in a good direction! :)