Animal testing

Both Mr JAEG and I are animal lovers, we have pets that came from a shelter and like to think we look after them very well.  We also like to donate to various animal charities and appreciate the good work these charities do.  We know that animals don't have a voice , we have to be their voice and take a stand against animal cruelty.  With that in mind I started to look at my beauty products and whether they have been tested on animals.

I proceeded to open a can of worms................

There is an European ban on animal testing for cosmetic and toiletry products and ingredients in place since March 2013.  However as gocrueltyfree.org state "The ban means that companies are no longer able to animal test new cosmetic products and ingredients on sale in the EU. However, companies can still carry on animal testing cosmetics outside the EU where these cosmetics are also sold outside the EU. There are a number of issues for companies selling their products on the global market. For example, at present, before new products can go on sale in China, they must be submitted for testing to the Chinese authorities, which normally involves a range of animal tests." (accessed 17 February 2014).
So in other words if a company wanted to do business with China then their products would need to be tested on animals.

I dug a bit further, PETA inform via their website that "Chinese officials are in the process of accepting the first-ever non-animal tests for cosmetics, thanks to guidance from scientists funded by PETA US"

I dug even more as I want to make good choices, I was pleased to read the following from allure.com "it was mandatory that every cosmetics product manufactured in China be tested on animals before gaining approval to enter the market. The Humane Society International calculated that as many as 300,000 rabbits, mice, and other animals are subject to testing each year in China alone, but now there's some good news for our furry friends.
China's FDA announced plans to remove the requirements beginning in June 2014 for companies producing "non-special use cosmetics," like shampoo and fragrance. (The not-so-great news is that "special-use" cosmetics like hair color, deodorant, and sunscreen are still required to test.)" (accessed 17 February 2017).

Until then testing still goes on in China and to remember that even after June there is not a complete ban on animal testing of cosmetics.  If you are interested in knowing if your cosmetics are cruelty free then the following web sites help:
www.ethicalconsumer.org/
www.leapingbunny.org

I also was pleased to see I was not alone in the blogging world in questioning the ethics of animal testing in a quick search I found the following 2 blogs that were of interest:
makeupguineapig.blogspot.com
looweezbx.blogspot.com

Crueltyfreeinternational.org only award the Leaping Bunny certification to companies who have decided not to enter the Chinese market, they also have stacks on information to help people make an informed choice before making purchases.

A last note to say that in school we help educate year 7 students about animal testing, we give a balanced view showing both sides of the animal testing argument.  It is important to educate on the for and against arguments of animal testing, there are always 2 sides to this argument.
This post is not me preaching on what you should do but I wanted to put it out there that I wanted to see what I could do and I know I wont always get it right.  I wanted to show there are ways of us as consumers could find out information that was important to us.

A review - Maybelline Big Eyes Waterproof Mascara

It seems like suddenly I am seeing dual ended mascara's everywhere.  Dual ended mascara's were popular a few years back and mainly consisted of a primer (base) which was normally white at one end and a black mascara the other end.

A few weeks ago I walked into Boots and thought I would check out the mascara's.  I prefer drug store mascara's as high end are very expensive and I do think you get the same result from a drug store mascara as you would from a high end brand.

The big thing again seems to be dual ended mascara as I looked around Boots.  I decided to go for Max Factor and Maybelline, my purchase post can be found here but I could have plumped for any of the drug store bands, the choice seemed endless.

Since my purchase I have been using it daily and I wanted to share my thoughts.

First the positives.

• Both brushes are a nice size, the brush for the lower lashes is small enough to catch all the lashes but not too small to make catching the lower lashes an issue.
• The colour is a decent black, with good coverage on the upper and lower lashes from the first swipe.
• The formula is waterproof, stays on all day with no flaking and lashes did not feel crispy.  Yes it is hard to remove at the end of the day but I personally want a mascara with brilliant staying power and it I have to use my cleansing balm twice to remove all of my mascara so be it.  If this is a problem there is also a washable formula I believe coming out.

Now the negatives.

• The formula that is in the tube dries out very quickly and this makes for more clumping on the upper lashes.  This is a quick drying mascara on the lashes so it is bound to be quick drying if you leave the mascara open to the air for a long time.
• The brushes are fiddly, this is a difficult thing to describe but the size of the brush handle makes it really difficult to get to the corner lashes on both top and bottom.
• This formula is meant to give volume to lashes, I didn't really notice any change in volume.

So now the question is would I repurchase?

The answer to that is no, the reason being that it did not have the X factor for me.  I found it was too drying on my lashes but the staying power was great.  It did not improve the volume of my lashes and the finished look was not glossy enough.

Glossybox February 2014 review

The postman dropped off my Glossy Box the day after valentines day.  I was not expecting to be thrilled with the contents after last month but I was blown away.

Firstly the box had a brilliant print on the lid of lipstick prints.  I will be using this box to store my lip balms, a fitting choice I thought.

The contents were very exciting.

Lindor treat bar| Nougat London sparkling body shimmer| Eldora false eyelashes| Maybelline color sensational stripped nudes lipstick| Ciaté London paint pot|  Giovanni Eco Chic cosmetics ultra sleek

Upon opening I was instantly impressed with the nail varnish, eyelashes and lipstick being instant winners.

I have used Eldora before and I have always been impressed with them, these look on the right side of natural and fluttery.

The Maybelline lipstick is a fantastic neutral shade called coffee craze, very wearable and feels soft and hydrating on the lips.

Ciate do amazing varnishes and this is no exception, the colour is a beautiful pink, bright but very wearable for work.

Lindor make gorgeous chocolate and this treat was as good as all their other chocolate, melt in the mouth niceness.

The body shimmer has a fabulous fragrance of cherry blossom,  my most favoured smell as it brings back memories

The only issue I had with this months box was the Giovanni sachets.  A sachet is not big enough for me to decide if I like a product or not.  I think a sachet is cop out and a cheap trick

Overall this months box has been a hit, they have made good product choices and may have redeemed themselves from last month.

If you subscribe to Glossy Box I would love to hear your views on this months box.

Upheaval & adding to my makeup

We are now in the midst of major work being completed in the house.  The study has been fully ripped out the old desks are being sold off and the new furniture has been delivered ready to be fitted together Monday.
My living space has turned upside down with the other rooms in the house being used as makeshift study areas.  In the past I would have hated this but I like seeing work in progress now and I can see that short term pain is long term gain.
The new carpet has been ordered and the walls will be repainted in shades of peacock blue and gold.  I cannot wait to see the finished room.

In all the upheaval I have kept my beauty routine the same.  I have to say that I have been very impressed with my Sigma brushes, they are as good as my MAC brushes for applying my eye make up.  The Real Technique brushes are still the best for applying my face make up.  The Expert Face Brush is perfect for applying foundation and making it look flawless. The Stippling Brush is perfect for applying the cream blushers I have from MAC and the Buffing Brush is brilliant for adding face powder to the shiny parts of the face.
I have been reading a lot about Inglot, I remember years ago they were in Bluewater Shopping Centre and I had purchased a hand cream from them.  The hand cream has long been used up and I saw the name Inglot on a recent blog post that they were still around in the UK.  I looked around some more and I liked the look of the Freedom System.  This is similar to the MAC pallets but the eye shadows are at a fraction of the price.  An Inglot 4 space pallet is £6 compared to a MAC at £6.50 but the money saving is in the actual eye shadows.  Inglot shadows for the Freedom System (square) is £4.50 and come in about 100 different shades and finishes with each shadow weighing a minimum of 2.3g, the MAC shadows are £10 each and again come in a brilliant range for colours and finishes but weigh 1.5g.  The Freedom System is not just for eye shadows but for face powders, brows, blush, lips and concealers.  There is a choice between round and square pallets with or without mirrors, with or without applicators and as a result you have a totally customized system for make up.  My favorite pallet is the Freedom System Palette EBP retails at £10 and has large square that is for a pressed powder, a rectangle for blush, and two smaller squares for either eye shadow or concealer or lip.  This makes it the perfect pallet for a night out, slim enough to slip into a small clutch with product to take you through an evening.
I decided that I would purchase the Freedom System Palette 4 Eye Shadow Square and 4 shadows as a test.  The shadows purchased are:
471 - An olive green shade
333 - A beautiful dark green
338 - A dark cornflower blue
387 - A muted grey with a hint of purple.

Depending on how they look and work I will add to my collection with colours I don't have at the moment in my collection.
I will add pictures once I have finished with all the upheaval.

Have you owned anything from Inglot, I would be glad to hear from you?

Valentines wish list

I don't have much to wish for on valentines day as I pretty much have all I need/want. However I thought I would list a few nice to haves all the same.

1. Smashbox full exposure pallet.

2. The new Viva Glam lipstick from Mac

3. The new Dior spring collection especially the eye shadows.

4. A visit to Iglot (Westfield White City).

We are now heading towards a half term break and I cannot wait. The study is being reinvented over half term and I cannot wait to see the finished room.  It is largely down to my mum that I am able to get Sharps in and have it fitted out and I am so grateful to her, words will not be able to express how grateful I am.

The weather has been dreadful in the UK, rain, high winds and storms, I really feel for those who have suffered over the weather these few months.

The poor weather meant that I have had to dig out my hats to stop my hair from getting wreaked by the storms. I am using a trilby that was purchased from Satya Twena. It is hand made in black felt with a pink ribbon trim, I would highly recommend checking them out.  As soon as I have my study back I will post a picture but my camera is packed away.

I am looking forward for season 2 of House Of Cards to come onto Netflix (14 Feb).  Kevin Spacey is amazing in this series, the programme is gripping.  The popularity of Netflix highlights to me how viewing programmes has changed over the last few years.  Netflix means that I can watch 'box sets' when I want instead of waiting for the next episode to come out on TV.  I can spend whole days if I wish to watching whole seasons of Breaking Bad or Orange is the New Black.  I can watch the films or programmes I want to from any room in the house via my Virgn Tivo boxes, computer, Ipad or Apple TV.  I like how Netflix has commissioned programmes like House of Cards and is releasing the whole season in its entirety on the same day.

Admitting being wrong and other musings

It is not often I have to admit I was wrong but here is a time when I am going to do just that and put my hands up.
When I received my January Glossy Box I was completely underwhelmed by a few of the products, one of which was the Yu-Be cream.  Since using it for the last few weeks I am very impressed and it will be on my list of repurchases.  I love the smell and the texture of the cream and it really does protect the skin from the harshness of the cooler air or the ravages of the centrally heated buildings.  It reminds me of the Egyptian Magic Cream I have been using these last few months.

I have been using my Real Techniques brushes and I love them.  I think most of the brushes are brilliant and do an amazing job but (there is always a but) I think the eye brushes are not up to the standard compared to the other brushes.  I have kept at it for a few months hoping they would soften up and work as well as my old MAC brushes but this week I called time on them.  I have purchased the Sigma Eye Kit to replace my Real Technique eye brushes.  It is too early to say whether they are up to the standard of the MAC brushes I used to have but I do like having the chance to break open a new set.











I am so happy that ELF have opened up in the UK , I have ordered 2 large brush holders, I have been wanting one for so long .  I want to take a road trip to the store but that may have to wait until Easter.
February is an amazing month, firstly half term slots right in halfway through which means we are a half way through the school year.  Secondly February is a short month, bringing us closer to my birthday.  Also there are lots of great films out this month me and Mr JAEG will be going to the cinema a fair bit this month.

I am loving this advert http://www.youtube.com/user/CadburyUK?v=aKNqojGjT_Q

My January Favorites

I know January has left us and you could say that my post is a little late to cover the items I liked during January but I wanted to sit and think about what I liked as I had chopped and changed a lot of items over the month.  The selection is not the largest compared to other posts, I have put the items into categories to show they are not all make up related.  Here goes!

Make up
Only 3 things have been an out and out favorite for me in January.

1. MAC foundation - I am using the rest of my studio fix foundation in but I am also enjoying the new Studio Sculpt purchased a few weeks ago.  Both give great coverage and keeps the coverage going until the end of the day.
2. I am liking my Clinique Chubby Sticks, I am using the most recent purchase mostly at the moment as the berry colour sits well for the time of year.  They are so moisturising with a good colour pay off and easy to put on and wear when in a rush.
3. Clinique Take The Day Off Balm has been a hit with me.  I like the texture and how well it removes the most stubborn of my make up.

Hair

1. I am really liking the L'oreal studio line #TXT supersizing spray. click here.  Words cannot describe how much I love using this product, it gives great volume and texture without it being sticky or hard to brush out.
   
2. The second thing is my new hair style and colour, I made a change to my hair colour a few months back but had it done again this week and it looks amazing, thank you D!

TV & Film

1. Those of you who follow me on twitter would see that I have been loving the latest round of Celebrity Big Brother, since it ended my TV schedule has not been the same.  I have never known a bunch of 'celebrities' show themselves in such a poor light it was like a group of Justin Beibers in one place.
2. I loved Wolf of Wall Street.
3. I sat with Mr JAEG this weekend and watched Olympus Has Fallen, I had seen it before but it was well worth watching again.

Clothes

1. I have been loving my Zara double sided scarf.  It is huge, like a blanket with a black and white dog tooth pattern on one side and a red tartan on the other.  I would post a link but Zara sold out ages ago.  It is so soft and really does keep you warm.
2. I also love my Black and Yellow Barbour jacket, not too thick that I cannot breathe but enough padding to take the chill off.  The weather in the UK has not been cold enough to wear thick jackets, it has just been raining a heck of a lot!

So what have you been loving so far this year?

Compact pots of happiness

I remember as a little girl sitting nearby mum whilst she got her powder compact out to check her face and redo her lipstick.  My memory tells me it was blue and maybe had a bird design on it, like swans.  I used to play with this compact and pretend I was patting powder over my face like I had seen on TV and what my mum did. I do wonder where that compact is now.

Top row: Loose powder compact/1st compact
Bottom row: Epcot compact/latest compact

I have owned a powder compact since I was little, I am not sure who gave me my first one either my mum or my nan but despite who it was I still have it.  It was made by Stratton, the label on the bottom says Stratton England as they manufactured compacts in England at the time, I guess by now you can call it vintage (boy do I feel old now!).  Although old it has a timeless design on the top and is very girlie.

Floral vintage

Original sifter intact

In 1999/2000 I was given my second compact, it was purchased in "Japan Land" in Disney's Epcot centre, this one holds special memories as it was the first time in the States and the first time in Disney.

Japanese design, made in Japan bought in Epcot

 This compact has been in daily use ever since.
My third compact was purchased at a fayre, this was to celebrate my jewellery making stall, I like this compact as it holds loose powder very will with no risk of spillage.

Holds loose powder

Internal lip stops powder spillage.

My last compact was fairly recent compared to the others and was given to me by my mum.  This one again made by Stratton but by now the manufacturing had moved from England, the label on the bottom omits the England, how sad.

Latest Stratton with blue leaf design

Currently holding loose powder under the sifter

I decided that I was going to get all my compacts out, give them a clean, make sure they are still fit for purpose and use them all.  I wanted to add the timeless glamour back into my make up bag.

The first thing was to get powders that fit in the pan.  This was a tough task as some powders are small than the pan size, some are now square (thank you benefit) and some just do not have the colour/formula I look for.  I spent some time during a recent shopping trip trying to find refills that will fit into the compact and I can tell you the number of products is limited to say the least.
I looked at MAC although the pan would fit into the compact (sitting in the sifter) the trouble in getting the pan out of the MAC compact would be too much, first you would have to break away the MAC plastic housing and then try to wedge something sharp between the remaining plastic and the pan to force it out.  It is hit and miss, sometimes you could be successful getting the pan and the powder pressed inside the pan out intact but most times the powder could crack and crumble under the pressure of forcing the pan out of the plastic.  I know this as I have tried a few times in the past and I am just not willing to fork out the money only for the product to crack and get wasted.
Benefit was a no no as they have changed their packaging so that their powders are in a square pan.
Smashbox had no products suitable and Stila did not have any powders out to compare.
I decided to head towards the 'drug store' end and I looked at the products at the displays in Boots.  he problem I have here is that most of the products do not have a tester, the spaces where testers should be lay empty and standing by these displays trying to see if a product would fit into my compact made me, well lets just say I looked dodgy.
Finally I gave up and I went on line and looked at what the wonderful world of blogging had for me, first stop http://powdercompacts.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/how-to-refill-replace-powder-in-a-vintage-powder-compact/ really informative and has put me on the right road at last.  I also looked at http://twenty-something-sherbet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/refilling-vintage-powder-compacts.html this blog post backed up the first one.  Finally http://annieanniepancake.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/how-tuesday-how-to-refill-vintage.html explained what to do if I wanted to use loose powder.

Range of ways of holding powder.

I think its a shame that the golden age of the glamour powder compacts is slowly fading as seen with the limited amount of refills and I will do my bit to keep the glamour alive.