Cruelty Free Makeup

So I've been learning a lot this week about cruelty free cosmetics. I learned last week that Revlon is no longer considered to be cruelty free because they will be selling their products in China. They are joined by many other formerly cruelty free companies such as Clinique, Mary Kay, and Avon who have chosen to sell products in China. China requires all cosmetics to undergo animal testing. Therefore if a company sells to China, the product must be tested using animals and they would no longer be considered cruelty free. Urban Decay made a huge splash when they made a similar move, but then changed their mind when the negative feedback hit.

In my search to switch to a truly cruelty free product, I found myself scouring the local Whole Foods, Ulta, and CVS. I was particularly looking for a foundation to replace my Revlon products. First off Whole Foods is not ideal for cosmetics, especially foundation. They carry ZuZu Luxe which is cruelty free but also very expensive. They did have testers which was great and I quickly realized that they did not carry my shade. Ulta was a bit better and I ended up buying Studio Gear based on the reps word that it was cruelty free (Ulta also carries Tarte products which are, again, more expensive.) I was skeptical because I did not see any indication on the packaging that there was no animal testing. After I got home I could not find them on PETA's list or Leaping Bunny's site. The company website did not mention anything about the company's stance. However, reading around I was able to glean that it is commonly considered to be cruelty free. Guess they made a statement at some point??

In an effort to find something better I went to CVS to check out Physician's Formula. They had a good selection but I could only find the bunny on the organic line of products and it was not listed on my Leaping Bunny list. I looked around some more and found Salma Hayek's Nuance line. It specifically said "no animal testing" on all her products and had a cute little bunny. I took a chance and bought it. When I got home neither product was on PETA's site or the Leaping Bunny site. What is going on? Why do so many companies claim to be cruelty free but don't get certified? What I've learned is that a picture of a bunny is the universal sign for cruelty free, but unless the bunny is leaping it is not Leaping Bunny certified. Kind of makes sense when you think about it. I'm going to keep digging into this and let you know what I find out.

I'm starting to think this may all be a good thing. The moves have caused quite a lot of attention and outrage which brings the topic to the forefront of discussion. More people talking about animal testing will help get the word out. Public outcry against it will remind companies it is something we care about. I've also read an article that a grant from PETA enabled a few scientists to show China some commonly used non-animal tests for toxicity. It sounds like China does want to adopt cruelty free methods. They just need to be convinced they work. So it's possible that coupled with the negative attention they are getting and the pressure from companies, China will adopt a cruelty free option for testing potentially making some of these companies cruelty free again.

BzzAgent Bic Soleil Savvy Campaign

I'm participating in the latest BzzAgent campaign for Bic Soleil Savvy razors. This means I get to try the product for free and share my opinion and sometimes freebies with friends. Here's my honest review: First off it's very cute. Big wide pink handle with sparkles. Because of the handle it's easy to hold which is helpful to keep you clear of cuts. I use Bic Soleil razors a lot. You can get them pretty cheap on sale with coupon during Harris Teeter triples or doubles if you wait for the right time. They are not the best razors I've ever used, the Bic Soleil Savvy included, however, they are perfectly sufficient as a basic razor. I like that the Savvy is more eco-friendly. The handle will last three times longer than a normal disposable razor. The handle is reusable and comes with four razor cartridges. Personally I'd like to see the cartridges packaged separately so you could use the handle longer. As is you have to buy a new package with new handle once the cartridges are all used. Still better than using a completely disposable razor.

Figuring out how to load the cartridge on the razor handle took me a few tries so I had to be a little patient at first. Once I figured it out, everything worked fine. No nicks at all. I think these razors could be really affordable when purchased on sale with a coupon. Speaking of which...I have several $3.00 coupons good for purchase of any Bic Soleil Savvy Razor. They are good until the end of year so plenty of time to wait for a good deal to come along. Right now CVS has them for $6.79 and you can get $2.00 extra bucks. With the $3.00 coupon that's like paying $1.79. Not a bad deal for four razors. Check your local paper too as there may be a $3.00 coupon in the circulars. Please send me a message if you are interested in a coupon. I will be happy to send you one (and some for interested friends and family as well.)