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.)

Burt's Bees Deal and More!

Just found out Target has online printable coupons good for $2 off some products in the Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin line that you can combine with my $1 coupons for $3 off! That's a pretty good deal! Also Barnes & Noble is offering a printable 50% off coupon good off the list price of one print book if you like them on Facebook. I'm combining with a $10 gift certificate I got from doing a Dataelligence survey. I've been waiting for the latest Star Wars book forever! Also got a sweet deal on dinner at Barberitos from News and Record Daily Deals. I've been using them, Groupon and Living Social to get great savings on everything from hair cuts to restaurants. If you're interested and want to use one of my referral links, I've posted them below.

http://www.groupon.com/r/uu23322691
Invite to LivingSocial
http://dailydeal.news-record.com/r/4cbe21c8c9fbbc91e2c85113

Burt's Bees Review

I've been using the Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin facial cleanser and daily moisturizing cream for the last few weeks now. So far I've been really impressed by the product. It's quality stuff. I think the facial cleanser is the best value since you only need a little and I'm betting it could easily last two months. The moisturizing cream is a smaller bottle so is more likely to only last a month ($15 seems a little pricey for a month of moisturizer.) Still it's a lot nicer than what I normally use. It absorbs really fast which I wasn't expecting. Also it didn't have any SPF which I'd prefer to have. Is my skin softer? Meh, maybe? I think the appeal is more the natural ingredients and the luxurious feel you get using the product. Worth the price? Maybe, especially if you can find a sale and have a coupon! Speaking of coupons, I've still got a few samples and coupons to give away. Let me know if you're interested!

New Burt's Bees Product!

Recently I was invited to participate in a BzzAgent campaign for Burt's Bees. They have a new line of skin care for people with sensitive skin. I had an opportunity to try Burt's Bees toothpaste a while back ( and loved it ) so am excited to get to try this new product! Despite the company's name many of the products they carry are vegan and do not contain honey or bee's wax. None of the products they carry are tested on animals. The sensitive skin line contains 99% natural ingredients. What makes the sensitive line unique is that it contains cotton extract and is hypo-allergenic and fragrance free. I'll be testing the facial cleanser and daily moisturizing cream in the coming weeks and will be sure to blog my opinion. If you would like to join me in trying out the new product, I have some samples of the daily moisturizing cream (along with coupons good for the whole line) that I would be happy to send out. Just shoot me an e-mail or post to this blog with your contact info so I can arrange to get it to you. Here's a little more info about the products I will be trying:

Daily Moisturizing Cream: Contains cotton extract along with rice extract and aloe; Non-Comedogenic; Retail cost runs around $14.99 for 1.8 oz

Facial Cleanser: Soap-free; Contains cotton extract along with quillaja and yucca; Retail cost runs around $9.99 for 6 oz

Boots!

So after a very frustrating day of no good yard sales, no soy milk and hence no pumpkin spice latte at Panera (don't worry I made Mike stop at another so I could experience it!), no shopping at certain stores because they don't open 'til 10 on Saturday (what?!?), I finally had a moment of perfect triumph when I found a new pair of boots at Rack Room. Aren't they pretty! I don't feel naked anymore!

Really all in all we had a very productive excursion. We got a free 24 pack of Pomegranate seltzer water from Earth Fare (sign-up for Freebies on their website), a free pumpkin muffin for Mike from Panera (they have a new rewards card called MyPanera), a great deal on make-up at CVS using their Extra Bucks program and $10 off our lunch at Brixx Pizza courtesy of Groupon.

Review of "Home-Ec 101"

I was excited to be invited to take a sneak peak of Home-Ec 101 by Heather Solos. I have not read this entire book but I was able to read Chapter 20 on Meal Planning courtesy of One2OneNetwork.com. The concept of the book is very intriguing to me. Being a recent first time home owner I am trying to get in the swing of keeping things clean and keeping us fed like what I remember from growing up.

There are a lot of things I wished I’d paid more attention to when I was younger and my mother was training to teach me. I do get helpful advice from her now and then but I still feel like a manual might help. This manual is not your Good Housekeeping from the fifties. The advice is given in a 21st century point of view and is very accommodating to different households. I like that Heather understands the pressures of today’s hectic schedules and is supportive of gradual change in the right direction.

This chapter guides you through making healthy meals in place of drive-thru fare. My husband and I don’t really do the whole drive-thru thing but we do run into habits of eating convenience food. The chapter suggests such techniques as using leftovers and designating certain nights as a certain dish or cuisine. As a vegan, I did not get much use out of her weekly menu ideas but I did appreciate the suggestion of Meatless Mondays. The chapter is a good mix of content ranging from recipes to personal tidbits to lists of tips and suggestions.

I’m very curious to read the rest of the book and learn her suggestions for cleaning which, in a new house, seems to be my largest hurdle. I will be on the lookout for this book the next time I hit the bookstore.