When I started this blog, I made the decision that I would have to be completely honest. I'm sure you've seen famous people plugging brands for years and never even thought about it, but they are lying. L'Oreal paid Beyonce to tell you that it's her favorite hair care line. Pantene pays Gisele to tell you she's using their products. Do you think either of these women has ever used the companies that they're promoting? Even during my stint with Covergirl, when I did commercials and photo ops, the Covergirl products would be carefully placed on the makeup table, or the makeup artist would hold it near my face, but they would never use the actual product. What they actually used on my face was usually from MAC cosmetics. I will never tell you that I like a product or company if that isn't the 100% truth. You can trust me. #droppingknowledge
Arbonne Mascara $39.00
After I became a Covergirl, I learned so much about the makeup industry, both good and bad. One of the most important things I learned was about animal testing. I won't go into gruesome details, but they aren't putting lipstick on puppies. Animal testing, especially in the beauty industry is really horrific. Not that it matters what kind of animal they use, but you should know that dogs (specifically beagles) are being tested on. I do not support any company who participates in animal testing.
I was introduced to Arbonne a couple years ago and I fell in love! Arbonne is a completely vegan, cruelty-free company, and the products are really high quality. Now, I wear contact lenses and have sensitive eyes. Being a model means that I have had to wear loads of eye makeup daily, and it was terrible! My eyes were always stinging, itching, burning, even if the mascara was hypoallergenic. Arbonne mascara is the first mascara that I have ever worn that doesn't irritate my eyes at all. I wear it willingly, every day and I love it!
Vegan Doc Martens $120-$200
I live in my docs. I know, it seems surprising because I am never photographed wearing combat boots, but this is literally all that I wear when I'm not on a set or on a red carpet. Doc Martens are comfortable, non-slip (super important because I wear wear them in the restaurant without falling on my face), durable, trendy, and now they make vegan options! You can choose the traditional black boot made with vegan material, or they have fun prints and woven options that are great for different seasons.
Bedroom Hair by Kevin Murphy $31.00
Everyone knows that dirty hair holds style & volume better, but never washing your hair again is clearly not an option. Kevin Murphy has created Bedroom Hair and this spray gives your hair that base it needs to be big and beautiful! Plus, it has a light tropical/fresh powder smell that is highly addictive. I spray it on my hair even when I don't need it just for the scent! All Kevin Murphy products are vegan and cruelty-free so feel free to peruse the entire line and go nuts!
Auntie Chun's soup Bowls $2.42
Working in a restaurant means that I am surrounded by food all day, but it's not food for me, it's for customers! I cook other people's food and almost every night, I get home and realize that I haven't eaten! Now, on top of being starving, I sure as hell do not want to cook and wash my own dishes. My go-to is always something easy. I love Auntie Chun's Soup Bowls because I pop my kettle on, put the ingredients in the provided bowl (I also add a shit-ton of red pepper flakes because I'm a spicy beast), pour hot water over, and in 30 seconds, I have a hot vegan meal that fills me up, calms my nerves, and isn't microwaved. My only warning is that the Auntie Chun's line is not a fully vegan. Some soups are just vegetarian, so make sure you look for the Green V on the front to tell you that it's vegan!
I know, I know. I thought the same thing when I first got this. Dancing with the stars is such a cheesy brand, but I know you'll agree that if anyone on television knows how to do a fake tan, it's these people. This tanning mousse is cruelty-free, vegan, and it is incredibly natural. I have a working theory that tanning mousses in general give a much more realistic fake tan, compared to sprays and lotions. Use gloves when applying because this will instantly stain your hands! Applying a tanning mousse evens out your skin tone altogether. It's great for hiding blemishes, scars, age spots, etc. Your skin stops producing collagen when you turn 30 and no one wants to look like a handbag in their golden years so please, do yourself a favor and skip the fake-baking and dangerous UV rays by the pool (I worship the sun, but I wear SPF 50!) and use a tanning mousse. You will thank me!
Pro Tip- After applying the tan all over, go back to your face and, using a blush brush, apply the tanner where you would normally put your bronzer. It will give you the look of sculpting all week and save you the makeup time!
Sweet Earth is a vegetarian company, so be sure you read the labels to ensure the products you buy from them are vegan, but their vegan products are exceptional!!! I especially love their Curry Tiger Burrito. Ian (my husband) and I eat them for breakfast all the time. They are packed with 17 grams of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, and they are freaking delicious! Vegans and non-vegans alike can celebrate a microwaveable burrito that actually makes you feel good! I like to have one after a morning workout.
I have been lactose-intolerant since I was a child. Actually, the overwhelming majority of the human race is lactose intolerant (a pretty good case for why we should quit eating dairy!) I have not been able to consume ice cream without negative consequences since before I can remember. These ice cream bars (and they have a huge range of ice cream flavors in pints) taste so much like ice cream, that I have to physically stop eating them and remind my brain that they're not real dairy. I'm serious! My brain is like, "No! This will make you sick", and my hand hovers mid air while I explain to my brain that this is made with cashew or coconut milk (depending on which ones you buy). At my restaurant, we use So Delcious ice cream to make vegan ice cream nachos (recipe coming soon.) Buy these now!
Cocomels $2.49
Do you love caramel as much as I do? I have always been a caramel person. I love the sticky swirl! I love it in chocolate. I love it alone. I love it on apples. You get the point. As a vegan, I thought that I would have to kiss caramel goodbye, but then I was introduced to cocomels. This is a coconut milk based caramel company that sells many caramel variations, all spectacular in my professional opinion. If you haven't tried these yet, you need to order some right now. My personal favorite is the dark chocolate covered sea salt and caramel. We also sell these at the restuarant. I can't open a bag without finishing and I do not feel even a little bit guilty about that! You will not regret this purchase!
Aluminum and Parabens are the active ingredients in most antiperspirants. While the research is not conclusive as to whether or not these chemicals cause breast cancer, it is better to be safe than sorry. There is a direct correlation between the rise of deodorant use and the rise of breast cancer, but this could be attributed to a number of factors. Your skin absorbs everything that it touches, and I've never been big fan of adding extra chemicals into my body, which is why I look to natural antiperspirants and deodorants.
Tom's gel deodorant sucks, so let's just start there. It never seems to dry. It doesn't last long. If anything, I think it makes the whole situation worse! Every company has their strengths and weaknesses! Tom's of Maine is an environmentally conscious company and we want to show support with our money, but we also don't want to smell when we do it! I was hesitant to try the stick deodorants by Tom's, but I did and I absolutely love it! It's paraben & aluminum free, vegan & cruelty free, it isn't thick and pasty when you apply it (like so many are now), and it actually works! Do us both a favor and try it yourself. You'll thank me!
What are a few of your favorite vegan things? I want to know everything!
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