Monthly Box: BeautyBox- December

Today's post is dedicated to another beauty box, Vegan Cuts Beauty Box. 
Vegan Cuts has its own food subscription box, which I have yet to have the pleasure of trying. They recently added the Beauty Box, which I have been ordering since September. 

So what can you expect from the Beauty Box subscription? For $19.99 per month, a box has 4-7 vegan and cruelty-free products ranging in sample to full sized items. None of the products have any animal products and don't contain palm oil. 

Lets take a look at my December box!

DIY: Apple Cider Vinegar Toner

Guess what I made all by myself, like the big girl I am? 
My very own toner!

Before I go into how I made this and how you can make this, I am sure there are a few questions on what I made and why.

Monthly Box: Petit Vour- December

Hope everyones holiday season has gone off without a hitch.
Of course, I have left holiday shopping until the very very last minute but it isn't too bad.
Partly because I decided on making some DIY gifts for my friends and coworkers. I most likely won't post it until very late this week but it can come handy for any hostess or birthday gifts you might have.

Continuing from my last post, this is Petit Vour's December box. I promise other product reviews will be posted as soon as I finish with finals. I also have more reasons to buy all the make-up in the world because the holidays...and stuff because I most definitely do not have a problem or an addiction. 

Anyways, we don't want to hear me talk anymore. Lets take a look at what I got this month.

Monthly Box: Petit Vour--November

Nothing brings me more joy then the arrival of beautiful things. Subscription boxes have been all the range the last few years and I have tried them all, I'm what you call an expert in this field ;) Birchbox, Glossybox, EcoEmi, Ipsy, Julep and Goodebox are a few that I've used in the last few years, however it narrowed down to Birchbox and Glossybox. When I decided to go cruelty-free I stopped them both and researched what was out there. I ended up trailing Petit Vour and Beauty Cuts, both vegan boxes, and I cannot be happier with the quality and selection of products in these boxes. 

Here's a bit about Petit Vour from their founder, Madelina Alcott.

"At Petit Vour we have a strong belief that kindness should be precedent to luxury and beauty. No animal should suffer for the sake of beauty.

As a beauty enthusiast myself, I found it frustrating that there wasn't a collective online source where I could get products that met my standards, both ethically and structurally. I wanted to be able to see all of the top cruelty-free brands laid out in front of me. Instead I'd spend hours scouring through forums and various sites to find all of my options. Many of the animal-free products weren't easily accessible except for online, which made shopping risky and money draining for the disappointments along the way. I'm a shopper who likes to get a feel for what I'm purchasing. Petit Vour is risk-free, exciting and allows you to try before you buy. You decide if the product is right for you and worth the upgrade.

I'm thrilled to share my years of research and application with you. Our goal at Petit Vour is to make your shopping fun and effortless and to let you sample new cruelty-free products -- hidden gems, makeup artist-approved and everything in between. We want to be a helpful service, to consumers as well as business owners and we also want to promote our way of living, because we believe compassion enhances all of our passions, whether it be teaching, composing, cooking or walking the runway. Be bold. Be kind."

Now lets take a look on this months box!

Look how pprreeetttyyy!

Review: The Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Urban Decay is an American cosmetics company that was founded in 1996 by Sandy Lerner. The idea behind the brand was to fight the status quo of pink, red, and beige. They introduced a rebellion in make-up.

In 2013 they were acquired by L’Oreal and for a brief month (June-July) had decided on selling in China where animal testing is mandatory in order to sell. However after consumer out cry they decided against it and maintain a cruelty-free title. They do offer select vegan products but are not a complete vegan company.

On their site: http://www.urbandecay.com/about-us/about_us.html

Now for the swatches and review!

Review: The Urban Decay Naked Palette (1)

There has been an obvious decrease of posting, unfortunately. I just accepted another job on top of the one I currently have while still going to school full-time. This wasn't as well planned as I originally thought. However, I will not let that bring me down. So though the posting per week won't be as high as I would like it to be I am definitely still here. Now enough with this stuff, lets get to the review. 

Urban Decay is an American cosmetics company that was founded in 1996 by Sandy Lerner. The idea behind the brand was to fight the status quo of pink, red, and beige. They introduced a rebellion in make-up.

In 2013 they were acquired by L’Oreal and for a brief month (June-July) had decided on selling in China where animal testing is mandatory in order to sell. However after consumer out cry they decided against it and maintain a cruelty-free title. They do offer select vegan products but are not a complete vegan company.

On their site: http://www.urbandecay.com/about-us/about_us.html

Now for the swatches and review!

Monthly Favs: August

I know I am a bit late for a monthly favorite but its my blog and I can do what I want ;). August has come to an end and though it saddens me a bit to have to go back to school I am excited to see what September has in store for me.  So lets get down to business and here are my favorite everything for the month.

Music: Washed Out "Paracosm", Artic Monkeys “AM”, Yppah "Eighty One"

Movie/TV: The Devil Wears Prada & Scrubs

Book: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Face: Hourglass Primer, SW Basics Lip Balm, Too Faced Better then Sex Mascara

Body: LUSH King of Skin Body Butter & LUSH Almond and Coconut Shower Smoothie

Hair: LUSH No Drought Dry Shampoo

Blogs:  cupcakesandcashmere.com

theconversation.tv (Okay, it's literally the must amazing webshow on the internet. So inspirational and eye opening. Definitely give it a watch, even if it’s a single episode.)

thechalkboardmag.com

Food: They’re more like a snack but frozen grapes have been my jam this month.

Flowers: I am a huge flower person and what I love about the warmer weather is that my favorite flowers, peonies, are in season. They have such a brief window but I got as many as I could last month.

If there is one thing you could try or watch from my monthly favorite it is theconversation.tv and the SW Basics Lip Balm (Review coming soon.)  So that is that, I hope August treated you well. Here is for an amazing September! 

Beauty Talk: What is Animal Testing?

In my “About Me” I mention that the company I currently work for inspired me to seek cruelty-free beauty products. Though that is true I also did my own research before coming to any conclusion. What I am hoping to do every other week is to bring up different topics and research them, so you can learn a bit more about it and have the ability to make your own opinion. For my first post I decided to write about animal testing since it seems so fitting. I will also be linking the sites I’ve obtained information from. I hope you guys enjoy this and learn something new. If you have any question, comments, or suggestions for future topics let me know!  

Week in Beauty

British Children's Line Dubble Trubble Targets U.S.

Drugstores are quickly becoming the “it” spot for beauty addicts. Mass

brands at a very inexpensive cost is very appealing, but when it comes

to cruelty-free the choices become very limited. Recently, Target has taken the

initiative and has started expanding their beauty brand selection, focusing on more

niche brands. Shea Moisturizer, for example has a large portion of their line available for

purchase at Target which is more then other drug stores. Target has now

announced that Dubble Trubble by Galvin & Galvin London will be introduced

to 1,788 US stores. The brand is formulated with organic botanical extracts

and a portion of the products’ proceeds benefit the Prince of Wales

Foundation, which raises money for urban and rural communities and the

environment. Launched in the U.K. last September, the range, which

features five two-in-one Shampoo & Body Washes in scents like Bananaberry,

Cherrybomb and Watermelon and a Cool Cucumber Detangling Spray, is

targeted to children between 3 and 12 years old. Each product, meant to be

gentle and packed with antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and nutrients,

retails for $6.99. It is not yet said when it will be available in stores.

ZoyaPartners With Author Emily Liebert

Natural nail polish brand Zoya is launching an exclusive limited-edition 2,000

piece nail polish collection based on Emily Liebert’s new novel, “You Knew

Me When.” Coming out in September the Zoya You Knew Me When

Collection includes three shades created exclusively for the book’s launch. It

will be sold online at zoya.com for $24.99.

The cream colors are named after the three main female characters,

Katherine Hill, Laney Marten and Luella Hancock- a deep red, dark green and

burgundy, all reflecting each of the character’s personality. Perfect

shades for the incoming fall. Like all other Zoya polishes, these will be

camphor, DBP, formaldehyde and toluene free, and vegan-friendly.

The Zoya You Knew Me When Collection will be promoted mainly through

book signing events and social media.The trio will be gift-packaged with

autographed copies of the novel and Zoya will offer complementary nail

polish changes with the three shades at book signing locations in the fall.

Alexa Chung Signs Deal With Indie Cosmetics Brand Eyeko

Alexa Chung though unknown in the States is a huge celebrity elsewhere.

She has an upcoming book, “It,” and a contributing editorship at British Vogue. That’s in addition to her DJing, modeling and presenting daily on a

music TV show, “Fuse News.”

“Established in 1999 Eyeko is the bespoke cosmetics label, devised by makeup veterans and partners Max and Nina Leykind, created for your eyes only. Favoured by stars and celebrities Jennifer Lawrence, Salma Hayek, Clara Paget and Gemma Arterton all adore the range's internationally stocked, innovative products and critically acclaimed makeup artists Lisa Eldridge, Polly Osmond and Kay Montano all use Eyeko in their kit." 

With Eyeko, Chung is advising the brand on products. “It’s a creative

relationship,” she said of the company, which industry sources believe

generates overall sales of about $10 million yearly. “I send images and

different inspirations to Max and Nina and we go from there. It’s quite free

form at the moment.” Chung worked with Eyeko on a $45 set bearing her

name (and her art), which includes waterproof black eyeliner and waterproof

black mascara. It will be out in November in the brand’s 1,000 doors globally,

including Selfridges, Space NK and Sephora.

Check her page out at: http://www.eyeko.com/alexa-chung

Fall Trends: Clean Crisp Lines

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It is the most simple and classic of looks but yet so difficult. The idea of liner is not brain science, take your desired weapon (pencil, gel, marker, or liquid) and draw a line across your lash line and a wing if desired. But once you put it into practice and it's a different story. I’ve worn eyeliner practically everyday for almost 5 years and it’s still a nerve racking task. However, at the end of the day if I don’t have my liner on I feel incredibly naked and less like myself. 

I’ve come to realize that the shape and thickness of my lines shift with the season. The spring and summer bring thinner, wispy lines. But my oh my, once the leaves touch the ground I go to 0 to 180. My lines become so dramatic and winged, my own personal weapon. So considered me thrilled that there is a need for dark thick liner this Fall, which is a nice mix from the usual bare face or day time smokey eye that's been on demand. To achieve this crispy clean line you’re going to need your selected liner formula, a lot of patience, and a ton of cotton swab. My suggestion would be to practice, practice, practice and to start with a thin line and work your way up from there. 

If you’re still new to the idea of eyeliner that’s totally fine. It is definitely scary at first but you’ll get the hang of it with not only practice but also with the range of formulas. From gel liner, pencil, liquid liner, and the quick emerging marker liner. When I first started with liner countless guru’s promised the gel liner would be the best and “easiest” for beginners. After numerous attempts I beg to differ, gels and pencils just don't do it for me. Of course I’m not saying you should never use them but it’s just my personal evolution with liner. It is all about experimenting until you find what works for you.

Fall Trends: Nails

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It is common knowledge that I have a problem when it comes to cosmetics, but nail polish is a whole different ball game. I am what you would call a hoarder when it comes to nail lacquers. I hit rock bottom when I successfully collected enough nail polish for two years if I changed colors once a week. After going cruelty-free I’ve used up my favorite colors and given most of them again so now I am starting from scratch and it couldn’t come at a better time. I personally prefer a nude beige based color or dark purples and reds. Anything else just doesn't feel like me. However, I definitely will be giving the fall colors a try in order to get out of my comfort zone because at the end of the day what’s life if you don't mix it up a bit?

Over the years you begin to see a pattern within trends and beauty is no exception. There are definitely trends that have become more like staples then anything else. I introduced the idea in my post about berry lips and I’m bringing it up again for this one. Oxblood, olive, and cobalt are making a come back and it’s not surprising but it’s also not disappointing. Again, these are all colors that flatter every skin tone when using the right shade of color. Though these colors aren’t shocking or revolutionary don’t settle for just a plain double coat of color on your nails this season, make it your own. Add gems to it, do a fresh french tip, do an ombre. Don’t be afraid of trying new things.

Fall Trends: Bold Eyebrows

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Bottom: 1

My best friend and I like to joke that our lives are split in two parts. The first called “Before I filled in my brows” and the current part is “After I filled in my brows.” Yes I know what you’re thinking, can something so simple be so monumental? Oh darling, yes it really can be. You see the brows frame the face so if they look put together so do you and if they’re sloppy so do you, you get the idea. It's no surprise to see that bold, well-groomed brows have been seen all across the runways. I mean look at Cara Delevingne not only is she the new “IT” model but her eyebrows are banging. Or Lily Collins, who’s starring in one of the biggest pictures this year (and her eyebrows have their own twitter account.) It isn’t hard to find your eyebrow role model and though it’s scary and intimidating at first it’s definitely worth a try.

One of my all time favorite brands for all things eyebrows is Anastasia. Not only does the brand have a ton of different colors and formulas but they have the most amazing clear brow gel. I personally use and love the Perfect Brow Pencil. It has the pencil on one end and an eyebrow brush on the other. The pencil is pigmented and ever so soft which mean it glides nicely on the brows versus tugging at them. The brush on the other end is also such a perk. You can groom your brows and use the brush to soften the color of the pencil and create a more natural look. It also makes it so convenient to throw into your purse and touch up if needed.

I recommend trying eyebrow pencils, powder, or gels in person. Places like Sephora or Ulta are great for this because you can test them and if you don’t really know what to look for you can always ask an associate. It’s also more flattering to choose a color that resembles your own eyebrow color. If you go to dark it will look very exaggerated and borderline tacky. Go too light and you either lighten your brows to the point where they look fake and wash you out or it’ll look awkward on you. It’s so easy to want to do this on your own when it’s your first time but trust me you want to go to a professional so they can pick what’s best for you. After you get the hang of it feel more then welcome to decide on your own what will work best for your face. I say this because many tend to be too heavy handed when filling in their eyebrows which leads them to create a new pair of brows on their face. Make-up is meant to enhance your natural features so using a light, gentle hand and applying slowly while following your natural brow shape. The end result will be a fresh and flattering look. It’s all a learning experience.