July Vegan Cuts Beauty Box

I mentioned in my July Petit Vour post that both of Petit Vour's and Beauty Box's July boxes were co-currated by vegan bloggers. For this months Beauty Box, Sunny of Vegan Beauty Review hand-picked all the products. If you aren’t familiar with Vegan Cuts they offer both snack and beauty boxes. For $19.99 a month, a beauty box contains 4-7 vegan, palm-oil free and cruelty-free products ranging from sample to full sized items. 

Lets take a look at my July box!

Don't Forget About: Your Sparkly Whites

Going cruelty-free is a powerful statement against the shopping norms. However, there somethings people forget to mention to you when you do. No longer can you quickly stop by your drugstore and pick up a new toothbrush or even a box of tampons-some categories get a bit difficult to switch out. I found this to be true for deodorants, any oral care products, tampons & pads, and my need for cheap makeup thrills. Whole Foods Body has quickly become my safe haven but it's not as available across the country. Thankfully (and unfortunately for my bank account) we have online shopping but even then, if you don't know what you're looking for it gets difficult. So hopefully these types of posts can make it easier to guide your transition and also showcase different brands you might not have heard of before.

June Petit Vour Beauty Box

I received my June Petit Vour box a bit late in the month, but that totally okay since me and Petit go wayyyy back. If you haven't heard of Petit Vour before, its a vegan beauty box subscription that runs at $15.00 a month. In each box you'll receive a range of products in a range of sizes but Petit Vour promises that the sizes are generous enough for you get an idea of rather you like the products or not. 

Lets take a look at my June box!

Summer Trends: Bronze & Glow

This is not a new trend for summer per se. I thought I would add it onto my list of summer trends as a friendly reminder. Summer is about the sun-kissed bronzy skin. But assuming everyone is wearing a good amount of SPF, it's harder to achieve that tan. Thankfully we have bronzers and they'll give you that natural tan look. In addition to the bronze, there is the glow. Highlighters waken up the face and give you just enough dewy, with just enough radiance. 

Summer Trends: Orange Lips

Orange lips are my favorite thing in the whole entire world, but really. Orange is a universally flattering color that puts together an outfit without being overwhelming or too overly done-like a red lip can be at times. Its a fun and carefree color that grabs everyones attention. 

If a creamy orange lipstick is a bit scary there are tons of different formulas out there from lip balms to stains that might be in your comfort zone. If you already have a rather strong orange lipstick you can tone it down with applying it with your ring finger in a tapping motion or applying the lipstick after applying a clear lip balm. 

Summer Trends: Sorbet Nails

Nail polish is an easy and cheap way to change it up a bit. I usually go for dark colors all through out the year but I've quickly become a fan of this color trend. It adds a nice and fun touch to any look and they easily compliment your summer sun-kissed skin.

Julep Alexandra On sale now for $10.00- A creamy pastel yellow-the riskiest of these colors. This nail polish has Julep's oxygen technology that makes it fast-drying and long lasting. It is supposed to allow 30% more oxygen to the nail, helping nails strengthen over time. This is a 5-free nail polish. 

Zoya Wendy $9.00- A creamy cool-toned melon color that becomes opaque with two coats. This is a 5-free nail polish.

Deborah Lippman We Are Young $18.00- A rich creme fuchsia. This is a fun alternative if you're used to wearing dark colors. It's also a flattering color for all ages and professions. This is a 5-free nail polish. 

ELF Mint Cream $2.00- Creme mint colored nail polishes have been quite popular since a few summers ago-even a classic. This is a great budget buy, ELF has 47 other colors with the same price tag if you aren't a big spender. This has a quick dry formula and is a 3-free nail polish. 

*Trends are a great way to experiment and get out of your comfort zone. Ultimately, trends should be taken with a grain of salt and are great to keep in mind if you ever get bored. But if you're confident with your style, you do you boo.

Summer Trends: Beach Waves

It's no surprise that beach waves are back again for the summer. Hair tends to become more frizzy, dry and damaged during warmer weather. This is mostly due to high humanity and long exposer to the sun, which is why hot-tools like curling wands and straighteners should be used to a bare minimum. Hair mists are a great way to create an easy, put together hairstyle without the damage. 

Sachajuan Ocean Mist $28.00- Sachajuan has quickly gotten onto the radar of every beauty outlet. This Ocean Mist is their most popular product and for good reason. This helps anyone get a flawless tousled, beachy texture. 

Sevi Vegan Blue Yarrow Texture Spray $4.00 to $14.00- Not only is this a great budget buy but it also has a beautiful fragrance. You get light body and curls without the stiffness a lot of beach sprays cause. 

LUSH Sea Spray $12.95- Out of the three, this is probably my favorite. It's reasonably priced, has the best citrus scent and is a great product that does what it promises-gives texture, volume and shine. In fact, I like to use this for a beachy look, after I curl my hair to hold the style and on braids and buns for a fuller look. 

*Trends are a great way to experiment and get out of your comfort zone. Ultimately, trends should be taken with a grain of salt and are great to keep in mind if you ever get bored. But if you're confident with your style, you do you boo.

Blogging Hiatus: Grab a coffee and lets catch up.

Sadly, it's a bit obvious that it's been months since I've last blogged. I had been really focused on progressing in school and work this past semester. It was all a lot more difficult and time consuming then I had originally thought, go figure.

Anyways, I am really excited to get back into blogging. This break has given me the opportunity to think about why I started this blog and if I truely want to continue. I obviously have a love for everything beauty, though my friends would say I’m more obsessed then anything. From the start of my exposer to beauty, I knew I liked it in more ways then just want it could do to my face. As I delved into the industry, I was in awe with all the smoke and mirrors. Honestly, haven’t we all fallen into that trap? As I kept investigating there were things that became clear to me, both on a logical business sense and ethically. I just didn’t like what was behind all the things I originally fell in love with. Being someone who not only had such a strong interest in beauty but also a love for politics and research I began focusing on researching different cruelty-free brands and products. When I decided on switching to strictly cruelty-free brands, I felt like I was doing this confusing transition alone. I wondered if others felt like that too and I wanted to spread my thoughts, ideas, reviews somewhere where others could read it. It all led me to start this blog as an outlet and journal to track my shift into cruelty-free beauty. 

I’m really looking forward to continue sharing and seeing where this takes me. I also started an instagram account for the blog where I’ll be posting beauty and lifestyle photos, @theurbanbeautyjunkie. I’m really glad to have the opportunity to continue this and I really wanted to thank you for reading this. 

Review: LUSH Lip Scrub "Sweet Lips"

With the wicked winter comes colder, drier air. Which can damage hair, cause irritation on the face and body and cause flakes on the lips. None of which is cute and all of which that sucks. I am a huge believer in scrubbing everything; hands, body, face, and lips. Since exfoliating does help speed skin cell turn-over, and create smoother and brighter skin it's something that should be done regularly but the difference between our face, body and hands compared to our lips are that the lips can't remove dry, dead skin. By exfoliating the lips, your lips look plumper, take moisture in better and lip color applies smoother too! 

Review: Urban Decay Razor Sharp

This winter is definitely dragging and I cannot wait for the spring time, and for someone who loves the cold that says a lot. So I am hoping everyone is staying warm and drinking a ton of tea. Today I am reviewing Urban Decay's Razor Sharp Ultra Definition Finishing Powder. Check it out...

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!

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

1, 2, 3, 4

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: Bold Eyebrows

Top: 1, 2, 3

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.