L.A. Girl Vegan Friendly

I have been in contact with L.A. Girl for about a month trying to figure out what products are vegan friendly. Through a series of responses, I am now able to provide a vegan list.

In my original email asking if they had vegan-friendly products, they responded that some animal derived ingredients are present in their products and if I wanted to know about specific products, to email them a list of products with their item numbers. After compiling a list and sending it to them, they did send me a list of ingredients for the products I asked about. However, some of the ingredients (such as glycerin) can be animal or plant derived.

I sent them another email asking if the following ingredients were plant or animal derived: glycerin, tribehenin, ethylhexlglycerin, tocopherol, fragrance (parfum), niacinamide, glyceryl tribehenate, and diisostearate. They responded saying that some of their products contained carmine and lanolin and to send a list of products I was interested in if I wanted the ingredients. Yea, that's not what I asked...

So I responded again saying that I am specifically interested in the ingredients listed above and whether or not they are plant or animal derived. To which they responded, yet again, to send a list of products and item numbers. For the second time, I sent them a list, but specifically stated what ingredient in each product I had a question about. Their response was to send me a list of ingredients for these products (again) and completely ignoring my question. 

Finally, I sent one last email stating that I already had the ingredients list and that I was trying to find out if certain ingredients were plant or animal derived. I asked if they could provide the information for the ingredients and sent them the list of questionable ingredients once more. This is when they assured me that these ingredients were synthetic or plant derived. I'm happy to hear this, but I wish it hadn't taken so much back and forth to receive this information. With that said, here is my list of vegan (and non) friendly items.

Last Updated: August 3rd, 2017

Vegan Friendly
- Eye Lux Eyeshadow
- HD PRO BB Cream
- Luxury Crème Lipstick
- Fineline Eyeliner
- Flashy Mascara
- Glazed Lip Paint
- Glide Gel Eyeliner 352-356, 357-359, 368, 369
- HD PRO Setting Powder- Translucent 
- Inspiring Brow Kit
- Inspiring Eyeshadow Palette
- Just Blushing
- Line Art Matte Eyeliner
- Matte Flat Velvet Lipsticks
- Oomph'D Mascara

- Pro Prep Primer

- Pro Coverage Illuminating Foundation

- Pro Setting Spray

- Strobe Lite Strobing Powder
- Velvet Contour Stick
- Wispy Lash Mascara 

Not Vegan Friendly
- Beauty Brick Blush Collection-  contains petrolatum
- Beauty Brick Eyeshadow- contains petrolatum
- Booming Lash Mascara- contains beeswax
- Double D Mascara- contains keratin
- Fiber Lash Mascara- contains beeswax
- HD Pro Conceal Concealer- contains beeswax
- Matte Pigment Lipgloss- contains beeswax
- Metal Liquid Lipstick- contains beeswax
- Pro Contour Cream- contains beeswax
- Pro Face Pressed Powder- contains petrolatum
- Pro Primer Eyeshadow stick- contains beeswax

- Shady Slim Brow Pencil- contains beeswax and lanolin
- Super Mega Mascara- contains beeswax

Let me know if there's anything you'd like to me to add to the list!

I also have a new YouTube channel! If you'd like to check it out, please click here.


I also have a running cruelty free list going- click here.

Petit Vour Unboxing February 2017

Petit Vour is a subscription box service where you receive 3-5 beauty related products every month for $15 a month in the United States ($23/month in Canada and and $25/month for worldwide). I especially like this box because all the products are cruelty-free and vegan. You usually receive at least one full sized product- which is always great in a subscription box!

Konjac Sponge Company Facial Sponge, Retails for $12.
I know people who swear by these and love them, but I haven't had much luck with them. I have tried two other ones and they both really irritated my skin. I have really sensitive skin and usually don't switch up my skin care routine too often because of this. This one in particular is made for sensitive skin, so maybe I'll have better luck with this one!

St. Tropica Organic Coconut Hot Oil Hair Mask, Retails for $5
I believe I've mentioned this before, but I have greasy hair and the idea of putting more oil into my hair terrifies me. I read through the comments and some people did say that this left their hair feeling more greasy. I unfortunately don't think I will be using this product.

AILA Cosmetics Nail 3-in-1 Nail Color Remover Wipe, Retails for $1.
Because I can't wear nail polish to work during the week, I normally paint my nails every weekend and pretty much always need nail polish remover. This product worked really well for removing my nail polish and I would definitely recommend it! You can either buy them individually or in bulk.

Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Cream Shadow Stick, Retails for $22.
This is the item that I was most excited to try because I haven't really tried any shadow sticks yet. I received the shade "smoke" which is a really pretty silver color (swatch below). This is something that you can apply either very lightly, or build it up. It also feeling really hydrating and lasted a long time on my eyes. Definitely my favorite item this month!

I also have a new YouTube channel! If you'd like to check it out, please click here.

If you're interested in this box, you can click here. 

Past Unboxing:

January 2017

December 2016

Colourpop X Alexis Ren Collection Review

Alexis Ren is an Instagram model who can mostly be spotted at the beach with little to no makeup on. Her collaboration with Colorpop reflects her desire for a more natural look. This collaboration also released Colourpop's first highlighter/bronzer duo in a pressed powder formula, as well as the blotted lipsticks. Colourpop has stated that they will be releasing more of the highligher/bronzer duos in other shades in the future. 

Topaz Pressed Powder Face Duo

She's Here to Stay is a pearlized highlighter that is described as a "true gold". Which is pretty accurate for this highlighter. I love gold highlighters and this one is no exception. This also didn't emphasize any texture on my skin when I applied it. This is more of a natural glow, but you can build it up to give it a more blinding affect.
Golden Moment is a matte bronzer that is described as a "warm bronze". This does have an orange tint to it. Depending on your skin tone, it may or may not have show the orange tint. It is more of a natural bronzer, but is still really pigmented.

Blotted Lipstick

Left to right: Exotic, Deja Vu, and Lexi

Exotic is described as an "orange red". This wasn't as bright as I thought it was going to be, but it is really nice. It's easy to apply and I would use this when I want a pop of color, but don't want anything too heavy.

Deja Vu is described as a "pink nude". This shade is very close to your natural lip color and is a good "your lips but better" shade. 

Lexi is described as a "cool-toned red". This one felt a little dryer on the lips and was more sheer than the other two colors. Which can be a good thing is you're looking for an everyday red.

Ultra Matte and Ultra Satin Lips

Left to right: Little Weapon and Bare Necessities

Little Weapon is described as a "true orange red" and is in the ultra matte finish. This formula felt a little different than Colorpop's other matte finish's. It wasn't as drying, but still stayed in place.This is a really bright red (which I love). This is easily my favorite shade out of the collection.

Bare Necessities is described as a "peachy pink nude" and is in the ultra satin finish. Many people have said that it doesn't look like the swatch and I have to agree. It is lighter than the picture on their website. It also looks like the color "November" which I have a comparison picture below.

Left to right:: Bare Necessities and November

The entire collection can be found here.

I also have a new YouTube channel! If you'd like to check it out, please click here.

Colourpop Pressed Powder Eyeshadows

Colourpop announced via Snapchat on January 9th that they were coming out with all new eye shadows in a pressed powder formula. Which of course was very exciting to their fans because this was an all new formula! They also had a special that if you bought four of the powders, you automatically receive an empty palette to put them in. You can also take out the inside of the palettes (like I did in the pictures) and use it as a z palette. In total, there are twenty single eyeshadows and two fixed palettes. The palettes are also interchangeable, so you can customize them! Two of the shades "Stay Golden" and "Come and Get It" are not vegan. The single eyeshadows are $5 and the fixed palettes are $18.

Lo-Key

From left to right: Take it Slow, I Owe You, Running Late, and Criss Cross

Take it Slow is described as a "warm champagne" and is in a metallic finish. It is definitely more of a warm toned gold. This one doesn't feel chunky at all and applies nicely like the matte finishes do. This is a perfect shade for the inner corner of the eye or as an eyebrow highlight.
I Owe You is described as a "mid-tone orange" and is in a matte finish. This was the first shadow that stood out to me when I saw this palette. It did not disappoint! I love these kinds of shades for all over the lid or as a transition shade. I think this one is a must have!
Running Late is described as a "creamy orange" and is in a matte finish. This one looks a little more on the yellow side to me, but still looks pretty on the eyelid.
Criss Cross is described as a "brick orange" and is in a matte finish. This color is similar to a few other shades they came out with, but works really well in this set. I think this would be a good color for the crease to give you more of a smoky look.

Hi-Maintenance

From left to right: Just in Time, High Strung, Get Out, and Cute Alert

Just in Time is described as a "soft gold" and is in a satin finish. This has yellow undertones to it- which I love. If you love gold eyeshadows like me, you need this in your collection!
High Strung is described as a "dusty rose" and is in a metallic finish. This is one of the most pigmented eyeshadows out of all the ones I tried. It also blended beautifully on the lid. I didn't expect to like this one that much, but you really can't compare this pigmentation!
Get Out is described as a "cool cranberry" and is in a matte finish. I'm never going to be able to use this one without singing JoJo's "Get Out (Leave)"- which isn't a bad thing considering I like that song. This one had a little more fallout and I would recommend tapping your brush off before applying.
Cute Alert is described as a "deep burgundy" and is in a matte finish. This is the perfect muted wine color and I really don't have anything else like this in my collection. This one wasn't as opaque, but is easily buildable.

Single Pan Eyeshadows

Let Me Explain is described as an "ivory" color and is in a metallic finish. This color can pretty much go with any look and can be used for a more subtle or smoked out look. I also didn't think it was too light for my fair skin- another bonus!
Save it for Later is described as an "amber" and is in a metallic finish. This is one of my absolute favorites out of all the colors they came out with! It's super pigmented and applies easily to the lids. When the light hits it, it is so beautiful!
Locked and Loaded is described as a "pale yellow" and is in a matte finish. This shade is very light and it was difficult to get a swatch to show up. If you're really fair skinned, you may not like this one.
Paper Tiger  is described as a "mustard" and is in a matte finish. This one looked much brighter on Colourpop's website, but is more muted in real life. I'm happy I took a chance with this one, because it really is a beautiful shade.

From top to bottom: Let Me Explain, Save it for Later,
Locked and Loaded, Paper Tiger, Milli, Cloud Nine,
Made to Last, and Take the Lead

From left to right: Take the Lead, Made to Last, Cloud Nine,
Milli, Paper Tiger, Locked and Loaded, Save it for Later,
and Let Me Explain

Milli is described as a "penny copper" and is in a metallic finish. This is a shade Colourpop released to celebrate reaching one million likes on Facebook. It felt a little chunkier in the pan, but didn't apply chunky at all.
Cloud Nine is described as a "plummy brown" and is in a matte finish. I can't decide if I like this one or not because it was a little harder to swatch and is very dark on my skin tone. I haven't tried this one on my eyes yet, so I can't speak to how it applies on the lids.
Made to Last is described as a "neutral mauve" and is in a matte finish. In the pan, this doesn't look like anything special, but it is so pretty when applied to the eyelids. It looked like just a brown to me, but the mauve undertone really makes it stand out.
Take the Lead is described as a "dusty medium gray" and is in a matte finish. I wouldn't normally go for these kinds of shades, but I thought this was so unique that I wanted to try it. I think if you paired this with some deep blues or purples, this would look stunning.

Popular Demand is described as a "red brown" and is in a matte finish. I love these browns with a red undertone because of how many looks you can achieve with them. This wasn't chalky at all and I was impressed with the pigmentation.
Top Notch is described as a "terracotta brown" and is in a matte finish. This is another favorite of mine. It is brown, but it has some orange in it that make it a gorgeous transition or outer corner shade. A must have in my book!
Wait for It is described as a "hot peach" and is in a matte finish. While this color is stunning, it isn't really my cup of tea, unfortunately. But if you like bright pink shades, this would be the one for you!
Note to Self is described as "warm caramel" and is in a matte finish. This is another brown/orange color that I'm absolutely in love with. I feel like a broken record talking about all these warm toned eyeshadows, but what can I say? They really are pretty!

From right to left: Popular Demand, Top Notch,
Wait for It, Note to Self, You Know the Drill,
Wake Up Call, Bel Air, Goody Two-Shoes,
and Backseat

From top to bottom: Popular Demand, Top Notch,
Wait for It, Note to Self, You Know the Drill,
Wake Up Call, Bel Air, Goody Two-Shoes,
and Backseat

You Know the Drill is described as a "bronze" and is in a metallic finish. This one is a lighter bronze than some of the others and is on the yellow side. It is really light and took a few swatches for me to get it to show up on my skin.
Wake Up Call is described as a "warm sand" and is in a matte finish. Does anyone else remember this song by Hayden Panettiere? No? Just me? Anyways, this is a lighter brown, but had a more yellow tone to it than some of the other browns in this collection.
Bel Air is described as a "cool taupe" and is in a matte finish. In West Philadelphia, born and raised...There seems to be a lot of references to songs and shows with these eyeshadows. This shade goes with anything and is the perfect transition shade.
Goody Two-Shoes is described as a "gunmetal" and is in a metallic finish. Did you guys know that the slippers in the Wizard of Oz books were actually silver, not red? Well, that is what this reminds me of. It's sparkly without being too glittery and applied nicely on the lid.
Backseat is described as a "deepened aquamarine" and is in a metallic finish. I decided to be a little more brave with this shade and I'm happy I did! I think this could go with so many eye looks without being too dramatic. I'm going to have to play around with this one more because it is so gorgeous!


What are some of ya'lls favorites from this collection? If you'd like to view all the pressed eyeshadows, you can click here.

Colourpop Studio 1400 and All Nighter Reviews

Colourpop often releases "foursomes" (please tell me that I'm not the only one that thinks that it sounds dirty) that feature four Super Shock Shadows. These retail for $18 each- which does save you $2 if you were wanting these shades anyways. Both these foursomes (yup, still thinking it) are cruelty-free and vegan.

All Nighter 

These colors are every neutral color lovers dream come true! They are a mix of finishes and the colors are excellent for either day or night looks. This would be a good starter kit for anyone that it is just starting out their makeup collection. The shades Vega and To-A-T are not up for sale individually at this time. If you're interested in this quad, you can click here.

From top to bottom: Smash, To-A-T, Mooning, and Vega

From top to bottom: Smash, To-A-T, Mooning, and Vega

Smash is described as a "neutral beige with a soft golden sheen" and is in a satin finish. While it is a satin finish, it is definitely very sheer. This one is good for all over the lid as a base for more natural looks. You can see that it has a gold tint to it, but isn't orange or yellow. It shows up really light on my skin tone and I think this would look stunning on darker skin tones.

To-a-T is described as a "mid-tone warm brown" and is in a matte finish. I'm one of those people that love warm tones (because my undertones in my skin are warm), and this shade is no exception! At first glance, this one doesn't look to impressive, but it is beautiful all over the lid!

Mooning is described as a "blackened plum with a violet sheen" and is in a pearilzed finish. While this is sparkly, I think it's more on the sophisticated side. This color is perfect for the crease or in the corner of the eyelid. This color seems to shift its undertones based on the lighting you're in. It can either look like more of a purple brown or reddish brown. Either way, the color is gorgeous! 

Vega is described as a "cool-toned taupe gold sprinkled with gold, pink and violet glitter" and is in the ultra glitter finish. This is easily my favorite out of the set. They don't sell this individually, which is a shame because I would definitely purchase backups!

Studio 1400

Colourpop does occasionally have a "Last Call" for products that they are clearing out and this happens to be one of them. So if you're wanting this quad, now is your chance! It is also on sale from $18 to $14.40. These aren't colors I would normally go for, but they are really beautiful and pigmented! All these colors can be bought separately as well. If you're interested in this foursome, please click here.

From top to bottom: White Rabbit, Static, 8 Track, and Donna

From top to bottom: White Rabbit, Static, 8 Track, and Donna

White Rabbit is described as a "pink copper" and is in the ultra metallic finish. This looked more on the orange side than pink to me. Works for me! This looked beautiful on their website, but is even more stunning in person. I think this would be perfect for a romantic, Valentine's Day look.

Static is described as a "deepened burgundy" and is in the pearlized finish. I don't normally go for purple shadows, but this one is super deep and rich. I think this would be perfect for a smoky eye look.

8 Track is described as a "deep bronze" and is in the pearlized finish. These kinds of shades are by far my favorite. This is an antique gold that is probably my favorite out of the set.

Donna is described as an "emerald green" and is in the pearlized finish. I think this leans more to the teal side than emerald green. It's still a good pop of color that's good for anytime of the year!

Vegan Friendly Update Part Two

I originally posted a vegan friendly update including Belfiore Cosmetics, Ittse, Lorac, and Coastal Scents. To go to that update, please click here. Today I have responses from Whish, IBY Beauty, Essence, and Makeup Revolution. I am currently waiting on responses from Physicians Formula and Vintage by Jessica Liebeskind. I am currently working on vegan list for MUA, Freedom, and LORAC.

Whish

I received a product from Whish in a subscription box and wanted to ensure that it was vegan. They very quickly responded to my email with the following message:

"Thank you for reaching out to us! Most of our products are vegan friendly. Our Bath & Body Gel, Sugar Scrub, and Body Butter do contain beeswax, but these are the only products that are not vegan friendly. Some of our products do contain glycerin, but it is 100% plant derived."

I greatly appreciate them offering a full response and I'm excited to try their other products!

IBY Beauty

I've seen a few YouTuber's mention this brand and thought it was worth looking into. The response I received was:

"Thank you for contacting IBY Beauty.  Our products are cruelty free and we do have some vegan options.  If you type in ‘vegan’ to the search field, it will let you know what your options are."

When I searched "vegan", three results appeared. Not the most vegan friendly in the world, but hopefully they'll have more options soon. You can see the results of my search here.

Essence

I unfortunately had to contact Essence twice in a month to receive a response. The response I received was:

"When producing our decorative products we do not use any ingredients directly derived from animals, such as extracts or animal fat, especially not animals like pig, cattle, sheep or goat. We do, however, use materials such as beeswax, silk, or lanolin (wool fat from sheep) and the natural dye cochenille (CI 75470) which are animal by-products and strictly speaking, from animal origin. The goods have passed the quality control and comply with our high standards and the directives of the World Health Organization."

I did find a website that already has a list of Essence's vegan products- which you can find here.

Makeup Revolution

Makeup Revolution responded within 48 hours to my email, which I really appreciated. This is their response:

"We can confirm that we do not test our products nor ingredients on animals and neither do any third parties (and we are not owned by a parent company). We cannot claim that our products are vegan friendly but we are looking into this soon as we get a lot of requests for this."

Unfortunately their website doesn't list the ingredients, but their products that are sold at ULTA do list the ingredients. I will be creating a vegan list based off of ULTA's website.

I also have a new YouTube channel! If you'd like to check it out, please click here.


I also have a running cruelty free list going- click here.

Yeps and Nopes of January 2017

Welcome to my first "yeps and nopes" of the month! This is meant to be a monthly update of the things that I have been loving this month and what items didn't really work for me. Not everything listed was purchased in January- they're just the items that I have been using the most. I am not sponsored or paid in any way to review these products. All the products mentioned are cruelty-free and vegan.

Yeps

1. Carli Bybel BH Cosmetics Palette
This palette has been out for a while, but it is limited edition and from what I've heard, they're starting to clear out. So if you've been eyeballing it, now would be the time to snatch it! I love the colors in this palette and it's perfect for everyday eye looks. It also has four highlighters that can also be used on the eyes as well. I use this for almost every eye look and would highly recommend it!

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Moonchild Palette
So late to this one, but after seeing everyone compare this to the Kat Von D Alchemist Palette, I wanted to try it for myself. It comes with six highlighters that are all beautiful! You can either create a more subtle look or a blinding highlight. This is different than the Kat Von D palette because this isn't a duo-chrome finish. They are extremely pigmented so be careful you don't apply too much! Not like I did that or anything...

3. Urban Decay Quick Fix Hydracharged Complexion Prep Priming Spray
This is one of Urban Decay's newest products and I purchased the smaller size to test it out. First thing I noticed was that it smelled overwhelmingly like coconut. I personally like the scent, but if you're not into coconut, you might not like this. You can use this as a primer, to freshen up during the day, or before applying your skincare products. I love that there are so many uses for it and it is really hydrating. I will definitely be purchasing the larger size once I'm done with this one.

4. Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Tiny Chum and Ultra Matte Lip in Ribbon
I've mainly been using Colourpop items for my lips and these two shades are from the Hello Kitty collaboration. Tiny Chum is described as a "soft mauve" and this is a good everyday color. Ribbon is described as  a "blue red" and it really is the perfect red. The only problem I have with this lipstick is that when I take if off at the end of the day, it does tend to smear everywhere. But the color is so beautiful, that I'm willing to look past that.

5. Colourpop Lippie Stix in Goldie and TGIF
Both of these colors are described as a "brick red", but Goldie is a little more on the orange side to me. Both of these are beautiful colors and I love the way the lippie stix feel when you apply them. They don't stay in place if you're eating with them on, but don't smear too badly either.

6. Colourpop Super Shock Shadows in Thirsty Girl and Get Lucky
Thirsty Girl was part of their Holiday 2016 Collection and is described as a "metallic bronze with gold glitter". This is unfortunately no longer in stock- I actually bought a back up because I love this shade so much. Get Lucky is described as a "metallic gold" and it really is the perfect gold eyeshadow.

7. Wet N Wild ProLine Felt Tip Eyeliner
This is the first eyeliner that I have tried from Wet N Wild and I love it! I'm not really good at applying eyeliner, but this stuff awesome! It's super easy to use and doesn't dry up as you're using it. If you struggle with eyeliner, I would highly recommend this one!

Nopes

1. Colourpop Super Shock Shadows in Steele and Arrow
I quickly want to point out that there is nothing wrong with these shades- they just weren't for me. Both of them were a little too pink for my liking, but are still pretty colors if you like pink shadows.

2. Wet n Wild Photo Focus Setting Spray
I recently placed an order on Wet n Wild's website and out of all the products I received, this is the only one I didn't really like. Mostly this was because the smell was too overpowering and gave me a headache. I originally sprayed this away from my face to smell it first and since I didn't like the smell, I didn't spray it on my face. I can't say whether or not it works for keeping your makeup in place, because I couldn't get over the smell enough to spray it on my face.

3. e.l.f. Smudge Pot Cream Eyeshadows
I have heard so many good things about these, but unfortunately I couldn't make them work for me. The pots are so small that it is kind of hard to really get enough product to apply to your eyelid. I also found that they were hard to blend with other products.

4. e.l.f. Mineral Infused Face Primer
I have tried a few of e.l.f.'s primers before and have really enjoyed them. I decided to try this one since the green is supposed to cancel out redness in the skin. For some reason, this made me breakout every time I used it. Maybe it's not suitable for sensitive skin? If you have really sensitive skin, I would honestly stay clear of this and try one of their other primers.

5. Melt Cosmetics Lipstick in Dark Room
I feel so bad writing about this one because their lipsticks have been so well reviewed by so many people. I don't know if I received a bad one, but this was super dry. It was so dry that I had to press extra hard to even get it on my lips. Which of course made my lips sore. The color was beautiful, but it just isn't worth it to me for my lips to be sore every time I try to wear it.

So that is it for this months "yeps and nopes". I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if there's anything you think I should try out or if you had any similar experiences with these products!