My Journey to a Cruelty-free Makeup Bag

I’m in the process of going cruelty-free with my beauty products – starting with one of the main culprits – my make-up bag.

Unlike deodorant or soap, make-up is more superficial than hygiene – I use it because I like how it looks and how it makes me feel when I wear it. It helps to hide pimples and evidence that I’ve had absolutely NO sleep. It gives me a confidence boost. It’s also one of the easiest areas to go cruelty-free with.

I was having a peep at Bloglovin’ when I saw my friend Hannah’s post about ‘Project Pan’. I already intended to to use up my animal tested products before purchasing cruelty free replacements. This seemed wrong somehow, however Hannah made a point in favour of using up your non CF make-up – the money has already gone to the company, so using the product won’t make any difference, in fact it’s more cruel to chuck it out if an animal really has suffered to put it on the shelf.

 A note – The leaping bunny logo is the mark of certified cruelty free cosmetics. Basically – If they don’t got the bunny, they don’t get the money. Jokes aside, not every brand has the bunny but you can check PETAS list to find out whether or not a company is cruelty-free. Otherwise, try checking out an up-to-date cruelty-free Beauty Blog!

So, here’s the products I want to use up ASAP. If you have any cruelty-free make-up recommendations let me know in the comments!

No7 Airbrush Away and 17 Photo Flawless Primers
One of the newest culprits, this No7 Primer has a great consistency and scent! It’s a white, creamy, heavy duty primer which leaves my skin feeling soft and gives extra staying power to my make-up. I’m impressed with how lightweight and nice it feels on the skin. The 17 Primer I’ve had for years and never really noticed much difference when I use it. I already bought W7 Prime Magic primer as a cruelty-free replacement and for just £3 it’s an absolute steal so watch this space for a review!

W7 Prime Magic Primer

Rimmel ‘Wake Me Up’, Miss Sporty ‘Morning, baby!’ & Clinique Blush
This Clinique blush in the shade ‘pink love’ is a hand me down which didn’t work for a friend. It glides on very smooth for a powder and lasts all day. But the colours’ way too bright for my skin tone, as are the sparkles (it’s super sparkly in person). Rimmel’s Wake Me Up also is also sparkly, but in a much more subtle way. It’s a lovely dusty rose shade, and it’s served me well. Good ol’ Miss Sporty’s equivalent ‘Morning, Baby!’ is a more vibrant pink that’s great for perking up dull skin and leaving a pink glow, however it’s difficult to work with. Bye, bye blushes!

Rimmel Eyeshadow Quad & Eyeliner
Right back at ya with more Rimmel. I’ve had this turquoise quad and liner for a while. They go on nice and pigmented but fade within a matter of hours. I’ve stuck with Rimmel for years for what I thought was ‘affordable quality’ but I’ve grown out of them. And since that ‘quality’ comes with harming animals, no thanks Rimmel.

Chilli Pepper London Eyshadow Kit
While the colours in this palette are very pretty and pigmented, they were made in China which means that unfortunately the  product will have been tested on animals. That’s a lot of eyeshadow to use up by October! I may just throw it out or give it away yet.

Maybelline Great Lash & Rimmel Day 2 Night Mascara
Great Lashes waterproof formula used to be a favourite in the beauty community, but no more. Personally I found it horribly clumpy and whilst it thickened my lashes it didn’t do much to lengthen them. I also found the wand and formula unpleasant to work with. Rimmel’s Day 2 Night however, is a long time fave of mine The little ‘daytime’ wand is great for evenly covering every lash, I love using it on my lower lashes to open up my eyes! The big brush adds that vamp and volume. Despite it’s merits, I’ve already replaced it with the vegan mascara Tarte’s ‘Lights, Camera, Lashes!’ and I couldn’t be happier, it’s the perfect replacement!

Other Bits
I have a load of other bits too, most of which have almost hit pan, including Rimmels’ True Matter Powder. I’ll be sad to see this one go, it’s super mattifying and great for setting, perfecting and baking but once it hits pan I’m no longer going to support Rimmel or buy their products. I’m sure I’ll find a cruelty free powder that I’ll love just as much!

Phew. I own a lot more products that aren’t cruelty-free than I thought! I very rarely buy makeup, and a lot of these were hand me downs which didn’t work for family and friends. I’m hoping to have used most of these up by October at the latest, and some I might just throw out anyway – as you can see I’ve had some of them for ages! I’m one of those people who doesn’t believe in make-up use-by dates. I mean, maybe if it’s a liquid or cream??I’d make the worst beauty guru!

I see Project Pan as a positive thing, because not only does it mean an animal didn’t suffer for nothing, it also gives you time to look for new, cruelty-free alternatives you’ll love. And hopefully, it marks the start of your journey to a cruelty-free make-up bag, because animals shouldn’t suffer so that we can put on our warpaint.

If you want to give #projectpan a try, post the products that you’re going to use up on Instagram as a goodbye and say hello to helping create less suffering in the make-up industry! (You can find mine at instagram.com/amyquitecontrary )

– Amy x

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