Going Cruelty Free

Going cruelty-free, no matter how long you have been using makeup is doing the right thing. Animals do not need to suffer for us to feel or look beautiful and, the more access we have to information, the more people have made the change. There are no hard and fast rules about how you go cruelty-free, though. 

Bunny 

The bunny isn’t the be-all and end-all. Sadly many companies will add bunnies to their packaging, but they are the legitimate one. So pay attention to the packaging when you are making a purchase. This goes double if you like to buy new brands and dupes online. 

The real cruelty-free bunny, the leaping bunny, means they have been tested and approved by a regulating body - which has standards to be met. 

Photo by JealousWeekends on Unsplash

China

This can be tricky. Terminology matters. If you tweet a company and ask if their products are made in China, and they say ‘no,’ that doesn’t mean anything other than their warehouse is elsewhere. If you ask, the more specific ‘do you sell your products in China, do you sell X product there?’ If the answer is yes they sell there it is not going to be cruelty-free. Brands have to opt-out of selling in China to be genuinely cruelty-free. Chinese laws mean that makeup brands who sell there are required by law to test products on animals in order to trade in mainland China. 

E.U.

This doesn’t mean that you are safe just by shopping E.U. brands. There is a ban on the marketing and sales of makeup that has been tested on animals in the E.U. However, many makeup brands are international - meaning this doesn’t apply to them at all. So they are free to test on animals elsewhere and then sell anywhere they like. You can tweet the brands for more information, or do some research online to find what you need. 

Ingredients

Semantics again, but they will still make a difference if you are asking a brand directly. If you ask them, are their ‘products cruelty-free?’ They can pretty much say yes. There is no real, in stone, definitions of cruelty-free. But if you ask ‘are your ingredients tested on animals?’ that is a yes or no reply. 

Replacing

When you start making the switch, don’t rush to do it all at once. Swap out product by product to give yourself time to adjust to using new shades and formulas. When you see that you are coming to the end of say, foundation, start looking for samples from cruelty-free brands. So that when the time comes you won’t waste money buying shades that don’t match. It is essential that when you are switching to cruelty-free, that you remember that some of your current brushes are animal hair. It is probably just time to invest in a gorgeous synthetic eye brush set instead. 

Have fun! There is nothing as exciting as finding new brands to test out when you are a makeup lover, especially when it involves saving animals. 

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Maxi Dresses for Winter?

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As winter approaches, it gives those interested in fashion the perfect opportunity to update their wardrobe with all of the latest trends. There are some people that seem to think that they have to compromise their style credentials over the winter period as a sacrifice in order to stay warm. However, that is simply not the case. There are some great garments out there that are super fashionable and catered for the cold months. In fact, the art of layering is one of the most trendsetting and important ingredients for any top fashionista. 

One of the best trends to follow this winter is a maxi dress. A lot of people seem to think that maxi dresses are a fashion garment that is only suitable for the summer. Whilst it is true that they make the perfect addition to any holiday suitcase, which is not the only use they are great for. There are some fantastic maxi dresses that are suitable for the winter period as well. And to be honest, they are probably more chic and fashionable.

If you look in clothing stores around the US or on the Internet you will see that there are lots of different maxi dresses available to choose from. You can even get maxi dresses from sustainable clothing brands. This is great because it means that there is bound to be something to suit everyone; no matter their style or taste. However, it can also make it a lot more difficult for those who are at a loss regarding what style maxi dress to buy. Nevertheless; don’t worry, as that is where this article comes in!

For those who are just testing the water with a maxi dress it is probably best to go for a plain one in a simple color, such as black. This gives you a great platform to dress up the maxi dress as much as you like. Moreover it will be a versatile piece which means it can be used again and again to create different looks and styles, yet people won’t even realize that you are wearing the same dress! 

If you want to go for something different then you should try a maxi dress with some sheer elements. Sheer fabrics are extremely fashionable at the moment and they are great for emulating a quirky style or putting together an outfit for a formal look. Alternatively, you could opt for a lace maxi dress. You don’t need to go for overall lace, there could merely be some lace detailing on the neck or other parts of the dress. And finally, if you are feeling bold and brave and want to look super fabulous then you should opt for a printed maxi dress. It’s up to you what print you go for; just remember to stay true to your style.

All in all, if you consider the points mentioned in this article then you should no trouble finding fantastic maxi dresses. All you need to do now is get searching for a show stopping dress.

The Kookiest Trends in Fashion

The world of fashion is built upon trends. The largest fashion houses dictate the trends that will appear on the high street two seasons in advance. What you see on the catwalk in the Fall of this year will appear on the high street in 2020. Of course, they won’t appear in the same concept fashion style as on the catwalk, with the foil collars, the all in one fluorescent boiler suits and skirts for men. Catwalk shows are all about pushing the boundaries, yet the high street retailers will take their cues from the larger designers. Take a look at the kookiest fashion trends in history.


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Low Pants

In the 90s, someone thought it wise to wear their Levis two sizes too big so that their legs appeared clown pant like and their waist allowed their pants to sag even with a belt. There was some sort of kudos in allowing designer boxer shorts to shine through from your behind. This odd fashion trend began in American prisons apparently, as convicts were not allowed to wear belts because of the risk of suicide. However, this could be nothing more than an urban legend. However, this trend has been embraced by the American rap and hip hop scene, with music videos showing many artistes with their hordes of girls surrounding them as they rap in their lowest rise pants with their Calvin Kleins poking through.

Body Piercings

When you think about body piercings in a practical sense, the idea of putting holes in your skin, ears, and other less visible parts of you can seem abhorrent. Yet, body art has become massively popular, especially since the dawn of the twenty first century. What was once seen as standard to have your ears pierced to show off a stunning pair of earrings on a night out, has turned into a way of life for some people. Many people are now choosing to use their bodies as works of art, and they see body piercing as the number one way of doing this. It's not super expensive either. You can pick up cheap nose rings online that look achingly cool, from a rainbow steel hoop to a titanium nose screw. While these piercings sound painful, once they are healed, they can look stunningly beautiful.

Celebrities have chosen to pierce their bodies and relish being part of the body art scene. Millennials are often adorning magazines with nose studs, eyebrow hoops and tongue piercings. For many, this isn’t just a fashion statement, but also a lifestyle and a way to show off their personality.


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The Cone Bra

Who can forget Madonna wearing a cone bra in the 1980s. For Madonna, she had to exude her sexuality and what better way to do this than by wearing her bra over her clothes? What was then seen as risque is now seen as hugely kooky. However, Madonna wasn't the trendsetter when it came to cone shaped bras. These were first introduced into the fashion world in the 1940s, although the ladies that wore them over seventy years ago wore them underneath their clothes. This gave them a pert, sweater girl look; wholesome and natural but exuding a femininity without showing off too much of their modesty. The cone shaped look was hugely fashionable for two decades, but the more natural look became more popular in the 1960s, so the cone bra was put to the back of the wardrobe until Madonna decided to reinvent it.

Shell Suits

The shell suit was once deemed the height of casual fashion. We look back on this 1980s monstrosity now, and know that this is one fashion trend that will never see the light of day again. The shell suit was an oversized tracksuit that had a shimmery external layer that was highly flammable. The shell suits weren’t safe and were dangerous for kids to wear, and yet they were all the rage. Kids TV presenters would wear them, people down the gym would show off their collection of shell suit jackets when working out on the treadmill, and paired with some cool trainers, people were pulling off the ultimate 1980s sports casual attire.

This was a fashion trend that was a real flash in the pan. When people remember their foray into the world of shell suits, it’s a time that they would prefer to forget. They have been banished to the fashion faux pas history books forever.

Fashion trends come and go, with many coming back around and some staying firmly in the past. Kooky can be cool but it can also be cringeworthy. Who knows what kooky fashion trends lie in wait for the 2020 fashion season.





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