Abigail's Spanish Holiday

This week I am on holiday in Spain with my mom and thought I would share some of my holiday pictures so far. A lot of it is food, anyone that knows me knows food is one of my favourite things so I apologise in advance!

Abigail's Spanish Getaway

Abigail's Spanish Getaway

Abigail's Spanish Getaway

Abigail's Spanish Getaway

Abigail's Spanish Getaway

Red Lobsters For Red

I have now had my rescue pup Red for a year and a half (time really flies)! I remember that on the way to go and get him we wanted to stop off and pick up all of his supplies, like excited new parents we picked matching bowls and leads and collars... plus a whole bunch of toys and chews to spoil our new dog with and help him settle in at home. So for the last year and a half he has been wearing a simple red collar from Pets At Home and the matching red lead and harness. They are all made out of nylon webbing, which has proven to be extremely durable. The price range for these product is also really affordable ranging between £5 and £16 each. Whilst they are completely usable and strong still, they are starting to look a little worse for wear. There are some silver eyelets coming of the collar and the padding from the collar and the harness have become brittle and completely fallen off.

So I thought I would treat Red to some new fresh threads. Immediately I went to Etsy and (no lie) I spent hours looking for the perfect set. Of course everything he wears has to be Red and I was looking for something a little bit quirky and fun whilst being hardwearing and durable.

I ended up falling in love with this red collar and lead with a white lobster print running along it from the store Shelly Creations.

Everything on her store is hand made with cuteness and comfort in mind for your pup.

I ordered both on the 23rd and they were coming from Boston USA to Falmouth in Cornwall via USPS. They arrived on the 30th!! Very very impressed with how fast Shelly had the items dispatched to me and how fast they arrived at my door. I think I payed roughly £7 for both items to be shipped to me and considering how affordable the items are I was very happy with the overall amount that I paid for them.

The material is lovely. It is cotton that has been supported and strengthened by having a couple of layers of medium weight interfacing sandwiched on the inside before being sewn together. Sturdy box seams have been used to make sure all of the hardware will stay intact.

The D ring (used for attaching the lead) and the clip on the lead feel like very decent quality metal (steal that has been nickel plated I think). The buckle and adjuster on the collar are made of a lightweight black plastic that seem to be quite sturdy (however my pup is a rough player so I'm hoping they won't become brittle over time and start to crack.)

Another thing that I really like about the lead is that it is a really decent length... 5 1/2 ft. Again because of the cotton material and interfacing core it is very light, strong and very comfortable to hold and wrap around your hand/ wrist.

Overall I am so excited about Red's new accessories and I am over the moon with how cute the lobster print is on him. The shopping experience at Shelly Creations has been wonderful, she was very quick to answer any questions I had and got the products dispatched to me very quickly... And to top everything of your pup gets to wear some fancy new threads that have been handmade with a lot of love.

The Next Chapter

So as I'm sure you all realise the last two months have been crazy hectic for both myself and Abigail. We both have been pushing really hard and buckling down in the race to finishing our degrees and we have finally finished! So here is what I have been up to since.

First things first lets start with the fun stuff, we both got to go to our graduation ball! It was such a fun night. We got to get all dressed up and enjoyed a evening at Pendennis Castle in Falmouth. The student union booked three fantastic bands that played live music for us all evening and it was just a really great way to see everyone and have some fun before everyone headed of to enjoy their summer and start the graduate job hunt.

Falmouth Graduation Ball 2015

Falmouth Graduation Ball 2015

University wise I am still waiting to hear what grade I will be graduating with but I hope to find out in the next couple of weeks.

The next stage is working our what to do now I am a graduate. First things first I had to find a job so I can continue paying my rent until myself and boyfriend Jacob can move to a bigger city and start looking for career jobs in our field of animation. Whilst it's not impossible to find creative work in Cornwall the opportunities are limited and to be honest we are looking to have a new adventure somewhere new. Fortunately I have managed to find myself a new job as a hospital cleaner here in Cornwall, I'm starting in August, which will allow me to cover the bills and start saving toward the eventual move that we want to make. The job is well paid and won't take up my whole week meaning I can continue towards developing my portfolio and myself as a creative in my free time with the aim of applying for animation and illustration positions in the future.

So for now we are in Cornwall, working our butts of and saving as much as we can and in the future we would like to be working in a bigger city closer to my home near Basingstoke.

Being a new graduate is hard! There is a lot of adjusting to do as well as the stress of having to be making enough when you finish to cover your expenses and to find the motivation and determination to continue working towards finding work in your studied field. I am already learning that if you become stagnant you will be less likely to succeed. I am challenging myself to draw everyday so that I continue to grow as an artist, involve myself in creative projects and to build myself a better online presence via social media to start to get my name out there as a illustrator and animator.

If your wondering you can find my professional site at pariswashington.com  and I am on Twitter and Instagram @parisanimation. Here you will be able to follow my work more closely and see the little daily challenges I am setting myself.

To all the new graduates out there... Firstly CONGRATULATIONS you deserve it!! And secondly, good luck in the new chapter of your life, maybe one day I will cross paths with some of you other creatives out there. And please if you to are looking to work in the creative industries do drop me a line on my social medias because I would love to connect with you and share work and job hunting experiences!

Sorry!

Hey there!

Sorry for the massive absence from the blog over the past month or so, we have both been super busy finishing our third and final year at University which as you can imagine has been very busy and stressful. As we were so busy the blog had to take a back seat for a little while but we have finally finished everything but we can now get back on track. This week we had our Graduation Ball and saw our last days as students, so we actually have some down time now.

The blog will be back to normal as of next week but I just wanted to let you guys know that we hadn't forgotten about this space and we can't wait to get back into the swing of things.

Much Love!

Luxulyan Hike

Happy Sunday everyone!

University Experiences Q&A

Abigail's University Memories.

1) Where did you apply and where did you choose to study?

Abigail: I applied to study at Anglia Ruskin University, Nottingham Trent University, Leeds Trinity University, Falmouth University and another one I can’t remember! It feels like forever ago I applied for university. I chose Falmouth University to study at.

Paris: I applied at Arts University Bournemouth, Plymouth College of Art, UCA Farnham and of course Falmouth University which is where I chose to study.

2) What subject are you studying?

Film.

Paris: Digital Animation

3)What year are you studying?

Abigail: I have almost finished my third and final year of university.

Paris: Third and final year.

4)Why did you choose that university?

Abigail: Falmouth was actually the first place I looked at to study Film, and when I came to an open day and for my interview it just felt like the right place to be. My mom says she knew right away from the look on my face that that was where I wanted to be.

Paris: A lot of people that I knew from home actually came down to Falmouth to study, it just seemed like the place to be if you wanted to study a creative subject. Unlike Abs, I didn't bother to come for an open day I just turned up up to my interview and then moved down to start the course.

5)What was your moving experience like?

Abigail: My parents brought me down from my hometown in Derbyshire with a car packed to the brim with all my stuff. It was nerve wracking but totally worth the 7 hour drive.

Paris: My boyfriend at the time drove me down and helped me move into halls. I think in total I had 2 maybe 3 boxes of stuff, not much at all. The moving experience for me on a whole was really exciting, I don't really get to home sick and for me there was so much going on you don't really get time to.

Paris' University Memories.

6)Where you ready to leave the nest?

Abigail: Yes and no. I’m extremely close to my family and for that reason I really didn’t want to be far away from them but at the same time I was ready for the freedom that university offered.

Paris: I was so ready to leave. New place, new people, new chapter of my life... I was excited!

7)What was your halls experience like?

Abigail: In a word, amazing. I was definitely extremely lucky to be put in a flat with the people I was. We had an incredible time first year, and most of us still live together now. Paris was one of those people I lived with first year, and even though she’s now moved into her own place we’re still just as close.

Paris: It was fantastic, like Abi said we had such a great bunch of people in our flat which really made all the difference. We also lived with the same group of people in our second year in a house that we found closer to town, again I loved it but there were 8 of us, thats a lot of bodies and eventually I needed a slightly calmer spot and I moved into a smaller place.

8)How did you cope with the stress of the course?

Abigail: By knowing there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There have been mini meltdowns and midnight phone calls to my mom for sure but knowing that it will all be worth it at then end definitely helps. And supportive friends ready with cups of tea and chocolate.

Paris: I felt I held it together pretty well... Until this year that is. This year I have been a mess and did not cope with it as well as I previously had. I would say that for me surrounding myself with supportive people really helped and secondly I took advantage of the on campus support team that offered me a huge amount of help including how to best manage my stress levels.

9)How do you feel about your choice of course now that you have almost finished it, was it the right one for you ?

Abigail: The course I chose was definitely the right one for me, I’ve loved every minute of it. It has helped me figure out what I don’t want to do as well as what I do, and definitely helped my confidence to stand up for what I want.

Paris: My outlook on this changes everyday. I have had some really fantastic times on the course however I have also for the first time ever really had my confidence knocked back to zero... I'm still trying to build myself back up from this.

10)Do you feel ready for the real world?

Abigail: Definitely not! As much as I’m ready for university to be over I am nowhere near ready for the responsibilities that comes with. Leaving means I have to get a job and find somewhere to live and figure out how to do things like taxes. Taxes! Does anyone know how to do those?!

Paris: Nope, nope and defiantly nope. I am so terrified, I just keep telling myself as long as you are moving forward you are doing fine.

11)What do you want to do when you leave?

Abigail: I am hoping to go into media journalism and academic writing. Doing the course I did helped me to decide I definitely didn’t want to do practical filmmaking, it’s way too stressful for me. But for now, I am going home to Derbyshire to work for a while and then hopefully going travelling for six months.

Paris: The only plans myself and Jacob (boyfriend) have made so far is to try and relocate to Bristol around september time. We have friends closer and my family would be closer as well as there being more work opportunities.

12) where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

Abigail: In a dream world, New York City doing my Masters degree or more simply with a job I love in a place I love. Fingers crossed!

Paris: Hopefully working a job that I enjoy going to every day, whatever that may be. There is a lot of things that I still have to figure out but I am trying not to put to much pressure on myself to know what I want right away.

Barely There Make-Up Tutorial

For those days where you don't have a lot of time in the morning or when you really just don't want a lot of makeup on, this look is easy and quick with the aim to enhance not cover!




Hope you enjoyed, if you have any questions about the products used feel free to leave them in the comments below :)

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Dog Hiking Essentials

As some readers may know, I love hiking with my pooch. It's such great exercise for me and for him too.

Here are the essentials I pack for pooch to make sure he stays happy on our hike.

A comfortable rucksack is always a great idea so you can carry easily all of your things and all of dogs things. This one I have had for over a year now and is holding up really well, it's from Accessorize Monsoon.

The next thing I always pack is water. This water bottle has a tray that is attached that allows your dog to drink from it, it was super inexpensive and you can pick them up from Pets at Home fore around £3.

Poo bags, not very glamourise but owning a dog means being responsible and picking up the poop. I like to use these nappy sacks from Tesco as they are cheaper than bags that are branded as poop bag and they are biodegradable.

Treats!! For those times you might be able to let Fido have some of lead time and you want to work on his recall.

The next thing I like to take is a flex lead. Sometimes you can't let your dog of lead, but you still want to give him some free rein to sniff and trot a little bit ahead. This is when it is great to have a flex lead as an option, it allows a little more roaming range with out any loss of control.

Lastly for the colder winter hikes, a good quality hardy jacket. This one I picked up from Pets at Home. It is fully water proof, fleece lined for warmth and it has a really nice chest panel which keeps the wet of Fido's tummy.

What are some of your dog walking must haves, leave us a comment below!

DIY Home Facial

There is nothing I enjoy more than getting home from a long day, having a hot soak in the bath and treating myself to a facial. Heres how I pamper my pores.

First things first, we are going to make our own exfoliator and mask.

For the exfoliated you will need:
2 TBS Sugar,
2 TBS Oil,
1 TBS Honey,

And all you have to do is mix it all up and you can store this in an air tight container.

Sugar Honey Face Scrub

After that you can whip up a small batch of Honey Oat Mask:

3 TBS Oats,

Cover with hot water,

Add 1 TSP Honey,

Let this mixture sit and cool whilst we do the rest of our facial.

Honey Oat Mask

1) Wet face with warm water.
2) Use your favourite cleanser to remove makeup and dirt.
3) Next apply a small amount of the Sugar Scrub to your still damp face. Use light, small circular motions. Wash this of with warm water.
4) Now you want to steam your face, to do this, run your cloth in hot water, squeeze out excess and then press to face. Repeat this 3-4 times.
5) Apply oat mixture all over face and leave to sit for around 10 minutes.
6) Wash of with warm water then pat dry with a clean towel.
7) Apply your favourite moisturiser and enjoy your refreshed feeling face!

Small Beauty Haul

I've been really enjoying trying out and discovering new beauty products since I made the move to going cruelty free.

I think I have previously mentioned that of course, LUSH has been a new staple of mine. They are so accessible since they are a common high street shop and they are for me a really inspiring trustworthy brand. You know exactly what your getting, what the ingredients are and that they 100% ARE NOT tested on animals. You may have seen me using some of their makeup products in this video that I did recently and since then I am still in love with the products.

I have also been trying out some hair care products.

LUSH Cosmetics, Curly Wurly Shampoo, Copperhead Shampoo Bar, American Cream Conditioner, R&B Hair Moisturiser. 

I went for a range of things, including a shampoo, conditioner, shampoo bar and a moisturiser. I have been loving all of these products. All of them smell amazing and the scent just lasts all day long.

My favourites out of this selection so far have been, Curly Wurly shampoo. I have never used a shampoo that is so moisturising, it cleans but doesn't strip my hair at all due to the beautiful mix of oils they use in this one.

My second favourite is actually the shampoo bar that I got because of the smell of it. Its called Copperhead and its main ingredients are red henna and coffee which is what gives it the amazing smell. Compared to Curly Wurly it was more drying but thats easily remedied by using the R&B Moisturiser as a leave in.

Tatre Lip Surgence in Pristine, Illusion, Everlasting. Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse.

The last set of things I want to share with you, were given to me as a birthday gift. I had known about Tarte Cosmetics for a while and had wanted to try some of the line for the longest time, what I didn't realise is that they are a cruelty free brand who strive to use natural ingredients in the products! Happy days.

What I have really been liking about the small lip crayons is the fact they are so easy to throw in your bag to take with you, so simple to apply and are super moisturising. Not to mention the lovely colours they come in. The eyebrow mousse is also a brilliant, brilliant product. It took some time to get used to the application because it is a lot harder a consistency than the sleek brow kit product is, which I have been using for the longest time now, however I love the colour, it's easier to get a more natural filled in brow and it does not move! I think on the packaging it claims to be waterproof.

So many lovely new products to add to my cruelty free beauty kit and honestly there is not a single product from this mini haul that I am not obsessed with!

Keep your eyes peeled every Sunday for a new post and don't forget to look in the side bar for links to follow us on all our social media!

Podcasts I've Been Listening To

Now I am a BIG Youtube watcher, nearly everything and anything I will happily sit and watch to pass my evenings. For me Youtube has almost replaced TV for me. But sometimes, you just need something else. It's not always practical to be trying to watch something on your phone, say if I am trying to pass time waiting to get a bus to my Uni campus... my data allowance would get swallowed! So I have just recently discovered a love for Podcasts! I can download them to my phone, so my data allowance is saved and with a set of headphones I can take them anywhere. On a dog walk or hike, on the bus, when I am cooking or cleaning the house, I just can't get enough right now.

Like I mentioned the big wide world of Podcasts is a relatively new thing to me and the obsession has really amped up in the last couple of weeks or so where I have been listening to them non stop, so I am still trying stuff out and exploring new casts and finding what I like and don't like... but here are some of the Podcasts that I have been listening to this week.

1. Welcome to Our Podcast


As of right this moment, this is by far my favourite Podcast! It's hosted by one of my favourite Youtube entertainers Mike Falzone and his funny and endearing girlfriend and cohost Zoja Thaqi. They are a dream together and make for a seriously entertaining and easy to listen to cast about life and all of the amusing things that happen to them and that they observe about the world on a day to day basis.

I have been working through their archives of past Podcasts and so far this one has been one of my favourites. You can also find Mr Falzone on Youtube, just follow the link to go check him out.

2. Shane and Friends


Since it was Youtube that really got me into listening to Podcasts, you may see a theme develop here. The next Podcast I have really been enjoying is that hosted by Shane Dawson. He cohost's with Jessie Buttafouco and every cast a new personality from all kinds of walks of life. They are wickedly funny and have a sense of humour and fun that just cracks me up. Again you can find Shane's Vlogging channel (my personal favourite out of his channels) here.

3. Adventures in Roommating


Adventures in Roommating is a Podcast by a friend duo called Meghan and Keith. Meghan is a musician and Keith a filmmaker. On a weekly basis they talk about all the shenanigans they have been getting up to in the city of LA and how they have been navigating the world of 'life, love and film'. Again you can find Meghan here on Youtube.

4. MEAL Uncensored

MEAL Uncensored are fresh into the Podcast game, having only two casts available so far, but never fear if you like what you here then I believe that they are planning on uploading on a weekly basis! For their most recent Podcast head over to iTunes and find them their for all the most up to date casts.

Whilst Allie Wes is involved with Youtube due to her boyfriend being a very successful daily vlogger, she herself does not have her own channel, however both Melissa Trippy and her partner Phil are both on Youtube doing daily vlogs so make sure to go check them out over there to!

And thats what I have been listening to this week. I hope you get a moment and go and check them all out for yourselves and that you might, possibly find something that you like.

I would love to hear some of your favourite Podcasts or if you have any suggestions for things I should be treating my ears with please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Winter Look Book

Abigail wears...

Left: Blue Quilted Jacket - Matalan. Mustard Jumper - Falmer. Brown Corduroy Trousers - Matalan. Beige Boots - Mustang.

Middle: Quilted Jacket as above. Grren Collared Dress - TU for Sainsbury's. Cream Tights - Primark. Boots as above. 

Right: Quilted Jacket as above. Grey Jumper - Zara. Washing Line Tights - Thigh's the Limit/ASOS.

Paris wears...

Left: Pleather Jacket- New Look, Maxi Dress- Top Shop, Burgundy Converse.

Middle: Pleather Jacket- New Look, White Long Sleeve Tee- H&M, Neppy Joggers- Top Shop, Black and White New Balance 410's.

Right: Two Tone Sweatshirt- Zara, Super Skinny Jeans- Miss Selfridges, Burgundy Converse.

Snowy Days in Derbyshire

Hi lovelies!

Just a quick mid-week photo post ahead of a rather big and exciting post this Sunday.

I travelled home to Derbyshire to see family last week and woke up on Wednesday morning to this view:

Living on the Southern coast for the last few years means that every time it snows I try to make the most of it, so me and my mom had a ride out into the country to Chatsworth House. Although there wasn't actually much snow on the grounds around the house, the views were still pretty spectacular.

I love driving out into the country when I'm at home, and as much as I love living by the sea, the rolling hills of the Peak District always make me feel at home. We stopped off at the farm shop in Chatsworth to have a look at the views and came across a group of sheep and these spectacular view at the back of the café.

Even driving down all the little country lanes was pretty as all the trees looked so wintery and lovely. Although not being able to see very far ahead because of the fog was a little scary!

And, of course I had to get a selfie in the (sort of) snow!

What are your favourite things to do when it snows?

Fido's Kitchen: Paco's Peanut Butter Cups

As you all know, I love my four legged friend and love even more to spoil him with homemade yummy treats.

Today I have been trying out a new recipe from a very special cooking book...

Home Cooking for Your Dog

Thats right a whole cooking book dedicated to dog friendly dinners and treats. I received this as a gift for Christmas and I am already using the dinner recipes to feed my dog with. The idea of the book is that by cooking your dogs meals, you can control what is in it and adjust the nutrition to suit your animals needs. This is something I know from experience can have a huge effect on your dogs health and wellbeing. 

At the start of the book, there is clear and well explained information about why you might want to consider a more holistic approach to your dogs care as well as heaps of helpful charts about nutrition, good foods and foods that dogs should not be eating. 

The author of the book, Christine M Filardi not only had professional credentials but more than ten years of experience in feeding her own animals raw and cooked diets. The thing that I really enjoy about this book is the mix of everyday recipes and the special occasion ones that are a bit more out there and one of in the back of the book.

I thoroughly recommend checking this book out, even if you are just thinking of swapping your dogs diet, this book has plenty of information to allow you to make an informed decision.

Here's a quick little recipe from the treat section of the book... Paco's Peanut Butter Cups....

Paco's Peanut Butter Cups- Home Cooking for your Dog

For this recipe you will need:

2 cups porridge oats,

2 eggs,

1 cup shredded mozzarella,

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup hot water.

1) First step is to preheat your oven to 170C. 

2) Measure out all of your ingredients into a mixing bowl and then thoroughly combine... It's really as easy as that!

Paco's Peanut Butter Cups- Homemade Cooking for your Dog

3)When you have finished mixing everything together you should have a dough that is similar to cookie dough consistency.

4) Line a baking tray and lightly grease to prevent the treats from sticking. As you can see from the image bellow I used a layer of tinfoil dusted with flour. You could also use some baking paper or grease the pan directly.

 5) Collect a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and let it fall off onto the tray. You will then want to bake these for around 18 minutes or until they harden ever so slightly.

Let them cool completely before storing them. It is recommended to keep them in the fridge for up to three days, or in the freezer they will last 3 months.

Space Leggings OOTD

I don't think I have ever done a style related post on the blog, as lets face it, I spend most of my time in my comfy snuggle clothes or if I am getting dressed, I usually just throw on whatever is closest to me so I can get the pup out and walked.


I love easy comfy clothing! And this is an outfit that I have been going back to so much recently I had to share it with you. For me it's practical because you can layer lots under the jumper to keep you nice and warm on these cold winter days and because I feel that the space leggings amp it up enough for me to look like I have made the effort when really I am just going to be spending all my day running errands.

I kept my top and trainers more neutral so that the outfit isn't to out there for day to day wear.

I am wearing:

Sweatshirt- Zara

Leggings- Etsy- Green Galaxy Leggings

Trainers- New Balance 410

For a fun little touch I used similar colours in my eye makeup to the leggings. I have used my new LUSH liquid liner in motivation layered over the cream eyeshadow in intuitive.

Don't forget you can now follow us on Bloglovin', just find the button in the sidebar to the right!

Sleek Makeup Brow Kit Tutorial

So I am back today with a really quick tutorial on the Sleek Makeup Brow Kit and how I use it to do my brows.

I am obsessed with the brow kit and have been using it for a long while now. With this product you can get anything from just a nice touch of colour to help to define your brow, to a really perfected drawn in brow.

For my personal taste, I like a defined brow but I do like to accentuate the hair that I do have there, so I feel it lies somewhere between the two.

For this tutorial I have used the brow kit in the shade dark and then to finish my brows at the end I use my Eyes Right mascara from LUSH as a substitute for a brow gel that you would run through your brows, a bit like the Gimme Brow by Benefit. Using the mascara is great because it is one less product I have to keep in my makeup bag as it doubles up for two. I have very dark hair naturally so I feel I can get away with a black mascara. The downside to doing this though is that mascara comes in a lot less shades then the products designed to do this with. So if you have anything from a medium brown to very fair eyebrows this probably wouldn't work for you.

As always I really hope that you enjoyed this little tutorial and that it maybe helped a little bit. If you have any questions please feel free to leave us a comment.

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Making The Move To Cruelty Free For The New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Typically I don't do a lot to see in the New Year and it is even less often that I set myself New Years resolutions. This year however I have set myself a few resolutions.

1) PASS MY DRIVING TEST. By the end of the year I would love to have my full driving license. I start taking practical lessons when I was in college as I was working two jobs and had a fair amount of disposable income. It did not go well to say the least. Driving just didn't click for me and I ended up spending a lot and never got round to taking my test. But I finish university in the summer of this year, and hopefully myself and/ or Jacob will be able to find some work, this will probably mean moving out of Cornwall and/ or having to commute. It would just be so much easier for both of us if I am not so reliant on Jacob for transport.

2) SAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GO ON HOLIDAY NEXT CHRISTMAS. The driving one plays into this again. Myself and Jacob have been wanting to go away together for as long as we have known each other. Going away now is harder as we do not want to have to rely on anyone to look after Red or put him in a kennel (I'm not sure he would adjust well), but if we are both able to drive then we can drive and take ferry's to loss of different places in Europe and the benefit of this is we can travel WITH RED! 

3) TO ONLY USE CRUELTY FREE MAKEUP AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS. So by this I mean anything that I will be putting on my hair, skin and nails. I have already started my cruelty free journey and have been researching and trying products... And thats what I am going to share with you today.

There are a lot of things to consider when making the choice to go cruelty free. A lot of cruelty free bloggers use a similar set of questions when directly contacting companies to determine whether they are truly cruelty free. They are as follows:

1) Do you test on animals?

2) Do you use third party companies to test on animals?

3) Do you have any parent or sister companies that test on animals?

4) Have any of your ingredient, or any of your finished products been tested on animals?

5) Do you distribute in China?

BODY SHOP

When I first started transitioning my products I hadn't done a whole lot of research. I ended up purchasing a few product to try from the Body Shop under the impression they are a cruelty free company. Some time after I bought the products I found out some really disappointing news. Whilst the Body Shop does not test ingredients or finished products on animals, they were bought out in 2006 by L'oreal, who DO test on animals. This does make me uncomfortable because a percentage of my money still would have gone to a company who does test on animals. I therefore will not be purchasing any Body Shop products from now on and when the products I do own get used up, I will be looking for different products to replace them

LUSH

For myself right now I am really enjoying exploring LUSH products with the piece of mind that they are a truly cruelty free company who are an active figure in fighting against animal testing. I strongly urge you to follow this link and read up on their amazing policy on animal testing Lush animal testing policy

SLEEK MAKEUP 

I have been using and loving Sleek Makeup for a long time, and I can carry on enjoying them as they are a cruelty free brand! They have some amazing products that a really affordable so they are winning in all areas for me at the moment. Here is a link to a great blogger who first hand contacted them to get them to confirm there cruelty free status: Sleek Makeup animal testing policy.

Some other brands I am currently researching and hope to try out in the future include:

Barry M

Superdrug own brand

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

Sugar Pill

Lime Crime

Elf

Ben Nye

Pixi

There are so many great resources and bloggers out there that are dedicating their time to listing and researching cruelty free brands and products. It's really as simple as googling cruelty free blogs, doing your own research and looking for multiple sources and doing first hand research by contacting companies yourself with questions and concerns. As my journey continues and I learn more about different brands and products, I will be sharing all of my finding with you!

Since this has been a pretty lengthy post today I thought it would be fun to do a little makeup tutorial using some of the new cruelty free products I am trying. This isn't a completely cruelty free makeup look as I am still transitioning a lot of my collection, however I will clearly label what is cruelty free and what is not cruelty free!

For this look I used:

LUSH Colour Supplement in Dark Pink

LUSH Colour Supplement in Dark Pink. CRUELTY FREE.

Sleek Makeup Contour Kit

SLEEK MAKEUP Bronzer from the Contour Kit in Medium. CRUELTY FREE.

Sleek Makeup Highlighter Palette

SLEEK MAKEUP Highlighter Palette in Precious Metals. CRUELTY FREE.

Sleek Makeup I-Devine Storm Palette

SLEEK MAKEUP I-Devine Storm Palette, I used the colour Firestorm. CRUELTY FREE.

Lush Eyes Right, Motivation, Happiness and Intuitive. The Body Shop Liquid Liner.

LUSH Eyes Right, Motivation, Happiness and Intuitive. CRUELTY FREE.

THE BODY SHOP Liquid Eyeliner. HAS A PARENT COMPANY WHO IS NOT CRUELTY FREE.

Sleek Makeup Brow Kit in Dark.

SLEEK MAKEUP Brow Kit in Dark. CRUELTY FREE.

Maybelline Hollywood Red Lipstick.

MAYBELLINE 540 Hollywood Red Lipstick. NOT CRUELTY FREE.

The Body Shop All In One Face Base.

THE BODY SHOP All In One Face Base 06. HAS A PARENT COMPANY WHO IS NOT CRUELTY FREE.

And here is how I put these products together:

I really enjoyed wearing this makeup look, and those Lush eye products are amazing, they just do not budge all day and the colours are just beautiful.

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