My Current Beauty Routine

If you know me well, you know I have a mean obsession with beauty products. To add to that, I'm also passionate about supporting brands that are cruelty free. So that is the direction my beauty routine has been heading in the past year. It's very VERY sad to find out some of my most beloved brands (MAC, Sephora, Clinique) are no longer cruelty free (AKA tested on animals). This is because many brands want to be able to sell their products in China and Russia, two countries that actually require animal testing on cosmetics. So the companies themselves may say that they do not test on animals, but in reality they allow separate parties to conduct animal testing on their products, in order to be sold globally. Totally sucky!

Luckily, there are great brands out there that are still sticking to their guns. Kudos to: Nivea, Tarte, Stila, and Lush. There are others too (like Chanel, but I don't have the bucks to buy their goods).

So I would just encourage you to really consider the brands of cosmetics/beauty products you buy. I know everyone has their favorites, but in a consumer-driven world where there are so many options, you have the power to make an educated choice. Ok, I'll stop preaching at y'all...

Yes to Cucumber Facial Towelettes - I've been using these for-EV-er. They are tried-and-true, especially for a lazy girl like me. You can get them at your local drug store.

Kneipp shower gel - This is a brand sold in the Netherlands that I like because of the natural ingredients. I'm into the Almond Flower scent right now.

Herbacin hand cream - I'll admit it; I was attracted to the packaging first, but this is really quality hand lotion!

Furze perfume, Lush - My 28th birthday scent! Yep, I bought it a day before my birthday because it's very "me." It smells like summer, I tell you. 

Eau Roma Water, Lush - Lush is my new favorite store for beauty prods because I know with confidence they don't test on animals. Also, there's one in the city center, so it's very convenient. This is a refreshing toner that is rose water based.

Nivea Skin Refining Scrub - The Nivea brand is a staple in Dutch drug stores and surprisingly the company doesn't test on animals! Way to not sell out. So I buy a lot of their products, from this scrub which I keep in the shower, to body lotion. 

Burt's Bees Sensitive Moisturizing Cream - I snagged this when I was in the States in December. It's delicate, great for me because I'm realizing my skin is sensitive!

Santa's lib scrub, Lush - I don't know if it's the cold weather here, or a bad reaction to lipstick I've been wearing, but my lips have been extra chapped. This stuff is fun because it's edible! You just lick it off your lips when you're done scrubbing. The flavor was a holiday exclusive but they have other year-round flavors that are great too.

Aromaco deodorant, Lush - I've officially gone hippy. My mom give me shit for it, of course. Because this stuff smells like patchouli -- and I love it! I don't know if I'll buy it again though. It might be an apply-twice-daily sort of deal, because I do start to get fragrant at points. But I'm very down with anti-perspiring free deodorant.