3 Companies Booted Off Cruelty-Free List

3 Companies Booted Off Cruelty-Free List: After two decades of touting their "no animal testing" policies, Avon, Estée Lauder, and Mary Kay have quietly resumed paying for cruel tests on animals—without letting consumers know about this stunning about-face.

As a make up artist and bunny lover, I cannot condone the act of testing of cosmetic products on animals. Why does an animal have to suffer for us to enhance our beauty? There are many cosmetic companies that don't test on animals.
Among those that are some of my favorites:
100% Pure (skincare, body products)
AHAVA (skincare)
Anastasia Brows (specializing on brow products)
Ardell (great cheap false lashes!)
Bare Escentuals (mineral make up - my fave is the mineral veil)
Bath & Body Works (great smelling hand soaps!)
Boscia (skincare - the blotting papers are the best!)
C.O. Bigelow (skincare, make up - Rose salve is amazing so is their moisturizer!)
Caudelie (skincare, body - their body scrub is divine!)
Crabtree and Evelyn (body - have been using their body products since I was tween!)
Dermalogica (skincare - my facialist uses and swears by their products and I've used them too as a result, the only downside is the smell)
Dr. Hauschka (cult skincare line coveted by many top models and celebs!)
FACE Atelier (make up - great pro product)
Henri Bendel (LOVE their candles!)
JAM Cosmetics (make up for dance/theatre - I used to freelance for this company when the owner was starting this line - pretty good product)
Juice Beauty (skincare - their cleanser smells like apples!)
Jurlique (skincare - their hydrating sprays are refreshing)
L'Occitane (skincare, body - love the smells of their products)
LaRocca skincare (I did a post about their products on this blog - Love the gold infused products, makes your skin GLOW)
Murad (skincare - good solid skincare that works and doesn't smell bad)
MyChelle (skincare - sunscreen isn't irritating and doesn't cast a whitish ring on the face)
Obssessive Compulsive Cosmetics (make up - this is a pro make up line and has an amazing line of highly pigmented products, their tinted moisturizer is the BEST, it feels like silk)
OPI (nails - they have a great selection of nail polish from neutral to whats the "it" color for the season)
Origins (though owned by Estee Lauder - does not test on animals http://www.origins.com/customer_service/aboutus.tmpl#/Products)
Smashbox (though owned by Estee Lauder - does not test on animals http://www.smashbox.com/customer_service/faq#animal_testing)
Stila Cosmetics (make up - I am a big fan of their products and have mentioned them in this blog many times)
Suki (skincare - organic line of skincare that smells great! The shelf life is less than non-organic lines though)
Tarte (make up - they have a great line of cheek stains and the mascaras are pretty decent too)
The Body Shop (skincare, body, make up - I've been using Body Shop products since my tweens and still love them to this day)
Trader Joe's Company (TJ's makes body & skincare products too - cheaply priced and smells good)
Urban Decay (make up - great versatile line and lots of colors for eyeshadows to experiment looks with - they make great palettes around the holidays!)
Yes to Carrots (skincare, body - my boyfriend uses their products and it is a good line for an affordable price)

For the complete list please visit PETA

Favorite lip balms

I love lip balms - always have since I was about 8 years old! I'm always trying out new ones. I'm not one of those women that constantly applies lip balm (but I love the tinted lip balms the best because it gives a hint of color, moisture, and sometimes a hint of gloss). I always choose lip balm over gloss b/c I don't really like the sticky feeling that some glosses have. Since Valentine's Day is coming up, get those lip soft enough for endless lovey-dovey kisses.

1) Fresh Sugar lip balm
I've talked about this one on this blog several times already. I love how soft and smooth this lip balm feels. The best part about this balm is that its not sticky, you don't have to stick your finger in it either. There isn't a gloss factor in the balm so men can also use this balm too.


2) EOS in Sweet Mint
LOVE this balm for the packaging, the texture, affordability, and convenience (get it at the drugstore!). The texture is smooth and great for those harsh cold winds! The packaging is super cute. I like the Sweet Mint flavor because the minty effect is nice and tingly yet not overpowering.















3) C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve
I have this in my professional kit and I apply this balm on my clients as part of the skincare routine right after moisturizing the face. This soft multi-purpose salve has a beautiful scent to it, a hint of gloss, and makes the lips super soft. If you have dried elbows, knees, fingers, this salve can help with the dry patches too! Cheaper than the Rosebud salve that everyone loves but works just the same (in my opinion better!) than the Rosebud salve. If you've tried the Rosebud Salve and don't like how glossy that balm is. Try this one. It isn't as glossy but still has a bit of gloss to it.