Rebuilding my make-up kit for animal love

I have recently signed up for the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet programme because I figured that if I feel super guilty after a spending spree at Woolworths, I can at least console myself in that a portion of my money is going to a good cause. I have been wanting to sign up for a long time and every time that I'm at a Woolies counter, I take one of the application forms (and I even filled out one of them once) but I have never actually submitted a form. I hadn't realised that I could so easily sign up for one online here.

If you're not familiar with the programme and live in South Africa, please take a moment to click here and go look at what it is all about. It might just convince you to sign up too.

In deciding which charities to choose, I came across Beauty Without Cruelty who is actively trying to prevent animal cruelty in South Africa. (WARNING: If you don't know what the word "vivisection" on their website means, don't try to Google it like I did. You'll be disturbed until next week.)

I absolutely support their efforts and have nominated them as one of my preferred charities. This, of course, made me think of all the cosmetics in my make-up kit that might be tested on animals.

Now, before you argue that it has to be safety tested somehow before it is sold for humans, please explain to me why, if they are using ingredients in their products that might not be safe and has to be tested in the first place, you would want those ingredients on your body at all? 

My day job is in the medical field and thus I am not completely oblivious to the necessity of using animals for testing. Without animal testing, we cannot possibly advance our medical research but beauty products are a luxury and I do not see the need for animal testing unless they are adding some crazy, carcinogenic, chemical stuff to my make-up.

Over the last few weeks, through some of my favourite make-up guru's, I have come to the realisation that many of my favourite cosmetic brands are being tested on animals. In this video at 04:00 minutes in, Samantha from Batalashbeauty explains why you might think your cosmetics are cruelty-free when in fact there is some animal testing going on behind the scenes. She also visits Lush HQ in this video so you can understand why Lush is truly such a great brand. (And why we NEED a Lush store in Johannesburg...)

It has been bothering me but I am now committed to do something about it. Before I buy a product, I want to do research on which cosmetics are indeed cruelty free. I am also slowly replacing non-cruelty free make-up in my kit as I run out of it although it is difficult to find good, professional quality alternatives for some of the products.

Beauty Without Cruelty has a list of cosmetic brands which they endorse. Their criteria is very strict and specific so you know that it is guaranteed cruelty-free. It is also worth reading through your favourite cosmetic brands' mission statements on their website to see whether they are against animal testing before making a purchase.

I am a bit of tree hugger and I am hoping that you might become one too but if you are still not convinced that animal testing is not ethical, maybe you should Google "vivisection" and click on the Images tab.

Coverstick Basics

Life lesson #415 that I learned: sunscreen and make-up don't always mix. I wrote about it in my How to rock orange spotted skin post. After I eventually cleaned my face and weighed the long term effects of UV ray damage against the importance of covering zits, I reapplied my sunscreen and went bare faced. For a while.

It didn't take me long to start looking through my cosmetics bag for something else to cover my blemishes with and found my Essence coverstick in 06 Matt Ivory.

I love coversticks. They are compact and thus perfect to carry around for touch-ups during the day. They are also a cream formula which means that they give full cover over blemishes and does not oxidise which is why it was perfect for above mentioned dilemma.

I do, however, feel compelled to cover a few coverstick basics as I see too many women using their coversticks as if they are crayons.

Despite the lipstick tube format that coversticks come in, they are not meant to be applied to your skin the way you would lipstick to your lips . Because of their very heavy, creamy consistency, crayon application of your coverstick concealer is a foolproof way to make your skin look cakey and unnatural. The idea is to conceal your blemishes, not to replace it with an odd-looking splodge on your skin.

When applying your coverstick, dab a sponge or concealer brush on the coverstick tip and apply the concealer with the tool. If you don't have any of these handy, a clean finger will do. This is a good technique for three main reasons:

1. Pressing the coverstick directly onto your blemish transfers any of the bacteria on your skin to the coverstick. By contaminating your concealer, you are not only shortening the life of your make-up but aggravating your acne or zits.
2. Dabbing your tool over the blemish creates a lighter, more even application which blends into your skin or foundation.
3. You are pressing the concealer into the skin and therefore prolonging its wear, as opposed to concealer just sitting on top of the skin with crayon application.

It is also necessary to set the coverstick concealer just like you would your liquid concealer and foundation with powder.

Coverstick concealers were meant to disguise blemishes and discolouration but that does not include the blue bags under your eyes. You are sure to get heavy creasing if you attempt to use this under your eyes. Rather use a liquid concealer for your eye that is known for its non-creasing quality.

I find that it is not necessary to spend a lot on a good coverstick. Most drugstore brands' coversticks are great and inexpensive so adding one to your cosmetic collection won't break the bank. The Essence coversticks are R36.95 and you can pick up a Yardley Oatmeal one for about R59.95  at Dischem and Clicks. Just don't let their containers tempt you into lazy application.