The Unstoppable K-Rex

My favorite drugstore eyeshadow primer is the Wet n Wild photo focus eyeshadow primer. My eyeshadow stays on all day and doesn’t crease. This is very comparable to the Urban Decay primer potion, which I also love. I wear this every day, where the primer potion is for cosplay and special occasions. Wet n Wild is cruelty-free, which makes this product so much better! I just got another one since I am almost out of my first tube.

I received a travel sized version in one of my Ipsy GlamBags and fell in love with it. It is one of the most natural looking mascara I have ever tried. This may be due to the fact that it is a dark brown color that is super similar to my natural lashes. I just bought the full-size version. The packaging is cute. Plus, this is one of Tarte’s vegan products. The Tarte website claims that it is sweatproof. Who wears makeup to the gym? Anyway, it doesn’t transfer during the day but I wouldn’t wear this for a workout. I am in love with this product!

All Wet n Wild products are cruelty-free and pretty affordable. I have been using this primer for my everyday use. I don’t wear makeup all day but I do wear it for a few hours. It seems to work. The product is white but then becomes clear as you rub it into your skin. I do find that the primer is tacky, which I like. I want my foundation to stay. I don’t think it is as good as some of the other high-end primers, but for the price this is good. I just purchased a new version of this, which is supposed to make your skin dewy. I’m interested in trying it.

What does cruelty-free actually mean? According to the FDA, “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals” means:

Consumers sometimes ask about use of claims such as "Cruelty-Free" or "Not Tested on Animals" on cosmetic labeling.

Some cosmetic companies promote their products with claims of this kind in their labeling or advertising. The unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms.

Some companies may apply such claims solely to their finished cosmetic products. However, these companies may rely on raw material suppliers or contract laboratories to perform any animal testing necessary to substantiate product or ingredient safety. Other cosmetic companies may rely on combinations of scientific literature, non-animal testing, raw material safety testing, or controlled human-use testing to substantiate their product safety.

Many raw materials, used in cosmetics, were tested on animals years ago when they were first introduced. A cosmetic manufacturer might only use those raw materials and base their "cruelty-free" claims on the fact that the materials or products are not "currently" tested on animals.

Graftobian is a makeup and special effects company that sell a wide range of products. I’m personally interested in their pro paint products since I have recently gotten into cosplay and will need some face paints for a few of my costumes. The Graftobian website says they are cruelty-free and according to the cruelty-free makeup artist (http://crueltyfreemakeupartist.weebly.com and https://hootsofbeauty.wordpress.com) I sent them an email asking them about their products, like where there are made, if their vendors a cruelty-free, and if they sell their products to China. Here are their answers.

Graftobian Makeup Company does not test on animals. We also do not contract with any third parties to conduct animal testing. Some of Graftobian Makeup Company’s products do contain lanolin or lanolin derivatives, beeswax derived from beehives, and a few other miscellaneous non-vegan sources. A handful of our products are vegan friendly. Our ProPaints are made in the USA.

They did not say if they sell their products in China, although according to the cruelty-free makeup artists, all of their products are made in the US and of three years ago they only sold products in Hong Kong. A plus side is that they do offer vegan products.

Another company that sells cruelty-free products is e.l.f. (eyes, lips, face). The reason I got into these products was the prices. They sell decent cosmetic products at an affordable price (yay!). 

Not only does e.l.f. have a PETA certification, but they do not endorse animal cruelty practices. All of the brushes from e.l.f. are cut from horse hair (no pain for the horses) or made from Synthetic Taklon hair. Similar to Wet n Wild, products are made in China, but are NOT sold there.

One of my favorite cruelty-free makeup brands in Wet n Wild. I have been using Wet n Wild products for years, mainly because the products aren’t a lot of money. I have been buying their eye products, but now that I am going cruelty-free, I have been trying out some of their other products.

The Wet n Wild website says they are PETA-certified (which they are) and that they only work with third party vendors that do not test on animals. Even though their products are made in China, they are NOT sold there (China requires cosmetic companies to test their products on animals). Their parent company, Markwins, is on the Leaping Bunny approved list.

I have decided to take the plunge and go cruelty-free! Alright, it's not so much of a plunge then slowly getting used to the water. My plan is to buy cruelty-free products. I will continue to use the non-cruelty-free products I currently have but will be buying cruelty-free from now on.

I decided to do this because of my dog. I can’t imagine her, let alone any other animal, be a subject for product or chemical testing. Many countries have outlawed product and chemical testing on animals, except for medicine. Companies in the United States do not have to test on animals.

Most of the information I have will be from crueltyfreekitty.com (go check her out!) and cruelty-cutter, a phone app that has lists of cruelty-free and non-cruelty-free companies. Cruelty-cutter allows you to scan a product’s barcode, using your phone’s camera, and the app tells you if the product is cruelty-free.

I love e.l.f.  They are a super affordable brand and most of their products are okay.  They are not high end quality but pretty close for the price.  I love the fact this this comes in a bottle with a pump.  It makes it easier to use.  The bottle is pink, but the product is white.  This primer was super sticky, but that may have been me. I use a moisturizer for my dry areas, generally followed by sunscreen for day usage.  I don’t think it made my foundation last any longer.  I also feel like it didn’t do anything to my pores, but I also have huge pores on my face.

Virtue of the Vicious

The idea of a BB cream seemed amazing to me.  Something to blur the imperfections so I didn’t have to wear foundation.  The coverages very light.  My skin did feel moisturized after applying it.  The only bad thing was that it was too dark for me.  I mixed it with foundation to lighten it up, which worked nicely.

Front Toward Enemy

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your family!