Tuesday, August 24, 2010

And then I ate cake for breakfast

I am such a slacker.

Seriously, no one should ever give me a deadline that is far away, because I will inevitably start whatever the project is an hour before it is due, regardless of how in-depth and long it needs to be. This is especially true if there is a precedent. If I turn in my first paper for a class that was half-assed at 3am (making it 3 hours late) and it is returned with an A and comments like "Well organized!" and "Concepts are explained in an accessible way, good job!"...well...I will only become reinforced in my procrastinating ways.

I would probably flourish in a course where I was told "You have a paper on XYZ due in two days at midnight," then an hour before it is due, got a message from the professor going "Surprise! You have until tomorrow at midnight to finish! Yay!" In this situation, I would have at least STARTED the paper before the day it was due, which is not often the case for me. Also? Even though I got the message that I had an extra day, I may have even gotten myself in THE ZONE before getting the message, and would probably bang out half the paper before deciding I REALLY needed to check my friends' facebook statuses more than I needed to finish the paper. The way I work would also lend itself well to this situation, because I would wake up the next day, and in a burst of adoration and appreciation for my professor giving the extension, I would write the most BADASS paper ever that would BLOW MY PROF'S MIND.

See, I really should make a school for idiots like me that need to be ployed like this. It would really help de-condition those of us that have gotten into this spiral. I have talked to friends about this before, and by the time you're in your 20's (especially if you have had a gap in your schooling!) it gets really bad. If you learned in, say, third grade, that you can get by with the BARE MINIMUM required work...and your teachers will still think that you are the most brilliant kid in class (or at least that is your perception)...you will continue to do all of your homework on the bus on the way to school (if at all). OR, once you understand math, and how your grade is figured out, and that your homework counts as like 5 points, but a project counts as 250, you can make an AWESOME diorama and just not do your homework, because it still adds up to an A. You skate by like this through high school, and get into a good college. You can get away with this *some* in college, but there is a lot less graded homework, and a lot more reading that is actually necessary, so this can get a bit dicey, but you'll find a way to AMAZE your professor with some insight into something, and from then on, you can do no wrong.

Throw in a gap in your schooling. Fill that time with retail jobs with a minimum of responsibility and maximum exposure to the worst possible excuses for human beings on planet earth. Return to school rejuvenated with a spirit of "This is so much better than retail, I'll do ALL my work early and do EXTRA work and I'll be so excited to finish school, that I will ALWAYS be motivated!" This will last approximately through the application process, which will reduce your will to live by 90%. Then you start class, and realize that you are either ten years older or 25 years younger than most of your classmates. Then you realize that they do not understand basic sentence structure or grammar. As lazy as you are, this bothers you. You start to feel about your classmates as you felt about the retail customers you dealt with, only this time your grade depends on your interaction with these people. You start to transfer the feelings you had for incompetent management in your retail jobs onto your professor, who will comment with "Good Job!" on your classmates' unintelligible assignment responses. You realize you can also do the bare minimum here, and start this downward spiral again.

But then you get a class that is actually challenging. The added problem of actually needing to do all the practice problems and extra readings and ask for explanations is very foreign. You may freak out. This is normal. The urge to drop the class is strong, but it is required for your major. You consider changing your major just to not have to work hard, then realize this is ridiculous. You try to re-conjure those feelings of wanting to be SUPER STUDENT and instead have bursts of ithinkicanithinkicanithinkican....but it is enough to get you through. You may even learn something. You also will realize that the classes are, of course, going to get more challenging as you get closer to your degree. You may panic a little, but you don't let on to the outside world. But you still don't start your projects before the day they are due.

My point is, I have two projects and three essays to write in the next ten hours. Why? Because that's how I roll. I never learn. I blame the schools. But more importantly, I decided to man up and attack this problem by doing the most responsible things ever:
1) Sleeping until noon
2) Writing this blog post
3) Eating cake for breakfast

Foolproof I say! What better way to prepare for battle than by halving your time to work, sugaring yourself up, and writing a whole lot that has no bearing on ANYTHING IN LIFE, which no one will likely read!? I should add a celebratory coffee break after I post this entry! I am good at this! Maybe I will even eat real food with nutritional value! I AM UNSTOPPABLE!!!!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Vegan Products available at Sephora

This is an addendum to both my previous post on this subject, as well as a response to the Sephora Beauty and the Blog, where a (rather small) list of vegan products was posted earlier today. I will continue adding as I get responses directly from the companies themselves, but I found quite a few products that were missing from their list that would be good for Sephora-loving beauties to know! This list does not include the items on the original list. I'll probably post again a full list once I have everything pieced together!

SKINCARE
All Anthony Logistics Products except their lip balm are vegan
Cake Beauty Cake Walk Foot Creme
Clarisonic Products with the exception of the Refreshing Gel Cleanser, which contains seashell-derived glucosamine
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream
First Aid Beauty Detox Eye Roller
First Aid Beauty Anti-Redness Serum
First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser
First Aid Beauty Blemish Eraser
First Aid Beauty Daily Face Cream



MAKEUP (face)
Tarte ReCreate natural anti-aging foundation with Wrinkle Rewind technology SPF 15 


Blinc - All items

LIPS

CHEEKS

BRUSHES
Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Professional Brush Set
Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush
Too Faced Flatbuki
Anthony Logistics brushes are synthetic/vegan

BODY CARE
All Anthony Logistics Products except their lip balm are vegan
Cake Beauty Desserted Island Supreme Body Mousse
Cake Beauty Citrus Squeeze Collection
Cake Beauty Sweet Cheeks Collection
Cake Beauty It's a Slice Collection
Cake Beauty Desserted Island Collection
Cake Beauty Satin Sugar Hair and Body Refreshing Powder for Lighter Hues
Cake Beauty Satin Sugar Hair and Body Refreshing Powder for Darker Hues
Cake Beauty All About You Set
Cake Beauty Citrus Sqeeze Better Bod Rub
Cake Beauty Citrus Squeeze Buttery Body Bubbles
Cake Beauty Citrus Squeeze Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Scrub
Cake Beauty Sweet Cheeks Better Bod Rub
Cake Beauty Sweet Cheeks Buttery Body Bubbles
Cake Beauty Sweet Cheeks Sinfully Smoothing Brown Sugar Scrub
Cake Beauty It's a Slice Supremely Rich Bath and Shower Froth
Cake Beauty It's a Slice Supreme Body Mousse
Cake Beauty Desserted Island Supremely Rich Bath and Shower Froth
First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Pangea Organics Himalayan Geranium & Pomegranate Balancing Oil 



FRAGRANCE

HAIR CARE


Jack Black Body-Building Hair Gel 
Jonathan: All products except for Dirt are vegan

Jack Black Jet Set Traveler Set



-All First Aid Beauty products are vegan except the Healing Stick, which contains beeswax.
-All Clarisonic products are vegan except the Refreshing Gel Cleaners, which contains seashell-derived glucosamine
-All Anthony Logistics products are vegan except their lip balm, which contains beeswax.
-All Jack Black products are vegan, except their Intense Therapy Lip Balms, which contain beeswax, and their Sleek Texture Cream, which contains silk amino acids.
-All Pangea Organics products are vegan except body lotions, which contain beeswax, lip balms which contain beeswax, Red Mandarin Rose Facial Cream and Turkish Rose & White Tea Eye Cream, which contain Lactoperoxidase,  a milk enzyme.




Friday, April 23, 2010

Vegan Product Research

I'll be updating this post as I contact and get responses from each company regarding their vegan products. So far I have the FAQ from each company's website regarding cruelty-free ingredients and their animal testing policy (since, no matter how animal-free the products are...if they're tested on animals...they're still not vegan!). Following those is a list of brands I have contacted regarding vegan products; it's really just for my own record-keeping.

Jack Black Skin Care:
(From their website's FAQ)
Q: What is Jack Black's policy on animal testing?
A: Jack Black has a cruelty-free philosophy, no animals are harmed in the development, testing or manufacturing of Jack Black products. For the most part, our products do not incorporate any animal derived ingredients. The only exceptions are the limited use of Beeswax and Silk Amino acids. Jack Black does not engage in animal testing, nor do we ask outside parties to do animal testing on our behalf.
(From their response email):
Thanks for inquiring about our products. All of our products are vegan, with the exception of the Intense Therapy Lip Balms, which contain beeswax. All of our products are cruelty-free, we do no animal testing and none of our suppliers test animals on our behalf. Also, we are still using silk in the Sleek Texture Cream


Anthony Logistics
(from their response email):



The only product we have which contains an animal byproduct is our Lip Balm which contains beeswax. All of our other products are made with plant-based ingredients and synthetic ingredients, including our squalene which is derived from wheat germ.



Anastasia
(from their FAQ)
Q: Are your products tested on animals?
A: Our products are cruelty-free, meaning they are never tested on animals. We are now part of PETA's Caring Consumer Companies, so look forward to the "Cruelty-Free" symbol on our packaging in the future.

Benefit
(from their FAQ)
Q:  Does Benefit Cosmetics test on animals?
A:  NO... Benefit does not test our finished products on animals. We love our furry friends and would never want to hurt them.
Q:  Does Benefit use ingredients tested on animals?
A:  It is impossible to use only ingredients which have never been tested on animals at some point in the past.  In conformity with European rules, tests on ingredients are not done on animals when other methods exist to ensure the safety of those ingredients
FYI...it is *not* impossible to use only ingredients which have never been tested on animals. I'm a little disappointed in that claim.


Blinc
(From their response email):
We are proud to say that we DO NOT test on our little furry friends! We also make sure that our manufacturers are not mistreating any animals as well. We strive to make sure that our products are of top quality, however we could never harm another living being to reach this goal. I can also say that there are no animal by-products in any of our cosmetic or skin care lines, we are considered Vegan.

Cake Beauty
(From their response email):

Thank you for your email and interest in Cake Beauty. Most of our products are vegan and of course none of our ingredients or final products are tested on animals. The products that are NOT vegan (as they contain milk products) are:


- milk made hand creme
- milk made hand & cuticle buffer
- milk made frothing bath & shower cream
- milk made hydrating moisture milk
- milk made smoothing white sugar scrub
Hopefully this helps, but please let me know if you have any questions at all!
(Note: I responded to this email to let them know that The lip balms contain carmine, which is an animal by-product from crushed up bug shells, the Satin Sugar all purpose balm contains beeswax, and


The Take Your Time Hair and Body Mist contains Urea and Lactic acid, both of which can be animal derived.)

Cargo
(From their FAQ)
Q: Are any of your products tested on animals?
A: None of CARGO's products are tested on animals.
Q: Do your products contain animal by-products?
A: The ingredient list for each product varies. Some of our products contain ingredients that are derived from animal by-products, such as lanolin (a natural extract of sheep wool) or beeswax (a natural wax derived from honey bee hives).

Carol's Daughter
(From their response email):
All of our products contain natural ingredients and are not tested on
animals. The following products are made with beeswax:

Mimosa Hair Honey
Kizzi Hair Pomade
Loc Butter
All of our body and lip butters

No other products are made with animal bi-product
s.



Clarins
(From their FAQ)
In the choice of ingredients:
Since everything can be found in plants, Clarins has its use of plants a key component of the brand, which has been a great benefit to many animal species. Starting in 1991, Clarins has eliminated the use of cellular extracts of animal origin.
Testing:
Respect for the environment goes beyond just the choice of ingredients. In 1987, Clarins was the first French company to stop all product testing on animals. Clarins concern for the environment is also evident through its support of envirnmentally conscious organizations such as Alp Action.  Headed by Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, this team supports the preservation and restoration of several natural sites in the Alps, and the Herbarium.

(From their response email):
Clarins wants you to know that we do not perform animal testing on any of our products. We also require non-animal testing assurances from our ingredient suppliers. Further, we do not employ the use of animal
ingredients or animal by-products in our formulas. For over 40 years we have been recognized for our expertise in botanical ingredients, upon which the entire Clarins skin care line is built.
However, Clarins products are not considered vegan.

Clinique
(From their FAQ)
Animal Testing:
Clinique Laboratories, LLC. is committed to the elimination of animal testing. We are equally committed to consumer health and safety, and bringing to market products that comply with applicable regulations in every country in which our products are sold.
We do not conduct animal testing on our products or ingredients, nor ask others to test on our behalf, except when required by law. We evaluate our finished products in clinical tests on volunteer panels.
Clinique Laboratories, LLC. fully supports the development and global acceptance of non-animal testing alternatives. To this end, the Company works extensively with the industry at larte and the global scientific community to research and fund these alternatives.


ColorOn
(From their FAQ):
Q: Does your company test on animals?
A: World Cosmetics, LLC (manufacturer of colorOn Professional) does not conduct or endorse cosmetic testing on animals.''

Cosmedicine
(From their FAQ):
Q: Does Cosmedicine test its products on animals?
A: No. The only animals Cosmedicine tests on are people.
(From their response email):
Thank you for your inquiry of Cosmedicine products.
We do not have a list of Vegan Products, as that has not been our focus. Our line combines "the best of science and nature" to achieve healthy skin for a lifetime, and at Zero Irritation.
If you have some products you would like me to research I would be happy to do so-- just let me know which ones you are interested in.



Cover FX
(From their response email):
We use carmine in some of our MintGlaze FX lip shades and Bronze FX bronzers. Carmine may be prepared from cochineal, by boiling dried insects in water. As it is made from dried insects it doesn't meet the strict vegan definition.
We also use Hydrolyzed Milk Protein in our ClearPrep FX. Since dairy is not allowed for vegans, this product does not meet the vegan guidelines.
There are no animal derived materials in any of our other Cover FX products. You may safely use our Cover FX Cream Foundation SPF 30, Natural FX SPF 15, SkinTint FX SPF 30, Powder FX SPF 10, Mineral FX SPF 15, Matte FX, Setting FX, BritePrep FX SPF 50, SkinPrep FX, Radiant FX, Clean FX and MintGlaze FX.
I hope this answers your concerns about our products. Thank you for considering Cover FX products and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask.



DuWop
(From their FAQ):
Q: do you perform animal testing?
A: No lab bunnies here. We do all our product testing on actors, not animals.



First Aid Beauty
(From their FAQ):
Q: Do you test on animals?
A: FAB has never tested on animals and never will, period.
Q: Are FAB products vegan, or do any of them contain animal by-products?
A: The majority of FAB products contain no animal ingredients. Wherever possible, we seek alternatives to animal by-products. For example, instead of animal cholesterol, we use squalane derived from olives to help hydrate the skin. Our hydrocortisone Healing Stick contains beeswax to help maintain product stability and provide a consistent spread



Fresh
(From their FAQ):
Q: Does Fresh test its products on animals?Fresh does not test any of our products on animals, nor do we use animal-tested ingredients.
(From their response email):
I've been notified by our Product Development department that we are not able to give out a specific list of vegan items at this time, as we are still working with Marketing to finalize such a reference tool, as well as a more-detailed publication of our ingredient information. As soon as these directories are complete and made available for public distribution, we will be sure to let our customers know.


Pangea Organics
(From their response email):
Pangea Organics products are vegan with the exception of the following:
Body Lotions: contain certified organic beeswax
Lip Balms: contain certified organic beeswax
Red Mandarin Rose Facial Cream: contains a food-grade preservative system including Lactoperoxidase, an enzyme derived from milk
Turkish Rose & White Tea Eye Cream: contains a food-grade preservative system including Lactoperoxidase, an enzyme derived from milk
*Pangea Organics is registered with caringconsumer.org (run by PETA) as a cruelty-free company (we do not test on animals).
**All Squalane in Pangea Organics is derived from olive rather than shark.



Skyn Iceland
(From their company info):
We are certified cruelty-free by PETA, which means we oppose animal testing and wouldn't dream of hurting animals — ever! We're also 100% vegetarian, which means there are no animal derived ingredients in our products. Even vegans can feel good about skyn ICELAND.
Too Faced

(From their FAQ):
Q: Do you test on animals?
A: No way! Too Faced loves animals (check out our Too Faced gives Back page). Our products are cruelty-free. In fact, our brushes are made with the softest and gentlest teddy-bear hair.


Companies contacted regarding their vegan products:
-Amazing Cosmetics
-AmorePacific
-Anastasia - Responded. No items considered vegan at this time.
-Anthony - Responded. Many vegan items!
-ArtofShaving
-BareEscentuals (including Buxom)
-Benefit
-Billy Jealousy
-Blinc - Responded. All items *are* vegan!
-Bliss
-Bremenn
-Cake Beauty - Responded. Many vegan items!
-Cargo
-Carol's Daughter - Responded. Vegan with the exception of an included list of products.
-Caudalie
-Clarins - Responded. No vegan items.
-Clarisonic - Responded. Only non-vegan item is Refreshing Gel Cleanser which contains seashell-derived glucosamine.
-Clinique
-ColorOn
-Cosmedicine - Responded. No vegan list; will do research on an item-by-item basis.
-CoverFX - Responded. Many vegan items with exceptions listed.
-DermaDoctor (umbrella brand for many that Sephora carries):
Anthony Logistics, B. Kamins, BeautyBlender, Billy Jealousy, Bliss, Clarisonic, DDF, DERMAdoctor, Dr. Brandt, Fusion Beauty, GoSMiLE, Hampton Sun, Jack Black, Kinerase, Korres, L'Occitane, Lab Series, MD Skincare, ModelCo, Murad, no!no!, Ole Henriksen, Peter Thomas Roth, Prevage, Sevin Nyne, Shaveworks, Silk'n, StiVectin, Tanda, Tweezerman, and Yu-Be
-DuWop

-fresh - Responded. List currently unavailable.
-Fusion
-Givenchy
-Jack Black - Responded. All but two of their products are vegan!
-Pangea Organics - Responded. All but a short list are vegan (very specific and open email!)
-theBalm
-Tokidoki
-Too Faced

Sephora's "vegan" list...is it accurate?

I was a strict vegan for several years, and while I have not been as strict recently, I know from personal experience how incredibly difficult it is to find completely vegan products. It made me really happy to see the most recent Sephora blog, listing many products that they claimed to be vegan. Though the list was rather short, and dominated by Urban Decay products that are well-marked elsewhere (at sephora stores and on the UD website itself), I gave them kudos for compiling a list that would be very helpful to vegan makeup lovers out there. 
...But I spoke too soon. Just ONE check to ONE of the products listed (Illamasqua lipstick) showed that their list was factually inaccurate. I started commenting on the blog with the inaccuracies they posted, but it got to be too much. So, I'm here, and I will be checking EACH product they listed (aside from Urban Decay...I'll explain...)and reporting whether they were telling the truth or not. Here is the list they provided; I have highlighted in bold the items that claim proof of veganness, and in italics those that may be vegan, but it is unclear; a call or email to the manufacturer would be in order before I would feel comfortable claiming them as vegan. 
(NOTE: Thank you to Cheryl Locke, the author of the original post on the Sephora blog, for removing the illamasqua items once I commented about them in the Sephora blog comments!)
SKINCARE
All Boscia products - This appears to be true. From their website Q&A: Are boscia products tested on animals? We do not conduct any testing of ingredients or products on animals. In addition, our products do not contain any animal ingredients. 
Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths - This also appears to be true. From their website: We are certified cruelty-free by PETA, which means we oppose animal testing and wouldn't dream of hurting animals — ever! We're also 100% vegetarian, which means there are no animal derived ingredients in our products. Even vegans can feel good about skyn ICELAND.  
Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 - Also true! Tarte has transparency with their products, and even has a page of Peta-certified Vegan and Cruelty-free products: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics (This item is on their list).

MAKEUP
All Illamasqua products - False. Some shades may contain Carmine, and nowhere on the Illamasqua site does it state that these products are vegan. However, they do not test (the finished product) on animals.
Duwop Foundation of Youth - Maybe. I don't see anything on the ingredients list that isn't vegan, and the DuWop website has the Cruelty-free icon on the bottom, though there's nothing in the FAQ or on the website (that I could find) about any products specifically being vegan. I'd email the company before feeling comfortable making this claim (though Sephora lists it as vegan in their product description).
Urban Decay Surreal Skin Mineral Makuep (Universal, Dream, Hallucination, Illusion, Mirage, Nirvana, Supernatural, Trance, Vision)
Urban Decay Surreal Skin Cream to Powder Foundation (all shades)
Tarte Lifted Natural Eye Primer - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Tarte Clean Slate Natural Face Primer - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder
Tarte the Eraser 4-in-1 Natural Concealer - Maybe. It is listed as 100% cruelty-free, though Tarte does not even list this on their own site as vegan.
Urban Decay Surreal Skin Creamy Concealer (Dream, Hallucination)

EYES
All Illamasqua products - False. Right on Sephora's page, the pigments, powder eye shadow, and the eyeliner cake all list "All shades contain...Carmine." The Liquid Metal eyeshadow contains lanolin, beeswax AND carmine.
Tarte Multipleye Natural Lash Enhancer - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara - Maybe. It is listed as 100% cruelty free, though Tarte does not list this as vegan on their site.
Tarte Lash Hugger Mascara - False. Contains Shellac, which is derived from secretions from the Lac bug (gross, right?). It is still listed as cruelty-free because shellac collection does not require killing bugs. But vegans don't use any animal (including bug!) derivatives, even if the animal was not necessarily harmed.
Urban Decay Deluxe Eye Shadow (Graffiti, Honey, Peace, Shag, Underground, Zero)
Urban Decay Ink for Eyes (all shades except Empire)
Urban Decay Matte Eyeshadow (ABC Gum, Chronic Matte, Foxy, Naked, Narcotic, Perversion, Secret Service, Revolver, Yeyo)
Urban Decay Loose Pigment (Baked, Goddess, Graffiti, Gunmetal, Protest, Rockstar, Shag, Shattered, Smog, Yeyo)
Urban Decay Eye Shadows (Acid Rain, Baked, Chains, Chopper, Eldorado, Flipside, Goddess, Green Goddess, Half Baked, Kiddie Pool, Lounge, Maui Wowie, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Mildew, Oil Slick, Roach, Shattered, Smog, Speed, Stray Dog, Strip, Twice Baked, Urb, Vapor, Vert)
Urban Decay Smoke Out Eye Pencil (Green Goddess, Mary Jane, Mauie Wowie, Purple Haze, Smoke Out)
Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eye Pencil (Air Guitar, Baked, Distortion, Glam Rock, Metalhead, Mullet, Spandex)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil (Baked, Covet, Deviant, Dime, Electric, Gunmetal, Honey, Lucky, Stash, Yeyo, Zero)
Tarte Emphaseyes Brow High Definition Brow Pencil - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Urban Decay Brow Beater (Brilliant Blonde, Brunette Bombshell)

LIPS
All Illamasqua products - False. All lipstick shades contain beeswax and some contain carmine. Both the sheer and intense lipglosses list that all shades contain carmine.
theBalm to the Rescue - claims to be vegan both on Sephora's website and theBalm's site.
Tarte Frxtion Natural Sugar Exfoliator and Lip Balm Duo - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Tarte Lip Gloss Double Dose Berry Boost and Gloss - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Urban Decay XXX Shine Lip Gloss (Baked, Guys Love Betsey, Heatherette, Joyride, Kinky, Love Junkie, Ozone, Quickie)
Urban Decay Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss (all shades except Doug)
Urban Decay Lipstick (all shades)
Urban Decay Lip Envy (Envious, Greedy, Jealous)
Urban Decay LIP PENCIL (Fur, Midnight Cowboy, Roach)
Urban Decay 24/7 GLIDE ON LIP PENCIL (all shades)

CHEEKS
All Illamasqua products - False. The powder blush contains beeswax and some shades contain carmine. Some cream blusher shades contain carmine.
Tarte Mineral Powder Bronzer - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Urban Decay Afterglow Blush (Exhale, Fetish)
Urban Decay Baked Bronzer (Baked, Gilded, Toasted)

BRUSHES
All Urban Decay brushes are animal-hair free

BODY CARE
All Pacifica products - True! All of their products are vegan! http://www.pacificaperfume.com/about-us
Urban Decay Santa Tanita Body Bronzer
Tarte Celebutante Moisturizing Dry Oil Spray - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics
Tarte Glam Gams Bronzing Leg Stick - True: http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-shop-vegan-cosmetics

FRAGRANCE
All Pacifica products - True! All of their products are vegan! http://www.pacificaperfume.com/about-us

I did NOT do an item-by-item check on the Urban Decay products listed; they have clear markings on their website, and their exhaustive list of vegan-certified items (including a printable list!) are listed here: http://www.urbandecay.com/vegan.cfm

There are many vegan products that were not listed in the Sephora blog list. I felt compelled to share the initial extras I found while doing my research, and then my research began to take on a life of its own. I have started contacting product manufacturers directly, in order to compile a  more comprehensive list for vegans who are sick of having to write to every company before using their products (I know. I remember.). Sephora should thank me! More vegans will buy products from them when they know FOR SURE (not maybe) that they are 100% animal- and cruelty-free!
My list is being compiled in a separate blog entry, which can be found here.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Oh, Google, you have seduced me!

It seems strange to have been sucked into the world of Google awesomeness by way of something brand new. I mean, I've had Gmail for years, but just really started using it regularly in the past year or so. When Buzz rolled out this past week, I suddenly found myself really excited about Buzz, Wave, and all the other features that can all be connected. I mostly wanted to pop this blog up so that I can use it as an outlet for Wave.

I have another blog that I neglect like a champ. I am not sure if this blog will get any attention. But, hey, it could get interesting if I import waves that friends can add to! The possibilities have me all giddy like a schoolgirl...