A Cruelty Free Blogger? | Lifestyle

When it comes to skincare, make up and even hair care I can honestly say I am cruelty free and yet I still struggle to promote this publicly on my social media. I have thought about it a lot recently and I guess it's lead me to question why?

I think the problem is when you start labeling yourself you actually open yourself up to a lot of criticism which I just can't be bothered with! The issue is that things change all the time and whilst I may buy a product that I personally think is safe/cruelty free I could end up being wrong and that's when you start to question the label! Additionally I'm not vegan, I mean, I ain't even vegetarian so how can I claim to be cruelty free when I chose to eat meat or wear leather? It's such a minefield that I often feel really conflicted. We're at an age where we have so many sources of information and videos you become overwhelmed and feel the need to do better which I think is a brilliant thing but I still struggle to fly that "cruelty free" flag because I know that I'm not perfect. 

I think it's the granularity of it all, where do you draw the line? I would never touch any L'Oréal products and until last year The Body Shop was actually owned by L'Oréal however TBS still didn't test on animals, but morally I don't want to contribute any revenue, in any capacity to L'Oréal so didn't want to shop there. Even massive bloggers are still promoting brands that all sell in China where legally they have to test products on animals before they are sold in that country, so I stop wanting to read or watch their content because its something I just can't get excited about anymore. My most read blog post is a lipstick review on L'Oréal which I no longer want to promote but you can't get away from the fact it's my most liked post. There are just so many things to consider and I just want to say that on a level I am cruelty free but I know that I can't be perfect with all my choices.

I am a huge believer that small changes make the biggest difference and whilst I do eat meat and wear leather I do believe that by only buying brands that do not test on animals I am making a small difference. Who knows, maybe somewhere down the line, I will start to make a bigger more considered lifestyle change.

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil | Beauty

I know what you're thinking, "another bloody cleanser" on the blog and I get that, I definitely think this year I have been open to trying lots of different products because I really want to have a good skincare routine, I don't wanna age!!! Whilst I think there is no ONE cleanser that is perfect I definitely want to use products I truly love. I have heard SO many incredible things about the Camomile range from The Body Shop but more about the cleansing butter but as I have a lot of creamy type of cleansers I wanted to try out the Silky Cleansing Oil. 

I have mentioned in a few posts that I wanted to try more oils on my skin and I thought that this cleansing oil would be a good match! I also really wanted a cleanser that would be really quick and easy to use because sometimes, at night, I can be a bit lazy with my routine. When I bought the Silky Cleansing Oil, I thought I would just whack it on a cotton pad a few swipes on my face and I will be done with it...I was wrong. When I first used it the product just sank into the pad and I couldn't get anything on my face and when i read the back there aren't actually any instructions which made the whole thing a bloody big faff! I had to go on the website to find out how to use the damn thing! 

This product should be used on a dry face first, applied with your fingers/hands and really work it into the face, then you wet your hands and rub them over your face again which then changes the consistency of the product a little and then you wipe off with a muslin cloth or whatever. So it is super easy but it's not as lazy as I had hoped, that said I bloody love this product. My skin feels SO smooth after using it and I had noticed that the smooth feeling lasts far longer than it usually does with other cleansers which makes me question whether my face leans more on the dry side these days because the oil is really making a difference. It's an aggressive pump so be prepared to try and catch the oil in your hands, it also worth noting that a little goes a long way, I literally use one pump but the first couple of times i used two and totally didn't need to!

The Silky Cleansing Oil is also vegan, suitable for sensitive skin and removes water proof mascara - it really is a wonder product! I have noticed I got a couple of spots since using this product but that is typical of my skin when trying anything new and they're hardly anything too dramatic. 

What cleansing products are you lovin' right now?

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman | Book

I'm still keeping strong with my monthly book goal but in the month of March I have actually managed to squeeze in two which I will explain in my other book review. This book was actually picked by the bf because he got me a giftcard for W H Smith as he knew I was reading more and I asked him to pick a book with it and he suggested this one. Little did he know that actually everyone is reading this book, it was incredibly popular at the time. 

The blurb reads that Eleanor lives a simple life filled with simple routines and she buys two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend, immediately the reader knows something is up, we know that Eleanor is blocking something out but of course we need to read to find out. Gail Honeyman takes you through Eleanor's life in an almost clinical way, Eleanor isn't a person who is open about feelings, she is very black and white and emotion doesn't often come into her everyday life. There were lots of social interactions that just bypass Eleanor completely so we understand that she is a little different. We don't really know much about her past but we are given snippets throughout and learn quite early on that he upbringing wasn't the best and her "mummy" emotionally abuses her daughter over the phone. Eleanor becomes obsessed with a musician in an almost teen girl kind of way but she is a 30 year old woman, so it's a little odd. On the other hand Eleanor in wildly judgmental criticising people for all sorts of reasons but this starts to change when she meets a new colleague called Raymond. Eleanor is an endearing character and whilst she has many personality flaws there is an innocence there because she simply doesn't know any better, there are many "first time" experiences for this character which makes you like her all the more.  

This book was good but I didn't really connect with Eleanor until the "Bad Days" chapters start and that is a good 260 or so pages into the book, for me that's when the book actually starts and had the Bad Days chapter started from the beginning I probably would have enjoyed it more, but that isn't to say I didn't enjoy the novel because I did. You see this raw version of Eleanor which you've never seen before. These chapters have a darkness to them which you know I am always drawn to, I can understand that these chapters could be a little triggering so I would advise if you are likely to be triggered by certain themes be aware of these chapters. There is a twist in the book which I actually didn't expect but it kind of made sense and *spoiler warning* there is a happy(ish) ending which personally I never really like in novels that much because they can feel too forced but this is a nice ending so to speak! 

It's definitely a thought provoking book which makes you consider how small acts of kindness can really impact on other people's lives without you realising. I would definitely recommend this book. 

Have you read this novel?

Burt's Bees Deep Cleansing Cream | Beauty

You guys know I love a bit of Burt's Bees, I have written about the Orange Essence Cleanser  which I was a little unsure about, I love the scent of the product but wasn't obsessed with it, after several months I do like it but I am looking for another cleanser which is where this little fella comes in. I have to be honest and say that personally I do think Burt's Bees skincare is expensive, for what it is, so I tend to purchase when there is a discount. I picked up the Deep Cleansing Cream in my local Sainsbury's because it was like £3 off making it £7 however I know that Boots always have a discount on Burt's Bees. 

I miss using a cream cleanser and I was looking for something that would be thicker than the orange essence cleanser. From the moment I first used this deep cleansing cream I was obsessed with the smell, it smells like sherberts, this zingy sweet scent, like Love Hearts or Refreshers or something, I just wanted to eat it. Also, this cream is incredibly thick, you can easily end up using too much of the product which I did a lot to start off with. You have to apply it to a wet face and it's unusual in the sense that when you apply it on your skin it doesn't really do anything, it doesn't foam up, it doesn't melt in, it just kind sits on the surface. When you use too much you kinda realise tat it isn't doing anything but when you use just a smidge less you can work it into your skin a little easier and it actually feels better. 

Overall, I like this cream for the scent alone but I think that the orange essence cream actually leaves my skin looking a little fresher than the Deep Cleansing Cream! 

I like Burt's Bees as a brand because the bees wax is responsibly sourced and made in a sustainable way, not only that but they also sponsor the British Beekeepers Association's adopt a beehive which helps Honey Bees thrive. I feel like we could all be doing more to help the bees, so any company that does this I definitely want to get more products from. Also it's worth noting that the various products that they sell contain no petrochemicals, phthalates, parabens or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). 

What are your favourite cleansers? 

We Bought Our First Home | Life Update

Yeah so basically me and the boyf finally completed on our little coach house a couple of weeks ago and it has been a bloody roller coaster. It's taken nearly 6 months for us to complete and I'm not gonna lie it has been quite stressful but nonetheless we are so frickin' happy to be in and living in this lovely new space!

I definitely needed to take just a couple of weeks off to sort everything out, we were actually really lucky because we got our keys the day before Good Friday and the Easter weekend so we decided that we would make the most of 4 days off of work and just buy and build everything we needed. Not gonna lie going to Ikea on Good Friday was somewhat hellish and a little overwhelming for me personally but we did so well. As the completion took so long again we were really fortunate because it meant that we could save more money and then be in a position to buy the things we needed, but of course our family also were so generous with their time and money, I was so incredibly grateful for them, not gonna lie! 

I don't want this post to be too long, I just wanted to give anyone reading a little reason of why I have been a little quiet lately, even on my social channels I haven't posted that much but I am excited to get back into the swing of things again! I am even more excited to include more home content on the ol' blog now, as it's a new build it means that everything is white and fresh and clean so it makes everything look so much better and we get to add our own touch of personality in different ways. 

So there we have it, expect a little change but for the next week or so it will be business as usual. 

What have you been up to lately?