Becoming a Vegan Makeup Artist: Kit Building & Skin Prep Recommendations

In this post, I'm going to talk about building your vegan professional makeup kit.

Buying your kit will be pricey, even if you only go for the cheapest products to start out with. I recommend signing up for an industry discount once you've enrolled onto your course. You will need to sign up with each individual retailer separately and show proof that you're enrolled, then you will receive a discount. Also, when buying online, try to go through a cashback site like Top Cashback. You'll get a small percentage of each sale back, and it adds up rather quickly if you're buying a lot. I've earned £267.45 so far! You can sign up at topcashback.co.uk, or go via my  referral link if you feel like helping me out! :)

To figure out if a brand is cruelty-free, just search for them on lists such as Cruelty-Free Kitty and Logical Harmony. You will need to decide whether you are okay with using products from a cruelty-free company with an animal testing parent company (such as Tarte, Urban Decay). I personally try to avoid brands with animal testing parent companies, except when there is no other option, or the company is extremely dedicated to making vegan products (such as Superdrug or Kat Von D). Here is a good post by Lovely Witches about parent companies.

• Brands that are 100% Cruelty-Free and Vegan

Kett

A post shared by Kett Cosmetics (@kettcosmetics) on Sep 11, 2017 at 9:08am PDT

I highly recommend their airbrush makeup - if you plan to airbrush, I would purchase the whole kit from them.

OCC 

A post shared by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (@occmakeup) on Sep 20, 2017 at 9:00am PDT

A great way to get a lot of lip colours is to buy a set of Lip Tars and mix any colour you can imagine from them. They can be topped with gloss or blotted and powdered, and come in metallic, glitter and tinted gloss finishes. Their pencils for eyes and lips are also great quality.

E.L.F

A post shared by e.l.f. Cosmetics (@elfcosmetics) on Jul 26, 2017 at 7:03am PDT

Lots of quality products for cheap prices. Read reviews prior to purchasing as they have a couple of dud products among the many great ones.

Shiro Cosmetics

A post shared by Caitlin | Shiro Cosmetics (@shirocosmetics) on Apr 14, 2017 at 10:25am PDT

Great for unique powder eyeshadow shades, especially duochrome shadows.

Fyrinnae 

A post shared by Fyrinnae (@fyrinnae.cosmetics) on Jun 8, 2015 at 2:25pm PDT

Great for duochrome shadows, colour shifting shadows and Pixie Epoxy - a kind of 'primer' to bring out the shimmer in eyeshadows.

Skin Illustrator

A post shared by @skinillustratorofficial on Sep 17, 2016 at 1:27am PDT

Skin Illustrator makes alcohol based makeup for film, TV and SFX. The vast majority of films and TV shows you see use these products to produce realistic skin effects like freckles, tanning/sunburn, bruising, ageing, scars, tattoos, dirtying down, the list is endless. They also produce tooth lacquer, dirt for different dirt effects, blood under the name 'Fleet Street', and heavy-duty sealing sprays (Blue and Green Marble).

Brushes - Nanshy, Spectrum, Real Techniques and Cozzette make high-quality vegan brushes. Ideally, you will have multiples of oft-used brushes to save time sanitising them between clients, but it's okay to start out with less.


Great Brands With Vegan Lists -

Refer to these websites when shopping for the same brand on other websites. It's often cheaper to buy many different brands from the same retailer rather than make several purchases from the brand websites.

BH Cosmetics

Neve Cosmetics

Illamasqua

Barry M (Vegan products are labelled in the drop down ingredients tab of each product)

Wet 'n' Wild (Hard to find in the UK, but good quality and cheap if you can get it)

Sugarpill

Skin Prep Recommendations

It's essential to start with a clean, moisturised base when building a look. The right products will cleanse quickly without drying the skin, add moisture without grease, and help makeup adhere to the skin to last all day.

• Skincare

A small pot of homemade sugar and sunflower oil lip scrub to be used before cleansing if needed.

B. Pure Micellar Water (they sell two micellar waters, this one is a larger bottle)

Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum

A cult favourite with moisture-boosting ceramides, and only £2.99!

EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 (if model/client will be in the sun)

Perfectly matte, high protection without flashback. Bieberino knows what's up.

Superdrug/Sainsbury's Petroleum Jelly or pure shea or cocoa butter for lips.

• Primer

Hylamide HA Blur*

Effectively blurs wrinkles and pores.

The Ordinary High Adherence Silicone Primer*

Niod Photography Fluid*

'Lit from within' in a bottle.

Elf Mineral Infused Face Primer

Gosh Velvet Touch Foundation Primer Apricot

(* - Deciem is part-owned by Estee Lauder, but the company itself remains cruelty-free)

I hope you're now suitably prepared for next week's post about foundation and concealer recs!

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

-All pics from the instagrams or websites of the brands in question-

Current Skincare Favourites!

I am, I confess, a skincare-oholic. I love products, lotions and potions that promise to make my skin clearer, brighter, younger, firmer. I am ruthless, though. However appealing a product may be, it has to work to become a permanent fixture in my skincare regime. So many products give me blackheads and blocked pores, so I have to be very careful to only use noncomedogenic products and oils. That being said, I think I've found a pretty effective regime, so I wanted to share it with you!

Make up removal

I love Superdrug's Clearly Youthful Cream Cleanser for removing my make-up at the end of the day. It dissolves my makeup with ease, plus it contains AHA/BHAs to give my skin a bit of an exfoliating boost. When my skin is feeling dry or rough, I leave it on for a minute before wiping it off with a warm wet flannel. This cleanser is not supposed to be used on the eyes, so I rub a little petroleum jelly over my eye make-up before wiping it off with my damp flannel.

If I'm super tired I will use a wipe to remove my make-up. I usually use Superdrug's Micellar Cleansing Wipes, but lately I've been trying Faith In Nature 3 in 1 Facial Wipes, which are good, but I'd prefer if they were fragrance-free.

Cleansing

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Softening Cream Cleanser is amazing. It's a gently foaming cream that cleanses thoroughly, yet still leaves my skin soft and supple. I use this morning and evening, with my Superdrug Konjac Sponge or a flannel if I need extra exfoliation before makeup application.

Serum

I'm currently starting to see results from Active Solutions Vitamin C Serum from Sr-Skincare. Vitamin C has such a potent effect on the skin, it can reduce the appearance of sun damage, boost collagen and promote skin healing, plus it helps protect your skin from oxidative damage. I use this morning and night after cleansing. Twice weekly I mix in 1 pump of Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. I've definitely been noticing an improvement in fine lines.

Moisturiser

Even though my bottle has clearly been through the wars, I've had great results from using Hemp Oil to moisturise. It's noncomedogenic, super moisturising, plus it helps regulate oil production. 

Sunscreen

I believe the most powerful anti-aging product is always going to be sunscreen - that's why I'm on the factor 50 all summer long! This summer I've been using Kiss My Face Face Factor SPF 50. I really like it, but I do wish it was fragrance-free. 

Lip Balm

No skincare post would be complete without lipcare! 

Lately I've been loving Pacifica Color Quench Lip Tint in Vanilla Hibiscus. I get super dry lips, and this is so creamy and moisturising I can't help but slather it on all day! It's supposed to be a lip tint, but it's so translucent it doesn't really add any colour at all. I would consider one of the darker colours to actually give my lips a tint, but I'm fine with using this like a regular balm.

If I'm leaving the house I'll use Superdrug's The Little Protecting Pink Tin SPF 15 before my lipstick. Sorry, mine's got bashed up a bit in my bag!

Mask

A firm favourite of mine is the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask.

You just mix it with a little raw apple cider vinegar to form a paste, then apply to clean skin and let dry. It's really great for unblocking stubborn clogged pores. I would recommend using it at night, though, as it leaves you with a slight pink flush! I like to mix in some oats to make it more moisturising.

So those are my skincare favourites! Feel free to leave your vegan skincare favourites in the comments!

Til Next Time,

Emma

xXx

PSA: Don't Use Old Products & Review: Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C Serum

Any online shopper knows the feeling. That frustrated impatience you get while waiting for an order to arrive. Uggh, come onnn, I want it noooooww! The week before last I was waiting for my new sunscreen, and my Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum*. THE AGONY. I was especially irritated because the sun had really started to shine, and my SPF 20 moisturiser had ran out. I needed to do something because I had to leave the house, and sunlight cannot be allowed to touch my unprotected skin. I will get wrinkles. I will get a tan and then my face won't match my make-up, let alone the rest of my body. Rummaging in the bathroom, I found my tube of SPF50 face lotion from last year. I thought to myself. "It's a year old, but I'm sure it'll be fine." Those were my famous last words.Three days later and my face was a bumpy mess of blocked pores, blackheads and angry red dots. 

My reaction when looking in the mirror.

Conveniently my orders turned up, but at that point I was too scared to try anything new out and anger the skincare gods further. I patch tested them, one behind each ear, and tried to sort out my facial mess using the oil cleansing method (sunflower oil) and also my Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask. 

After a few days of this, the blocked pores were clearing up, but the red spots were as angry as ever. So I figured it was time to try out my new Vitamin C Serum from Oz Naturals.

The packaging.

The serum is a clear liquid, which is quickly absorbed into the skin. Importantly, it contains ferulic acid, which helps stabilise the vitamin C so that it doesn't oxidise too quickly, losing its efficacy.  You are supposed to let it dry before applying moisturiser, and it dries fast with no sticky texture. 

It comes in a brown glass bottle, to protect the serum from UV rays. The dropper means you can accurately control how much product you want to dispense.

I've been applying it morning, before my (new) sunscreen, and evening, before my night cream. It's not terribly moisturising, but I don't mind as that's what my moisturiser is for. As long as it's not drying, which it isn't. There is no discernible scent, and it plays well with my sunscreen and makeup - some serums can ball up when you apply products over them. 

The serum - clear, and very liquid. Dries quickly and doesn't ball up under other products.

I've been using it for a while now, and I really think it's helped the red spots fade much faster than spots usually do for me. My skin usually gets hyperpigmentation for months after a zit, but this seems to be greatly reduced in the short time I've been using it. I have also noticed an overall brightening effect, which I'm rather pleased about!

Unfortunately, I haven't noticed any improvement in my fine lines, or dark circles. During my online research, I may have found the reason. From a post by 'shewh0mustnotbenamed' on reddit's skincareaddiction -

"SAP isn't as good at stimulating collagen synthesis as L-ascorbic acid (LAA) or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP). To achieve the same amount of stimulation of collagen synthesis, the amount of SAP used must be 10 times the amount of LAA that would be used (Source: [1]).

...

SAP has anti-acne properties (Sources: [1] [2] [3]). AFAIK, LAA and MAP don't."

Oz Naturals Vitamin C Serum contains vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbyl phosphate, or SAP. This explains why it has been great for my zits and marks, but had little affect on my dark circles and fine lines, which require the collagen boosting forms of L-ascorbic acid or magnesium ascorbyl phosphate. 

My conclusion 
Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum is a good product for sufferers of acne or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. However if you primarily want a vitamin C serum for anti-aging or dark circles, I would try a serum containing one of the other forms of it. Would I buy another bottle when this runs out? I'm not sure, I do like the results, but I'm looking for a product to boost my collagen levels, which I don't think this one does enough. I'm thinking of trying the DIY Vitamin C Serum next.

Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C & Amino & Hyaluronic Acid serum is £15.95 at Amazon UK.

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

*This product was sent to me for review purposes. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.

zk'in Certified Organic Skincare Review

I am a skincare addict. Cleansing, exfoliation, moisturisation are my mantras. My way of life. So when I was given the opportunity to trial a 100% vegan skincare range brand new to the UK, I was rather excited!

Yeah, I suppose I could review it, or whatever...
(gif via tumblr, source unknown)

Before we get onto my review, you better get out your notepads, because I'm gonna educate you on the brand.

zk'in is the brainchild of Grace Culhaci, who created the brand after developing a skin condition during her first pregnancy. The whole range is certified organic, cruelty-free and vegan! 

Things I love about the brand- 

1. They are kind to the planet 

Image via graphicstock

• Products contain no petrochemicals (which come from fossil fuels)
• They use recyclable packaging from sustainable forests
• They are mostly palm oil free except for a small amount of sustainable RSPO certified palm oil where unavoidable
• They aim to be carbon neutral, and their waste management practices have achieved 95% diversion from landfill
• The ingredients are produced using organic farming, meaning no harmful pesticides or herbicides are introduced into the environment.

2. They use clinically active ingredients, with evidence backed by independent clinical trials. 

Image courtesy of Renjith Krishnan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I like to know that the ingredients in my skincare are going to be truly effective. It's a huge thumbs down for me if products use folk remedies, old wives tales or even homeopathy to make claims about their efficacy. I need evidence!

3. They don't use unrealistically photoshopped models. While they will still 'tidy up' their images (removing stray hairs, adjusting lighting, etc) zk'in vow to be honest in the representation of their models.

zk'in model Tanya Linney. Image via zk'in

Things I don't love about the brand

1. They promote the fallacy that natural = good, and synthetic = bad. I like that natural products are often better for the environment, but that doesn't mean that synthetic ingredients are always chock full of harmful toxins and carcinogens. 

Excerpt from zk'in's Honest Beauty booklet 

The most common cosmetic preservatives are parabens. Parabens are often demonised because they are mildly oestrogenic, which makes people panic and assume they are going to cause oestrogen sensitive cancers, like breast cancer. Parabens are 10,000 to 100,000 less potent than the oestrogen the body makes naturally. They do not build up in the skin or organs, have never been found to be carcinogenic, and they biodegrade easily in the environment. Parabens occur naturally in some fruits. (Source)

2. They promote a dangerous alternative cancer treatment.

In the brand's promotional Honest Beauty booklet, the CEO, Grace, mentions using 'vitamin B17' to try to treat an inoperable tumour pressing on her optic nerve. This is actually not a vitamin at all, but laetrile or amygdalin, a substance that produces cyanide when digested. (Source)

Excerpt from zk'in's Honest Beauty booklet

The idea is that the cyanide kills the cancer cells, but there is no evidence that this works, and the treatment poses major risks of cyanide poisoning. I understand too well how it feels to be clutching at straws with your health, while the medical field shrug their collective shoulders. It is one thing to choose a potentially dangerous alternative treatment for yourself, but quite another to promote it with no mention of risks in an unrelated skincare booklet.

Make of that what you will, but now...

On To My Review!

I received four full size products, and some samples of their other products.

Calming Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist, and Relief Moisturiser

Brightening and Hydrating Masque and samples

 As you can see, the products came in cardboard boxes. These may be recycled, but I couldn't help thinking it would be better for the environment if this extra packaging was done away with altogether. 

Calming Cream Cleanser, Hydrating Mist and Relief Moisturiser

I like that the packaging is hygienic (no fingers dipping in tubs, introducing bacteria). I would've preferred to get a little more in the full size products, though. 50ml of moisturiser doesn't usually last me long! Luckily with most of the products a little goes a long way.

Brightening and Hydrating Masque, and samples.

The Calming Cream Cleanser is a soothing and hydrating milk. It dissolves heavy make-up with ease, even mascara (although it's not meant for eyes, and will sting if it gets in there!) I love that it contains oats, one of my favourite ingredients for hydrating and soothing sore or inflamed skin. My tip is to find an old pair of laddered tights (clean!) and cut the foot off. Fill it with a couple of good handfuls of oats, tie it off, and hang it from your bath tap letting the warm water run through it. Great for sunburn or eczema! Anyway, the only fault I can find with this cleanser is the smell - it kind of reminds me of play-doh!? 
zk'in Calming Cream Cleanser is £15.95 at Love Lula.

The Hydrating Mist is very refreshing, and I really feel it boosts the skin's hydration compared to just moisturiser alone. It has a very strong lavender scent, so this might be a little much for people sensitive to fragrances and essential oils. It would be great to mist on to rejuvenate your make-up after a long day. Hydrating Mist is £22.95.

I was surprised by the Brightening and Hydrating Masque. I was expecting it to be a white, creamy moisture mask, but it was a clay mask! It smells of essential oils and cocoa - again, these products are not for you if you prefer fragrance-free skincare! The mask leaves the skin slightly flushed, a common side effect of clay masks, but I found my skin was a little brighter and clearer the morning after I used it. Brightening and Hydrating Masque is £29.90.

L-R, Calming Cream Cleanser, Brightening and Hydrating Masque, Relief Moisturiser.

The one product out of the bunch that disappointed me was the Relief Moisturiser. It was nowhere near moisturising enough for my skin, which felt tight and flaky five minutes after application! I thought this might be just because of my unusually dry skin, but after several family members tried it, the consensus was - not moisturising enough. Relief Moisturiser is £29.95.

The Rejuvenating Moisturiser,  which I got a sample of, is better, but still not quite rich enough for my liking. The Line Smoothing Serum is a thin, silky lotion, almost a gel. A little goes a long way. It is supposed to help prevent crow's feet by having a weak paralysing effect on the muscles - like a topical botox lite. I'm not sure if I'm imagining it, but I think my fine lines seemed slightly diminished after use. The product seemed to dry quickly to an invisible, almost film-like finish, which made it a little difficult to rub moisturiser or sunscreen over the top without disturbing it. 

Overall, my favourite of the products I got to try was the Calming Cream Cleanser,  by far. The products do all have a strange kind of scent, which I'm guessing is the natural preservative they use. It is made from bitter orange, radish root, vitamin E, essential oil isolates and basil extract,  and is strangely listed on the ingredients as 'parfum (natural preservative)'.

Would I purchase these products after they run out? Maybe the cleanser, but not the others. While the clay mask and toner are good, the smell is too strong, and I can find similar products cheaper than these. 

Verdict 

The products are priced a bit higher than I would've liked. The company has great eco credentials,  but products are too strongly fragranced for me, personally. 

Zk'in products are available to buy in the UK from Love Lula and Zynergy.co.uk. 

Til Next Time,

Emma
xXx

The products in this post were provided to me free of charge for review purposes. My reviews and opinions will always remain unbiased and impartial. Please see skimlinks disclosure in the sidebar.