The Vegan Kind Beauty Box

I had already subscribed to 'The Vegan Kind' before I met them at 'Vegfest' last month so I already knew what they were all about. For those of you who don't know, I shall explain. 'The Vegan Kind' send out monthly vegan lifestyle boxes for a fee of £10 plus postage and packaging. The box usually contains about six food items and one non food item, all Vegan and cruelty free. You shall hear more about the monthly subscription boxes after I have received my next box but this time I want to let you know about their beauty box which is updated every three months and costs £15 plus postage and packaging. I picked mine up for the reduced price of £13 at 'Vegfest'. Now I'm probably a little late with this one but it gives you an idea of the sort of items you can find.

So in this box I received six cruelty free beauty products and a description of each one. The first product I tried almost instantly on opening my box has to be my favourite out of all the items and that is the 'White Rabbit Lime and Coconut Cleansing Water' (RRP £4). This is very gentle on the skin but does it's job well. The lime essential oil contained within it has antiseptic, antibacterial, astringent and toning properties. It has a subtle citrucy smell which I like because it's not too over-powering when I apply it to my face. This now has pride of place in the bathroom cabinet with all my other favourite products.

My second favourite item in the box would have to be 'Simply Soaps Orange Cocoa Bath Melt' (RRP £4.50). It's made from raw cocoa butter and pure plant essential oils which soften the skin. I can't pinpoint any one particular scent with this but you can definitely detect the citrucy notes. I was hoping that it would smell a little stronger once in the bath but that didn't put me off. I love bath products that contain cocoa butter so I couldn't wait to give this a try. I placed it in the bath and swished it around until it had fully dissolved. I climbed in and out of the bath with care as the bath melt had made it extremely slippery but it left me feeling moisturised and very relaxed.

The 'Furless 'must have' Pro Stippling Brush (RRP £8.50) is suitable for applying liquids, mousses, creams, primers and powders. I stupidly haven't used it yet as it feels so soft and I don't want to ruin it. I know, I know... what's the point in having it if I don't use it! I will, in time but for now I just like looking at it in my make-up bag. 'Furless' are an Australian company that sell an array of different high quality synthetic make-up brushes, cruelty free make-up and nail polish. I looked up their WEBSITE and was very impressed.

Now I don't normally use eyeliner pencils, I prefer liquid eyeliner for ease of application but I was pleasantly surprised with 'Inika Black Caviar Eyeliner' (RRP £13.50) as I didn't have to press as hard as I normally have to with a regular eyeliner pencil. I don't know if anyone else has this problem, maybe I'm just extra sensitive or weird. I think I will actually give this a go on occasions so this product gets to stay in my make-up bag... lucky thing!

Last but not least I received not one but two fabulous 'Beautiful Movements Cosmetics Beauty Eyeshadow' 1g sample (RRP £3.50 each) which are apparently available nationwide at 'Holland and Barret.' These mineral eyeshadows are free from parabens, synthetic dyes and fragrances, fillers, bismuth, oxychloride, nano particles and animal products. The shades I received were 'Platinum Tiara' and 'Dusty Road' (so a gold and silver) ideal colours for the autumn and winter months, 'Dusty Road' particularly so at Christmas. I tried out both and really liked them but 'Dusty Road' was definitely my favourite out of the two because it seemed to stay on for longer and was more vibrant. Although I hadn't applied any primer beforehand which I will next time.

So for a £13 box that's usually £15 I didn't do too badly with all the products totalling to £37.50... a real bargain if you ask me even if you purchase the box at full price. They may have introduced the next box by now with new products so please don't purchase it expecting to get these items but I'm sure the next one will be just as good.

Barry M Haul

Now I'm not usually one to write about make-up and beauty products, I leave that to people who know what they are talking about but I thought I would give it a go no matter how bad it turns out. I don't tend to wear make-up that often, mostly at the weekends if I'm going out. Normally work require us to keep make-up to a minimum so I don't bother at all, especially when I have a lot of early starts to contend with. Over the past few months I have been trying to replace all the make-up I have with cruelty free brands. I thought I was doing well until I did a bit of research.

I began buying products from 'The Body Shop' but realised that they were owned by L'oreal who continue to profit from animal testing outside Europe. So when I have used these products up I shall be on the hunt for some new ones. One main company that I am aware of that is both cruelty free and affordable is Barry-M so I went into 'Boots' to buy some of their products.

I came away with their Ivory 1 Flawless Matte Finish oil free foundation, Smokin Hot Shadow and Blush Palette, Lip Gloss and two lip-sticks including the Genie which I'm really intrigued by.

So first up is 'Absolute Burgundy' in the stain paint range . I was worried that this would be a bit dark for me, I used to wear this kind of colour years ago and I had stopped wearing lip-stick for a long time but I thought I would give it a go again and I liked the result. It's a great colour for the autumn months and will look fabulous on nights out (not that I get many of those). Apologies for the extremely dodgy photo's you are about to endure.

Genie is a clever little invention and I have to admit I bought it purely because of it's magical qualities. The lip stick appears green but when you use it on your lips, it leaves them pink.

I really like the shimmery dark smoky colours in the 'Smokin Hot Palette', I used my own brush for application but I found that a lot of excess dust fell under my eyes. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good photo of my eyes once I had finished. The palette has a mirror on the inside and the flap stays shut using a magnet

The foundation was a little disappointing. The consistency isn't thick enough to cover blemishes or freckles but it's ideal if you want a subtle, more natural look. You can feel the moisturising qualities so it's reassuring to know it's not going to dry your skin out too much. It works well with powder but it's just not compatible with my complexion.

I haven't worn lip gloss for a long time either so I thought I would treat myself, I went for a nice neutral colour for everyday use (well not everyday as I won't be wearing it at work). All in all, I'm pleased with my purchases but I will continue my hunt for the perfect foundation.