FASHION & BEAUTY
Reviews of my favourite Fashion & Beauty brands/products, latest tips and overviews of what's going on in the industry, what works well and where to find it!
So we all like to look good and are over the moon when we FINALLY find that magic make-up that works perfectly for us, right? But just how many of us really question the immorality and cruelty in the amount of animal experimentation that goes on back there behind the scenes?
Clinique, Mary Kay, Bobbi Brown, Glam Glow and Avon to name a few infamously still pay for animal testing to take place in Eastern countries like China.
I've been buying from The Body Shop for years, it's my number one go-to brand for body butters, lotions and scented oils. Their "Feel So Good" hamper set won me over as the perfect pampering treat. Let's face it, sometimes it's good to be a little selfish...
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| #TreatYourselfTuesday 😉 |
As a strong advocate against animal testing- particularly in the make-up and beauty brands I'm interested in, they won me over straight away. Alongside Cruelty Free International, The Body Shop have spent the last 40 years fighting against cosmetic testing on animals. With 80% of countries still permitting animal testing freely, their next aim is to show 8 million signatures to the UN General Assembly in 2018, to put a stop to it once and for all.
It's been an important feature in the consumerist part of my life as it promotes the importance of the maintenance of a healthy and fair trade lifestyle, using recyclable products and natural ingredients and sources to ensure premium quality and considering ethics in testing and employment across the long production line.
By now, it should be easy to come up with at least six advantages of choosing this company over other brands- as demonstrated in their various campaigns over the years (such as Enrich Not Exploit) The Body Shop care about what really matters. They build fair community trading links in poorer parts of Africa that benefit from the business, they consistently consider the importance and well-being of nature, aim to legally ban forms of unethical treatment and cruelty and want to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment and improve the planet's current state by saving forest land.
6 Reasons Why You Should Choose Them:
1.) They're vegetarian and vegan friendly.
The Body Shop don't use any ingredients that are produced or extracted through means of animal slaughter. It's pretty rare to find other make-up and skin-care brands that don't use some form of animal-derived ingredient (using ethical or unethical means). Some of their products use organic ingredients such as beeswax, honey or wool grease (lanolin)- sourced from animals but not obtained by slaughter or harmful methods. Some of their products do not contain any animal ingredients- and are considered vegan-friendly.
As I mentoned previously, Body Shop products are marked cruelty-free, something that has always been important to me and attracted me to their brand in the first place. The Body Shop has famously been against all animal cruelty since starting up in 1976- and are continually working towards making it illegal and banning it altogether. All the animal ingredients they do use are harvested from sustainable sources in countries such as Ethiopia and Cameroon.
3.) They consider their global footprint.
When you buy from The Body Shop, you know that the products and ingredients aren't having a negative effect on the environment. They aim to reduce their carbon footprint and electricity and water consumption whilst doing their best to ensure their products are biodegradable and can be broken down easily (even down to their paper carrier bags). They don't use environmentally hazardous chemicals so that our surroundings do not suffer as a consequence.
Their Bio-Bridges project in conjunction with the World Land Trust is working on conserving forests and natural animal habitats. This provides sustainable sources for their products and encourages you- the consumer, to do more to help threatened or endangered species and their environments. This way you know your money is spent wisely and for a good cause when you buy from them.
Supporting fair trade production and community values is important to The Body Shop. They make sure that farmers are not financially exploited and because they use sources from across the world they ensure equal opportunities during the production of their items. The company are in partnership with many organisations that identify and track down chains practicing slave labour through poverty and exploitation in their workplaces. This way their efforts increasingly contribute to benefit human and working rights across the world.
6.) Their message
OK, so who hasn't had low self-worth at some point in their lifetime? For me, there have been times where I have been severely uncomfortable with my own body and what I see in the mirror. This is why I really value the self-esteem boost that The Body Shop promote, stating that looking good comes directly from feeling good. (As I mentioned earlier, the "Feel So Good" beauty treatment set is a winner!) It also occurred to me that compared to other images thrown around in the beauty industry and by it's leading brands, The Body Shop doesn't share material and imagery that is likely to have a negative impact on women's self-esteem. In my opinion, this is a key reason why they've been so successful through brand loyalty over the years.
They are (as they describe themselves) a force for good since '76, and it's good to know your money goes to a good cause whilst enjoying the premium quality of their products.
#foreveragainstanimaltesting
H x
So I'm not going to lie to you I spent a lot of money on clothes and shoes last year- and when I say "a lot " I mean a lot...oops.
So whilst I attempt to keep the 7-day streak going of not treating myself so far this year (doing well so far, I know) here are some of my favourite items that I bought for parties and occasions over the festive season, reviewed on Missguided. My personal favourite is the stunning red lace cami choker burgundy bodycon dress which I bought intentionally about a month in advance for New Year's Eve. There was a 50% off sale at Missguided meaning I could get the dress for a mere £20! As you can imagine, the rest of the world caught onto this as well and we all found ourselves in a queue to enter the site there was that high demand. Even when I did get online my size would disappear or it would be taken out of my bag, making it all the more rewardable when I finally caught it!
I was so pleased with the quality on delivery, the lace was sturdy and not fraying at all, and the fit and colour was perfect and as expected! The review is featured here on Missguided's item review page, featuring three photos of me wearing the dress, with back and frontal views.
Undoubtedly, Missguided have the best nude knee-highs I'm yet to come across, which is impressive as the colour can often be deceiving and the length and width of the boots (being petite) is more often than not a problem. You can find the review here on the Missguided site. On here, the picture I include features my full Christmas outfit: Roll Neck Jumper from InTheStyle, Diamonds By The Yard drop earrings from Tiffany&Co. and the featured Missguided nude faux suede over-the-knee heeled boots.
If you've been keeping up with my Instagram you'll have noticed how thrilled I was with my satin tie metal heeled sandals, also from Missguided- for Christmas (as shown below)
Aren't they gorgeous? Missguided feature them on their "Shop Our Insta" tab on their site which I was so happy about and received so many lovely comments about how beautiful they look! Here they are as shown on my Tumblr 
in this post standing out from the crowd here!
in this post standing out from the crowd here!
My New Year's Resolution to stop myself from spending is probably going to fail some point soon but who cares? You can never have too many clothes, right?
H x
What a hectic weekend!
I'm writing this, blurry-eyed on a Tuesday evening after a long day after barely being back at University!
Multiple birthday celebrations meant food, drink and good company were a granted must- almost as crucial as that hot new outfit that no-one has seen before! So, about a week prior to the event I began my online shopping spree and scoured the internet for a new black, lace jumpsuit. I went straight to Miss Selfridge in faith as some of my favourite features include their petite and going-out ranges- and given that I'm back on a tight budget being back at uni their exceptional, yet affordable quality is a blessing (especially when you have expensive taste!)
I was really pleased with this purchase as I hadn't bought from Miss Selfridge for a while and this was my first jumpsuit from the store, even still my expectations were met and exceeded. It was delivered to me within 48 hours (perfect to settle my impatient waiting) and as I ripped open the parcel and unfolded my jumpsuit I realised its length, size and material quality was faultless. The legs are 3/4 length and aren't slim fit or wide leg- falling somewhere in the middle giving a comfy but tailored image. The waistline is subtly pleated to emphasise the desired "hourglass" figure and project a thinner torso and upper half.
The jumpsuit was surprisingly easy to fasten without additional help with a low back zip and three choker neck clasps ensuring you stay in your outfit as the cleavage line is low. The lace sleeves weren't as fragile and delicate as I expected them to be and instead were a thicker rigid material that didn't fray or give when I wore it out.
Here it is in action in the obligatory #MissSelfie via Instagram (shown below) :
I'd been busy all day and didn't have much time at all to get ready for the big Saturday night out but one thing I loved about this item on first glance was its effortless chic, and its ability to make me look like I'd spent double the amount of time I actually had getting ready! It proved a hit and earned me many compliments and commendations, meaning I certainly wasn't shy to take a selfie or two throughout the night and still be pleasantly surprised with how good I looked (even by the end of the night!). You can find my Miss Selfridge review here or alternatively you can view it below:
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| After taking a #MissSelfie, I couldn't help but express my love for the exquisite outfit |
It's one of those go-to perfect outfits that you don't have to worry about having a wardrobe malfunction with or constantly be wondering whether you still look good in it by the end of the night, it won't let you down! Anyway, I'm glad to change the subject from clothes onto another topic for once! Especially when it's onto the cocktails!
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Clothes, cocktails & celebrations: a weekend winner   |
I would continue to highly recommend Miss Selfridge as usual, a few days ago my friend got the bargain of all bargains after attaining a £40 dress for a mere £9! With over 75% of the initial price knocked off due to clearance, sale and student discount deductions it proves you really can get not just a decent quality buy consistently from Miss Selfridge, but also a reasonable one.
Cheers!🥂
H x
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