It’s true, Plant Love lipsticks are certified by ECOCERT for being environmentally friendly, from its unique packaging made entirely from corn to its all natural ingredients.

Needless to say, they are cruelty-free!

Created by Cargo Cosmetics, Plant Love lipsticks are made in a rich botanical base with no mineral oils or petroleums.

Phthalates, petro-chemicals, synthetic dyes, and fragrances.

I like its smooth, creamy formula, which feels very moisturizing on the lips.
Plant Love lipsticks are available in 22 lovely shades, including 13 celebrity-designed colors and 9 shades inspired by places of ecological beauty.Each lipstick is $20. Cargo Cosmetics will donate $2 of every sale to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

For more information about Plant Love lipsticks or to find a retail location, visit Cargo Cosmetics’ website.

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1. Prime your eye lid. Apply a small amount of Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion all over your upper and lower eye lid. Or try M.A.C.’s Prep and Prime Eye or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. This is an important step to prevent your eye shadows from fading into your crease and help their colors show up more vibrantly. Read Cruelty-free beauty 101: eye shadow primer.

2. Apply your base color. Contrary to what many believe, smoky eye makeup can be done with many eye shadow colors, not just black. Choose the overall tone you want, then select your group of colors.

For example, for a deep purple smoky eye, you can use a soft violet or light brown shade as your base color, a medium to dark purple shade in your crease and a deep purple or black color on your outer corner. The base color should be the lightest color and can be shimmery or matte in finish. Apply this color all over your eye lid. Try NYX Smokey Look Kit (Giveaway details below).

3. Apply your crease color. Now apply a darker color to your crease as well as the outer part of your lower eye lid. Blend well. Good blending is key to the perfect smoky eye makeup, so use a good blending brush and blend the two colors until there’s sharp contrast between them or blunt color edges on your lid.

4. Smoke out your outer corner. Apply the darkest color to your outer corner to add more depth and definition. This can be black or any dark shade but should be a color with matte finish. Blend well. You can skip this step if you want a light, more natural smoky eye look.

5. Line your eyes. Apply eye liner (black, brown, color of your choice) to your upper and lower lash lines. Set it with a matching eye shadow by tracing and smudging your lines with a eye liner brush. Try Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil or Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner.

6. Apply mascara. Add more volume and intensity by applying several coats mascara to both your upper and lower lashes. Try Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara or M.A.C. Plush Lash.

Tip: Never pair a dark smoky eye with bold lip color. Keep your lips light to further emphasize your eyes. Try NYX Smokey Look Kit lip colors.

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Model Naomi Campbell's cheekbones are defined with contour makeup. AP Photo/Alastair Grant

This makeup trick may sound complicated, but it’s really easy to do with the right tools and some practice.

Begin by applying a matte bronzer (or any cream or powder makeup that’s a few shades darker than your skin) to the hollow of your cheeks. Try e.l.f. Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder, $3.

This will mimic the natural shadow on our face and thus creating more defined, higher cheekbones.

Next apply some shadow to the sides of your nose to make it appear taller, smaller and thinner.

Finally apply your contouring product along the outer edge of your face, like along your jawline and around your temples to slim down your face.

To complement your contours, highlight your face by applying a light, shimmery powder to the top of your cheekbones, below your brow bones, and down the center of your nose.

Be sure to blend well to avoid leaving unnatural dark spots or harsh lines on your face.

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I’m inspired to publish a collection of articles titled Spring Colors.

In these pieces, I will explore and share selected cruelty-free beauty products that are Spring-perfect for their bright, colorful, fun qualities.

Like these vibrant nail polishes by Essence.

Available in 22 dazzling shades, these nail polishes are fun, colorful, and very affordable at $0.99 each!

And since they dry extremely fast and come with a helpful flat brush, they’re super easy to wear and change.

On my nails in the photo above from thumb to pinkie are Sundancer, No More Drama, VIP Appeal, Get the Fever, and Just in Case.

I do want to point out that while some colors such as No More Drama go on evenly and smoothly, others such as Sundancer are a bit streaky and require several coats.

These lovely Spring hues come in a convenient, small 0.1 fl. oz. bottles, which I love as I’ve yet to finish a larger, traditional-sized nail polish and not waste the product.

Essence is a German cosmetics company. A well-known brand in other parts of the world, Essence recently became available exclusively at ULTA stores in the U.S.

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Which is better and truly cruelty-free?

First of all, what is a cruelty-free makeup brush? Some companies may tell you that their natural-hair brushes are 100 percent cruelty-free, promising that no squirrels, camels, badgers, or any other animals used to make natural-hair brushes were harmed in the manufacturing process.

I’m skeptical with such promise or statement. While I’m not suggesting that these companies are dishonest, but in reality, many of these companies don’t make their brushes in house but buy from manufacturers in other countries and therefore, they do NOT know firsthand how the animals were treated.

In my opinion, even if the animals were well-cared for during the manufacturing process, it’s still not totally cruelty-free simply because the animals are kept and maintained for the purpose of using their hair to make brushes.

I just don’t like the idea of using animals for any purposes except to love and respect them.

This brings us to synthetic brushes, the truly, 100 percent cruelty-free and my favorite type of makeup brushes.

Synthetic brushes have man-made, synthetic fibers. They don’t contain any animal hair and are vegan and in most cases eco-friendly.

Better than natural-hair brushes, synthetic bristles are hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin. They’re soft, clean, and overall superior products.

Depending on the brand, the costs of synthetic brushes differ but overall they’re comparable to natural-hair brushes and in many cases, more affordable.

Some of my favorite synthetic brushes are by Urban Decay, Sirius Beauty, and e.l.f.

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The collection includes a versatile eyeshadow palette, nail kit, 24/7 eye pencil in Eldorado, tinted moisturizers, setting sprays, and a mattifying gel. Also being released are two new Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss shades.

Summer of Love Eye Palette, $29

This palette offers four of Urban Decay’s favorite neutral eyeshadow shades including Copper, Maui Wowie, Smog, and Flash, a 24/7 Eye Pencil in Bourbon, and a travel-sized Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Summer of Love Nail Kit, $28

The nail kit comes with seven mini nail colors in a reusable bronze and purple faux suede case.

All the colors are formulated without harsh chemicals including toluene, formaldehyde, or DBP.

24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Eldorado, $17

Urban Defense Tinted Moisturizers SPF 20, $32

Makeup Setting & Moisturizing Sprays, $26-$29

De-Slick in a Tube Mattifying Gel, $28

Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss, $19

The popular Pocket Rocket Lip Gloss collection will grow by two new shades: Colin and Max.

All these products can be found on urbandecay.com as of today.

Furthermore, beginning May 1, they will be available online and in stores of ULTA, Sephora, and Macy’s.

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Made from food-grade, certified organic ingredients, Vapour products are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Compared to conventional, chemically-based cosmetics, Vapour is non-toxic and completely free of synthetic chemicals such as parabens, petroleum, and artificial dyes.

Furthermore, Vapour is cruelty-free, a must on my list.

All these benefits did not sacrifice Vapour’s main function to color you beautiful.

Let’s take a look:

Siren Lipstick, $19

Moisturizing and long-wearing, the Siren Lipstick is available in 5 shades that will flatter all skin tones.

Containing no harmful chemicals or petroleum additives, Siren lipsticks give you lovely colors while protecting and moisturizing your lips.

Stratus Instant Skin Perfector, $44

Another multi-tasker, the Stratus Instant Skin Perfector serves as a face primer, highligher, moisturizer, and corrector.

Use alone or with other makeup to achieve an even, natural, glowing look.

As with most other Vapour products, it comes in a convenient cream stick tube. Take it with you and apply whenever you want a little brightness and refreshment.

Vapour Giveaway!
I’m excited to announce that Vapour Organic Beauty has graciously offered to give 5 Cruelty-Free Beauty Examiner readers sets of Siren Lipstick and Stratus Instant Skin Perfector. Click HERE for details on how to win!

Entries will be accepted through Monday, April 5th. Winners will be chosen at random. Please check back later that week to see who won. Good luck!
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1. Revlon Colorstay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF6, $11: One of the best liquid foundations around! Available in various shades for all skin types, this liquid foundation provides medium to full coverage for a natural, beautiful look. It feels comfortable on the face and lasts all day long.
2. wet n wild COLORICON Eyeshadow Palettes, $4.99: These palettes are extremely pigmented and easy to blend.
Available in four sets: Greed, Pride, Lust, and Vanity, each palette comes with six beautiful colors including three matte and three shimmery shades.

3. Almay One Coat Nourishing Mascara, $8: This mascara will give your eye lashes more volume while maintaining their curls. It comes with a uniquely-shaped applicator that has a strip of long bristles on one side to help you better coat your eye lashes evenly and completely while preventing mess to the rest of your eye area.
4. Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner, $6.50: Many people’s favorite eyeliner, it goes on smoothly, shows up vibrantly, and has a great staying power.

5. Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner, $7.50: One of my favorite liquid eyeliners, it comes with a felt-tip applicator for easy and smooth application. The color is very pigmented and stays in place throughout the day.
6. Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Bronzer, $11.95: Available in six palettes, each bronzer comes with five shades, which blend together for a beautiful tan glow.
The product has a silky smooth texture and is very versatile. Besides using it as a bronzer, I also use each shade individually as shimmery eye shadows.

7. NYX Lip Smacking Fun Colors, $3.50: These lipsticks are very creamy and moisturizing for the lips. Available in over 120 rich colors, it’s easy to find your perfect shade.

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Created for Tim Burton’s adaptation of Alice in Wonderland for Disney, this palette offers 16 of Urban Decay’s bestselling eyeshadow shades, two 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils, and the much-loved Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Inspired by Alice’s journey through the mushroom forest (featured in the palette’s pop-up scene) , the eyeshadows are re-labeled with topsy-curvy names such as Curiouser, Mushroom, and Jabberwocky.

There’s a wonderful mix of colors in this palette, from shimmery highlighters like the White Rabbit to sparkly eyeshadows like the Midnight Tea Party.

You can be creative and makeup a number of different looks using this palette.

For example, to create a neutral look, apply Drink Me, Eat Me (a light rosy champaign color) all over your eye lid, and then define your crease and outer corner with Mad Hatter (a rich chocolate brown color).
If you’ want a more intense, dramatic look, try Absolem (a silky, crisp green color) on your eye lid, dress that up with a touch of Oraculum (a lovely medium copper color) in the crease, and add more depth and definition by smoking out your outer corners with Jabberwocky (a slick, shimmery black color). Finish off the look by highlighting your eyebrow arch and the inner eye corners with White Rabbit.

Two travel-size 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencils in Zero (black) and Flipside (turquoise teal) as well as a eye primer potion complete the palette.

The Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows is available for $52 online and in stores (Macy’s, ULTA, and Sephora).

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Cruelty-free products: M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid liquid foundation, Noah’s Naturals All Day Moisture with SPF15, M.A.C shimmery pigment, synthetic foundation brush, M.A.C. Fix+ spray. M.A.C. Select MoistureCover Concealer. These are cruelty-free products I use, of course you can substitute and use others, choose between oil-free or moisture-rich products depending on your skin-type.
Step 1: Clean and moisturize your face. For oily skin, you can skip the moisturizer for now. Apply concealer to your “problem” areas such as blemishes and under eye dark circles.

Step 2: Mix together small quantities of the liquid foundation, moisturizer, and shimmery loose powder. For easy blending/mixing, try to choose a moisturizer that has a thin or liquid-like consistency. You can use any shimmery loose powder in light shades such as white, beige, or pink. You only need a tiny amount of shimmer in this step.

Step 3: Apply mixture to your face with the foundation brush. Blend well.

Step 4: For an illuminating glow, highlight your features by applying a shimmery cream or the loose powder used in previous steps to the top of your cheekbones above where you apply blush. You can also apply some shimmer to the bridge of your nose and your cupid’s bow. This will brighten up your face, giving you a soft, subtle sheen. Product recommendation: Hard Candy Spotlighters All Over Highlighter.

Step 5 (optional): Apply bronzer to the areas under your cheekbones below where you apply blush to contour your face. Product recommendation: Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Bronzer. Blend well.
Step 6: Apply makeup to the rest of your face (cheeks, eyes, and lips) to complete your look. Set your face with finishing spray, which will ensure a dewy, moisture-rich look without appearing greasy or shiny.

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