West Hollywood It-Girl

Have you heard of ncLA yet? If not, you will. They are a cruelty free, Los Angeles-based, indie nail polish brand that (IMHO) have successfully married nail colors with high fashion. Since I live in Los Angeles, I had to try their new LA Collection. I tried a bright tomato red (Rush Hour), a deep blue-green (Malibu Beach Babe) and an intense glittery pink (West Hollywood It-Girl).

West Hollywood It Girl

I really like the small brushes that allow an easy and clean application. The formulas are amazing. They are free of DBP, toulene, formaldehyde and camphor, and they are by far the best I have ever used. Wow. Easy application. No bubbling up. No dripping, smearing, etc. It’s not all hype – this is amazing stuff.

Rush Hour

Malibu Beach Babe

This is definitely a My Beauty Bunny cruelty free favorite!

Yes, I am obsessed with laser hair removal, but there are still some areas I have to shave. And some of these areas are highly resistant to this whole “shaving thing.” They show their distaste for the blade with angry red bumps and irritated skin. After trying a million other products (some from very high-end and well-known brands mind you), I have found an after-shave oil I love! It’s called Dare to be Bare by Earthly Body. It’s cruelty free and vegan.

It’s my little bottle of miracles. It’s simple really – a combination of hemp seed, tea tree, rosehips, soybean, avocado, jojoba, apricot and Vitamin E oils. You add a few drops to skin after waxing or shaving and voila – instantly soothed and moisturized! The tea tree oil also kills germs that can exacerbate razor bumps.

This one's getting a cruelty free favorite award! It's that good!

They also sell a wonderful hemp seed Glow Oil that you can slather all over when you get out of the shower or bath. It’s made with hemp seed, avocado, apricot, coconut, Vitamin E and jojoba oils.

I tried the scent called “Naked in the Woods.” Okay – how awesome is that name? Seriously. And it smells amazing – fresh and clean – a scent my boyfriend and I can actually agree on.

I think I’m in love with this brand. I definitely want to try more!

Jen

I just got my hair did and I’m SO excited to tell you about my new favorite cruelty free LA salon and my new favorite cruelty free hair color!

First let’s talk about the salon – Primrose Organics in Los Angeles is now my go-to salon for hair color. First of all, the owners are dolls. Felicia Howe was concerned about the negative health effects of the salon products she was using, so she partnered with Melissa Tornay, and together they opened Primrose Organics. They use (and sell via their boutique) only cruelty free, organic and natural products. Felicia told me she noticed a world of difference when she switched to these healthier products – for herself and her clients. The salon was opened in April ’09 – the same time My Beauty Bunny was being born (great minds…)!

Melissa and Felicia

The salon itself is totally my style – vintage furniture and furnishings everywhere. It’s eclectic and cool without a single ounce of pretension or snobbery (what a breath of fresh air in LA!). The building itself is made from recycled and environmentally-friendly materials. The drywall is formaldehyde-free, the pain is VOC-free, the hot water and lighting are energy efficient, the hair foils are made from recycled foil – even the hair dryers are energy efficient!

When you meet Felicia and Melissa, you’ll see that this eco-friendly stuff is not just a gimmick – it’s a way of life (Felicia even gave me the number for her naturopath!).

Primrose Organics Salon

Primrose Organics Boutique

Primrose Organics now has a loyal new customer – I won’t go anywhere else! I found out while I was there that Tania from Pure Natural Diva is also a loyal client!

Now, let’s talk about the color – Organic Color Systems is vegan, cruelty free and PETA-approved. There is no ammonia and no harmful fumes (it smelled herbal when it was being applied – not the greatest scent, but definitely natural and not scary). The color is made with certified organic ingredients like chamomile, comfrey, grapefruit and orange. It also contains Vitamins C, E and wheat protein to repair and strengthen your hair. Yes – this hair color actually improves the condition of your hair and makes it shinier!

Organic Color Systems vegan hair color

The color doesn’t stain your scalp or your face (don’t ask me how they do that). It can be used to cover greys (I can’t comment on that because I don’t have any yet) and it is supposed to last longer than ordinary hair color. Now – I had my hair dyed red many moons ago, and I noticed that the red highlights showed through a little – to me this is great – it gave me a more natural-looking head of hair. If it was grey – I imagine the grey parts would be slightly lighter – so it would look like you have highlights. You can see what I’m talking about in my pic at the top of this post.

Just say no to ammonia!

Now let’s talk about ammonia for a second – besides being toxic, why should you avoid it? Here’s what Organic Color Systems has to say about ammonia:

Ammonia is a damaging corrosive toxin that should be kept out of the salons because it severely damages the cuticle and destroys tyrosine, the hair’s protein that develops melanin (hair’s natural pigmentation). The more the tyrosine protein is damaged, the less capable the hair is of “holding on to” color. It is a caustic toxin that causes both short and long term damage to the throats and lungs. Long term exposure can permanently damage the respiratory system.

Your hair stylist can mix up a custom color for you – including non-bleach lighteners if you want to go lighter. I told Felicia I wanted dark brown hair – almost black. She knew exactly what to do and I love the result.

I really and truly cannot say enough good things about Primrose Organics or Organic Color Systems, so I’m awarding them both the My Beauty Bunny Favorite seal of approval!

Jen

You guys, I am SO excited to share this with you! I collaborated with 3 Custom Color to create my very own cruelty free My Beauty Bunny lipstick and I’m giving 10 of them away to my readers!

The lipstick is still in the process of being made, so I will post more pics as soon as I get my sample. The photo above is an accurate representation of the color – a fabulous, warm orange/coral! I actually mixed this color myself with the goal of creating a fun color that works on many different skin tones. Learn more about cool vs. warm tones here.

The creation process!

In the pic above you can see part of the creation process – in my apartment! Tess from 3CC and I mixed and blended and tested. A few butter knives and a pair of ruined pants later (sorry Tess!), we came up with the perfect color.

Okay, so not the best pic of me squinting in the sun (I am a golem you know), but I think you can see the color is pretty wearable. I also love BRIGHT orange lipstick, but I figured I might be in the minority, so I toned it down.

You can buy this fantastic (if I do say so myself) shade of lipstick at Three Custom Color! AND, enter to win one of TEN My Beauty Bunny lipsticks!

Just wait for the form below to load – comments on this post are welcome, but will not be accepted as entries. Ends 9/20 at 12:01 am EST. You must be 18 or older and have a US shipping address.

Why on Earth did it take me so long to tell you guys about these wonderful products? I’ve been using Peter Lamas shampoos and conditioners for a while now and keeping the secret all to myself. Shame on me!

Peter Lamas hair products are cruelty free and vegan. The company, started by celebrity hair stylist, Peter Lamas, was one of the first to be paraben and SLS-free. Peter uses natural ingredients, but unlike a lot of natural hair products, these products actually work. Let me rephrase that – they work better than MOST other salon-quality hair products I’ve tried. I am a total convert.

The Chinese Herbs Stimulating Shampoo and Stimulating Conditioner are my favorites. They are formulated to prevent premature baldness, stimulate hair growth, remove buildup that can slow hair growth, inhibit DHT build up and help with scalp itchiness or dandruff. They give you a slight tingly, peppermint-y feeling which I love. The shampoo removes dirt and product build up without stripping your hair. The conditioner makes your hair feel clean, soft and healthy – without weighing it down or making it “puffy.”

I also really like the Naturals Rice Protein Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner. This line is perfect for my fine, but prone to frizz hair. The rice protein, B-5, goldenseal, carrot seed, chamomile, nettles, yucca and other ingredients strengthen and protect the hair shaft without weighing your hair down.

I definitely want to try more Peter Lamas products – I am hooked! You can get some sweet deals on some of the Peter Lamas hair products at iHerb.com (my go-to site for natural beauty goodies and supplements – they have crazy amazing prices). Or you can buy online from PeterLamas.com. Also, check out my girl, Kelly from Gouldylox’s review of Chinese Herbs shampoo and conditioner.

I can’t recommend this brand enough – definitely a cruelty free favorite!

Jen