Question of the Week – Before we officially head into Summer 2013, tell us: What was your favorite new beauty product of Spring 2013, and why?

Answer – My favorite product this Spring has to be Beautisol’s Tea Tan Glow – and i think I’ll be reaching for it all summer long as well. It’s a wash-off body bronzer that I can use right before going out on the town, with no self-tanner smell!

Please Note: not all Lipstick League posts are cruelty free.

Nouveau Cheap – The semi-annual CVS Beauty Clearance Sale is officially underway, with many cosmetics reduced to 50% or 75% off. Here’s how you can maximize your savings.

Pink Sith – takes you on a fragrant journey through India, which just so happens to be the name of Lise Watier’s latest fragrance!

Prime Beauty – is channeling her “New York State of Mind” with the new NARS Hearts New York Limited Edition Gift Set!

Phyrra – brings you the Best in Cruelty-Free Beauty Brands! She includes MAC dupes & companies that ship Worldwide!

Vampy Varnish – loves the new bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipsticks and thinks you will find some shades you like as well!

we heart this – is proud to be one of the new Eucerin brand ambassadors, and they’re giving away fab products and a $100 Visa gift card to share the joy!

Beauty Junkies Unite – Finally, a U.S. BB cream that I just love! Check out the review & swatches of the brand new Kiehl’s Skin Tone Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream with SPF 50.

Clumps of Mascara – is a fan of Laura Gellar. If you are too then you are going to loooove a chance to win this giveaway.

EauMG – reviews her favorite fruity perfume, Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling. It captures the colors and vibrancy of Bollywood and puts it in scent form!

Gouldylox Reviews – Ever heard of a self-tanning body wash? Me either. It’s definitely different…

Lipglossiping – will always appreciate lovely candles and tasty fried breakfasts. But both at the same time? Bacon-scented candles? Hmmm…

My Beauty Bunny – Want super soft, smooth skin? Whip up this DIY Blueberry Mask for an antioxidant-rich, low-cost and yummy smelling treat for the face!

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Nouveau Cheap – Gradient nails can be challenging to execute, but this lovely, 70s-inspired look by Sarah at Chalkboard Nails only requires two colors–even I may be able to pull this one off!

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Here are some of my favorite cruelty free body washes!

Andalou Naturals Body Wash

Andalou Naturals is a big proponent of cruelty free beauty. Their body washes smell amazing! They come in Citrus Verbena (fresh and clean scent), Lavender Thyme (like a spa day in your shower!) and Mandarin Vanilla (like an orange creamsicle!). Renews, repairs and regenerates your cells while you clean. Give your skin a boost with active fruit stem cell and antioxidant ingredients and get the healthiest clean possible. Pick one up for $10.50 at YourBeautyWorks.com.

Nourish Body Wash

Nourish is a cruelty free, vegan, Leaping Bunny certified brand. You can feel good about your daily bath or shower when you cleanse your body with this organic hydrating blend of aloe (the first ingredient – always a good sign!), coconut milk, Vitamin E and blend of moisturizing essential oils. It doesn’t create a lot of lather, but leaves skin smooth and soft. It comes in: Unscented, Almond Vanilla, Fresh Fig, Lavender Mint and Wild Berries. My favorite is Fresh Fig. The packaging is gorgeous and the price is reasonable ($9.99). You can get the same scents from Nourish in hand washes, body lotions and even cruelty free deodorant! The products are also gluten free and certified USDA organic!

PROXI Body Wash

You have to get past the clinical-sounding name and packaging and just try this brand. It’s LOVELY! PROXI body wash gently cleanses skin with a blend of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide works to clean, disinfect, deodorize, and whiten without the use of harsh chemicals) and plant-derived surfactants. Aloe and naturally-derived moisturizers help to hydrate skin, leaving you feeling clean, refreshed, and radiant. This combination of 98% naturally-derived, paraben-free, soap-free and pH balanced ingredients cleans with a luxurious lather that doesn’t dry our your skin. I tried the Cucumber & Green Tea body wash and the “Men’s” body wash, which smells great (not too overpowering or masculine), and really anyone can use both! My boyfriend loves them both as well.

Also see my review of PROXI’s cruelty free mouthwash and toothpaste.

Seventh Generation

You may use Seventh Generation’s natural cleaning products, but did you know they have bath and body products too? Their body washes come in: lavender, chamomile, mandarin and peppermint. Pure rejuvenation, refreshingly scented with essential oils and botanical extracts. The gentle 93% plant-based body wash rinses clean and leaves your skin feeling wonderfully revived. The body washes are vegan, cruelty free, with no parabens or phthalates, and they are even gluten-free for those who are sensitive. The Seventh Generation bar soap, hand soap and facial wipes are also great. All of the products are very reasonably priced. Seventh Generation is also Leaping Bunny certified!

Archipelago Botanicals

The Archipelago Botanicals Morning Mint line is so refreshing. It’s not just straight mint – but mint mixed with the scent of fresh cut grass and mandarin. A fresh, rejuvenating scent to wake you up in the morning or revive your tired feet at night. It does contain milk solids (so not for my vegan friends). The Milk Line is also great (contains milk, soy and oat proteins). The body wash and moisturizer are luxurious and moisturize without being greasy.

But body washes are only half the battle for me. Here are some of my favorite soaps:

Hermosa Beach Soap Company

I love Hermosa Beach Soap Company’s cruelty free soaps. They are made with 100% natural oils and herbs, and they’re named after beaches in the California area like: Malibu Bar (apricot freesia with a bit of exfoliation action), Nude Beach (fragrance free with oatmeal for the most sensitive peeps), Pasa Robles Bar (soothing peppermint, lavender and calendula) and Palos Verdes (fresh and minty). Most of the soaps are vegan. You can tell each of these soaps is made with love!

The company also makes a cruelty free laundry detergent! I tried a small sample of the 100% Natural Laundry Powder on a load of laundry and it was nice – not overpowering at all. It comes in Lemon Verbena and Honey Almond scents (despite the name, both are vegan). My sensitive skin didn’t have any problems with it (I can’t use those heavily scented laundry soaps which are mostly tested on animals anyway). Support indie businesses! You can follow Kara Keller of Hermosa Beach Soap Company on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.

100% Pure Peach Butter Soap

100% Pure Peach Butter Soap lathers and moisturizes like nobody’s business. And it smells divine! It’s an all natural, 100% vegan, and gluten-free nourishing butter soap that will hydrate, soften, and nourish your skin while also purifying. It hydrates your skin while it cleans – your skin feels soft afterwards but never oily. I also like that the added moisture helps it to glide easily across the skin. Highly recommended.

LATHER Natural Soap

LATHER has so many great, natural bath and body products. Their soaps are divine and my fave is the Patchouli Olive Soap. It’s a mix of patchouli, lavender, olive oil and hemp oil. Great for dry skin. Yes, I know patchouli is not for everyone, but never fear, they have many “normal” scents like: orange peel, vanilla bean & shea, eucalyptus & clay (I MUST try that one!), oatmeal lavender, rose tangerine (YES!), mint, and many others. For every olive oil soap sold, LATHER will donate the equivalent of five bars of soap to Clean The World, a non-profit organization that recycles and distributes soap around the world to people in need. How’s that for a bonus?

What are some of your favorite cruelty free body washes and soaps?

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Tequila Mockingbird (great name!) by a.dorn nail paint is a fun pink and purple (mostly purple) duochrome nail polish. It’s fairly chip resistant if you don’t do more than 2 coats. It’s 4-free, vegan and cruelty free. The funny thing is that as I was painting my nails, I was thinking, this color should smell like grapes. Then suddenly I noticed – it DOES smell like grapes – like grape candy! I was surprised because the website didn’t mention the scent. What do you think of the color?

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By contributing writer, Liza N. Chung.

These days, finding high quality cruelty-free makeup brushes is easier than it used to be. However, with so many styles to choose from, it can be a little confusing to know which set is best for you. What if you are buying brushes as a gift for someone? Like anything, brush type is a personal preference. Therefore, it can be helpful at look to the lifestyle of the person you are buying for to help you decide.

Here are a few of my favorite sets by sorted personality type:

The Professional
Brushes are the tools of the trade, and a high quality set is imperative for the professional artist. These days there is no need to sacrifice quality to go cruelty-free. Professional sets are available from many brands, and one of my vary favorites is the Silk Pro Greenline set from Royal & Langnickel. It’s the beauty in the pretty green pouch in the image above ($71.99).

Another great choice is the Professional Makeup Green Bambu Brush Set from from Bdellium Tools ($89.10). More seasoned artists should check out the impressive brushes from Complete Vegan Beauty Brush Collection from Kelley Quan New York. The bristles are just as luxurious as they are functional ($325). Finally, the Divinity Collection from Cozzette is another stellar set ($401.65).

The Eco-Conscious
Caring about our environment is important. Luckily Earth Diva Cosmetics offers an earth-friendly vegan Complete Brush Set with everything you need for eyes, lips and face. Each brush handle is made of sustainable bamboo, and taklon bristles. All of their products are certified organic and vegan ($43.95).

The World Traveler
Someone who travels a lot will not want bulk. The ideal brushes will fit easily in a carry-on bag, yet will be functional enough to apply a full face of makeup while on a trip. Christopher Drummond Beauty has the perfect vegan choice, the Make-Up-Matte Collection which comes wrapped in its very own portable workspace ($65).

The Budget Savvy
Let’s face it, we all love a bargain! Those on a budget, can still get pretty the cruelty- free way. Good makeup brushes can be found right at your local drugstore or beauty supply store. For wallet friendly finds, check out the Travel Essentials Set from like Real Techniques ($16.47), the Bamboo Makeup Brush Set by Eco Tools ($10.03) or the 11 Piece Brush Collection from E.L.F. Studio ($30).

As you can see, there is a brush set for just about everyone out there. Knowing your needs, or the needs of the person you are shopping for, will help to ensure you secure the perfect set. Happy shopping!

Liza

Liza N. Chung is a Connecticut based makeup artist and cruelty-free beauty blogger. At Makeup Matters, she combines her love for animals and passion for makeup in an effort to educate others about cruelty-free beauty choices. As a “mother” of two adopted pugs; Pugsley and Boomer, she chooses to live a cruelty-free life and hopes others will join her in choosing only beauty products that have not been tested on animals.

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You may have heard some buzz about the new jewelry membership service called Rocksbox. It’s basically like Netflix for jewelry. You get 3 designer pieces per month (custom picked for you based on your preferences) and you can keep them for 60 days. Whenever you’re ready, ship the set back (you have to ship back all 3 pieces), and they send you new goodies. It’s a really fun treat to open up the box and get surprises! If there’s something you love, you can buy it at a discounted rate.

The jewelry I got in my box was based on my preferences, such as no earrings (I don’t wear them), and likes and dislikes. You take a short quiz to give them an idea of your style. My style tends to be simple and/or edgy, but not overly girly and glam. The cool thing is that I got to try out things I would normally never wear.

In my first box, I got:

• Raw Stone Pendant Necklace in Black Agate by Charlene K
• Double Trident Ring by Bing Bang
• Petra Cuff in Teal/Mint by Loren Hope

I wore all three the night I got them. I went with the boyfriend and friends to drinks, dinner and a movie, and I asked them what they thought as well.

The Double Trident Ring is my favorite. TOTALLY my style. Bing Bang is described as a brand that, “adheres to four aesthetic themes: the Punk Rock ethos, Native American arts and amulets, Victorian keepsakes, and the ever-relevant street culture of New York City.” Yep – I’m on board with that! Mr. Boyfriend and Ms. Best Friend both loved the ring and agreed that it was my style.

The Raw Stone Pendant Necklace was okay. It was a little big for me, but it hung at just the right height (not too long, not too short) and it was black, so it didn’t stand out TOO much from my normal black outfits. Boyfriend said it was okay, but too big. Best Friend said it reminded her too much of the ’90s (keep in mind – we’re in our ’30s so we don’t want to re-live the ’90s like some of you whipper-snappers). The Charlene K collection was founded by Teong Kay and his wife Gigi. The line features gold, sterling silver, rose gold, 14k gold vermeil metal tones and gemstones.

The Petra Cuff was my least favorite. The cuff part was cool, but the accents looked childish and cheap to me (even though they aren’t). Boyfriend and Best Friend agreed that it “wasn’t awesome.” The Loren Hope collection is hand-made with Austrian rhinestone accents, semi-precious stones and Czech glass beads and cabachons, many of which are vintage/repurposed.

Overall, I really like Rocksbox. I am just nervous that I’ll lose something and have to purchase it. Unlikely, but still a slight risk. I don’t have to worry about damage though. If a rock falls our or piece is slightly damaged from normal wear and tear, it’s covered. And, in case you’re wondering, the jewelry is sanitized before it is sent out.

The membership ranges from $19/month (month to month) to $17 or even $15/month if you pay for 6-12 months. You can also get jewelry credits when you get your friends to sign up ($25 per friend).

I went ahead and shipped the set back to see what other fun stuff they’ll send over. I do like the ring, but I feel like the member price of $70.40 is still a bit high to purchase it (normal price is $88). I’ll post the pics from my next shipment to my Instagram and Facebook pages. Stay tuned!

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