#i have fairly dry skin and i like the least heavy makeup routine possible while covering up acne do u think it would work

[kumawrites]

Love Tutorial (NOT CLICKBAIT)

Shinso x fem!Reader

A/N: hi lovelies i’m back with, you guessed it, more shinso!!! this fic is 100% self indulgent bc i absolutely love makeup lol. i’m trying out a bunch of different things in terms of formatting so like tell me if this section looks ugly LMAO. anyways pls enjoy !!

words: 3.8k

summary: You’re a popular Beauty Guru™ and Shinso is primarily a commentary channel. He follows one of your tutorials, only to be surprised by you talking about how fine he is.

—

“That will be all for this video, if you enjoyed it please show some love by clicking on the like button, and if you like me, subscribe! Like always, feel free to tag me if you recreate this look, I love seeing all of your posts! I’ll see you Earthlings later, bye!” With both hands waving and a bright smile, you successfully finished filming your outro that you have possibly said three hundred times.

Before you could even get a word out, Mina was screaming into the phone. “Y/N? OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD. YOU WON’T BELIEVE THIS. I’M FREAKING OUT FOR YOU! AHHHH!” You winced, not expecting her to be that loud. Sure, you knew quite well that she could get loud, but that’s because she gets excited. So to be this noisy must mean something big is happening.

“Why, hello to you too Mina. How’s my day going? Good! Thank you for asking. I would ask how yours is going but from the sound of it, I’ll assume pretty good.” You snickered into the phone.

“Well, my dear Y/N, it’s about to be even better than just good!” Mina’s volume was significantly lower, but you could still tell just how excited she was.

“Oh really? What’s going to make my day better than? Wait let me guess, NikkiTutorials resigned and gave up her spot as the most iconic beauty guru and gave it to me?” You snorted. If only.

“No! It’s even better!” The pitch of Mina’s voice kept raising higher and higher.

“Okay, okay, spit it out Mina. You’re really making me curious and I don’t know if I should be worried or not.” You grabbed your glass of water from you table and took a sip. Gross, warm. But it was too much work to get a new glass so you began downing this one.

“SHINSO HITOSHI DID A REACTION VIDEO TO ONE OF YOUR TUTORIALS!” You choked on your water and half of it went down the wrong way. You began coughing and Mina, the little bitch, didn’t say anything while you were dying. You could imagine her just sitting there, waiting for you to respond after your coughing fit.

After getting it all out, you swallowed, eyes still wide. “Mina, you’re not joking right now, are you? Because if you are, I know where you live, and I won’t hesitate, bitch.”

“I’m not! I’m really not! Check his channel, he, like, just uploaded it!”

You grabbed your laptop and opened Google Chrome. “Call me back on FaceTime, rat.” You told Mina before hanging up on her. You typed YouTube into the search bar while Mina called you back. When you answered, you could see that she was also in her filming room.

Mina, like you, is a beauty YouTuber that is well known for her flawless skin, even though she has the simplest skincare routine you have ever seen. Her chipper personality also drew in a ton of fans towards her channel. The two of you had met through YouTube and were soon to find out that you lived in the same city. Your friendship really bloomed then, and you basically live at each other’s houses.

You got onto YouTube, and lo and behold, there it was. Obviously you were subscribed to Shinso’s channel, so the first video of pop up was his. It was titled “i learn how to become beautiful” and his thumbnail was him with his signature “kill me now” face on with some patchy, hot pink, glitter eyeshadow all over his eyelids. But also, you were there! You were in his thumbnail which could only mean one thing: this was real.

“HOLY SHIT MINA, I’M IN HIS THUMBNAIL.”

“I KNOW! NOW WATCH THE VIDEO! I HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET THOUGH SO TURN THE VOLUME UP.” She screeched and you did.

You clicked on the video and there he was, Shinso Hitoshi, looking as good as ever. His tired eyes that screamed “I could die at any given moment” and his messy hair that somehow defied physics. It has to be downright illegal to look that hot. Today he was sporting one of his merch items, a hoodie that had simple print on the front of it saying: I’m Shinso Over This. Of course you owned that very sweatshirt. You would never miss out on a chance to buy his merch.

“Hi. I’m back, unfortunately.” His tone was as dry as it always was. “I was harassed into doing this, go bully Denki on Twitter because this is all his fault. But today I’m going to be making myself beautiful with the help of Y/N. Okay, she’s not actually helping me, but I’m going to watch one of her tutorials.” Your heart pounded as he mentioned you. One of creators that you loved the most is going to follow one of your tutorials. You could die happy now.

“HE SAID YOUR NAME!” Mina shrieked from your phone and you nodded eagerly as you kept your eyes glued to the computer.

“I’m going to choose this one, “EASY Valentines Day Makeup Tutorial + Q&A!” because it says easy.” You watched as your face from the most recent Valentine’s Day popped up. In the intro, you had already filmed the tutorial part and were wearing the full face. It was a fairly easy look, to you at least.

You had done a simple glitter cut-crease, primarily using warm toned reds and pinks with some winged liner and false lashes for your eyes. Your face had some sharper contour and heavy blush that trailed from one cheek to another, using your nose like a bridge. And of course, you had used a super glittery highlighter that reflected with all of your studio lights. You had also used a maroon liquid lip.

“Greetings, Earthlings! It’s me, Y/N, and I’m here to do another tutorial! Today we’re going a Valentines Day themed full face, and I’m also going to be answering some love related questions you asked me on Twitter since it is Valentines Day after all. If you’d like to recreate this look, as always I listed all the products I’m going to use down in the description!” You pointed your fingers downwards. “Without further ado, let’s get started!”

Shinso paused your video and held up a Sephora bag. “I spent so much money on this stuff, and I’m never going to use it again.” He lazily drawled. The fact that he made eye bags hot was insanity. You wanted to cry for him because some of the products you used were unnecessarily expensive.

Shinso unpaused your video and you had begun priming your face. He dug around in the Sephora bag before pulling out the primer you were using. As he squirted some on his fingertips, he made an especially disgusted look as he felt the consistency of it. He watched as you spread it all over your face, and copied you.

“She didn’t lie when they said easy.” He mused. Mina and you both cackled through your phone. Primer was possibly the easiest step ever because it didn’t affect the way you looked whatsoever. “Uhh, okay now she’s putting on, uhhh, foundation?” He grabbed a bottle of foundation out of the bag along with a Beauty Blender. “The people at Sephora said this was my skin colour, so I’ll believe them.” Shinso shrugged and set the bottle down to get the Beauty Blender out of the box.

You began blending the foundation into your skin and Shinso did the same. “Alright! First question from Andrea! ‘Are you dating anyone right now?’ wow Andrea, you sure did get straight to the point. Unfortunately no, I’m not in a relationship right now.” You had finished your foundation and had moved on to concealing your under eyes.

Shinso hummed as he watched as you put a relatively small amount of concealer under your eyes and looked into the camera, somehow making his eye-bags even more prominent. “Look, I don’t know much about makeup, but I know I’m going to need more concealer than that. Also I’m surprised that they’re not dating anyone. She’s too good looking to be single.” So he unscrewed the concealer tube, and absolutely went to town. He put on so much concealer that you were almost concerned.

“Mina did you hear that?” You asked in a breathless tone.

“Sure did.”

You were already in awe that the great Shinso Hitoshi was even watching your video, but the fact that he called you good looking? Your heart was practically leaping out of your chest as you watched with wide eyes. Your biggest YouTube crush had called you attractive. What a good day.

In your tutorial, you had finishing blending the concealer in and was moving onto baking your under eyes. You dipped your Beauty Blender into the loose powder and stamped it down underneath your eyes. “Now I’m going to let that bake, so I’m going to go ahead and do my eyeshadow right now!” Shinso gave a confused look and paused the video. He applied the powder somehow everywhere but under his eyes. It was honestly impressive how bad he was at this.

“I’m baking? What am I baking?” He furrowed his eyebrows, clearly very confused.

“For my eye look, I’m going to start with this light pink shade called, ‘Love’. How fitting. I’m going to swipe that into my crease and I’ll follow that up with this more hot pink that will go all over my lid. Then, I’m going to deepen my crease with this almost maroon shade and then I’ll cut my crease using the concealer we used earlier and this flat brush.” Shinso looked like you had just grown two heads in front of him. He had no idea what you were doing to your face.

You watched as he messily some hot pink shade onto his lid, rapidly blinking the whole time, not used to someone so close to his eye. He was not going to like tight-lining. He eventually attempted to cut the crease and looked absolutely dead when it was completely too much of his lid.

“I want to die.” He muttered while looking at the camera. His eyes had somehow lost even more life than what he began with, which was, not much.

“Here’s another question that’s coming from Kelsey! She asks: ‘Who do you think the hottest YouTuber is? I personally really like Bakugo Katsuki!’ Oh I’d definitely have to say Shinso Hitoshi! That man is illegally fine.” What did you just say? Your eyes went wide as you listened to yourself. You had completely forgotten what questions you answered in this video, and now Shinso Hitoshi knows that you think he’s hot. But you didn’t stop there.

“One hundred percent, anyone could throw down with me on this one. Shinso Hitoshi is the hottest YouTuber out there. He could curb stomp me, kill my family, and rob me of all of my belongings and I’d still say thank you.” Why did you ever say that. Mina was absolutely losing it on her side, unbelieving that those words had even made it past editing on your part. Why would you even keep that in the video. You wanted to die.

Shinso on the other hand looked very amused, letting out a chuckle of his own. “Didn’t know I was so popular. I’m honestly kind of flattered. But I wouldn’t curb stomp her. Can’t mess up that pretty face.” This was the end of your career. You’re never going back online ever again.

The you doing the tutorial had just begun applying loose glitter onto your lid. “So after applying this glitter base, I’m going to pat this glitter in. If you drag it, it’ll get absolutely everywhere since this glitter is super chunky. So, just lightly pat it in like this.” Shinso did as you told and still managed to have glitter cascading down, covering his black hoodie.

You had moved onto eyeliner and he looked like he was actually going to die, right then and there. He watched you tight-line your eyes and didn’t even attempt it. After creating a wing that looked like it could fly off of his face any moment, Shinso attempted to put a pair of false lashes on. Somehow, they were stuck to his eyelid, rather than where his lashes were. He followed you as you brushed the bake off. You were then moving onto contour, where he managed to make it look like he had rolled in dirt. Apparently, he had no idea where to put contour on his face so he ended up putting it far too high.

The step you were on now involved putting copious amounts of blush on when you answered your next question. “Alright and this one is from Jennie! ‘If you could date anyone, who would it be?’ I guess I hinted at this earlier, but Shinso Hitoshi all the way. I just want to like, hold his hand. I know, scandalous. But really, my thirst for that man is actually unquenchable.” You said with a straight face as you took a sip of water and then winked to the camera.

“Hey Mina, when I die in the next few minutes, can you make sure to clear my search history. Actually, just wipe my whole computer clean.” You sighed as you buried your face into your hands. This was awful. Out of all the tutorials you had on your channel, Shinso Hitoshi just had to pick the one where you basically confess your undying love for him. Mina simply laughed, promising absolutely nothing. Traitor.

On the other hand, Shinso was grinning. It was one of those grins. One that you knew would never let you live this down, and he doesn’t even know you personally. “Seems that I’ve got a fan. I’d love to hold hands, Y/N, you just have to let me know.” His voice drawled, deep and raspy. It would be hotter if his face didn’t look like someone shook up a bag of crushed makeup and threw the contents at him. To be honest, he really just looked like a big train wreck. But, it was still hot, nonetheless.

He did eventually finish the look, setting it all using far too much setting spray. But instead of holding his usual stoic, tired look, he looked like he was planning something. The corners of Shinso’s mouth were still turned up in a sly smirk, and you had a feeling that something was going to happen. You might as well die before you find out to save yourself the embarrassment.

“Well, I can’t say I enjoyed putting on the makeup, but I did enjoy watching Y/N talk about me. Y/N, if you’re watching me, send me a message and we can collab. Or maybe hold hands.” His mouth opened up and his killing grin hit you. This is it. This is where you die. You were internally screaming at the top of your lungs. God, you hated how hot he was even though he looked like Boo Boo The Fool.

“DID YOU JUST HEAR WHAT HE SAID?” Mina screamed out loud for you. Oh god, you were absolutely mortified.

“Well, that’ll do it for this one, if you liked watching me ruin my face, I have more awful videos for you to watch. And even if you didn’t, it’s too late because you’ve already given me ad revenue. If I don’t post my next video soon, safely assume that I’ve died. I might see you next time, bye.” Shinso said his usual outro and you slumped back onto your chair. You looked at Mina on your phone who was grinning ear to ear. Oh no.

“Message him.”

“Absolutely not I would rather die, right here, right now than talk to Shinso Hitoshi about how I confessed my undying thirst for him. So, that means I’m going to die. I want a granite headstone.” You groaned as you stared up at the ceiling.

“You don’t even have to say anything about that though! Anyways, you probably should talk to him. You could just say that you enjoyed his video and thank him for what basically was, a free shoutout. I think it’d be wrong if you didn’t message him at all.” Mina suggested, and well, she wasn’t wrong. It’d be rude to just ignore the fact that Shinso has put hard work and money into making this video. The least you could do was say a simple thank you.

You groaned as you sat up, grabbing your phone from where it was leaned against. “God, I hate when you’re right. I’ll message him though. I’m going to go ahead and hang up then because I still have another video I want to shoot.”

“Yes of course! But make sure to send me screenshots, I NEED to know how this goes down! I’ll talk to you later!” And with that, the FaceTime call was ended. Now you had to will yourself into messaging Shinso and making it seem normal. You would just have to completely ignore all of the moments you called him hot, and hope that he doesn’t bring them up too.

You opened up Instagram and searched up his handle. You were really going to do this. It was now or never, and if you backed out and never messaged him, Mina would never let you live it down and would probably end up messaging him herself. So to avoid embarrassment that would be even worse than what has already been done, you had to message him.

“Hi! I saw your latest video and I wanted to say thank you so much for featuring my video! It really means a lot. Also, I hope you bought an oil based makeup remover, because that stuff is hard to get off. Especially the glitter!” That was appropriate and calm, wasn’t it? You hit send and hoped that he would stay on topic and not mention the fact that you completely exposed yourself.

You sat down your phone and groaned. What if he thought that you were really creepy and was just leading you on to eventually public ally humiliate and ruin you, ending your career as you know it? That was probably a bit extreme, and rationally you knew he would never do such a thing, but you were paranoid.

As you were drowning in your sorrows, a notification popped up on your phone. It was him. He replied so fast that you were taken aback.

“hey thanks. i’m glad you’re not mad that i used your video without permission lol. and no, i didn’t buy one bc no one told me to. but i did get the makeup off with a lot of scrubbing. i was serious about wanting to collab. would you want to do that?” Your face was burning at this point. Collabing with Shinso sounding like an actual dream.

“Absolutely! I would love to! And ouch, is your skin okay? Too much exfoliating can really irritate the skin!”

“yes, i’m okay. i didn’t scrub too much skin off. and great. you live in LA right?? i do too. we should work out a date sometime to talk. we could even hold hands if you wanted to lol.” Oh god, he went a did it. You wanted to scream.

“Ahaha, yes let’s do that! And sorry about all of the rambling about uhh, you. It must’ve felt weird.” Should your casket be wood? A polished, dark oak wood sounded nice. You would look lovely in that casket after you died of sheer embarrassment. But would it look fine alongside a granite headstone? Maybe it should be marble.

“not at all. i’m very flattered. but letting you know, don’t expect me to curb stomp you. i don’t think i’m strong enough to do that. but we can definitely go on a date, and maybe your thirst will go away.” This time, you actually did scream, straight into your pillow. This is the end of you.

You screenshotted the conversation so far and sent it to Mina. You did promise to keep her updated.

She responded, not even a minute later, with far too many emojis. The winky face, the side-looking eyes, and of course, the cowboy. Sometimes, just sometimes, you really hated Mina. But not really.

“WTF DO I RESPOND TO THAT HE LITERALLY JUST INSINUATED THAT HE'S GOING TO DO,,,, STUFF.” You hurriedly typed to Mina. You could imagine her right now, cackling as you watched you panic.

“Just call him hot and catch him off guard LOL. Or say like ur thirst can never be quenched.” You were about to do it. There wasn’t anything else that you could think to say to him that was normal sounding, so maybe this would work? Should your flowers be lilies? Or perhaps daisies would work. Something nice to remember you by. You don’t want your death to be too sad.

“Unfortunately, I don’t think my thirst can go away. It’s pretty intense.” You typed something real ballsy out, as you went to hit ‘select all’ to delete it, somehow, you had sent it to him instead. Amazing! You were going to have a stroke!

“oh? well, we’ll have to see about that, huh? anyways, here’s my number: xxx-xxx-xxxx. we can talk about our date later. i have to film another video to make sure people know i’m not dead. talk to you later, doll.”

Ah, the nail in the coffin. You really were dead now. You didn’t even get to plan what you were going to write on your gravestone.

You copied his number and put it into your contacts. Even though you were incredibly embarrassed about all of this, you were definitely going to use that later. Not only to plan a collaboration.

—

my amazing girlfriend does my makeup correctly (ft. Y/N)

#shinso hitoshi #hitoshi shinso #shinso hitoshi x reader #bnha shinso hitoshi #reader insert #fem!reader #bnha #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia x reader

[cutiecrates]

Cutie Reviews: NMNL Sept 19

Just a tiny update, I got my issue resolved on TokyoCatch. Apparently there’s an issue where you need to make sure your shipping info is entirely filled out, as soon as I checked that and modified it, it was fixed!

Anyway, I only won the 1 item so far, so I’m trying to decide if I want to just include a pic of it in a future review, or gather several items and then do like a... partial-review on them and the game/website.

“We hope you had a fantastic summer! This month’s beauty box has a floral theme. We hope you’ll feel like a blossoming beauty with the adorable makeup and skin care products coming in September’s box!“

(is it me or is the info kind of lackluster this month?)

Contest

This month, the prize items are a collab between Pokemon and the brand It’s Demo. Besides a makeup palette, winners could also receive eyeliner, and lipstick.

Glam Gift

For this month, the official GG winner received some special, limited edition Sanrio products featuring My Melody and Little Twin Stars. The items range from cosmetics to accessories like a hand mirror and an adorable, My Melody doll brush (which looks so cute~).

In going with our floral theme, this months Horoscope is “Which Flower matches your Star Sign?“, and this is what it says:

Aries: Honeysuckle

Taurus: Poppy

Gemini: Lavender

Cancer: White Rose

Leo: Sunflower

Virgo: Buttercup

Libra: Rose

Scorpio: Geranium

Sagittarius: Carnation

Capricorn: Pansy

Aquarius: Orchid

Pisces: Water Lily

Which one did you guys get? :3 is it a flower you like? I was very happy to have gotten Rose, because those are my favorite flowers~

We also have a page describing some flower ingredients one should try using for various reasons. Make sure to try out some natural items featuring them if any of these apply to you:

Cherry Blossoms - the extract lightens hyperpigmentation and increases skin elasticity, soothes irritated skin, and protects it from damage and signs of aging.

Camellia - Camellia oil hydrates and smooths the skin, protecting it from damages and signs of aging.

Roses - Intensely hydrate the skin, so its recommended for “mature skin“. The extract also minimizes scars, stretch marks, and wrinkles.

Chamomile - High antioxidant and moisturizing properties, especially useful against things like acne or dry skin.

Marigold - also good for acne and skin irritations like eczema and rosacea. Prevents premature aging and skin damage.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Green Tea Nose Pack

Our first item is this simple little nose cleaning pack from Etude House. It is filled with green tea extract that helps tighten the pores, while the patch removes dead skin and blackheads. It’s very easy to use, all you do is make your nose wet (or the patch too) and then smooth it on your nose. After 10-15 minutes you remove it, then you use some cleanser or toner, or just water if you don’t have any.

I’m not going to lie, I was dreading this item <_< Anytime I’ve seen people use nose patches or skin patches that adhere/suction to the skin, it HURTS to pull off. I’m a big wuss so I was innocent assuming this would be the same thing. Plus I don’t like green tea, and I was worried it wouldn’t even work.

BOY WAS I WRONG!

Not only does it smell amazing (it was like a... light floralish scent, but weirdly enough the pack smells like green tea), but it didn’t hurt to take off at all, and it actually helped! My nose is blackhead free and feels very smooth, I love it! My nose has felt so smooth and soft since~

I plan on buying a handful more for when I need them off of Tokyo Haul, the store website for the makers of the subscription box (they only cost about $1). I would seriously recommend these if you have a “strawberry nose” of your own.

Fleurissant Lip Glow & Rosy Lips

For this month we get 2 lovely and fun Lip products; first up is the Fleurissant Lip Glow by Glamfox. These are pretty much those really pretty jelly lipsticks/gloss with a flower in them, and they have the ability to change in shade depending on how much you apply or your current body temperature to give you natural, but noticeable color and shimmer.

In the box there was 6 possible flowers and a couple different box designs. According to my tube, I got GL04 Rose Flower.

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Our next item is this adorable little rose tinted lip cream by The YEON. I was really excited to get this because I’ve seen them before on Youtube (usually for slime making) and I thought it looked cute. The color I got was S102 Rose Petal, but there are 3 colors in total we could have gotten.  

(The darker product is the rose btw)

As you can see, the jelly flower product is fairly sheer but very shimmery. As I said above, you can apply it a little more -or allow your temperature to handle it- and it will darken over time. I already own a couple of these and I really like them because it gives your lips a really subtle change and kind of gives them a “healthier“ glow.

Usually these are scented (my original one smells like peach) but this one... it has a scent, but it isn’t fruity, so I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be. I still like it though, these jelly lip products are usually always good and this isn’t an exception, I’d recommend it if you never tried one before.

- - - - - -

Meanwhile, the rose is way more vibrant. As you can see in the pic, it looks red, but on the skin it’s more of a... magenta, red raspberry hue. It also has a very faint rose scent.

It’s a creamy and smooth feeling product, it doesn’t feel oily or heavy on the lips. I don’t like vibrant or dark colors on my lips because I feel like they don’t look good on me, but I did like this color, and in certain conditions (maybe spring or summer?) I feel like it could look nice. Right now I think it just highlights how pale I am.

Both of them are really nice, and it wasn’t really hard to remove them for items meant to tint the skin. My only concern is that where I used the product on my hand and wiped it off... the skin is red and blotchy looking now. So I don’t know if I had some kind of reaction (but my lips are fine) or if the skin is really dried from how much I was rubbing it.

Spring Eyelash Curler

I’ve been needing a new eyelash curler but nothing I’ve tried to replace my original pair (a hot pink one) with has come close to feeling comfortable for me, so I kept using them. I know in most cases you could say they’re all the same, but to me it didn’t feel that way. These are by the brand NOYL, and as you can see in the package there is a replacement curling piece for one the first one gets too old and hard to clean. 

I know I’ve said this before, but my most favorite color is pastel/pale/baby/light pink. So seeing these in the box gave me a really good feeling, even the little clasp on them is translucent pink~

I really like these, they feel a lot like my old pair and even without any product they managed to curl my lashes so that they looked more neat, controlled. They’re not loose feeling, and the handles are curved to contour the fingers, so it feels comfortable to hold too.

Therapy Air Mask & 10 Second Morning Sheets

Our next Etude House product is a therapy air mask, a facial mask that is extremely thin and loose to fit any face shape. These are available in 4 different scents/types: Cherry Blossom (firming and brightening), Camellia (lifting and skin radiance), Damask Rose (fresh moisture), and White Flowers (moisturizing and brightening). These are also hypoallergenic, so they’re good if you have sensitivity to certain ingredients.

This smells amazingly good, the scent is a fairly light cherry blossom/sakura with a perfumey note. I really like it, I have to find something with the same scent so that I can keep it forever.

In terms of a facial mask, I’d say this was a really good one. It was super-wet and a bit sticky, and because of how thin it was it was kind of a pain to open and put on- but it was really nice once applied. My face had a wonderful cooling effect from it (especially my lip when it accidentally got some product on it). My face also feels really nice after using it.

I might have to pick up a couple of these from Japan Haul too~

- - - - - - - - -

This item is by Joteki and it is called a 10-second sheet because it saves you several “morning routine“ steps, as they are made to clean, cleanse, and moisturize your skin. Besides letting you take your morning get-ready session easier, it would also come in handy if you’re going on a trip or if you want to keep it in your purse or car because you can leave out other items, such as creams, cleansers, moisturizes.

There are 2 different sets in the box, the one I got specifically says its for oily skin. I’m not sure what the other one is, maybe dry? You get about a months worth, and they come in a really fun, colorful re-sealable package.  

I have a dry skin problem so I always worry that oily skin products will dry my skin <3< but so far I haven’t had that problem. These have a scent but I can’t exactly pin-point what it is, because it doesn’t smell fruity, herbal, or flowery. Weirdly enough, the scent reminds me of liquid medicine, like the kind you might take for bad cough or to help you sleep? I like it though, whatever it is.

Anyway, I ended up trying one of these out the other morning after a shower and my face felt really nice and smooth~ I did wash my face prior to using it, so I tried again the next morning with nothing on my face and got the same result. I’m not sure if physically anything changed, but my skin feels a lot nicer.

Mascara & Mascara Top Coat

You know, I didn’t realize there was such a thing as a mascara top coat. At least I don’t believe so... apparently its just used to help seal the applied mascara to keep it on your eyelashes longer, or you can use it on its own to give your lashes a natural cute look without the mascara.

Meanwhile, this specific mascara came in a few varieties; volume, length, and point (for outer lashes). Mine says I got the volume type. It has a faint un-identifyable scent, but the top coat is a lot stronger and the smell reminds me of paint, kinda.

I’m not sure how I feel about the mascara. It has a very curvy spooly/wand and I’m not used to that. But generally it did its job and they’re darker then what they were and more... spread out and spidery. I don’t hate it but my eye feels sticky when I blink or shut it, which has never been a problem before with other mascaras. I also poked myself in the eye trying to remove the reside beneath it when I tried wiping it off, which btw did NOT come off...

Meanwhile, the top coat is really nice. It helps to keep the natural color while adding some shine and the “effect” of applied mascara, but the lashes aren’t stiff, spidery, or sticky. I would recommend this on its own or with mascara, I could see it being useful for those who aren’t familiar with mascara (or are too young for it) too.

♥ Cutie Ranking ♥

Content - 4.5 out of 5. I liked everything with the exception of the mascara. But not because of its quality or anything, just because it frustrated me >3< everything is really nice and felt good when I used it, I’d recommend each one. Everything was in perfect condition, most of the items are re-usable and cute.

Theme: 5 out of 5. Obviously this gives me a spring vibe, not an Autumn/Fall one, which kind of bothers me. But at the same time it makes it more interesting so I don’t frown upon that. I love flowers and a lot of natural products use them, and this box was definitely giving me flowery vibes.

Total Rank: 10 out of 10. Like August’s box this one only focused on the face, which isn’t bad because most beauty products and cosmetics are for the face- but at the same time it’s a little typical/boring. I prefer when we get mixed items (like face, nails, feet, skin, hair, etc) or a mixed theme (like one month its hair-based, one month face, one month skin). I especially wish we got more hair products because I really liked getting those from the older boxes. But the box has the cute factor I craved and the items are really fun and good quality!

♥ Cutie Scale ♥

Nose Pack - I did not expect to love this as much as I did. But it smelled great and it worked pain-free :D seriously, get this one!

Face Mask - It smells so good! I wish we got a couple of them~

Morning Sheets - If you use a lot of products in the morning I would recommend buying one of these and trying it out instead. My face has been feeling really nice since I’ve been using them these past few days

Eyelash Curler - I can get rid of my old one for sure now I think. I love it.

Mascara Top Coat - I feel like this is something you shouldn’t be smelling, but besides that I like it. I usually prefer mascara that I can visibly see, but on its own I think it’s really sweet and it definitely gave the eye softness. 

Rosy Lips - It feels nice on my lips but I don’t see myself wearing this very often. Quality wise its there, but the color doesn’t look right on me.

Lip Glow - It’s very pretty and I love the packaging, but I already have one of these I like a lot more because its cute and smells yummy.

Mascara - I’ve had better, and I prefer a straight wand.

#cutie reviews #nmnl #nomakenolife #etude house #sanrio cosmetics

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Sali Hughes: the 50 best ethical beauty buys | Fashion

A few months ago, I decided to write a column on the best beauty products for vegans, and soon realised that one column wasn’t going to cut it: I probably had enough for 30. The cruelty-free (no animal testing), vegetarian (no byproducts of animal slaughter) and vegan (no animal ingredients at all) beauty market has exploded in recent years.

Previously, vegans were barely catered for, with some uninspiringly packaged cold-pressed face oil and lavender everything. In much the same way as vegetarians are always presumed to want mushroom risotto, vegans were expected to want to smell like an airing cupboard pomander. But nowadays even the large beauty companies are releasing exceptionally good vegetarian and vegan products. This is driven not only by a surge in young people becoming vegan (some 542,000 British people aged 15 or over now describe themselves as such, up from 150,000 in 2006), but by everyday consumers who broadly agree that the harming of animals in the pursuit of beauty is pretty indefensible.

Which isn’t to say the situation is simple. Any beauty product bought in the UK is by definition cruelty-free: animal testing for cosmetic use in the EU has been banned since 2013; and it’s illegal to sell cosmetic products within the EU that have been, or that contain ingredients, newly tested on animals (clearly some everyday ingredients were tested on animals aeons ago, and one can’t change that now).

The issue of cruelty-free becomes more complicated when brands enter foreign markets. Animal testing remains legal in the US and Australia, although most major brands there have long since chosen not to do it. The bigger concern, though, is China, where animal testing is required by law for all cosmetics sold on its soil. Nothing on the list on the following pages sells in China, which is why they can truly be called “cruelty-free”. Thankfully, transparency of policy and ingredients is improving (although the misinformation and inconsistency is alarming), and after a number of backlashes against leading brands, multinational corporations are learning the hard way that consumers, whether vegan, vegetarian or not, broadly expect cruelty-free and vegan products to remain that way, however keen shareholders are to expand into China.

Overleaf is my final selection, though I was so spoilt for choice that I could easily have doubled it without compromise. In the end, my picks were chosen to reflect what a diverse and exciting market this has become, from luxury vegan foundations to a 100% vegan high street chemist skincare line. It is entirely possible to maintain your principles without sacrificing either luxury or performance.

Top vegetarian picks

Liz Earle Hand Repair, £10.50

With the exception of beeswax, propolis and manuka honey, none of the ingredients in this range are animal-derived, making it suitable for vegetarians. I have singled out this brilliant hand cream because it is one of the few to moisturise thoroughly, while leaving an ungreasy, matte finish. I can open the bathroom door without sliding off the handle.

Marks & Spencer Formula Absolute ultimate sleep cream, £22

Every product in M&S’s own-brand beauty range is suitable for vegetarians, and much of it is vegan-friendly, too; but nothing boasts as devoted a following as this clinically proven, independently tested night cream for all skin types. M&S can barely keep it in stock. It is a rich but ungreasy night-time moisturiser, to be massaged in post-cleanse, following serum, to comfort skin and give it a well-rested look.

Body Shop camomile gentle eye makeup remover, £3

This happens to be vegan, but every product in the Body Shop range is at least vegetarian-friendly, which is especially impressive when you consider there are several thousand of them. This is my favourite. It removes heavy eye makeup with neither effort nor grease; it lifts stains from clothes, carpets and upholstery; it even lifts grease from the hairline, allowing blow-dries to limp through an extra day. Magic.

Mandara Spa Bali Santi indulgent bath and shower cream, £7

I love everything about this brand, which makes affordable luxury bath, shower and body products containing no animal ingredients except beeswax, honey and milk. It also boycotts parabens, mineral oils and skin-drying, environmentally dubious sulphates, all without sacrificing the bubbles and scents I crave. This shower gel is refreshing, floral and coconutty and leaves skin soft, clean and smelling of summer.

RMS Beauty Magic Luminizer, £30

RMS (named after its founder, makeup artist Rose Marie Swift) is little known outside beauty-nerd circles, but those who love it really, really love it. It is too expensive, but its champagne-hued, balmy illuminator is the best if, like me, you favour subtle gleam over disco-ball spangle. Use fingertips to work into cheekbones, between the eyes and on the brow bones when all else has been applied. Every product in this small range is vegetarian, with five suitable for vegans, too.

Marks & Spencer Rosie for Autograph Lipshine, £14

This Cruelty Free International-approved tint (in a solid choice of rose-based shades) makes the perfect starter lipstick for those who fear bold colour. It is moist, sheer and shiny, but neither sticky nor too muted. It goes on easily, regardless of skill level or access to a mirror: I neatly applied the Blood Roses colour by gazing briefly into a knife.

Childs Farm organic raspberry bubble bath, £3.99

With the exception of its hair conditioner and detangler (which contain honey) and its sunscreen (beeswax), Childs Farm is vegan-friendly. These are gentle products that I routinely give as presents to parents worried about their children’s skin. Time after time, they tell me these are the only lotions, creams and shampoos their kids with eczema or psoriasis can tolerate. The natural smells make them seem fun, not medicinal.

Tata Harper purifying cleanser, £55

There is a lot to love in this 100% vegetarian natural skincare line (much of which is also vegan). I have chosen the cleanser because I’m amazed at how much I love it. Facial washes, often moisture-stripping and insufficiently cleansing, are high on my beauty hitlist, but this one can stay. Its soft, creamy formula grips dirt and comforts skin, while fruit enzymes leave my face feeling perkier.

Living Sea Therapy bath soak, £22

If, like me, you are a sucker for a long, luxurious soak, but feel disappointed by how many posher bath products are bubble-free, try this. It contains sustainably harvested, top-quality Cornish sea salt and seaweed, plus environmentally friendly, detergent-free foaming agents that fill the bathroom with the most beautiful, natural orange scent. Everything from this lovely brand is vegetarian-friendly, but this in particular leaves my head clear and my skin soft.

Ilia Multi-stick, £30

Canadian organic makeup line Ilia was born out of founder Sasha Plavsic’s annoyance at the common belief that organic means less effective. Organic ingredients are used wherever possible, a dozen of its small range of products are vegan-friendly and the entire range is suitable for vegetarians. Just dab on cheeks as though marking a bingo card, then tap and rub to blend into a healthy flush. At Last is the perfect white-girl rose, while Cheek To Cheek looks glorious on dark tones (and has clear, vibrant pigment to avoid dullness and ashiness).

Drunk Elephant C-Firma day serum, £70

It seems as though every US beauty nerd is raving about Drunk Elephant; if this serum is anything to go by, they have a point. It is an antioxidant, anti-ageing serum that contains vitamin C (ascorbic acid), ferulic and hyaluronic acids and heaps of gentle oils from the likes of grape and pumpkin. It has a pleasant, moist, slippery formula – I’m able to pop it straight under sunblock, skipping moisturiser altogether – and it doesn’t leave behind any grease. It has made my skin brighter and smoother and I have already bought a top-up.

Photograph: Seb Winter for the Guardian

Best-practice brands

Soap Co black poppy and wild fig hand wash, £12 (£11 for refills)

This non-profit British brand employs a workforce that is 80% blind or disabled to produce a truly superior range of soaps and washes, packaged beautifully (including braille) and priced fairly. Staff are trained to increase their skill set and confidence, with a view to moving into the wider workplace, while those with more limited opportunities are given the security of long-term employment. This project is so much more than soap, but the products are exceptional.

My Trusty sunflower face and body oil, £7.99

Few people realise that the NHS has its own skincare range, never mind that it is available nationwide. My Trusty is a sunflower oil-based line developed by NHS scientists who were dissatisfied with the available skincare products for dry, dehydrated and scarred skin. All the products are clinically proven to help reduce the appearance of scars. Users also report significant benefits for dry, itchy and oily skin, and for those with acne, eczema, psoriasis and rosacea. I have chosen this face and body oil on the basis that it gives a good, smooth, ungreasy finish and plenty of skin-softening moisture, causes no irritation and (as with the entire line) contains no sulphates, parabens or artificial perfumes. It is also cracking value, with all the profit going back into the NHS.

Soaper Duper vanilla shea body wash, £6.50

The most interesting advances in beauty are happening in the high street and budget sector, not on the high-end department store counters. These delicious-smelling washes, lotions and creams contain no microbeads, phthalates, mineral oils, sulphates or parabens, just gentle, plant-derived foaming agents and nut butters, all packaged in satisfyingly chubby pump bottles recycled from plastic milk cartons. The brand has pledged to give at least £150,000 to Water Aid by the end of next year. I use its hand washes almost exclusively, but this body wash, squirted with abandon into a bath, is my Sunday-night treat.

Clean Reserve citron fig, £79

An eco-positive perfumer? I never thought I would see the day. But Clean Reserve is obsessed with making sustainable, animal-friendly fragrances that people want to wear. The attention to detail is extraordinary. The alcohol is derived from corn and carried in an aloe vera base to avoid drying or irritating the skin; all the fragrances come in recycled and recyclable packaging; and the manufacturing process is powered by solar energy. None of this is to the detriment of the perfumes. Citron fig is my favourite: bright and summery. As the day wears on, expect a warming ginger note, spicy cardamom (which stops it from being too daytime) and a cheerful spike of mint. Lovely.

Lush Ultrabland cleanser, £7.95

Lush does much more than boycott animal testing; it has been campaigning against it for decades. The company sources all of its (vegetarian-friendly) ingredients ethically, paying suppliers fairly for their environmentally sound ingredients (which are never tested on animals) and ensuring employees throughout the supply chain are working willingly and for fair pay. Its list of ethical, environmental and animal considerations is near-endless, so I will save space by saying this instead: Ultrabland is the best affordable cleanser on the high street. It removes all makeup quickly and gently (although you may need a separate eye makeup remover for heavy shadow and waterproof mascara). Massage in nightly and remove with a clean, hot facecloth. Your skin will look better in a month, if not sooner.

The vegan selection

Mavala Mini Nail Colour, £4.95

I had always loved these dinky nail polishes – then I discovered that they have been vegan for more than five decades. The appeal of Mavala lies in its understanding that while you might wish to own thousands of different shades of nail polish, you are unlikely to finish a big bottle of any of them. These tiny polishes come in every shade and finish, have a good brush and decent longevity, and contain exactly the right amount to leave me wanting more.

Klorane extra-gentle dry shampoo with oat milk, £8

For years, this dry shampoo has featured in every stylist’s kitbag. They love it, because it gives great volume without causing scalps to itch, it doesn’t take excessive rubbing to work off the chalkiness and it smells natural and clean, rather than sweet and synthetic. The rest of the Klorane family, from a fragrant pomegranate shampoo to an excellent eye makeup remover, is vegan, too.

Le Labo Santal 33, £120

Le Labo is vegan across its large range of high-quality perfumes, lotions and candles, but whenever I visit the counter I rarely get past this beautiful, gender-neutral scent that smells of creamy sandalwood, powdery flowers and new leather shoes. If you happen to pass a tester, do give it a chance: the immediate hit is no match for what it becomes an hour or so later.

IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ SPF 50+ cream, £30

Finally, a tinted moisturiser with as much coverage as a foundation and as high an SPF as a sunblock. This hero product from the vegan brand has been raved about by practically every beauty editor and blogger this season – and with good reason. The exceptional base blends well, stays put and neither dries out nor oils up the skin. Even the dated packaging adds to its charm. It is with great relief that I hear new owner L’Oréal intends to keep IT’s ethical standards high.

Barry M Dazzle Dust, £4.59

It is gratifying to discover that one of Britain’s most iconic bargain brands has among the most transparent animal-welfare policies and simplest labelling systems. I wish luxury houses would deign to watch and learn. The 80% of Barry M products that are vegan are marked with a green badge, while the rest (vegetarian, but containing beeswax) are not. The company demands yearly written declarations from suppliers and works on animal welfare initiatives. It also makes the best budget glitter in the business and flogs it for less than a fiver. The endlessly cheering Dazzle Dust comes in an array of colours that change seasonally – I love Petrol Black, smudged over eyeliner (and covering any wobbles in the process).

Zelens Daily Defence sunscreen SPF 30, £55

It may be seriously spendy, but this tube replaces two products. An elegant moisturiser and effective sunscreen in one, it goes straight over serum without greasiness, peeling or stinging, and provides an excellent base for foundation. One of my all-time favourite sunscreens, it is vegan and contains no parabens, should you happen to be concerned about them (broadly speaking, I’m not).

Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil, £15.50

When L’Oréal acquired Urban Decay and attempted to take it into the Chinese market, where animal testing is a legal requirement, there was such uproar that the brand swiftly changed its mind. Animal welfare was a founding principle of this excellent brand. Click on any product on the Urban Decay website and you will see immediately whether it is vegan; gratifyingly, 32 of the 41 shades of these eye pencils (which are the smoothest, boldest, coolest and longest-lasting) are. More and more products are undergoing conversion.

Aesop post-poo drops, £20

There were so many worthy options from this all-vegan (with the exception of natural-bristled shaving brushes) Australian brand that I went for novelty and originality. Post-poo drops serve exactly the purpose one would imagine and they work brilliantly. Simply squeeze a couple of drops of this essential-oil blend into the toilet basin to deodorise the room and make it smell of orange zest. The stylish and weirdly covetable glass bottle raises so many eyebrows and smiles that I routinely bring one for dinner hosts instead of wine. Invariably, they love it and vow to replenish when empty (which takes months).

Nailberry L’Oxygéné nail polish, from £14.50

One of the coolest, most coveted luxury brands in nailcare is also vegan-friendly. Each of the 48 shades in Nailberry’s Peta‑certified L’Oxygéné range is long-wearing, halal-certified and free from alcohol, parabens, DBP, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate, animal derivatives and gluten. Highlights are Rouge, a perfect specimen of classic Hollywood red, and Viva La Vegan, a sludgy summer khaki that looks wonderful against denim and sandals. There are no duds here.

Vita Liberata Body Blur Instant HD, £29.49

Without question the most-used body makeup in my kit, this adds realistic colour, camouflages veins, scars, signs of poor circulation and blotches, and creates the impression of smoother, silkier skin. It is not cheap, but a little goes a long way (and all but one of Vita Liberata’s products – the night moisture mask – are vegan-friendly). Indispensable for anyone keen to show some skin.

Real Techniques brushes, from £7.99

Vegan brushes must be made from synthetic, rather than natural, bristles. The affordable synthetics of yore, while fine for creams and lotions, were useless for powdered makeup. The game changed with this range of relatively inexpensive synthetics, which have a soft, plush texture and a lightness of touch, and are accompanied by a series of YouTube tutorials. I love the setting brush for under eyes and I’m rarely without the eye shade and blend duo, but others seem devoted to the Expert Face Brush.

Cover FX illuminating setting spray, £22

It was hard to pick a favourite product from this brand’s entirely vegan line of hi-tech, racially inclusive complexion makeup (I like brands that pick a speciality and stick with it). However, since I have been using this since Christmas, it seemed only fair that it made the cut. It is a refreshing mist that locks down makeup (face or body) for the night, layering up for greater glow. It works brilliantly, looks great and, like everything from Cover FX, contains no parabens, fragrance, gluten, mineral oil or talc.

The Ordinary Vitamin C suspension 23% + HA spheres 2%, £4.90

What would happen if you took away all the unnecessary skincare ingredients, leaving only those in proper concentrations that were proven to deliver results? And what if you scaled down packaging, making product names transparent and everything vegan-friendly? This was Brandon Truaxe’s thinking when he developed The Ordinary, an affordable skincare brand that has caused the biggest stir in beauty in at least 20 years. There are many commendable products, but I have chosen this anti-ageing serum, since it has a higher concentration of antioxidant vitamin C than many rivals costing five, 10 or even 20 times the price.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner, £16

Vegan tattoo artist Kat Von D reportedly intends to transition her cruelty-free beauty line to vegan-friendly status by the end of the year. If you are impatient, though, this liner, adored for its durable wear and fine, sharp-tipped brush, is already good to go. The best vegan-friendly liner I have tried, it goes on opaquely and effortlessly, although I don’t support its claim to be waterproof.

Hourglass ambient lighting powder, £40

This range is mostly vegetarian-friendly, while plenty of it – including this, the best product – is vegan. There is at least one shade for everyone: I dust Diffused Light, a red-reducing, skin-brightening yellow, all over my face (either over foundation or just concealer), and Radiant Light, a soft brown, on the cheeks, temples and wherever the sun would hit.

Sleek Blush, £4.99

Sleek is a cruelty-free brand that has pledged not to sell in China until the country changes its laws on animal testing. This is China’s loss, because Sleek’s makeup is among the best ever sold on the high street. Its forte is eyeshadow (peerless colour payoff in its price bracket) and blusher, the latter being vegan. The shade choice is good, but Rose Gold is particularly flattering on everyone and is the spit of Nars’s Orgasm.

St Tropez gradual tan tinted lotion, £15

I don’t know why I was surprised to learn that Britain’s most popular tanning brand is vegan, but then I’m someone on whom self-tan usually disappears without a trace. This gradual tanning lotion is a notable exception. It gives good moisture, an instant bronze tint and a deeper, but still realistic, tan in just a couple of applications. My advice is to spend extra cash on the brand’s mitt: you get a much smoother, more even application and no orange palms.

e.l.f. B Bare total face makeup palette, £9

I have been waiting years for this excellent, all-vegan, bargain brand to launch in the UK, having feverishly stocked up whenever in the US. All the palettes are great and the primers are a dead ringer for premium brands; but this palette for pale skin – containing bronzer, highlighter and two cheek colours – is cleverly curated and more restrained than comparable products on the high street.

Pixi Glow Tonic, £18

About 50 products in Pixi’s relatively small makeup and skincare line are vegan, including Caroline Hirons’ excellent Double Cleanse and this, its best bargain (the bottle is around two and a half times bigger than most). It is a liquid exfoliant (ie the only kind of skin toner worth a damn), containing alpha hydroxy acid to deflake and brighten dull skin and soften the appearance of fine lines. After a proper cleanse, saturate a cotton pad with Glow Tonic and sweep all over the face.

Sam Farmer teen skincare, from £4.49

As a father of teenagers, Sam Farmer was horrified at the sexualised branding, gender stereotyping and cynical marketing of toiletries aimed at young people. Instead of writing a furious letter, he retrained as a cosmetic scientist and made his own range. My sons and all my friends’ teens love this range for its fair prices, cool, minimal packaging and fresh, unobtrusive fragrances. Every product in the lineup is free of animal ingredients, which, given that almost half of vegans are aged 15 to 34, seems commercially smart as well as ethical.

Illamasqua Radiance Veil, £34

Illamasqua is one of the largest cruelty-free brands, but fans may not realise that more than 90 of its products are vegan, too. It was hard to pick a favourite – Beyond Powder, one of the best highlighters I have used, came close – but in the end I plumped for this glow-giving primer, which, as well as providing a smooth, long-lasting base for foundation, looks wonderful when worn with a little concealer and powder. It is perfect for dull or sallow complexions.

Niod copper amino isolate serum 1%, £38

My colleagues rave about vegan brand Niod, but I have had limited success with many of its skincare products. The exception is this, which works a treat. The unorthodox idea is not to tackle symptoms of skin ageing directly, but rather to keep skin in a heightened state of self-repair. You mix together the serum and “activator”, then apply straight after cleansing. I have found it particularly effective on visible pores around the nose and chin, on uneven texture and in brightening dullness, but others report all manner of skin-improving capabilities. There is now a more concentrated (5%) version, but it costs a small fortune; you will probably find this one sufficient.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, £4.19

Another high street brand that hides nothing from its consumers. The website lists every product it makes and explains clearly which are vegan, which are vegetarian and which are cruelty‑free. This, its best, is vegan-friendly (and racially inclusive). Just dab the liquid directly from the wand on to dark circles and blemishes, then tap with your middle finger to blend. You will find it behaves much like luxury concealers at five times the price.

Vintner’s Daughter active botanical serum, £175

I was determined to hate this face oil. It is exorbitantly priced and its marketing is based on the kind of “no chemicals, no toxins” message that I find enraging. But, oh, it is so lovely on the skin (even spotty types). Just one six-drop application of this 22-oil, vegan-friendly blend before bed (after any anti-ageing serums and before or instead of cream) revives and moisturises the complexion and imparts visible glow by morning. It is beautiful, if way too expensive.

Axiology vegan lipstick, £24

Vegan lipstick is hard to find, because ingredients such as beeswax, lanolin, cholesterol and collagen are so often used to add comfort, slip, moisture and plumpness.Here, though, is a wonderful example of how it can be done. The formula is silky, comfy and long-lasting. The shades (I recommend Worth, a vintage-looking red) are every bit as cool and bold as those of the department store luxury brands. The packaging makes it a beautiful gift, too.

Starskin After Party brightening bio-cellulose second-skin face mask, £8.50

There is something hugely satisfying about a one-hit sheet mask. This one, from the mostly-vegan Starskin portfolio, is among my favourites. There is no scrimping on ingredients here: the mask positively drenches the face in reviving serum, which leaves skin brighter, perkier and healthier-looking (in fact, you will probably have enough gunk left in the sachet for tomorrow). Wonderful as a hangover cure or an in-flight treatment.

Infuse My. colour wash, £13.95

I’m hugely impressed with these colour-refreshing shampoos. Simply, they work. Copper brightens red hair beautifully, while Platinum strips brassiness from blond and grey hair and brightens any white and silver; the Gold shade glosses my hair like nothing else. All five options are vegan and none contains sulphates, silicones, parabens or toxic dyes.

Superdrug B. Pure micellar water, £4.99

I give huge props to Superdrug for making its entire B. skincare and makeup line vegan-friendly, particularly this makeup remover, which is one of the few of its kind not to make me break out after several days’ continued use. It swipes away heavy foundation and mascara in seconds, making it an ideal first step before a deeper cleanse with a balm or oil (there is no substitute, long-term). It is also brilliant for quick makeup changes, correcting smudges and errors and, dare I say it, when you are too tired and emotional for a thorough night-time routine. Keep next to your bed with the Alka-Seltzer.

Too Faced Brow Quickie, £17

I was put off slightly by this cruelty-free brand’s teenybopper packaging, but with perseverance I have found some corking products. Everyone raves about the superior lengthening capabilities of Better Than Sex mascara, but my personal favourite is Brow Quickie, a fibre-filled brow gel in a perfect, suits-everyone taupe that thickens and holds brows in place better than anything else I have tried. It is only one of the 50 or so vegan products in the Too Faced portfolio.

Kypris Moonlight Catalyst, £60.50

My issue with many of the natural, organic skincare brands I see is that, while they are often lovely in terms of smell and texture, they don’t seem to do much for their high price tag. Kypris is an exception. Vegan, organic, sustainably and locally sourced, devoid of any petrol-industry byproducts and synthetic ingredients, its kinder beauty credentials are flawless. The products themselves are just as impressive. This, my favourite, is a night-time serum that uses pumpkin enzymes to gobble away dead skin and calm irritation. It gives great glow and leaves skin exceptionally soft and smooth. It is also very good on spotty or upset-looking skin. It is expensive, yes, but comes in a larger bottle than most in its category.

Pai Copaiba deep cleanse AHA mask, £30

There is an assumption in beauty that spotty skin must be hardy enough to withstand chemical torture in the name of treatment, but this is simply not true. Pai skincare (certified by the Soil Association and the Vegan Society) is unusual in its understanding that oily, congested skin can be as sensitive and easily upset as any other type. This mask is a great example of how it is possible to get kind and hardcore in one tube. Smooth all over just-cleansed skin (I take it right under the eyes, but not over the eyelids), leave for 10 minutes, then buff off with a hot facecloth.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation, £5.70

Another entry for this new but influential, eco-friendly, vegan brand. It is the best budget foundation I have ever used. Yes, there is a six-week waiting list and, yes, there are few bricks-and-mortar stores allowing you to try before you buy, but, at a little over a fiver, how much can one complain? Besides, distribution and stock problems are likely to vanish soon: Estée Lauder has just invested in The Ordinary’s parent company, Deciem.

Tarte Maracuja creaseless concealer, £21

There are lots of vegan products within this natural-ingredient-based, animal-friendly brand and I was delighted to find this old favourite among them. It is a waterproof, racially inclusive coverup that is brilliant for hiding birth marks, dark circles, melasma and scars, and any blemishes on menopausal skin prone to hot flashes. It blends well with fingers or a buffing brush and is so concentrated the little tube lasts for ages.

Rahua shampoo and conditioner, £30 each

On paper, Rahua looks like the kind of brand I avoid. It is expensive and comes with a too-familiar marketing message: beauty professionals get out of the rat race and discover charity work, which takes them to the Brazilian rainforest, where they notice that women have exceptionally soft, glossy hair and discover a native wonder oil, rahua. I have heard 100 variations on this theme, but two things set Rahua apart: activism and product efficacy. Everything is vegan and sustainable, and the brand has reinvigorated the local trade of rahua oil. Every organic, natural and petrochemical-, silicone- and sulphate-free product is lovely, but the original shampoo and conditioner are the holy grail for dry, thick, previously unmanageable hair.

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