Kat Von D Lock It Foundation & Tattoo Liner

I've had a real itch lately to try a new foundation. In the past i've been a big fan of Too Faced's Born This Way (V& CF) but the price tag, and how quickly I found myself getting through a bottle, led me to return back to an all time old favourite, e.l.f's Flawless Finish (V & CF). Lately though my skin has been suffering and i've found it to be much more oily than usual which hasn't worked well with the e.l.f foundation. At times I have even felt that this foundation has made breakouts on my forehead worse which is a shame because the £7.50 price tag definitely does agree with me.  

I recently asked my followers what new vegan and cruelty free foundation I should try and the response was overwhelmingly unanimous. So many of you all use and love Kat Von D's Lock It and with comments coming back to me like "I'll never change foundation ever again", curiosity finally got the better of me! I quickly placed my order and it arrived the next day.  

My first impressions of this foundation have been excellent. In fact they've been mind bogglingly outstanding! The first time I used it I was so impressed by the coverage and overall finish. I actually don't think i've ever used a foundation before with such great coverage which doesn't feel like I'm wearing a heavy mask. I am so happy that this foundation covers my problem areas and feels light on my skin. Over the past week i've really noticed how much more confident I feel in my skin which is such a great feeling.  

I have combination skin, suffering with an overly oily t-zone more recently and drier skin around my cheeks. My forehead has been frequently breaking out in spots which has really got me down and before using Lock It I just felt like this problem was getting worse. Since trying out this new foundation i've already seen an improvement on my forehead and instead of feeling more oily it now feels drier and much less greasy. I love the fact that this foundation eliminates my oily forehead and is long lasting throughout the entire day.  

After reading some reviews from others I did have some initial concerns that this foundation would cling to and highlight my dry areas but thankfully that wasn't the case. I do make sure I moisturise my skin well before applying and I would advise that if you do have very dry skin to perhaps also invest in the Kat Von D Lock It Primer which I hear works amazingly well. 

I wasn't really keen on returning to spending nearly £30 on foundation but when the product is this good I am happy to pay for it. Foundation is the most important item in my makeup bag and I do believe that it's worth splashing out on one that really suits you and your skin if you happen to find a perfect match. I just hope that it lasts longer than the Too Faced one did for me!

I've also been on the look out for a liquid eyeliner and another Kat Von D product I have had since last Christmas is her infamous Tattoo Liner. Over the past seven months I have been alternating between this and e.l.f's Waterproof Eye Liner Pen and initially I wasn't overly convinced that it was worth its £16 price tag, especially considering that the e.l.f version is only £3 and, in my opinion, worked just as well. 

What I have noticed though, since trying this product out for a longer period of time, is that it holds its liquidity much better than the e.l.f one which I have found dries out more quickly. It's also more moist which means that its application is more fluid than the e.l.f one. Because it's more moist i've found the black colour to be more intense and striking, particularly when applying over the top of eye shadow. All of this has meant that i've found myself reaching for this liquid liner much more than my old cheaper favourite. 

I think the fact that the Tattoo Liner has lasted me a good seven months means that I definitely wouldn't think twice about spending £16 on it again. 

These are the only two products I have tried from the Kat Von D range at Debenhams but my experience of them is leaving me eager to try out more from this collection. I'd love to try the accompanying Lock It Concealer and i've also had my eye on the Shade and Light palette, not that I need another eye shadow palette in my collection but the shades are gorgeous!

Have you tried any Kat Von D makeup yet!?

I'd love to hear some of your own opinions on this range so comment below and let me know your recommendations!

Stop Making Excuses

One thing that continually gets my back up are the people, or more specifically the bloggers, who make up numerous lame excuses for not shopping cruelty free. This post has been bubbling away inside me for some time now so apologies if it sounds like a rant, but at the same time I need to vent! 

I think it’s a huge shame that in this day and age there aren't more big bloggers promoting cruelty free products because the impact they could have on the entire industry could be potentially huge. I saw a glimmer of hope when fellow vegan and YouTuber Naomi Smart said she was going cruelty free, only to then see her promoting high end designer brands who do test in one of her videos a few months later. Not only is this confusing the whole subject of being cruelty free, but it also just screams that she sold out to her audience. I guess when the big brands come knocking and the pay cheque is large enough ethics go completely out the window!??  

Last week I read a ridiculous blog post by a fellow beauty blogger who claimed to be an animal lover, and against animal testing, but who was choosing to continue to buy from brands who test on animals because, you know,.....great makeup. I’m not really sorry if this offends anyone because quite frankly it’s bulls**t! There are no two ways around it - if you are an animal lover then you need to shop cruelty free! If you don't then you are just supporting unnecessary cruelty towards animals, and worst of all promoting it. The really sad, and slighty crazy, thing is that she actually has the word 'bunny' in her blog name. 

The big news of Nars losing their cruelty free status by selling out to China has certainly ruffled some feathers in the world of beauty blogging and it would seem that for some the prospect of never using their favourite foundation again is more upsetting than animals suffering pain and dying needlessy all in the name of make up.    

Lets get real here for a moment… When it comes to shopping cruelty free there is no rule book. To be someone who is against animal testing and who only shops cruelty free does not automatically mean you need to be a vegetarian or a vegan. Yes one would hope that your compassion towards animals will lead to other positive lifestyle changes, like not eating them, but for now you’re doing great. You are on a path of discovery and you are making a big difference so you should be proud of that. 

This whole attitude of ‘well if i’m not going to be perfect then I may as well not bother’ is another load of crap which quite frankly just screams of laziness and is an excuse to cover up the fact that you just don’t care enough. Any small change in the right direction is a change worth celebrating. Small changes lead to bigger changes and influence others to make better choices. The ripple effect in itself is much huger than anyone can even begin to imagine.

I read a comment on Twitter last week which literally left my jaw wide open. One woman claimed she couldn’t make the leap towards going cruelty free because it meant she wouldn’t be able to eat burgers anymore. I’m just going to let that sink in with you for minute…. 

To be completely honest I would much rather someone say that they’re just not that into animals than someone who pretends to be an animal lover, and who makes bold claims that they’re against animal testing, but who will still buys non cruelty free products. If those statements were true then you would simply stop buying from the brands who test on animals, no matter how amazing the makeup is. I’m so tired of reading these excuses and i’m annoyed that people just can’t be honest with themselves, and their readers/viewers. 

When I first decided to start shopping cruelty free I was a meat eater. I then became vegetarian and a year later I started a journey into veganism. I am not perfect, I get things wrong from time to time and I personally don’t think the perfect vegan exists. That being said, I can appreciate what a difference the smallest of changes make. It’s not easy making big lifestyle changes, especially when you have only shopped a specific brand since as far back as you can remember. Trust me, as a previous MAC customer of 10+ years that change was bloody difficult to make and for a while it sucked. But I did it, eventually, and over time, because I had felt like a friggin' animal loving hypocrite for far too long.   

I will support anyone no matter where they’re at in their journey, as long as they’re aware of the changes that need to be made and are working towards that. Shopping cruelty free but still eating meat is better than not giving a shit altogether you know? If you want to go vegan but can’t give up your favourite dairy milk chocolate then go vegan but still eat that chocolate because that’s better than not trying at all. 

Small changes can lead to big progress and lets not forget the power of supply and demand. If we all stop buying a product it’s going to have an impact! People are going to start to take note and ask why. You just need the belief that change is possible and the motivation to actually give a shit!   

We’re in 2017 and it has never been easier to be cruelty free than it is today. There’s an abundance of excellent cruelty free products and makeup out there, it’s just about doing your research and discovering what you do and don’t like. It takes time, it’s not an overnight transition but it is extremely worthwhile and you will feel like a better person for it. 

So what's your excuse? 

Santorini

Santorini has been on my travel bucket list for years and I have spent many hours scrolling others photos of this beautiful island wishing it was me who was there. Well last month this dream came true and my husband and I finally found ourselves lost for words as we stared out at the view across the caldera, the view I had so often swooned over online. It doesn't matter how many photos you look at, nothing quite prepares you for seeing that view in person. To say it is incredible doesn't even do it the justice it deserves. There really are no words!