Conscientious Holiday Hair and Skin Solutions

Midterms are over!  OVER.  Now comes the anxiety of anticipating grades.  At least the winter holidays are finally here, though.. There will be ample time to procrastinate and work on various long-term projects from home while listening to the same Christmas mixed tape over and over again.
But homework and writing endeavors aside, I'm excited to have some more beauty loves to share.  As I work on a major research project about animal exploitation and animal cruelty in industry, I'm increasingly devastated by the reality of animal testing in cosmetics.  I really do enjoy skincare and makeup because they're fun and make my skin happy, but I don't think that any of the products we use should require animals to suffer.  The idea of little bunnies and mice having chemicals squirted into their eyes is nightmarish and makes me cry, and one of the most upsetting things about it is that it's not necessary.  There are so many household and cosmetic products that don't have any of their ingredients tested on animals,.  They have safe, natural ingredients that are better for bunnies, the planet, and for us.  I think that companies that haven't transitioned to being cruelty-free can learn a lot from their bunny-friendly peers, and by supporting companies that support animals, we can help show the world that we really do care about where products come from and about how they're made. We have the power to make beauty that hurts bunnies "uncool" and make cruelty-free the norm.
With that in mind, here are some fun, effective, cruelty-free beauty ideas for holiday gifts this year:

Anything by SheaMoisture
SheaMoisture is organic, cruelty-free, and promotes fair trade efforts that benefit and empower women in Africa, and the story behind the brand is very moving and powerful.  One of the great things about SheaMoisture's shampoos and conditioners is that a little goes a long way, so you don't have to continuously restock ,but you can feel good when you purchase from them because you know you're supporting a company that's environmentally- and socially-conscientious. (What's funny is that I don't have curly hair, but I love their Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Shampoo. I think it might actually make my hair bouncier, like it's trying to become curly even though it's really very straight.)

Zum Bar Soap
I have a thing for fancy soap bars.  I think it's because they look almost like yummy raw food bars or something. Anyway, Zum Bar Soap is soap made of goat's milk, and it comes in a range of very yummy natural scents.   And every bar is a unique piece of art that feels and smells amazing.  At $6.25 per bar, they're a little bit expensive, but for holiday gifts, the splurge could be worth it.  I mean, there's a Grapefruit Zum Bar, a Dragon's Blood Zum Bar, a Peppermint-Almond Zum Bar, and even a Charcoal Zum Bar.  The one thing would be to check the ingredients. Some of them have yummy ingredients like almond and citrus, and if anyone on your holiday list has allergies, it'd be best to avoid getting anything allergenic.

SO MUCH SOAP. I had no idea you could buy this in bulk. 

Happy Holidays!
<3 Frances

In the Beauty Cabinet

Happy post-Thanksgiving Friday, dears!  I hope everyone had/is having a sweet holiday <3.  With it being wintry outside again, my skin has decided to do its annual get-dry-and-cracked routine.  I'm also still dealing with my acne and acne scars, and I'm trying to find skincare and makeup products that are moisturizing, brightening, healing, and cruelty-free.  The no-animal-testing part is really important to me. I know that there are a lot of other people out there who care about animals and who are also struggling with skin-related issues, so hopefully some of the beauty cabinet favorites I'm sharing today may be of use to you :). Financially, it can be very difficult to afford a lot of skincare and makeup products, and I can't always have these products on hand because it just gets too expensive, but given how awful acne scars and dry, peeling skin can be, it's sometimes worth it to invest in long-term solutions.  Hopefully some of them will be able to help you, too!

For Dry Hands
As soon as it gets cold outside, BAM, my hands turn into a palette of dryness, redness, and peeling. They also burn and hurt a lot, and my mum has been really on my case about taking care of them.  She has work-worn hands from long days and a demanding job, so she's particularly wary of hand-care, but I tend to forget to put moisturizer on, and the soap at school has been eating away at my skin. Deep Steep's Peppermint Vanilla Argan Oil Hand Cream has been a life-changer! It smells like peppermint candies (which I haven't been able to have in a long time due to food sensitivities), and it's so much fun for the holiday season! It's not tested on animals at all, it's affordable, and it's full of natural goodness like shea butter and aloe vera.

For Coverage and Sun Protection
I've been trying to use products without dimeticone lately, but it's very difficult to find foundations and BB creams that don't include it.  REN's Satin Perfection BB Cream has made a major difference in my skin coverage. It has no silicone ad adjusts to your skin tone, and it protects from UV rays and oxidizing agents while providing you with a soft, smooth glow. I use a very small amount every day because it is expensive, but it is so soft and light that I get excited to put it on in the morning.


 

For Foundation
Zuzu Luxe Oil Free Liquid Foundation is silky, soft, cruelty- and gluten-free, and a little goes a long way (which is good because I really can't afford it, lol).  "Zuzu Luxe" is a really fun name to say, too, so that's an added bonus.  The coverage provided by the foundation is very thorough, and it does an amazing job making my acne scars less obvious--a true miracle!  It also gives a natural glow that isn't oily, thick, or shiny.  Yay!

<3 Frances





The Clothing Crisis: Fast Fashion and Earth

 

 

Happy Labor Day!  I'm sort of feeling very work-logged today (tests, studying, cleaning, working, etc. etc. etc.), but it's nice to be doing all my work at home (aka in pajamas) as opposed to somewhere else.  And we're getting a bit of a fall weather preview this weekend.  It's so beautiful!  I wish the heat wave weren't coming back tomorrow.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's still summertime, though.  Fall doesn't officially get here until September 22nd.  The good thing is that the next few weeks give us time to prepare for fall and get into the spirit of Halloween and pumpkins and crisp leaves and squirrels.  And plaid, of course.   Even for girls like us at Moth Bird who won't have any time or money to spend on closet updates, it's fun to think about fall trends.  (Escapism, anyone?)

But speaking of fashion, there's a more pressing clothing matter at hand that I wanted to share: the fast fashion crisis.

 

 

Copyright Tim Mitchell

 

I just read a Newsweek article about "fast fashion" and its effects on the environment, and I was horrified to learn about how our clothing habits are hurting the planet.  Having fun with fashion is awesome, but loving our Earth is also awesome, and this article is a real wake-up call when it comes to making sustainable choices.

"When natural fibers, like cotton, linen and silk, or semi-synthetic fibers created from plant-based cellulose, like rayon, Tencel and modal, are buried in a landfill, in one sense they act like food waste, producing the potent greenhouse gas methane as they degrade. But unlike banana peels, you can’t compost old clothes, even if they're made of natural materials."

What's particularly disturbing is that 84% of "unwanted clothes" in the U.S. ended up going to landfills and incinerators in 2012, and Americans throw out about 14 million tons of clothing every year. That's crazy!  Another unfortunate reality is that a lot of clothing that gets donated may end up getting thrown out due to being very poor quality. It's an environmental and fashion crisis, and though we can all do our part to help make it better (buying secondhand, buying well-made clothing, sewing your own clothes, donating as opposed to tossing, etc.), we need a long-term solution.  One possibility is a closed-loop clothing industry, sort of mimicking how closed-loop systems work in nature.  (Remember all those thermodynamics laws?  Matter is neither created nor destroyed?  Energy of a system remains constant?)

Marie-Claire Daveu of Vogue: "The holy grail for sustainability in fashion is closed-loop sourcing.”

According to the article, closed-loop tech in the fashion industry would mean no clothes in landfills because old clothes would "be endlessly looped through textile factories, garment factories, stores, your closet, secondhand retailers, textile recyclers and back to textile factories again." Sadly, this sort of system is a while in the future, but it's a light of hope in an otherwise pretty glum situation.

 

 <3 Frances

 

 

 

Sustainable Style

Hi, everyone!  Welcome to another week. Sometimes I look at the date and wonder, "Where is time going?" But then when I'm sitting with my textbook open doing a homework assignment, time feels to be going rather slowly, so I suppose it's all relative, isn't it? 
I'm excited today to be writing about sustainability and how it relates to (wait for it) fashion!  Yes, this subject is a lot lighter than the melting polar ice caps and global poverty--two very major issues that deserve significant attention but can also be rather depressing. One of the biggest "traps" that can prevent people from taking action against global issues like climate change is full-out gloomy pessimism, and it's important to look at inspirational things to get the "let's save the world" juices flowing.  I know a lot of these brands are expensive and that I myself probably couldn't afford many purchases, but they're nevertheless inspiring and represent a positive movement in the stylesphere.

Awamaki
Founded in 2009, Awamaki helps to empower women living in the Peruvian Andes by providing them with economic opportunities based on the beautiful textiles that they make.  Because of the sustainable materials used and the emphasis on local art over big industrial production, Awamaki is good for the environment and for the artisans involved/their communities.  Plus, the clothes and textiles (which are sold under the "Awamaki Lab" brand) are gorgeous.

 

 

Auralis Herrerro

When she was just starting out in the fashion industry, Auralis Herrerro decided it was time to make a change.  "The fashion industry is responsible for so much of the pollution in the world," she said. Inspired by this sentiment, the 28 year-old started her own green company.  She uses materials that are organic and recycled and not processed with chemicals, and many of her designs are inspired by life in her homeland of Puerto Rico. 

 

Noonan for NY Daily News

 

Vaute Couture

With a "V" for vegan, Vaute Couture was founded by lifelong animal-lover Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, and it was the first vegan brand to be included in New York Fashion Week.  With one of its initial goals being to make a warm winter coat free of animal cruelty, Vaute has exceeded expectations and truly made a name for itself in the fashion industry as a leader not only in the style world but also in the anti-animal cruelty world.  Yay!

 

 

 

 

Interested in seeing more eco-style brands?  Check out the list from EcoSalon.

 

  

<3 Frances

 



 





Mori Kei

In the midst of studying and packing and unpacking and getting ready for back-to-school, I stumbled upon a few pictures of "mori kei" fashion and fell somewhat in love with it.  Mori is Japanese for forest, and kei means style, so, essentially, mori kei is forest style.  It's sort of like earthy bohemian and vintage and lolita and storybook fairytale all rolled into one, and it's adorable.  I also really think it's great for the coming autumn and the academic year.  Sweaters, school, and crisp red leaves go well together.

<3 Frances

Product Reviews

It's the first Monday back after Spring Break (aka my week-long study period), but let's not talk about work today.  Let's talk about natural health and beauty instead! #waymorefun


100% Pure Cocoa Kona Body Cream
I have *incredibly* dry skin during (and after) the winter, and this moisturizer is amazing!  It is not at all greasy (that's right, you can rub it in and not have to worry about destroying everything you touch), it's very lightweight, and it smells like a chocolate-coffee confection beyond your wildest dreams.  At the same time, though, the scent is all-natural and therefore does not cause migraines, even in the terribly migraine-prone individual that is Iris.











Benefit Roller Lash
Story time!  A few weeks ago, Iris and I both somehow managed to rip half our eyelashes out with our eyelash curlers.  Not our proudest accomplishment...
All that said, though, we were then looking for a mascara replacement and stumbled across Benefit's new "Roller Lash" mascara, which is supposed to not only highlight but also curl your lashes.  That's right--it's an all-in-one tool.   And the best part is that it actually works!  No longer must my lashes live in fear of being torn out by me and an intimidating metal contraption.


SheaMoisture Superfruit Complex 10-in-1 Renewal System Hair Masque


Goodbye, dry hair!  This hair masque smells really yummy, goes on easily, washes out well, and leaves hair smooth and shiny...for several days.  It also works with multiple hair types, and it naturally fortifies strands with marula oil and biotin.













<3 Frances

Shop for Charity

With the holiday season comes a lot of online shopping, but now all those purchases can be for the greater good.  The next time you order from Amazon, use smile.amazon.com, and 0.5% of every purchase will be donated to the charitable organization of your choice!

<3 Frances