Kind Events: LUSH Cosmetic's #crueltyfreekisses

"If a man aspires towards a righteous life, his first act of abstinence is from injury to animals" 

—Albert Einstein

I was honoured to attend a very special event last night at LUSH here in Sydney to celebrate the #crueltyfreekisses campaign! I was already a massive fan of the sumptuous range of handmade LUSH cosmetics - but after hearing about their work to stop animal cruelty I love them even more! 

Representatives from both Humane Research Australia and Humane Society International spoke to us about the terrible animal testing that is still going on all around the world! We learned that the vast majority of cosmetic products available in Australia actually come from overseas countries where animal testing regularly occurs. The good news is that in 2013 Europe introduced a ban on selling new animal-tested cosmetics and this month India announced a total ban on animal testing for cosmetics.

Georgie Stewart (Humane Society International) and I @ the LUSH Cruelty Free Kisses Event

I also found out that this Saturday 6th July is International Kissing Day. I totally hadn't known this! Well LUSH has decided that this momentous occasion needs a cruelty-free makeover and will be attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for 'the most lip prints collected in 12 consecutive hours' - FUN! According to HSI's Be Cruelty-Free Communications Director, Wendy Higgins: "A kiss symbolises kindness but there is nothing kind about testing cosmetics on animals so let's join together to kiss goodbye to cosmetics cruelty".

LUSH model Ryan needs your kisses!

After listening to some sobering but extremely important messages, we were given the chance to hand-make our very own LUSH Mint Julips lip scrub from scratch (tasted like delicious after-dinner mints to me!), while being showered with fantastic drinks and nibbles.

Next up the amazing Brooke Hahn - Founder of eco-boutique The Beautiful Think - and I decided that two kisses must be better than one and did our duty all for the cruelty-free cause! ;-)

Just before the evening came to a close I was given my very own personal Emotional Brilliance colour reading, which included finding out my strength, my weakness and my hidden talent. It was very fun and spookily revealing at the same time. You can have a play yourself online!

After an amazingly fun and educational night it was time to head home - but not before picking up my ECOAWESOME goody bag! Inside this LUSH oasis I found:

• None of Your Beeswax lip balm with no beeswax + plenty of yum
• Ultrabalm all purpose balm made from plant waxes to protect your bits
• Toothy Tabs an eco-alternative to toothpaste that makes me giggle when I clean my teeth now
• Charm lip stick made from Jojoba oil and Candelilla wax

So basically, bliss in a bag! I can't rave about LUSH enough; the staff are so passionate and genuine, the products are both eco AND vegan, and it's all coupled with the mission to make our world a kinder place. Did I mention I love being an ethical fashion and beauty blogger?!

You can connect with LUSH via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest! 

#2 Eco-budget versus Eco-luxe: Make-Up

Here I go again! Last time it was summer dresses, this time I wanted to see what cruelty-free make-up products I would purchase if I was starting my collection from scratch while keeping within my 3 budget categories :

Category 1: Eco-budget (Under $100)

Vegan Cosmetic 6 Piece Brush Kit from Beaute Crue - This cruelty-free set includes: blush brush, eye Shading brush, angled eyeliner brush, concealer brush, lash and brow groomer and a hemp and cotton case in a zipper storage bag ($22.50)

Shimmer Eyeshadow - 20 Shades Pack from Eye Kandii Cosmetics in extremely vivid colours ($18.00)

Sun Kissed Bronzer by Just Pure Minerals - Hand crafted in small batches these little pots of bronzed goodness contain no synthetic dyes or fragrances and are 100% cruelty-free ($12.00)

Vitamin E Lip Smoothers by Ecco Bella - These luscious vegan lip loving treats come in 4 colours and have been designed to eliminate cracks and dryness ($17.95)

Mineral Volume Mascara in Black by Prirodna Vegan Cosmetics - This 100% vegan and cruelty-free mascara contains organic oils and needs only luke warm water to be removed ($18.90)

Category 2: Eco-Luxe (under $200)

Eco Tools by Alicia Silverstone - 5 piece make-up brush set and bag. The brushes feature bamboo handles, recycled aluminum ferrules and incredibly soft, cruelty-free taklon bristles ($59.00)

24/7 Glide-On Eyeshadow Pencils by Urban Decay - These amazing cruelty-free pencils come in a huge array of eye-catching shades with a large vegan selection ($20.00)

Composure Lollipop Pink Lip Gloss from Furless - This gorgeous vegan mineral gloss is perfect for pouty lips ($15.95)

Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizers with SPF 20 by 100% Pure - I'm a big fan of having sun protection built into cosmetics and this foundation sounds delish ($32.00)

Natural Mascara by Ere Perez - This vegan mascara uses the power of aloe vera gel for a great 'wet' look ($28.95)

Halo Body Spotlight from Vapour Organic Beauty - This luxurious cruelty-free beauty product contains 70% organic ingredients and 30% natural minerals and vitamins. The ingredients have been selected to give you a luminous glow ($34.00)

Category 3: Uber-Luxe (Budget? What's a budget?)

Dramatic Eyes and Lips Set by Alexami - This amazing pack contains: 3 x mineral eyeshadow; 1 x herbal mineral mascara; 1 x vegan lip gloss; 1 x vegan eye shader; 1 x vegan angle brush; and a cotton eco pouch ($149.95)

Sparkling Pressed Powder by NARS - Brush on some of this lovely powder designed by New York makeup artist, Francois Nars and shimmer to your heart's content ($64.00)

Certified Organic Pure Primer by Inika - Made with macadamia oil, avocado, shea butter and apricot this primer sounds good enough to eat ($60.00)

Advanced Care Lip Colour by Nvey Eco - This multi-award winning lipstick contains certified organic ingredients to sooth your lips while making them look oh so kissable ($29.00)

Vegan Brush Set by Christopher Drummond Beauty - These hand-sculpted brushes are crafted from sustainable wood and are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. You also get a free bonus travel jar of Saude Pele Radiance Booster($129.00)

Mineral Corrector by SCOUT - Choc-full of shea butter, jojoba seed oil and Vitamin E this little beauty helps to make redness and dark circles disappear ($23.95)

Special Edition Gold Collection by SpaRitual - Nothing says uber-luxe like chucking a few precious metals into your cosmetics! These amazing polishes are 100% vegan and cruelty-free ($16.15)

Mineral Liquid Foundation from My Earth Natural Cosmetics - Natural botanical ingredients combine to give you a delicate sheer coverage ($53.50)

ZuZu Luxe Blush from Gabriel Cosmetics - This range comes in 6 radiant pigments ($21.50)

Glitter Pink Lemonade Lip Kit by Lip-Ink International - I have to admit I find the concept of pink lemonade lips delightful! Lip-Ink International uses natural vegan ingredients to create smear-proof cosmetics ($53.04)