One of my closet essentials is a pair of tall riding boots, and when I went vegan, I gave away and sold all my pairs since they were leather. Since then, I've been hunting for the perfect pair of animal-free boots, and I'll admit, it was really hard to find a pair that wasn't cheaply made in China or floppy and unstructured. But my hunt is over now!
These boots are by Will's London, a wonderful certified vegan footwear company. Their products are ethically produced with both the animals and the workers in mind, using high-quality vegan leathers and fair production in Portugal. I am so in love with my new boots- they are comfortable, the vegan leather is strong and beautiful, and they have the perfect shape and structure that looks streamlined and slim on the legs.
Here's a photo from earlier this week wearing them- I just wanted to include it to show the boots against a lighter background. They really are gorgeous!
This outfit is actually kind of a melange of all my closet essentials- my favorite beige trench coat from UNIQLO, my favorite jeans, a striped breton layered over a plaid flannel, and a neutral crossbody. I've already talked about how much I love 88 Handbags, and this bag is from their new summer collection! It comes in a bunch of other colors, and I almost had a hard time choosing! I love the structured shape and saffiano textured vegan leather.
This outfit is actually a bit of a throwback to this one from last winter. I'm one of those people who wears plaid year round, even if it's typically relegated to winter wear, like tartan. Green isn't a color that I have a lot of in my closet, but definitely one of my favorites. It pairs very well with classic notes of cognac, and I added on these vegan patent black bow flats for some contrast.
I always love sharing my favorite vegan brands on LMHC, especially when they are compassionate towards animals, people, and the planet. One of my new favorite lines is 88 Handbags, an amazing brand with gorgeous, inexpensive, and ethically produced pieces. They're all about sustainability, using eco-friendly polyurethane and striving to use the most environmentally conscious materials rather than the cheapest ones. They also work hard to ensure that their bags are ethically produced with animal and human rights in mind. On top of all that, 88 donates a percentage of their sales to charities that work to educate women around the world.
I'm wearing one of my favorites from the line, the Zoe Walnut Woven Crossbody. It can be worn as a clutch too, and it also comes in a gorgeous grey shade. When this bag first arrived, I'll admit that I was stunned with the amazing quality of the bag, especially since it's $35! You can really see the effort they put into finding the quality materials reflected in the piece. This bag also hold a lot more that it appears to- there's a full sized wallet, a phone, two lipsticks, and a mini water bottle in there!
With your purchase of $49+, you can use the coupon code LittleMiss to receive a free wallet with your bag, valid until May 4. Additionally, if you sign up for their newsletter, you will be entered into a bag giveaway. I think it's so important to feel good about what you're wearing, and 88 is really a company that I'm proud to be supporting and sharing on this blog. A good brand starts with good practices and ends with giving back, and that's the most important thing of all- fashion with compassion.
When I went vegan, I ended up throwing out and giving aways a lot of my cosmetics. There's a few factors to consider about makeup and finding ones that are vegan friendly. I got rid of my products that were:
Tested on Animals. Many large makeup, skincare, and beauty brands test on animals. If they manufacture in China, they are actually required by law to test on animals. Cosmetic testing on animals can often result in burns, injury, infection or even the animal's death (estimated 100 million+ animals are killed in animal testing each year. I know, that's a huge number, definitely more than I ever expected to learn.) There are a multitude of non-animal testing options that are safer and readily available for beauty companies to test their products on, yet most continue to animal test because of the cheap manufacturing and testing cost. Many brands have eschewed their animal testing in favor of cruelty-free practices, but some brands such as Maybelline, MAC, L'Oreal, Aveeno, Dove, and morestill test on animals.
Animal Ingredients. Many commercial makeup products use animal ingredients that most people don't even think about. Substances like carmine (crushed beetles, used to pigment lipstick and blush), tallow (rendered animal fat, used in foundations, eye makeup, etc.), estrogen (used in restorative creams and perfumes), and beeswax (in lipstick) are commonly used, just to name a few.
These are my new favorite products in my makeup bag. Not only are they animal friendly, but they are amazing quality! I admit, there are some crappy products out there, many that I've unfortunately wasted my money on, but these are the cream of the vegan crop.
Pacifica is my new favorite brand. Their 100% vegan cosmetics are readily available at Target, and work so wonderfully. Their Power of Love lipsticks go on smoothly, apply even pigment, and last forever (you only need to reapply after meals). I have Compassion Passion and my favorite, Super Love.
I also love their Stellar Gaze mascara- it provides a ton of volume and noticeable nourishment to the lashes with vitamins and mineral to keep them soft and strong. It also features a vegan brush! Their Indian Coconut Nectar Body Butter is extremely hydrating, and gentle enough for my sensitive skin. I'm in love with the scent- so much that I had to get the Indian Coconut Nectar perfume rollerball. The Color Quench Lip Tints are great for smoothing onto chapped lips for a hint of color and shimmer. I love throwing them in my bag.
On the back of Pacifica packagings, they are stamped with a "100% vegan" certification and the PETA cruelty-free bunny logo. Their ingredient list also is starred to indicate that the ingredients come from a plant source.
Look for the Leaping Bunny logo, PETA's Cruelty Free bunny, or the CCF Rabbit on cosmetics to certify them as 100% vegan. Some products might not have these vegan symbols, just as some vegan food products don't have the certified vegan stamp (like Oreos, for example!)
Urban Decay is awesome for high-end vegan makeup. They have an entire section on their website of vegan cosmetics, and this Sheer Revolution lipstick is one of my favorites. This Sprout's Vegan Lip Balm is my new go-to. I love the coconut scent, and it's incredibly nourishing. It was only $1 at Sprout's Farmer's Market.
E.L.F. is just about the cheapest you can get- their starts at $1! They went fully vegan, using no animal hairs or furs in their brushes or ingredients in their makeup. They were already a favorite before I went vegan because of their amazing prices and good quality products, but now I love them even more.
Here's a video that I posted on my Youtube! It's short (less than a minute). I did post a little disclosure in the caption section because I was misinformed about one of the products in there from Origins. But hey, everyone makes mistakes!
Hope you enjoyed this post! I'll probably be doing more in the future like this as I find new vegan makeup staples to share.
I've been wearing this relaxed, breezy outfit in different variations often lately- a white lace tank, a skirt, and some kind of jacket or outerwear. This red rose print kimono is very flowy and breathable, and I love that it can be styled to bring an effortless bohemian vibe or a floral preppy look. I was so happy to find this for $18- talk about a steal. The quality is wonderful for the price.
Matt & Nat is one of my favorite vegan brands, and I love their simple, minimalistic designs. They use sustainable, animal-friendly materials and their bags are lined with a textile made from recycled plastic bottles. This bag is the Mini Mitsuko, and despite its small size, it fits all the essentials- wallet, phone, makeup, even a water bottle! Their company follows ethical, cruelty-free practices, and I always feel good about buying from them and supporting their brand.
Happy weekend! Hope you all get a chance to relax and unwind.
First off, I want to thank everyone for the immense amount of support on my last post. I never imagined the positive response to be so big, and reading your comments made me so incredibly happy. It's been about 2 weeks in my new vegan lifestyle, and it feels amazing. I feel the noticeable difference of being more awake, vibrant, light, and so happy.
I actually don't have much blog content right now, which is why I haven't posted in a few days, but I put together this little outfit this week. Just like my last outfit post, it's definitely exploring outside of my usual personal style. I bought this vegan leather jacket years ago and never wore it, but I decided to add it with this Pashli bag and tartan tee to take the pieces from my usual preppy style to an edgier look. I'm definitely not converting to a new aesthetic or changing my style, but I like incorporating some unexpected pieces to keep it fresh and fun!
