Remember when I mentioned being cruelty free was one of goals for this year? So I have been cruelty free for almost 2 or so years to the most extent and the cruelty free adventure has been interesting to say the least. Of course it comes with a lot of disclaimers which I will talk about in detail. I cannot call myself 100% cruelty free sadly but honestly, I doubt if anyone can. The way I see it – let’s all do all we can. Going cruelty free is a gradual process and requires a lot of learning which will come with missteps so I don’t really beat myself about it too much.
But before we start off I need to clarify how I define cruelty free for myself. Your version of being cruelty free might be stricter or more relaxed. This is completely up to an individual and what you feel comfortable with. Personally for me, all cosmetics
Biggest Success
I always like to start on a positive note. My biggest success is that I have not bought anything from a cruel brand with intention. There have been slip ups which I mention below but all in all I have to say I am so happy about my decision and success!
Biggest Fail
Of course this a pre-Coronavirus and pre-lockdown story. I used to get my nails shaped and polished at a nail bar next to work. I am not a salon person and don’t actually go to a salon for anything other than haircuts but I liked going to the nail bar since (i) I didn’t have to buy nail polish myself and so had more choices for colours without wasting most of the bottle (ii) it took less time than me doing it myself and stayed for longer.
In the middle of one of my salon experiences it dawned on me that some of the polishes, potions, creams and other items used in the salon are obviously not cruelty free. I was quite annoyed with myself for completely missing the point
Frustrating fail
Not realising medicines are not cruelty free but obviously there is no way out of this one.
I am not vegetarian so maybe I don’t have that much of an attachment about this, but one of reasons for going cruelty free was I don’t want animals to be harmed and used for flippant and frivolous reasons. By this logic, medicines are a no brainer. However, even if you are vegan or strictly cruelty free I do think medicines are an exception you can go with absolutely zero guilt.
Most Disappointing Brands
The most disappointment for me was the very confusing stance taken by Charlotte Tilbury. I actually moved to using Charlotte Tilbury makeup because my original foundation brand, Nars became a cruel brand. I am so upset Charlotte Tilbury followed suit and became a cruel brand too.
My other disappointment was Diptique which I also discovered is a cruel brands. I love Diptique perfumes but luckily really glad to have found my new favourite perfume so I don’t miss Diptique anymore!
Learning Moment
My major learning moment was realising that so many of our household cleaning products are cruel brands. And even the ‘good’ brands are owned by cruel companies so this is the new overhaul project I am getting into! There are a lot of options for zero waste creulty free cleaning products so those are the ones I will be looking into.
Would be interested to know your cruelty free story and journey. Hows is it going? What have you achieved and failed with? Please comment below or on Instagram and maybe we can help each other out!
– Anisha
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