When you’re a beauty blogger and your entire day, not to mention professional status, is determined by testing products from your bedroom, it must be hard to be discerning. But Lex Croucher is more than just that – she’s made it her mission to never use a product that’s been tested on animals.
‘Once I found out what animals go through so that I can indulge in something as non-essential as makeup, I knew I needed to make a change,’ she told The Debrief of her beliefs.
So given she must have tested pretty much every product that’s not been tested on animals (keeping up?) for her YouTube channel Tyrannosauruslexx, we decided to grill her on what you should be using if you want a totally guilt-free consumer experience. But your skin to still look great.
Twilight bath bomb, £3.25, Lush
‘Lush tends to be a pretty divisive shop – you either love it or you loathe it, and I fall into the former camp,’ explains Lex. ‘This bath bomb is both vegan and cruelty-free. It smells of gorgeous lavender with a hint of caramel, and it’s my go-to bath bomb for the ultimate indulgent soak.’
Intensive Care shampoo and conditioner, £3.98 each, Naked
‘It’s tempting to pass the Naked range over in favour of something prettier on the shelves, but the packaging is actually made of recycled plastic,’ says Lex. ‘The entire range is also cruelty-free - the actual products themselves are really decent at their jobs; perhaps not quite life changing for your hair, but worth it for the sake of an ethical choice.’
Lip Tars, £12, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics
‘These lip tars may look a little scary, but don’t worry - nobody’s going to force you to wear the orange one!’ she says. ‘They’re vegan and cruelty-free, plus so pigmented that you only need the tiniest dot to cover your entire mouth, so well worth the money! Apply to primed lips using the brush provided.’
Skin Base Foundation, £27, Illamasqua
‘This is a medium coverage foundation, a little thicker than I’m used to but applies excellently with a slightly damp sponge. Illamasqua’s entire make-up range is cruelty-free – try not to be put off by their gothic branding if that’s not your cup of tea, the products themselves are fantastic and they always have the shades you can’t find anywhere else.’
The Ultimelt hot cloth cleanser, £10, Soap and Glory
‘The name of this cleanser has changed a couple of times, but the product has remained it’s same amazing self. I like to use it in a couple of ways; first to remove my makeup, and also as a five-minute mask to make sure my face is really squeaky-clean. Again Soap and Glory are a cruelty-free brand with a really wide range of skincare, bath and make-up products that are all worth checking out if you haven’t already been intrigued by the pretty pink packaging.’
Follow Lex on Twitter @lexcanroar
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.