How cruel is my make up bag?

It's only been in the couple of years or so that the issue of animal testing on cosmetics has been brought to the forefront of my mind. Animal testing has always been an issue - animal rights activists have been tackling the issue of animal for decades - and I've been aware of it, but it's been a peripheral issue. It wasn't something that I thought about too often. I didn't think about what was going into the creation of the cosmetics I used. Now, I do. I don't think it's right that animals have suffered so I can add a little sparkly eyeshadow to my face when I feel like it. So I have consciously been trying not to purchase cosmetics that have been tested on animals.

Why do I, one human being with one face, have so much make up?

Using LogicalHarmony's carefully curated list of cruelty free brands, I'm going to see how the contents of my make up bag stand up against animal testing. I'm not going to feel guilty about the purchases I've made in the past, but I am going make sure that I don't support the company or repurchase the product in the future.

So with a couple rolls of washi tape, I'm going to go through the contents of my make up collection and see how it holds up to the cruelty free standard!

Brands Left: Rimmel, Covergirl, MAC, L'Oreal, Benefit, Fresh, Younique, Make Up Forever, Tarina Tarintino, Clinique
Brands Right: Topshop, Soap & Glory

Pictured left, every piece of make up I own that has definitely been tested on animals. I expected most of these. Drug store brands like L'Oreal and Covergirl are often criticized for testing on animals. MAC also receives a lot of criticism for their business practices. Up until very recently, MAC actually was a cruelty free company. In 2012, MAC started selling their products in China, where animal testing is required by law. A quick way to check if a brand tests on animals is to see if it sells in China.

These products are ones that I will definitely NOT be purchasing again. They're also products that I could probably throw out today and wouldn't notice they were missing! With the exception of a couple of the lipsticks and the Benefit "They're Real!" mascara. I'm really disappointed that Benefit isn't a cruelty free brand!

Pictured right are the products currently existing in no man's land. There's no definitive answer that I could find on the internet that could support or deny the claims that Topshop or Soap & Glory test on animals. Until a definitive answer can be found, I won't be purchasing from their brands again. There's still a chance for them, though! So they've been marked differently from the no-nos.

Brands: Urban Decay, Tarte, NARS, NYS, bare minerals, Too Faced.

The bulk of my make up bag, I'm happy to say, contains products that have not been testing on animals! None of the ingredients or final products of the brands I use the most of have been tested on animals, which is great news! However, all of these brands are owned by parent companies, like Estee Lauder, who are not against animal testing and have brands under their umbrella that do test on animals. I marked these to remind me of that, because while it is great that none of these products have been tested on animals and I can feel good about that when I wear them, I'm not sure if I want to continue supporting them when it also supports companies who do not share their cruelty free values. It's a bit of a moral dilemma that I want to keep in mind and think more about because purchasing from these brands again.

Brands: Barry M, Wet 'N Wild, ELF and Pixi

And finally, the last 5 items. They were the only ones in my make up collection that were completely 100% cruelty free and not owned be a parent company that is not cruelty free. I will definitely be looking in to buying more from these brands when it comes time to get some new make up.

In case any of you are interested, I've added in the video I watched that got me started on cruelty free cosmetics. There are some great resources available if you're interested in taking steps towards making your cosmetic habits a little more ethical!