FAQ about the EU Cosmetics Testing Ban

I’ve been getting a lot of emails about the new legislation in the EU regarding animal testing for cosmetics.  Most questions I receive are from readers who want to know what it means for companies that continue to sell their products in China.  As I understand it, there’s a loophole and companies that sell their products in China (where animal testing is required) will still be able to sell their products in the EU. So while this new legislation is  a MAJOR victory for our animal friends, it unfortunately does not mean that all products sold in the EU are cruelty free. So this means that compassionate consumers will still have to use the Leaping Bunny and PETA cruelty free lists and do our own research when in comes to buying cosmetics from companies we are not sure about. Below I’ve included some great information from the LeapingBunny.org website that might clarify things a little more for you as they did for me.

What does the new European Union (EU) Cosmetics Regulation say about animal testing?

In 2004, the EU passed a ban on testing cosmetic products on animals. It also set a series of deadlines for eliminating the testing of cosmetic ingredients and the sale of cosmetics tested on animals. In March 2009, the testing of cosmetic ingredients within the EU was banned as well as the sale of most cosmetic products tested on animals. The final deadline is March 11, 2013, at which time the law prohibits marketing of any cosmetic products in the EU that have involved new animal testing.

Can any animals still be used in the EU for animal testing on cosmetics and ingredients?

Some questions still remain about how the cosmetic testing ban will be interpreted and enforced in different EU member countries. For instance, an ingredient that is used to create other types of products in addition to cosmetics may still be tested. Also, there is question about whether the ban on animal testing will also apply to other types of testing such as worker health and environmental toxicity.

Will the products be tested for safety if animal testing is no longer conducted on personal care products?

Yes. Cosmetic ingredients and products in the European Union will still need to be tested for safety. Fortunately, there are many great non-animal alternative test methods that can provide safety data without harming animals.

What happens if a product is sold in the EU and also in a country like China where animal testing is required?

It is unlikely that the EU will force international brands to pull out of markets with animal testing requirements. Therefore, although it may appear to be inconsistent with the ban, companies may still be testing on animals to fulfill regulatory requirements in other countries.

Does the United States (U.S.) or Canada have similar laws in place banning animal testing on cosmetics?

No, there is no law either requiring or banning the use of animals for cosmetic testing in the U.S. or Canada.

How is the Leaping Bunny Program different from the new Cosmetics Regulation?

The Leaping Bunny remains an important cruelty-free certification program, even for companies based in the EU. Because of lingering questions regarding how the Cosmetics Regulation will be interpreted and possible loopholes in the law, consumers wishing to ensure that the companies they buy from are not engaged in any new animal testing should continue to shop from companies approved by the Leaping Bunny Program in the U.S., Canada, and the EU. Companies certified by Leaping Bunny may not test their products or ingredients on animals regardless of any international regulatory requirements and we will not allow testing for environmental toxicity. In addition, the Leaping Bunny Program also certifies household products, which are unaffected by this new animal testing ban.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please be a compassionate consumer.

Random Thoughts Tuesday: 5/14/13

I’m finally recovering from being sick and happy to be up and about again! 3 weeks without lipstick and wine is no way to live. I hope everyone had a nice Mother’s Day, even if you’re not a mother. I have a fur-kid (Izzy The American Bulldog) but no human children.  I am a daughter and daughter-in-law though so I enjoyed spending the day with my mom and mom-in-law.  The day also brought back fond memories of both of my grandmothers who have passed on.  It was a beautiful day in San Diego so we enjoyed a lovely brunch by the water and went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. It was a very nice day.

I’ve been looking for a new vanity table/desk for my room because my makeup collection has outgrown my bathroom so I’ve been looking for something with a lot of drawers that I could store everything in neatly.  I also work from home a lot so I wanted to have something that my laptop would fit on and I could work from as well.  I don’t like clutter and I don’t like the idea of storage containers cluttering up the counter tops in my bathroom.  I prefer that everything lives inside a drawer or under the counter. I was going to place my new desk next to my bed so it had to be a specific size in order to fit where I wanted it. I began to look on-line and being that I was sick I had a lot of time on my hands. I couldn’t leave the house so my iPad became a dangerous (shopping) weapon over the 3 week stretch I was down. I couldn’t find anything that matched my bedroom and I knew I didn’t want anything from IKEA or that I had to be assembled. After looking high and low on-line I decided to look on Craig’s List for a “vintage”desk.  I ended up finding a woman with a “Shabby Chic” furniture business and she had a desk that was the perfect size for $189. It was white and my room is purple with black furniture, but it turns out she also offered reasonable painting services (I’m talking dirt cheap so it made sense).  She also had a chair that went perfectly with my room decor, it had a black and white brocade cushion so I bought that as well. I ended up buying a mirror from her too but it was a last minute decision so I had to paint it myself, which wasn’t a big deal. I went to Home Depot and picked out a bathroom vanity light that I re-wired and put a dimmer switch on.  If you’re looking to do the same and want to convert vanity lighting (intended to be hardwired) to lamp lighting, there are tutorials on YouTube that will show you how - Click here - In addition to the light fixture (mine was $36 at Home Depot), you’ll need to buy a Replacement lamp cord ($6.57) and a plug-in lamp dimmer switch ($10). I put some Velcro on the back of the of the switch and mounted it to the wall right over the corner of my desk, which hides the cord nicely.  

Another cute item I stumbled upon while I was in the Home Depot were these cute little pink iPad/iPhone speakers that light up when you plug them in. They were in the lighting section on a clearance table for $12.44. They called out to me and asked me to take them home so I did. Now they live on my desk with Benny the Bunny. 

Side note: Can you believe I took that picture of those speakers on a paper plate?  It took me a year to figure out PAPER PLATES ARE THE WAY TO GO for taking quality blog pictures.Oh and my toaster is the back drop. I AM NOT KIDDING YOU. (rolling eyes).

Oh another nifty item I picked up from Michael’s craft store were these cute cardboard containers. They were on sale for $2.50. I used one to store all my earphones and iPhone/iPad charger cords in.  I cut a hole in the back so I could can keep everything on top of my desk and plugged in, but out of site at the same time.

I painted my mirror over the weekend and hung it today along with my light fixture.  I pray they don’t fall off the walls at any point since I did it myself . I plan to add a few small shelves to the wall on the left of my desk and have a piece of glass cut for the top of it but my “Girl Cave” is pretty much complete and I’m happy with the way it turned out. After all was said and done it cost me about $380 for everything, you could certainly do it for less. It all depends on what deals you can find on used furniture.

Have a wonderful day and if you have a cool vanity table please send me a pic via email and dizzynickyv at yahoo dot com, or leave a link to a pic below, I’d like to add it to the new Pinterest Board I just started: “Makeup Storage & Organization” …Oh and if you’re wondering, yes, that’s me in the pink pajama’s (with hood) in the picture above with my mom. Hee

IPSY / Glam Bag – April 2013

I’d better get this show on the road and show you what I received in my April Glam/IPSY Bag before April is over. This months bag contained products from; Mica Beauty, Sexyhair, Be A Bombshell Cosmetics and Miss Professional Nail.My first thought when I saw this was “A white bag? This won’t last long”. Who was asleep at the wheel here people? Then I decided I ‘d just use it for something else. I have so many at this point I’m using them for things like holding hair clips, saftey pins, buttons (you know that “extras” that come attached to your clothes? I’m afraid to throw them away. The moment I do, I know I’ll need it),  jewelry, desk drawer storage, etc. 

This is what was inside the bag:

Sexyhair: Soy Renewal styling treatment – So far, I like this product very much!  The sample was a generous size (4.2 oz) and I may buy this product when I’m done with the sample. Full review to come once I’ve finished using the sample size bottle. I was really surprised to learn that this company does not test on animals, so thank you to IPSY for introducing me to this brand! Cost: $22

Mica Beauty: Mineral Eye Shadow – I received the color “Earth” which is strange because it’s a BEA-U-tiful light peach color with silver and gold sparkles.  Definitely a color for a night-time occasion (it looks a lot more dramatic in person). I love this color and I’m so glad I received it in my bag because it’s not something I would ever pick out for myself so it was a good get.  Honestly,I’ve loved everything I’ve tried so far from Mica Beauty (love their gel eye liner) the only thing that keeps me from purchasing their products is that they’re so dang expensive. I don’t mind paying a higher price if it’s justified, but I think there are too many great alternatives out there for what they are, if that makes sense. Cost: $15 (Cheaper alternative Jesse’s Girl pigment in Penny Arcade $5) 

Sation Nail Lacquer for IPSY- I received the color “Of Corset I’ll Call You” a light pink color. The color is very pretty and goes on nicely. It dries pretty quickly as well. Not super fast but long enough for someone with my short attention span to sit still and let it dry without denting the polish. . Their polishes contain no DBP, Toluene or Formaldehyde. I like light neutral colors on my nails so I was happy to have another. I’m not sure if they are cruelty free or not, I’ve contacted the company and am waiting to hear back. Cost: $5

Be a Bombshell Cosmetics: Blush – I received the color “Sweet Cheeks” which is a Light Pink with shimmer. It’s described as a medium rose-pink color with shimmer on their website, I don’t see that at all.  I mix this with a matte blush and use this over the top, more as a highlighter because it’s got a lot of shimmer in it. BUT, I like it. The color looks like a natural flush and is buildable. I’ve been wearing it sheered out as a highlight. They are well pigmented and have a creamy texture. They do not test on animals. Cost: $16

In addition to the products included in this months bag a 60% discount on admission to an event in Los Angeles called “Generation Beauty” being held from May 31 – June 2, 2013. Attendees can “Meet, learn and network with your favorite YouTube beauty gurus, including MichellePhan, AndreasChoice, Kandee Johnson and more.” They also offer workshops for aspiring YouTubers that need help getting their channel off the ground and a gift bag is also included. If you’re interested you can find more information here: www.genbeauty.com

Over all I give this bag a B+. I love that it had 3 full-sized products and a generous sample of the hair treatment.  I give them an A on improvement though. I think that if you had MyGlam before and cancelled and you are thinking about going back I would give them another shot. I’m impressed,  IPSY has introduced me to new cruelty free brands and provided samples that are generous enough for me to evaluate whether or not I like them or not.  Job well done, I can’t wait for my May bag to get here!

**********************************

Shop cruelty free

Bargain Alert, Crystal Balls & Facial Cleanser!

A little more randomness today. It’s Friday why not?

I have a BARGAIN ALERT for you: Get 40% off everything on the ELF Website that is $4 or more through 4/29/13. USE CODE: FORTY on order $25 or more.

A few weeks back I was in line at the airport waiting to board my plane I noticed the girl in front of me had the cutest little crystal ball stud earrings on. I don’t wear large earrings ever since I accidentally fell asleep in a pair after, eh hem, a late night out I forgot to take them off before bed. They ended up getting caught on my pillow and I when I rolled over…I’ll just stop there but let’s just say my right ear lobe was never the same. So now I only wear studs and her dainty these little crystal balls appealed to me.  I thought for sure I’d find them at Forever21.com but they didn’t have them.  So I went on to Amazon.com (the land of everything and anything) and found a few sellers that offered them. I settled on a pair that looked decent that were only $5.99 (Free shipping). I wasn’t expecting much, but when I opened up the package I was pleasantly surprised. They were just as dainty and cute as the girl’s I saw in the airport. Cheap Thrill Accomplished! Click here to check them out on Amazon.

My mom recently recommended that I try Trader Joe’s Nourish All In One Facial Cleanser, it sells for $5.99 and she said she really likes it so I’ll be sure to pick this up next I’m at Trader Joe’s and give it a try. I looked it up on MakeupAlley.com and it got rave reviews, the average was 4.5 “Lippies” out of 5 and 83% said they would buy this product again.  Oh this just has cruelty-free bargain written all over it, doesn’t it!?!

I received one of the two custom monogrammed iPhone cases I ordered. One design I ordered was in hard plastic and the other design is in hard rubber. I’ll be sure to post a pictures of both of them next week. What does it have to do with makeup? Nothing.  Laughing and coughing right now…I’m trying to kick a bacterial infection (in my lungs) right now and it’s just kicking my ass, but on the bright side it has me in bed with some spare time on my hands and I must say I am enjoying getting back to doing regular blog posts again.  I have so many new products I want to share.  Stay tuned for a some reviews on a few great hair products I’ve been using over the last 2 months.

As my good friend Stephanie would say…. 

Cheerio!

Dizzy Nicky

Random Thoughts Tuesday: 4/23/13

Can I just say I LOVE the Makeup Geek lipstick I picked up last week in “Ravishing”. I’ve been wearing it every day since I got it and I’ve been sick so I haven’t been outside much…I’m mental, I  know. I just wanted to reiterate that it’s a dryer formula (much like MAC’s Ruby Woo) so it  may not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for a retro “pin-up”red, this is one is a must have! I can’t wait to try “Luscious” and “Elegant” next!

Cruelty Free Handbags

Check out these animal friendly handbags from Trona Timeshare! I think this colorful boho style is  perfect for spring and summer. You can find them on Etsy.

Custom iPhone Case

I ordered a cute custom iPhone case on eBay that I can not wait to receive! It’s a hard rubber case with houndstooth print and my initials monogrammed on the back. I purchased it for $22.50 from the seller littlegoddessboutique. She was kind enough to send me a proof the very next day after I ordered it. Check it out. I’ll be sure to post a picture and review when I get it.   

Magnets

For those of you that de-pot your eye shadows, I found these 3/4″ Diameter Adhesive-Backed Magnet Dots. You get 100 per pack for $6. If you have Amazon Prime, this product is eligible for free shipping.

Bargain Alerts

I was watching a review on YouTube on the NYX 10 Color Eye Shadow Palette “Champagne & Caviar” by  ”GlowMyWay” and she turned me on to a new discount makeup site that I thought I would share. They carry cruelty free brands such as; NYX, Tarte, Stila, Jesse’s Girl, LA Girl, LA Colors, Too Faced, Milani, Prestige, Elf and Red Cherry. They appear to be a liquidator and only carry a few select items from each brand, but if you are looking for bargains on-line, this may  be a site you want to add to your list. I found a ton of good COUPON CODES on RetailMeNot.com 

Illamasqua sent me a coupon code for a 20% discount. I’m not sure if it’s tied to my login or not  but I don’t believe it is because I checked out as a “Guest” and it still applied the 20% discount so I thought I’d share the coupon code. COUPON CODE: RETURN20 – VALID THRU APRIL 29, 2013 – Click here to shop

Coastal Scents is having a 48-Hour sale. the 88 Original Pallette is on sale for $9.95

********************************

Please make cruelty free choices when shopping for cosmetics.

Oh! I almost forgot to share this cute little bastard I bought to put into my husbands Easter basket. He’s a wind up. He now lives in our bathroom and hops around on the counter from time to time.

Pack Your Makeup Bag and Hit The Road!

I started a new job this year, not just a job, THEE job I’ve been working towards for about ten years. It’s been great so far and has had me traveling more than I have had to in awhile. Recently I was in Portland and then just last week I was in New Orleans. I don’t know about you, but just before I travel I like to go hunting for all sorts of new “travel crap”  at my local drugstore, as well as places like ROSS and TJ Maxx. For instance, before my trip to Portland  I got a great deal on a Nine West roller suitcase at Ross for $55. I had a smaller one that I could have made work, but the Nine West one had little high heel shoes as zipper pulls. Come on! That was a must have. 

I thought Portland was a beautiful place, I’d never been to the Northwest before.  When we flew in, it felt like I was watching the beginning of the the movie Twilight with all the beautiful trees and snow on the mountain tops, it was awesome to see.  A big change of scenery from Southern California.  I stayed at a Marriott hotel and to my surprise the complimentary mini bottles of shampoo were Paul Mitchell. Way to go Marriott! I love Paul Mitchell styling products, but was never a big fan of their shampoos. But I hadn’t tried the Awapuhi Shampoo before.  The conditioner they offered was The Detangler, which served it’s purpose for my trip just fine.  After just a few days of using this shampoo I was hooked!  I went out and bought a 10 oz. bottle of the Awapuhi Shampoo at my local CVS for 9.99 and then decided to try the Instant Moisture Daily Treatment conditioner for around the same price.  In my mind that’s a bargain, I typically don’t pay less that $15 for a bottle of shampoo this size. This shampoo leaves my hair soft and full and is gentle enough for colored hair. I have a lot of hair, but it is fine, so I have to steer clear of anything with to much Panthenol or other ingredients that will weigh down my hair. This is good stuff. I really like the conditioner too, it detangles and moisturizes. I never would have tried these products had it not been for my trip, so I ‘m glad I got the opportunity to test them out.  I plan on picking up the 33 oz. bottle of Shampoo from Amazon for $18 once I am done with the bottle I have.    I have another conditioner I am waiting to try after I finish the Paul Mitchell one, which I’ll do a review on as well.

Work took me to New Orleans last week which I hadn’t ever been to before either. The people were very nice there and the food was incredible!!! I think I gained 10 pounds while I was there, I kid you not, each meal felt like Thanksgiving dinner. I had multiple plates going on at one time…my side dishes came with side dishes. We had dinner at a joint called Mother’s one night where I swear I had the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had.  It made me think of my dad because he LOVES Bloody Mary’s, but unfortunately it wasn’t something I could bring home with me. Either were the Beignet’s from Cafe Du Monde…no sir! I ate one at the cafe, the other two didn’t make it out of my hotel room alive.  :) On my way back from the cafe I stumbled upon a LUSH store, I was thrilled because the mister loves to take baths and this was the perfect opportunity to pick up a few goodies for him.  I got him a Yuzo & Cocoa Bubble Bar (smells like orange and chocolate) and a Lavender and chamomile Ickle Baby Bot Bath Bomb. When I got home, I couldn’t even snap a picture of the Yuzo & Cocoa Bubble Bar before it was being thrown in the tub and going to work making the bathroom smell heavenly. The Robot only lived a few days more. So those were a hit!

As I was saying…Before my trip I headed to TJ Maxx to pick up a new travel bag for my makeup and other toiletries. Because I needed one? No. Because I wanted one. I found this pretty Adrienne Vittadini bag for my makeup and brushes and everything ended up fitting inside just perfectly.    

Another cool little gizmo I stumbled upon in the aisle by the checkout line (they always get me at the checkout line) was this cute little completion brush. I have sensitive skin so my Clarisonic is to harsh for every day use, this baby works great for light exfoliation.  It was only 3 bucks! Did I say it was cute?

I also went to Ross to check out their toiletries and stumbled on these knock off’s of the Real Techniques brushes. I must have gotten distracted because I didn’t end up buying them and now I’m just curious…I have to go back and get these, it’s keeping me up at night. The not knowing if they’ll be there is killing me….dang it why didn’t I buy these?

Oh! A few other items I took along with me were from my March IPSY bag, which I completely neglected to do a post about last month. Whoops.  Well it fits in just fine in this post because the theme of last months bag was (if you don’t already know)  TRAVEL! I would share the pictures I took of my March IPSY bag last month if I could, but…the major downfall of my trip to New Orleans was that I lost my phone.  According to the iPhone tracker it was making it’s way down Frenchman Street listening to Jazz all on it’s own. So I had to kiss it goodbye and remotely erase everything on my phone. Needless to say I’m going to have to have to play catch up and re-take a lot of pics. Below is a picture of the March bag from the IPSY site. Meh, no wonder I forgot to post…

The bag itself was not cute. The pattern was, but the material was faded and looked cheap (It’s much cuter in the picture). It also had a mini free-style palette that will hold 2 standard eyes shadows.  If you have eye shadows you use for your brows I suppose that would  be a good place to store them. I just tucked it away in a drawer for now. Also included were 2 Yaby micro mini eye shadows (the same size Coastal Scents gives as free samples of when you place an order). These were not good. The pigmentation was horrible so I tossed them.  The two items I did like were the products I took with my on my trip.  The La Fresh Travel Makeup Remover Wipes – Loved! They were so gentle, didn’t irritate my skip and did a good job removing my eye makeup!  I also really, really liked the Juice Beauty Hydrating Mist.  Your skin can get dehydrated when you travel, so this was perfect to take along on my trip. It was a really generous sample, I’ve been using it every morning and at night before bed and still haven’t really made a dent in the bottle.

That’s all for now.  Have a great weekend!

Dizzy

****************

Please try and make cruelty free choices when buying cosmetics & personal care products.