Skincare – Life with Ariana

Everything you need to know about going Cruelty-free/// Why I went Cruelty-free.

January 23, 2019January 30, 2019Beauty, cruelty-free1 Comment

Hello all, I hope everyone is doing well. Today’s post is going to be on why I decided to go cruelty-free in my beauty routine. This has been a post I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time, in regards to explain why I am now cruelty-free and refuse to use beauty products tested on animals.

I started my cruelty-free journey back in late 2016, I started to become more aware of which brands were marked as cruelty-free, I began checking the ingredients of products, and researching into brands that did not have any sign of being cruelty-free. Thankfully, there are a good amount of beauty brands that are dedicated to being cruelty-free, however through my research I had also found that many brands I would have thought would be cruelty-free were not. Also I came to the realization that there are still many brands that test on animals.

Not going to lie, for some of my favorite products that were from brands that tested on animals, it was difficult finding a replacement, however I was dedicated to doing my research and finding a better product that was 100% cruelty-free even if it took some time.

I am strongly passionate and committed to being cruelty-free, making the switch is not very difficult, and I hope more people can come to the realization of the harm committed on these innocent animals when you support brands that test on animals. As a disclaimer, in no way am I trying to persuade people to stop buying from these brands, I just wanted to share my reasons as to why I choose to switch to only cruelty-free products.

Reasons why I decided to go Cruelty-free:

No animal should have cosmetics or any type of product tested on them.
It makes me suspicious as to what are companies hiding in their products, that they feel the need to test them on animals first, and then humans. (Are there chemicals in these products, that may react differently on an animal than human?)
Typically CF brands are more dedicated to more natural, eco-friendly, organic, or sometimes even vegan products.
CF brands often use cleaner ingredients, in regards to unknown chemicals.
Support ethical beauty brands.
These laboratory animals, are innocent creatures that deserve better.
Animal testing is cruel and inhumane.
There is no need to test products on animals, it’s unnecessary and there are alternative ways.
Going CF is better for the environment.
In the long run it is ethically, morally, and healthier to make the switch to a cruelty-free lifestyle.

How do you know is a product is cruelty-free?

Typically when a product is CF it will be certified through one of the organizations of PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies, Cruelty-free International’s Leaping Bunny, or Choose Cruelty Free (CCF). Each of these organizations has a CF bunny logo, however since not every company can afford this licensing fee, some brands may not have their products labeled. Even if brands, claim their products are cruelty-free, we cannot assume that they are unless they are certified by one of these organizations.

What are some cruelty-free brands?

Skincare brands:

Yes To
Burt’s Bees
Trader Joe’s
Lush
Pacifica
Glossier
Thayers
JASÖN

Makeup brands:

Tarte
Too Faced
Nyx cosmetics
Wet n Wild
The Balm cosmetics
Urban Decay
It cosmetics
Morphe
Colourpop
Anastasia Beverly Hills

Since starting this journey, I can now say that my beauty routine is fully cruelty-free, from my makeup, to my shower staples, and even toothpaste. I have incorporated this CF switch to other aspects of my life such as cleaning products. I hope that this year I can start to only use solely based CF products in all areas of my life from personal hygiene, to laundry detergent, and other household products.

Thank you for reading as to why I chose to make the switch to a cruelty-free beauty routine. I will be having more cruelty-free posts in the near future, from brand reviews, to routines, and my favorite cruelty-free picks. (As a side note, I will be posting on my blog every Wednesday, since that day will work best with my schedule once I start my spring semester.)

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talk to you all next Wednesday, ariana. ♡

Check out my last post: My First Semester in College

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Battle of the Skin Cleansing Devices: Foreo vs. the Clarisonic!

February 25, 2018June 3, 2018Beauty, Beauty Product Reviews2 Comments

Hello darlings, this post will be a little different from some of my other posts, however hope you guys find it as beneficial as I would. Today’s post will be the battle of the skin cleansing devices: The Foreo Luna Mini 2 vs. the Clarisonic Mia 1! I thought this would be a fun post to do, by comparing the two facial cleansing tools. I have had/used both of them and have a final preference. I find that there are both pros and cons to both of the tools. I will also be sharing my personal experience with the two tools, to hopefully give you an insight on which one I prefer.

Okay to begin, I was in middle-school at the time, and of course I was breaking out, my mom and I went to Sephora, and the worker recommended it to me, my mom purchased my first major skin tool, which had happened to be the “Mia 1 Facial Clarisonic”. My first time using this, was honestly pretty life changing, washing your face with a tool that did the work for you. I remember noticing a difference in my skin after a month. So overall my Clarisonic lasted me for a good amount of time, obviously replacing my brush head every few months, after about three and a half years or so, until the battery life permanently died, unfortunately. My Clarisonic did a great job of removing dirt on my face. After some time, I noticed that from using my Clarisonic every day, my skin was drying out, so I had to limit my use to every other day instead of daily. One thing that also happened to be a big pet peeve of mine, was the fact that the bristles never fully dried by the next time I would be using my Clarisonic.

Fast forward some years, to Christmas of 2016, where I received a “Foreo Luna Mini 2” for Christmas from my mom. Before Christmas, I remember debating if I should get the newer version of the Clarisonic or try out the Foreo, since it’s newer. Well after researching, I decided that I wanted the Foreo, (on my Xmas list). Again, this tool was revolutionary, I feel in love with it instantly and noticed improvements in my skin. Honestly my nose was such a huge improvement, my pores minimized and were more cleansed. One of my favorite aspects about the Foreo is that it is a 3-zone brush, with parts for deep cleansing, sensitive skin, and oily skin. Also it is a 2X T-Sonic Power with 8 types of intensities.

Okay so now that I told you about both of my experiences with the two facial cleansing tools, I am going to break it down now into the pros and cons and give you my overall opinion of which tool I believe is better or in this case the winner!

The Clarisonic Mia 1

*Pros*	*Cons*
Different types of brush heads available to suit different skin types.	Must replace brush head every few months.
Portable cases available for the Clarisonic.	A bit large, therefore not really travel sized.
\\No pro for this one//	Not cruelty-free 😦
Exfoliation feeling: You might feel a deep clean, because the bristles give you that feeling.	Not very hygienic: Once wet, the bristles take a full day to dry, and often there is a lot of build-up gunk.
Great for washing off makeup and cleaning your pores.	Can be very drying on the skin, would only recommend using once a day if not every other day.
Customizable options and a variety of colors are available.	With purchasing brush heads every few months, it can get expensive.
Battery life is supposed to last up to 24 uses.	When charging, it takes up to at least 24 hours fully charge, and often dies when using the Clarisonic.
The Clarisonic brand does sell their own facial cleansers to use with your Clarisonic.	Can be very harsh on the skin if using scrubs or other types of face washes.
The Clarisonic brand offers a brush head to use on your body as an exfoliation scrub.	Many users have said breakouts occur throughout the first week of using the Clarisonic since your skin is not used to it.

The Foreo Luna Mini 2

*Pros*	*Cons*
Designed for all skin types.	There is not different types of brush heads to change with.
Portable and travel sized! (Also there is a smaller one that is very compact)!	Not really a con, however they do not sell a portable case to put it in, (I usually just use a ziplock bag).
Cruelty-free! 🙂	\\No con for this one//
Very hygienic, since it is a silicone tool, this allows for no dirt build-up in between. Simply wash with hot water and soap, then air dry. Also it is dish-water safe!	\\No con for this one//
Deeply cleanses the skin while being very gentle.	No exfoliation is felt, since it’s very gentle, which some people dislike.
Pretty colors available, also saves you money since you do not need to purchase brush heads.	No customizable options available, (not a big deal).
Battery life lasts up to 300 uses! Not to mention that charging time takes only a couple of hours.	\\No con for this one//
Works well with all sorts of face washes, cleansers, scrubs, etc.	Only sells their cleansers in a gift set.
Helps clean the pores and reduces their appearance. (Especially on the nose, it’s way better than a pore strip!)	Designed to use only on the face, not the body.

With my chart of comparing the two, I am sure you can figure out which tool I believe is better, which is the Foreo Luna Mini 2! I have preferred this over the Clarisonic Mia 1. The Foreo does a better job for my skin and really has been improving my skin quality, while being cruelty-free! Both tools do their job, it’s up to you to decide what you’re looking for in a facial cleansing tool. I really hoped this post broke down the advantages and disadvantages of the two, and was informative to you. Please feel free to comment any other questions you may have. For more information on the products, check out their websites:

Foreo Luna Mini 2 $139
Clarisonic Mia 1 $129

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xox, Ariana. ♡

Check out my last post: Best Beauty Products Under $10/€10 | Cruelty-Free

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Ten of my Holy-grail Skincare Tips//2018

February 5, 2018February 5, 2018Beauty, Skincare2 Comments

Hey guys, sorry I have not posted since Thursday, I was quite busy this weekend and was unsure on what I should post. I am still unsure on what my posting days should be, so let me know what days you want me to post down below! So today’s post will be short and sweet, with ten of my holy grail skin care tips for healthy + clear skin!

Make sure to either wash or clean your face before going to bed: Washing your face before bed is extremely beneficial for clear skin and helps prevent breakouts. By washing your face at night, you remove all the dirt, sebum, and oil on your face from the day. If you have are lazy, use micellar water or toner to at least cleanse the skin.
Always keep your face moisturized: This way your skin gives a youthful glow and keeps it feeling silky. (See Winter Skin Essentials\\\2018)
Drink Water to stay hydrated: Okay honestly, I know many get annoyed when people say to have nice skin is just drink water, but it is so true. Your skin has a pale yellow tone to it when you are dehydrated and your lips are extremely chapped, trust me drinking water will give your face a lively rosy flush to your face.
Do not touch your Face: This is such a big violation in my skin care rules. Touching your face throughout the day will cause breakouts, especially because half the time you have probably touched something very germy and are then going to apply the same bacteria onto your face…. no just please no. If you really need to touch your face, then wash your hands before and then after again.
DO NOT pick at your Pimples: Similarly, to not touching your face comes my next point of avoiding to pop/pick at your pimples! I cannot stress this enough, every time that I have picked at a pimple, it just lead to either more breakouts or scarring so please just resist the urge to pick at it. Now if you do want to pop a pimple, this is the best way to approach it; either using a cotton swab or round, dip rubbing alcohol onto the tip and apply to the problem area. The alcohol will kill the bacteria in the pimple also causing it to deflame the surrounding skin. This always works very well for when I have a stubborn pimple, then I follow it with witch hazel across my face. (I would only recommend trying this for a few stubborn pimples, not all over the face, since the alcohol is harsh and will dry your skin out).
Keep a constant routine: Everyone’s mostly got their own routine, and well of course it’s good to try out new products every so often, but once you find skin products that work for you, keep it a constant routine this way, your skin does not become irritated or breakout when exposed to new products. (Check out my nighttime skin care routine: Nighttime Skin Care Routine 2018 |Cruelty-Free)
Avoid putting your phone against your cheeks: Phones are some of the grossest things we come in contact with daily and when you put it against your cheeks or ear, that spreads the bacteria from your phone onto your face, causing breakouts! Yuck!🤢
Be makeup free at least once a week: If you wear makeup everyday try to take a day off at least once a week to let your skin breathe.
Do a face mask at least once a week: Doing a face mask helps improve the quality of your skin, and if it does not then switch to another mask. So treat your skin to whatever it is lacking, such as moisturization, exfoliation, or a glow!
Make sure to apply SPF to your face: SPF is probably one of the most important things to do to your skin to prevent aging and wrinkles. Protect your skin from the sun and apply some sort of SPF it will help tremendously. So whether your daily moisturizer has it or you need to apply a sunscreen after, just do it to protect your face.

Thank you for reading, I hope this post was very helpful! Comment down below any skin care tips you have other than this! If you enjoyed this post then please like and subscribe with your email in the sidebar, to be notified of new posts through your email!

xo, Ariana. 💗