My love affair with make-up began as a little girl, with my first smear of apricot blush and cherry red lips, tutu on, hair in a tight bun, and performance ready. At age 3, I remember sitting on the toilet, with pouted lips, while my mom expertly glossed my lips and added a touch of sparkle, so I would glimmer under the stage lights. Being dancers, we start wearing make-up, whether we want to or not, at a very young age. As I grew older, my lust for sparkle and eyeliner diminished. I hated scrubbing off lipstick and the feeling of my concealer melting underneath the hot stage lights. But, alas I wore it, because I loved to perform, to twirl, to glimmer.
Fast forward to my adult life and I still enjoy make-up for a night out, but in my daily life, I hardly wear it. I still find myself putting my hair up in a bun – some habits never die perhaps, but I really don’t enjoy that sparkle of my former ballerina self. Since becoming vegan, and learning of the cruel practices performed on animals to test make-up products, and the various toxic chemicals found in my 90’s sparkle spray, I have discovered a new found joy in eco-friendly, vegan, natural, and cruelty free make-up products.
Being vegan is more than what you eat, it’s a lifestyle that encompasses all aspects of life, including make-up! For those of you that still take the stage, it’s time to reconsider your performance make-up arsenal and the products you use daily. In coming blog posts, I hope to share with you the new vegan products I have tried, loved, hated, and those that have become my beauty staples.
For my next post, I will start with my favorite make-up bag essential, mascara!
