Guest Editor: YouTube's Cruelty-free Beauty Expert, Leticia Costa
Posted on May 23 2016
You, too, can look this flawless without the big-name products that test on animals. Photo from Instagram: @xoloveleti
You might think you've finished Spring Cleaning, but are you sure you haven't missed a spot in your beauty cabinet? Popular brands and common products could be lurking there that are harmful to your health, the environment, and animals they are tested on. Our May guest editor, YouTube vegan beauty star xoloveleti, is here to help! An expert in all things vegan and cruelty-free, Leti's combination of integrity, approachability, and on-fleek everything make her YouTube channel and Facebook group a top destination for product reviews and beauty advice. Here she shares with us her three dirty products you need to ditch ASAP, fave resources for vegan veterans and rookies alike (including a must-have checklist!), and all that's in between.
- First three products in a makeup kit to switch out for cruelty-free ASAP:
I am a firm believer in a balancing act with makeup for those not quite ready to take the fully “green” beauty collection plunge- and going cruelty-free is the perfect opportunity to do just that!
I would definitely start with your foundation, mascara and lipstick. I can get away with wearing just that most days, and there are endless vegan and nontoxic options that can work for anyone! I personally swear by the Illuminare foundation as there are formulas to suit any skin-type as well as great undertones. You can find gorgeous vegocentric lipsticks BY LIPPY GIRL in the LOVE GOODLY shop that add just the right amount of tint and moisture to your lips, as well as the Juice Beauty lash defining mascara (I’m dying to try their new products, including the foundation! You just can’t go wrong with JB).
Start your cruelty-free journey off right with a perfectly pink pout! Pictured: Lippy Girl Vegocentric Lipstick in Hot Diggity Yam
Healthy and ethical beauty is so easy, it's nothing to bat an eyelash at! But go right ahead with this Juice Beauty Mascara.
- Favorite stops for cruelty-free and vegan info:
I definitely use LogicalHarmony.net as my beauty bible. I do not trust anyone else’s list/certification process more than LH’s! It’s holy grail. The blog is also filled with vegan lists and more. Of course I must shamelessly plug my awesome Facebook group Bunny Lifestyle where like-minded cruelty-free people everywhere join in a positive space to help one another and participate in giveaways, swaps and more. My close friend Katie Petix helps me run it and is a huge reason why it is still alive today.
I also have a 30 days to cruelty-free pdf which you can find on www.LoveLeticia.com that I created after years of experience in becoming cruelty-free and finding a good balance that (hopefully) doesn’t overwhelm others! I definitely plan on doing a shoutout video on my channel YouTube.com/xoLoveLeti soon to showcase more awesome creators!
Find Leti on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/xoLoveLeti
- Something you always run out of:
I’m going to answer with what I am always SCARED to run out of that I repurchase the most, which is my brow pencil. I am scared to leave the house without having my Anastasia Brow Wiz ready to give my face some life. As a child of the 90s, I suffered through the unfortunate overpluckyourbrowsaritis syndrome, and my sparse (already light) brows now suffer for it. Thanks to the pencil it now takes me seconds to create the brows I’ve always dreamed of, and I love having fun trying out different shapes & techniques!
- Lately you're always:
Hungry.
I’m hungry right now. Seriously. I’m going through an awkward stage of moving out, where a kitchen isn’t easily accessible and a few lunches have consisted of french fries and pickles (no, I’m not pregnant!). I can’t even begin to talk about how much the Purely Elizabeth muesli in my previous LOVE GOODLY box saved my life. It was so, and I mean SO yummy and nutritious but low maintenance.
- Your morning routine in four words:
Minimalistic, refreshing, reflective, and……… coffee (I’m just not a morning person).
Refresh your own mornings with a light facial cleanser, like Blissoma Fresh Mild Rice Facial Cleanser!
- Guilty pleasure you'll never give up:
Gilmore Girls, Britney Spears, and those OHMYGODYES vegan dark truffles from Nicobella LOVE GOODLY blessed me with. Oh. My. Glob.
- I'm in love with:
My rescued cat Waffle, snapchat, liquid lipsticks, great thrift scores (I officially sound like a hipster but LET ME LIVE MY BASIC LIFE OK), and... VEGAN DARK TRUFFLES! Oh and LOVE GOODLY, of course ;) No, seriously. I love LOVE GOODLY.