A few month into this whole ‘switching to cruelty free beauty products‘ adventure, things haven’t changed much since my last post on the topic.

Finding information hasn’t become any easier, but every once in a while, you do come across a few things worth trying out – some resulting in immediate adoption into your skincare routine, and other not quite delivering on their promises.

So here it is – my latest instalment of the good, the bad and the extraordinary of cruelty free beauty!

The Good

Fair Squared Argan Facial Cream Light*

I’ve recently run out of my impressive stock of my former face moisturiser of choice, so I’ve been trying a few alternatives lately.

Amongst the lot was Fair Squared’s argan facial cream and while it’s a good face cream and I’m still absolutely smitten with the brand, I’m a bit torn.

The product composition is obviously great (Fair Squared’s products are not only cruelty free, but also vegan, certified Fair Trade and Natrue), the texture is lovely but I’m not sure it was the best match for my skin at the time.

It might have been my fault. I have combination skin and I started using it before it became properly cold so it was a bit rich.

Now that the days have grown colder, it is a much better match though. So if you have dryer skin or you’re looking for something to use this winter, give it a go – it’ll work wonders!

Mooncup

One of the biggest changes I wanted to make this year was to switch to non-disposable menstrual products.

I was terrified so it took me a while to put this into action, but I finally took the plunge and got myself a mooncup.

It wasn’t the easiest switch to make – it take a bit of practice to make it truly comfortable, and the cleaning process definitely rules the menstrual cup out if you’re the squeamish kind.

So yeah, good overload but still a bit of a work in progress.

That said, not running the risk of putting bleach into my private parts and not having to get my hands anywhere near one of those gross menstrual product disposable bin things is absolutely priceless.

The Bad

Tisserand Rose Deodorant

Let me tell you something – finding a good cruelty free deodorant is no easy fate.

So when I found this little number in my local TKMAXX, I was quite excited to say the least – it was affordable, not complitely impossible to find in the UK and it smelt divine.

The only problem is – it’s rather useless as a deodorant. As in, you’ll be good for about 30 min and then it’s back to being a sweaty, smelly mess. So yeah, not exactly ideal…

The Extraordinary

BareMinerals Total Cleansing Oil

I’m a big cleansing oil advocate.

In my book, nothing beats it when it comes to removing hefty waterproof eye make up without having to scrub like crazy.

And BareMinerals’ is the best I’ve ever tried. The texture is perfect (thick and very sensory), it smells divine (quite herbal with a touch of lavender), doesn’t burnt your eye AT ALL and removes all your make up perfectly.

So yeah, that one’s in it for the long run!

Mario Badescu Drying Lotion

I’m not entirely sure what it is, but my skin has simply been the worst lately.

Is it the crazy weather swings? Stress-related hormone peaks? Too much chocolate? Not enough water? Some other mystery reason I’ll never ever find out about? All of the above? Whatever the cause is, I haven’t quite manage to figure it out just yet.

So in the meantime, I’m treating the symptoms (aka all those lovely spots that simply won’t stop appearing on my chin).

And Mario Badescu Drying Lotion is simply the best for this. Seriously – I’ve tried A LOT of those over the years – nothing comes close.

Definitely one that’s good to have in the bathroom cabinet just in case!

REN Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Cream

I’ve already raved about this eye cream in my last cruelty free beauty edit and I’m still absolutely in love with it.

The texture is a sort of very light gel that dries to feel a bit like aloe vera gel. It really helps keeping the thin, fragile eye contour area moisturised and comfortable.

An all-year-round lifesaver!

Next on the ‘to try’ block

Korres Shampoo

I’ve loved every Korres product I’ve ever tried sofar (this thing is especially A++) so I hope the shampoo I recently picked up from TKMAXX (an excellent source of cruelty free beauty finds!) is just as dreamy as the rest!

Do you have any cruelty free beauty faves? What do I need to get my hands on? Hook a combination skin girl desperately looking for a good moisturiser & deodorant up!

*Press sample.