Cargo – Plant Love

Cargo has always had great makeup products, cool eye shadows and great blushes. But they recently launched a whole line of eco- friendly products. Everything from lipsticks, powders, foundations, liners, shadows, etc., all in super-biodegradable packaging. They even created the first ever compostable lipsticks! Made completely from corn, these lipstick tubes break down in a compost pile just like apple cores and banana peels.

The whole Plant Love line is certified by ECOCERT, which is kind of like a Better Business Bureau for eco-friendliness. They monitor not just the packaging, but the whole production process to make sure that the products are made, shipped and disposed of in way that is not too harsh on the environment. The coolest thing is the boxes the products come in actually have wildflower seeds in them! If you plant them, you can grow a garden. How’s that for green?

Urban Decay

So Cargo set the gold standard on environmentally friendly stuff, but Urban Decay leads the way with love for our furry friends. Urban Decay takes a big stand against animal testing and the brand is entirely cruelty-free. You know that old wives tale about fish scales being used in lipstick? That’s not an urban legend – it’s actually true. It’s kinda gross to think about, especially if you are someone who cares about animal rights. So to help you out Urban decay has a whole line of vegan products and even features seasonal looks using all vegan makeup. Just look for a purple paw print, “Marley’s Paw,” to get the vegan goods on their website.

Urban Decay takes their love for animals seriously and makes sure their makeup brushes and tools are cruelty free, too.  Squirrel hair makeup brushes? Really? Who wants squirrel hair touching her face? And since when is makeup application an excuse to harm animals? Urban Decay makes all of their brushes out of synthetic fibers that actually mimic the texture and flexibility of natural fibers, so they work just as good and there are no bald bunnies hopping around! Urban Decay even gets the PETA stamp of approval.

However, animals and makeup do have a connection, and a very unfortunate and sick one at that, as animals continue to be used to test the makeup millions of us wear. And just as I say I love animals, yet I cannot resist coming home from a night of partying and scarfing down a Big Mac, I feel like such a hypocrite by stocking up on tons of makeup every month, knowing about all the animal testing that goes on behind the scenes.

Mollygood.com features a thought-provoking blog called “Breakup with Makeup” that shows actress Elisha Cuthbert, fresh-faced and makeup-free, to show that beauty is more than possible without a trace of cosmetics, all in the name of animal rights.

I think this is totally respectable, and although I was already a fan of Elisha (did you know she used to be on Are You Afraid of the Dark? – Midnight Society, hollaaaa) I like her even more now.

However, I don’t want to breakup with makeup, and I will never breakup with makeup. Ever!

I need makeup. A lot of us women need makeup. Hell, a lot of men seem to need it, too (as ridiculous as it may be). As superficial as it sounds, I think many of us would have a pretty tough time landing a guy, a job, a part in a play or top prize in a beauty contest if makeup wasn’t involved. Without loading it on in nasty layers and globs, makeup can be a nice confidence booster that I see nothing wrong with – with the exception of animal testing, that is.

Plus, not everyone looks like Elisha Cuthbert without it, and instead, looks like something along the lines of these celebs here. Yikes.

(Side note…as one blogger noted beneath Elisha’s pictures, doesn’t it look like she’s wearing very, very subtle makeup? Subtle, but still makeup, nonetheless.)

Anyway, I think the best solution, if you care as much about animals as I do, is to look into the issue of animal testing. There are many lines out there that don’t use animals and are still quality. Companies like Hard Candy and Urban Decay take part in LeapingBunny.org, a fabulous organization that ensures the non-usage of animal testing in their products.

Break up with your makeup altogether if you want to, or keep it hot and heavy; I’m gonna take the middle route and just cool things down a bit. We can definitely stay friends.