a blog about my journey into veganism, header created by Starline – Freepik.com
Burgers Grilled Right… How do I describe it other than a South Orange staple? Founded in DC, they opened about a year ago in South Orange and has been a hit ever since. The best part? They offer a veggie burger! For $7.29 you can top it with basically anything, though some toppings cost extra. Seton hall students get 10% off as well! It may seem pricy but it’s a great burger for what you’re paying for.
Have you ever been, or would you try a veggie burger if you’re not vegan or vegetarian?
Hi everyone, sorry if I was too quiet or too loud, I was recording in class because the mic we were using was giving me trouble. I just give you a tour around Whole Foods and Target to show off some of the vegan options!
Image by dmitriylo, click to get to their redbubble and see it in multiple designs such as t-shirt and prints!I was always an animal lover growing up. I wanted to be a veterinarian growing up, until I found out the much grosser aspects such as dealing with blood. But that’s not what this post is about. This post is my explanation of why I personally chose to make the switch to veganism. Growing up I wasn’t a huge fan of eating meat anyway, and I had this odd affinity to watching food documentaries. In these documentaries, the film crews show the awful reality that is the meat and dairy industry. I’m a very empathetic person and to see these animals suffering in these ways broke my heart, and was what really made me finally make the change. I believe the earth is meant for every species. I would also like to mention the eco-friendly addition as well, because meat wastes a ridiculously large amount of gallons of water, and I believe it’s our job to save this planet.
Thanks for listening! Agree or disagree with anything I may have said?
Eating Vegan anywhere can be a chore, especially as a college student. Which is why I’m here to talk about the vegan-friendly options around campus. First things first, Burgers Grilled Right offers a veggie burger. Falafally Yours is also vegan-friendly, and the diner also offers a veggie burger. Titos offers a veggie burrito you can get without cheese that is great. In fact, you can go to most places and if something is vegetarian, you can ask for it without cheese! Sakura has tofu teriyaki, and The Dancing Blender has an option, or options that could made vegan, as well as all their smoothies being vegan. Being vegan truly isn’t that difficult!
Have you found any vegan eats around town?
Vegan in quotations because if you don’t consider honey vegan, you may want to disregard these ideas.
Idea 1: If you have any kind of dry clay meant for masking laying around such as bentonite, mix it with apple cider vinegar and apply it all over you face. Wait until about 15 minutes until it starts drying and then wash it off. It will help clear your face!
Idea 2: For sensitive, dry skin, try mixing oats with honey! The oats soothe your skin while the honey moisturizers. You can even add ripe bananas too! Wash it off after about 15 minutes.
Ever tried any of these masks yourself, or something similar?
Here is a list of my favorite vegan vloggers and why!
Tashina Combs – Logical Harmony Tashina and her husband run both their youtube channel and their website Logical Harmony, which are basically hubs for the first news on anything new thats cruelty free and vegan!
Phyrra Nyx is similar to Logical Haromy but her style is more goth and suited for paler girls. I rely on her advice when it comes to foundations especially!
Vegan Beauty Addict is one of the newest channels I’ve come across and I adore her style, and she’s ready to try practically anything that comes out, and she’s not afraid to experiment with shades.
Rhian HY is yet another new vlogger I’ve come across. She talks about a wide variety of topics but her main focus is on cruelty free and veganism.
a chill vegan often posts what they eat in a day or week which often inspires me to try new things!
And lastly, Sustainably Vegan! She has soooooo many videos about reducing the waste you produce, and is so eco-friendly and inspirational.
Who are some of your most favorite vloggers to watch?
From the Target website, let me introduce you to my favorite snack. Larabars. ESPECIALLY the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ones. There are honestly no other words I can use to describe them besides “delicious”. They come in over 20 different flavors! I’ll be honest and I’ve tried a couple, not bad, not nowhere as good as the chocolate chip cookie dough. Next time you go to target I highly recommend you pick up a box.
Anyone else have a favorite vegan thing to snack on?
Many vegans have conflicting opinions on honey, so I thought I’d make a post about mine. To keep it short, bees are very rapidly approaching their extinction, so to me it makes sense that honey that is harvested correctly and does not harm the bees and their colonies. I recently watched a documentary on Honey on Netflix, and there I learned that honey that comes from China can be watered down. with rice syrup. I think as long as you’re buying local honey, there is no problem with the consumption of honey.
What’s your opinion on honey?
I struggled with this post for a while, because my routine is nowhere near really being cruelty-free ready. I also swapped some products since taking this photo.
Step 1 in my routine in my micellar water, which until recently I was using that Yes To Charcoal Micellar Water, now I use the Pacifica Cactus Water Micellar Water, which I prefer a lot. It has an easier to use lid than the Yes to Charcoal’s pump, and research on Charcoal is actually very limited. Both products are cruelty free and vegan!
Next, when I’m removing the rest of my makeup, I use Heimish’s All Clean Balm which is like a sherbet textured oil cleanser. I’ve been told that it’s cruelty free and vegan so I use it as its great for traveling, preventing any spillage.
Last step in cleansing is what I’m currently trying to finish, the Simple Moisturizing Face Wash, but I wouldn’t recommend it as it isn’t cruelty free or vegan, nor is it that hydrating. Right now I’m having breakout issues so I’m using an Effaclar Medicated Gel Acne Cleanser, which is admittedly good for clearing skin up, but sadly is also not cruelty free or vegan.
After Cleansing comes Toning! Thayers Witch Hazel in the Rose scent is perfect for soothing your face.
Twice a week at night after toning I like to use a chemical BHA to exfoliate my skin. I use COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid. COSRX are also supposedly cruelty free and most of their products are vegan. It’s important to exfoliate your skin, but physical exfoliation can be too abrasive, so chemical is preferred by me.
I have ACURE’s Argan and Rosehip oil which I don’t use too much, unless I’m feeling fairly dehydrated. Cruelty free and Vegan, they’re great at hydrating and rosehip heals scars.
I realized I forgot my moisturizer, which I would use next. It’s cruelty free and vegan, and Pacifica’s Dreamy Youth Day & Night Face Cream is good regardless of your skin type!
During the day I can’t forget my SPF, which is why I use Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Corrector, which not only protects you from the sun with SPF 30, but comes out a green tint meant to calm red skin. Not cruelty free nor vegan, though.
After applying the Tiger Balm, I like to set everything with a Rose and Glycerin spray I get from Whole Foods, which is both cruelty free and vegan. And last but not least, I use a sleeping pack before going to bed, which in this case is Too Cool For School’s Pumpkin Sleeping Mask, not cruelty free or vegan, but very hydrating, I never wake up with dry skin when I use it!
What do you guys do for skincare?
This is a look inside my makeup bag which I did not photograph because its incredibly dirty and could use a wash.
Starting with eye makeup, from left to right, my mascara of choice and newest of my beauty products is the Troublemaker Mascara from Urban Decay, which is vegan! Urban Decay’s website has a page dedicated to their vegan products which is so convenient. It should be noted that Urban Decay is cruelty free but their parent company is not. Next is the ELF Cosmetics Precision Liquid Eyeliner, also both vegan and cruelty free! It can be difficult to use if you’re not used to liquid eyeliner but it’s pretty good quality and a steal at $3. Wet N Wild’s Walking on Eggshells Eyeshadow Palette is the only eyeshadow I currently care to have in my bag at school, again it is cruelty free and vegan! all 3 brushes are from Ecotools, 100% cruelty free and vegan!
Moving onto face makeup, I’ll start with the brushes. The first one with a clear wand is a Clinique blush brush, which means it’s probably made out of animal hair. It’s the oldest thing in my bag and to be truthful I received a vegan brush kit for Christmas, I just haven’t had a chance to open it. The next time I go home that brush is going bye-bye. To the right of that one is my ELF Angled Blush Brush, which is synthetic. Next to that is another Ecotools brush! Above the Ecotools brush is my Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade with Brush #12, yet another vegan and cruelty free combo! The trio to the right is from Lancome, is incredibly old, and not cruelty free nor vegan. And this point I’ve only been using it for the blush, I’m not crazy about bronzer, but when I initially got it I went crazy for the highlighter as it worked on my pale skin. Below that is ELF’s Tone Correcting Powder. Elf is a completely cruelty free brand, and all of their cosmetics are certified vegan! This works really nice to even your skin tone. Upper right is the Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls. It’s a highlighter and I’m not sure what shade it is but it’s actually too dark for me, but it does give a nice glow! They are a cruelty free brand but they do not specify which products are vegan, so that involves googling each individual ingredient. Last of the face makeup is NYX Cosmetics Studio Finishing Powder. Just like Urban Decay, the product is vegan, as they have a list of vegan products on their website, and they are cruelty free but their parent company is not.
Lastly, lip products and perfume! First, Wet N Wild Liquid Catsuit Lipstick, cruelty free and vegan! Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm. Obviously not vegan to the people who don’t support beeswax, but also includes lanolin, which is also a huge no-no in the vegan community. On the bright side, they are cruelty free, however their parent company is not. Last but not least, I Saw Goody Proctor With the Devil by sixteen92. I highly recommend buying indie when you can, it’s easy to find cruelty free and vegan products that way, and it’s great to support independent companies as opposed to big businesses. I love incense-y scents so this is by far my favorite.
If you’re interested in cruelty free cosmetics, I highly recommend the blog Logical Harmony, the creator/owner Tashina has a Cruelty-Free Brand List which she updates weekly!
Join me next time when I go over my extensive skincare collection!
