Teresa: What non-vegan ingredients are commonly used in making scents?

Mona:  Each fragrance is a unique formulation. There are any number of animal ingredients that can find themselves in a perfume. Things like ambergris (from whale intestines) and civet (a unctuous secretion painfully scrapped from a gland very near the genital organs of civet cat) can be used as a fixatives in making perfumes. Then there are the more obvious musk oils and animal based acids. Because the use of animal products in the beauty industry is common, I would personally always assume that, unless a perfume specifically states that it is vegan, then it is not-vegan.

Teresa: How do you develop your fragrances?

Mona:  Our fragrances begin with a story, a NYC story. Each scent in our collection tells a real NYC story of life illuminated by fragrance, a story written by me. These stories are my personal experiences and, yet, they are not unique. Many people could relate to my experiences as their own. Our first collection includes: Sunday Brunch, 10am Flirt, Nitro Noir and Santal Sky. The fragrances were crafted in collaboration with perfumer Mathieu Nardin, a young perfumer known for combining artisanal craftsmanship with modern techniques.

Teresa:  I know your scents are gender-neutral. Could you say a bit about your take on gender within the perfume industry, and why you decided not to participate in this binary?

Mona:  I love this question. The answer is simple. I don’t participate in that binary because it’s insulting. As a model, I never liked fragrance marketers telling me what it meant to smell like or be a woman. They presumed that I should like pink, crystals and the smell of roses (I don’t). And so, my individualism denied, I was forced to shop for fragrance that I like in men’s aisles. I was always perplexed by the fragrance marketer’s logic. Is a Kandinsky feminine or a Warhol macho? When I go to an art gallery, no one tells me where to go. I think we can all agree, in this modern era, that labeling art as “for her” or “for him” would be insulting to us as individuals. Fragrance, like art, is for all… and should be free of gender-bias labels.

Teresa:  Tell us a little bit about how you integrate NYC art into your brand.

Mona:  KIERIN NYC is a brand for individualists boldly inspired to be. The white, opaque bottle is like a canvas. The label is purposely positioned “on the edge” of the square bottle as a metaphor for living life to its fullest. The collage art is reminiscent of the lifestyle of NYC and so many street art murals wrapped around the city’s building corners. Art is our muse– not spokesmodels or celebrities.

Teresa:  Anything else vegans in particular should know about KIERIN NYC?

Mona:  There are varying shades of green. KIERIN NYC is an uncompromising brand that not only offers consumers high-quality, distinctive blends that are vegan. Our collection is also cruelty-free, toxin-free, free of unnecessary stabilizers, free of skin allergens, parabens, sustainably sourced and recyclable. Not to mention that our premium fragrances are more accessibly priced than many traditional niche-brands, as a matter of principle.

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If you’ve been vegan for a while you have probably heard of the Vegan Cuts Beauty Box, but if you’re a newbie, you might not know about it. And that’s why I’m here! The Vegan Cuts Beauty Box is a subscription service that delivers a box of cruelty-free beauty products to your door every month. The products are usually sample sized, but there are times when you’ll receive full-sized products too (as was the case with most of this month’s products). It’s a great way to discover new brands and sample products without spending a lot of money. It’s also perfect for new vegans who are just learning about cruelty-free brands.

I love that the February Beauty Box was curated with winter beauty care in mind!

The February Vegan Cuts Beauty Box Contained:

Harvey Prince Organics Perfume Roll-On ­– Harvey Prince perfumes are made with high-quality eco-friendly ingredients, and they never contain harmful chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, sulfates, or benzene. I received Madagascar Vanilla, which does indeed smell like vanilla. Harvey Prince markets this scent as a stress-reliever, as the aroma of vanilla can be warm and comforting. I usually get headaches from perfumes, even natural ones, but fortunately, I can wear this scent without any problems!

The Wonder Seed Facial Cream – I moisturize twice a day, but my skin has still be suffering from the effects of winter’s cold, dry air. This moisturizer is made with hemp seed oil, which has the perfect ration of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids for absorption, ensuring that nutrition is delivered deep into the skin. My skin has definitely been feeling softer and less dry since I started using it.

Tara Smith Base Coat Hair Serum – My hair has also been a victim of the dry winter air, so I was excited to find this serum in the February Beauty Box. It’s made with starflower seed extract and coconut oil, which help create shine and lock in moisture without weighing hair down. My hair has been thankful!

100% Pure Eye Dual-Ended Creamstick – This creamy eye shadow is formulated with sea minerals and vitamins so that it moistures while adding color. It glides on smoothly and stays put throughout the day. I love that the pigment color comes from fruit!

The Beauty Box is available as a monthly subscription, which means that once you sign up, a box of new goodies gets delivered to your door every month. If you like the samples in your box, you can order their full-sized counterpart from the Vegan Cuts Marketplace.

The post The February Vegan Cuts Beauty Box appeared first on Chic Vegan.

1. Honoré des Prés

Ecological French perfumery with three beautiful Eau de Perfumes and five fantastic Eau de Toilettes. All the scents are vegan. My favourite perfume from Honoré des Prés is the carroty Love les Carrottes – who would have thought that carrots could smell so sexy? Think of spicy carrot cake mixed with sweet vanilla and  a hint of orange  – that will make you smell good enough to eat! The winner of Eau de Toilettes is the wonderfully weird, smoky Chaman’s Party. Spraying it on makes me think of hot, dark August nights and bonfires –  it is just about my favourite scent at the moment! All the fragrances stay on the skin beautifully although Eau de Perfumes linger on bit longer than the Eau de Toilettes. I guarantee that in Honoré des Prés scent series there’s something for everyone. Add the stylish packaging and voilá!

2.  Ecco Bella

Ecco Bella is a well-loved American natural skincare company. Ecco Bella has four fabulous organic Eau de Parfumes. All the perfumes are vegan and get their seductive scents from flowers, fruit, essential oils and spices. Ecco Bella’s scents are perhaps a tad more conventional cocktails compared with the Honoré des Prés ones but they did the trick for me all the same. My very favourite fragrance out of this series is the spicy Ambrosia Eau de Parfum that gets its twist from black currant bud absolute. The result? Very sensual and sophisticated! (A tip: if you’re already a fan of Ecco Bella fragrances or would like to become one, keep on reading till the end of this post!)

3. Farfalla

Farfalla is a Swiss company famous for its well-balanced, organic cosmetics – and most of them are vegan too! As are all the five Farfalla organic Eau de Perfumes. As is usually the case for Farfalla, the perfumes have more organic ingredients than is actually required to get the organic certification: 98% of the ingredients are organic. I liked the oriental Shandrani the best though all the scents are very pleasant indeed. My only complaint is that they maybe don’t have enough individual character – all the fragrances seem to have the same peppery base note. The Farfalla fragrances stay on the skin very nicely but are not too strong – perfect for wearing during day time!

4.  Gorilla Perfumes at Lush

Lush cosmetics aren’t certified organic products but are mostly made of natural ingredients. Lush is a veteran in fighting against animal testing and most Lush products are suitable for vegans too. Besides they smell really nice. Lush has loads of exotic and eccentric fragrances to choose from. My all-time favourite Lush scents are Karma (although that unfortunately always causes an asthma attack for my best friend!) and Love (pure sex in a bottle!). Lush perfumes are also famed for their exquisite staying power that sometimes defies even a shower, bath and sauna. So, if you work with scent-sensitive people, do be careful with applying that second spritz!

5.  Essential oil of patchouli

In my wild, alternative youth the punk boys especially smothered themselves with patchouli oil – maybe that’s why I still have such fond memories of it. Patchouli oil has a very strong scent but it does fade a bit after a while. Patchouli oil is a very purse-friendly choice and if you buy it organic, it’s friendly for the environment too. I do seem to remember from the aromatherapy evening classes I went to ages ago that you shouldn’t apply essential oils directly on skin so it might be safest to mix a few drops of patchouli oil with almond oil first. Real punks obviously rebel against the authority of aromatherapist and drop it straight on unwashed, tattooed skin.

GIVEAWAY

KRISTINE is the winner of our Ecco Bella perfume giveaway…CONGRATULATIONS!!!

A big thank you to all who entered.

The post Five perfect perfumes for vegan vixens – GIVEAWAY appeared first on Chic Vegan.

This used to be a hard and complicated endeavor, but much like all things vegan, you now have tons of delicious smelling goodness to choose from! The following are top choices in the world of ethical perfumery. If you are on more of a budget you can troll Etsy for some great scents or make your own!

Tallula Jane has 5 enchanting smells to choose from: Tallulah, Gotham, 333, Misae, and Leotie. All fragrances are organic and vegan and hand blended and poured using all natural ingredients. This makes each batch subtly different and your smell will always be unique!

A Perfume Organic carries only organic, vegan and locally made fragrances. APO’s perfume is free of petrochemicals, solvents, dyes, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals known to cause cancer.  They carry four fragrances, each distinctly different:  Green, Perfumed Wine-Rosé, Urban Organic, and White Magik.

Florame’s eau de toilette fragrances are true nose candy and very high quality. They offer over 8 simple fragrances that are organic, vegan and synthetic free. When sprayed on the skin they blend with your naturally occurring pheromones to create a sexy scent!

Everyone’s favorite: Pacifica carries tons of scents that are all free of parabens, animal testing, animal ingredients or artificial colors.  Of course they are 100% VEGAN and also Gluten-free.

Make your own perfume!

Crating your own perfume is simple, totally cheap and tons of fun! Try this simple recipe to create your own completely one-of-a-kind fragrance. You can buy most ingredients online or even at your local health food store.

1. Pour the alcohol into your bowl. Add the essential oils one drop at a time into the alcohol* in the bowl, stirring slowly after each addition. Make sure that you stir slowly, but long enough to completely disperse the oils.
2. Allow the blend of oils and alcohol to stand undisturbed for 48 hours.
3. Add the distilled water. Stir it slowly until it is completely dispersed.
4. Place the mixture in a cool, dark place where it won’t be disturbed for at least three weeks. This will allow the perfume to mature.
5. Filter the resulting pure perfume through a coffee filter to remove any sediment that may have formed. Bottle your perfume into colored glass bottles with a stopper. Enjoy it as you would any commercial perfume.

*You can use commercial perfumer’s alcohol (suggested) or vodka!

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